Ecological characteristics of plant species and associations along two Dinaric karstic rivers (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkans)

Abstract

This paper describes the plant communities of two oligotrophic karstic rivers with a slight anthropogenic influence -the Trebižat and the Lištica -in South Bosnia and Herzegovina, their sinecology, and the relationship between vegetation and plant species and environmental parameters. According to 87 relevés, a total of 26 plant associations, using Braun-Blanquet methods, were found in the rivers and nearby surveyed area. Only nine associations were common to both rivers. Eight associations were recorded for the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time. Associations from both rivers differed according to following parameters measured at the sampling site: water temperature, distance from the mouth (river kilometers), river width, water depth, flow, pH and slope. There were no differences in nutrient concentrations among the associations. According to Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), three environmental variables out of the 11 initially considered were retained as being related to plant distribution. The first two axes explained 56.8% and 35.2% of variance of species-environment relationship in the Trebižat and Lištica rivers, respectively. Water depth in the Trebižat River, and pH and river kilometers in the Lištica River were found to be the most influential, while nutrients and other physico-chemical parameters were not significant in either river. Water depth vector was identified as an underlying environmental factor determining distribution of Potamogeton lucens and Myriophyllum verticillatum (Potamion), and Nymphaea alba (Nymphaeion albae). According to in situ measurements of light intensity, the highest coefficients of light attenuation, radiance and reflection were found at a station with dense populations of Potamogeton lucens and Nuphar luteum (Potametum lucentis). The vegetation and floristic value of the rivers is discussed as a basis for biodiversity conservation programmes and evaluating the state of these ecosystems in the future.

A hundred years of change in wild vegetable use in southern Herzegovina

“…The southern part of BosniaHerzegovina belongs to the Dinaric karstic region. The study area is located in the Eurosiberian Region, Alpino-Caucasian Subregion, Apennino-Balkan Province, and Illyrian Sector (Lasić et al, 2014). The studied villages lie in the estuary of the river Neretva and its tributary, Trebižat.…”

“…1500 mm/year) but falls mainly in the colder part of the year. The mean annual air temperature is 14.6 1C, maximum in July (23.4 1C) and minimum in January (5 1C) -data from the neighboring station in the town of Ljubuški, on the western border of the study area, for the period 1971-2000, after Lasić et al (2014).…”

The Macrophyte Flora and Vegetation of the Paučko Lake (Mt. Konjuh)

“…Macrophytes have an importance for the food web interactions and environmental quality of lakes (Scheffer & Jeppesen, 1998). Studies of the aquatic and marsh communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been known for the Hutovo blato Natural park (Jasprica & Carić, 2002;Jasprica et al, 2003), Bardača (Kovačević & Stojanović, 2008), Sava river basin floodplains (Redžić et al, 2009), Velika Tišina (Bjelčić, 1954), karstic rivers (Lasić et al, 2014) and several mine pit lakes (Kamberović & Barudanović, 2011;2012;Kamberović et al, 2014). Shallow UDK 581.9:574.5 (497.6) (285) DOI 10.54652/RSF.2020.V50.I1.36…”