CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORISTIC RESEARCH IN SOME SYNANTHROPIC MEADOWS ECOSYSTEMS OF THE MOLDAVIAN PLAIN CERCETĂRI FLORISTICE ÎN UNELE ECOSISTEME PRATICOLE ANTROPIZATE DIN CÂMPIA MOLDOVEI HUŢANU Mariana University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iasi, Romania Abstract. In the recent years we made some comparative studies about the biodiversity preservation in some synanthropic meadows of the Moldavian Plain. The investigations and observations on site were developed in 6 illustrative biotopes from Botoşani and Iaşi county. From all the species of cormophytes from the studied forest-steppe meadows, 46 are sporadical or rare, and 11 there are in the red lists of the vascular plants of Romania. Key words: phytodiversity, the Moldavian Plain (Romania). Rezumat. În ultimii ani s-au efectuat unele studii comparative privind conservarea biodiversităţii în unele pajisti antropizate din Câmpia Moldovei. Cercetările şi observaţiile efectuate în teren s-au derulat în 6 staţiuni ecologice reprezentative din judeţele Iaşi şi Botoşani. Din totalul speciilor de cormofite identificate în pajiştile de silvostepă studiate, 46 sunt sporadice sau rare, iar 11 specii se găsesc în listele roşii ale plantelor vasculare din România. Cuvinte cheie: fitodiversitate, Câmpia Moldovei (România). INTRODUCTION Within a research contract, we performed a series of studies on the synantropic meadows of the Moldavian Plain. The studies and the observations on site were made in the next ecological stations, that will be numbered as follows: 1 - Sărata-Româneşti (the Botoşani county), 2 – Deleni, 3 - Vulturi-Popricani, 4 – Horleşti, 5 - Valea lui David, 6 - Uricani-Leţcani (the Radio Station), all from the Iaşi county. C. Burduja and collab. have published in 1976 year some aspects of the vegetation from Vulturi-Popricani (Iaşi). Other contributions on the flora and vegetation of the hayfield near Vulturi were published by Mariana Huţanu in 2004 year. The Rezervation Valea lui David near Iaşi was studied by C. Burduja in 1959 year and by D. Mititelu and collab., that published a paper about its flora and vegetation in 1969. Another study, about some characteristics of this meadow was published in 1970, by A. Grâneanu and collab. 55 MATERIAL AND METHOD The plant species have been identified and then put into a floristic list. The percentage of bioformes and phytogeographic elements was calculated. Afterwards, the plant species were integrated into vegetal associations according to the Braun- Blanquet method. In the following we will enumerate just the more interesting species of the floristic list. Cormophytes (the scientific names after V. Ciocârlan, 2000). Apiaceae: Pastinaca graveolens Bieb. (1, 4, 5); Peucedanum latifolium (Bieb.) DC. (6); Silaum silaus (L.) Schinz & Thell. (3), rare (R), but out of danger in Moldavia; Trinia glauca (L.) Dumort. (1, 3, 4); Trinia ramosissima (Fischer ex Trev.) Koch (5). Asteraceae: Stemmacantha serratuloides (Georgi) M. Dittrich (6), vulnerable (V). Boraginaceae: Anchusa barrelieri (All.) Vitman (3, 4); Echium maculatum L. (3, 5); Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum L. (3). Brassicaceae: Crambe tatarica Sebeók (3, 5), rare (R); Hesperis tristis L. (3); Sisymbrium polymorphum (Murray) Roth (5), rare (R); Sisymbrium strictissimum L. (4). Euphorbiaceae: Mercurialis ovata Sternb. & Hoppe (3), rare (R). Fabaceae: Lathyrus lacteus (Bieb.) Wissjul. (3, 5); Lathyrus pallescens (Bieb.) C. Koch (5); Lathyrus pannonicus (Jacq.) Garcke (3, 5), rare (R); Oxytropis pilosa (L.) DC. (3); Trigonella procumbens (Besser) Reichenb. (6). Iridaceae: Iris aphylla L. (3, 5); Iris brandzae Prodan (5), rare (R). Lamiaceae: Ajuga laxmannii (L.) Bentham (1, 3, 5); Scutellaria hastifolia L. (4). Linaceae: Linum hirsutum L. (1, 3). Plantaginaceae: Plantago schwarzenbergiana Schur (5, 6), rare (R). Poaceae: Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertner ssp. pectinatum (Bieb.) Tzvelev (1, 4); Hierochloë repens (Host) Simonkai (3, 4, 5), rare (R); Stipa joannis Celak. (3, 5); Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr. (1). Polygonaceae: Rumex tuberosus L. (3), rare (R). Ranunculaceae: Anemone sylvestris L. (3); Clematis integrifolia L. (3, 4, 5); Clematis recta L. (3); Myosurus minimus L. (6); Pulsatilla montana (Hoppe) Reichenb. (3,5); Ranunculus pedatus Waldst. & Kit. (3, 6). Rosaceae: Amygdalus nana L. (3, 4, 5), rare (R). Scrophulariaceae: Linaria genistifolia (L.) Miller (1). RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The floristic list includes 192 taxa of cormophytes (183 species and 9 subspecies), that belongs to 136 genus and 40 botanic families (fig. 1). From all species, 46 are sporadical and rare, the other been frequent (V. Ciocârlan, 2000). The families with the most species are: Asteraceae (25 species), Fabaceae (19 species), Brassicaceae (17 species), Lamiaceae (16 species), Poaceae (14 species), Rosaceae (12 species), Boraginaceae (11 species), Apiaceae and Ranunculaceae, with 9 species each of them. Thus, 9 plants families totalize 132 species, that represents 72.5% from all of them. 11 species are find in the red lists of the vascular plants from Romania (M. Oltean, G. Negrean and collab., 1994; I. Sârbu & T. Chifu, 2003): Amygdalus nana (R), Crambe tatarica (R), Hierochloë repens (R), Iris brandzae (R), Lathyrus pannonicus (R), Mercurialis ovata (R), Plantago schwarzenbergiana (R), Rumex tuberosus (R), Silaum silaus (R), Sisymbrium polymorphum (R), Stemmacantha serratuloides (V). 56 102 90 90 70 46 40 Sarata-Romanesti Deleni Vulturi Horlesti Valea lui David Uricani-Letcani Fig. 1 – The number of the cormophytes species From the life formes, there prevail the hemicryptophytes, the therophytes and the hemitherophytes, beside a low percent of geophytes and phanerophytes (fig. 2). 2% 7% 5% 17% 55% 14% H. Ht. T. G. Ph. Ch. Fig. 2 – The percentage of the life formes (%). 57 We find that in some meadows (for example, Vulturi, Horleşti) there are some forest plants, that also find protection under bushes, which proves that such meadows remained after forest retreat, even in recent times. From the phytogeographic elements, there prevail the Eurasian and European species. The cosmopolites and adventive species are in low number, that means the anthrop pressure is low enough. Nevertheless, there are some ruderal and field-weeds species too, but they do not have a considerable influence over the general flora composition. These forest-steppe meadows have a various number of plant species, but surfaces they occupy are reduced more and more under the assault of man. A specific note is given by the Pontic, Pontic-Mediterranean and Pontic-Panonic species, into a significant percent, also some Pontic-Panonic-Balkan species (fig. 3). This mixture is very interesting, proving a varies provenance of the cormophyte species of these ecosystems, that, although looking alike, group together very diverse plants, which also means various environment conditions. A high diversity also means a high stability of these types of ecosystems, as they are very well defined phytocenotically. The vegetation. In our sites, the main vegetal groups identified belong to 8 vegetal associations and a subassociation, integrated into the following coenosystem: Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. ex Klika et Hadac 1944; Festucetalia valesiacae Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. ex Br.-Bl. 1949; Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931: Medicagini-Festucetum valesiacae Wagner 1941 - Sărata-Româneşti, Deleni, Vulturi-Popricani, Horleşti, Valea lui David, Uricani-Leţcani; Artemisio austriacae-Poëtum bulbosae Pop 1970 - Sărata-Româneşti, Valea lui David; Stipion lessingianae Soó 1947; Stipetum lessingianae Soó (1927 n.n.) 1947 - Sărata-Româneşti. 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 E ur as. E ur . C ont. E ur . P ont. P ont.- P ont.- P ont.- P ont.- P ont.- P an. Balc.- Medit. Cir c. C osm . A dv. C entr ., m edit. pan. balc. pan.-balc. cauc. pan. SE Fig. 3 – The percentage of the phytogeographic elements (%). 58 Molinio-Arrhenatheretea R. Tx. 1937; Potentillo-Polygonetalia R. Tx. 1947; Potentillion anserinae R. Tx. 1937: Rorippo austriacae-Agropyretum repentis (Timár 1947) R. Tx. 1950 - Uricani-Leţcani. Puccinellio-Salicornietea Ţopa 1939; Puccinellietalia Soó 1947 em. Vicherek 1973; Puccinellion limosae Soó 1933: Puccinellietum limosae Rapaics ex Soó 1933 - Uricani-Leţcani; Leuzeetum salinae (Borza 1931 n.n.) Răvăruţ 1958 - Uricani-Leţcani; Puccinellion peisonis Wendelbg. 1943 corr. Soó 1957; Festucion pseudovinae Soó 1933: Artemisio santonici-Festucetum pseudovinae Soó in Máthé 1933 corr. Borhidi 1996 plantaginetosum schwarzenbergianae Sanda et al. 1999 - Uricani-Leţcani. Quercetea pubescenti-petraeae (Oberd. 1948) Jakucs 1960; Prunetalia R. Tx. 1952; Prunion spinosae Soó 1950: Pruno spinosae-Crataegetum Soó (1927) 1931 - Sărata-Româneşti, Vulturi-Popricani; Prunion fruticosae R. Tx. 1952: Amygdaletum nanae (Soó 1927 p.p.) 1959: Vulturi-Popricani, Horleşti, Valea lui David. The coast hayfields are generally well maintained,only sporadically we find patches of halophyte vegetation or some ruderal plants. The vegetation coverage is generally maximal and there is a significant number of fodder plants, which jeans higher productivity. It is not to be neglected their attractive aspect in the landscape, mostly for the vernal and summery flowers. At Uricani (the Radio Station), there are at least two different species, that need protection: Stemmacantha serratuloides (vulnerable) and Plantago schwarzenbergiana (rare), both species prevailingly halophyle, which participate in the building of typical associations of wet and salty areas. CONCLUSIONS The