Natural calcareous Norway spruce woodlands in Slovakia and their syntaxonomical classification

Abstract

Abstract A second version of the syntaxonomical classification of calcareous Norway spruce communities is presented for the region of Slovak Western Carpathians. Recent knowledge on delimitation of natural Norway spruce woodlands in Slovakia is summarized as well. As result, four in Slovakia traditionally recognized associations are distinguished: Seslerio caeruleae-Piceetum on the ecologically most extreme habitats, followed by Cirsio erisithalis-Piceetum (a replacement for pseudonymically used Cortuso matthioli-Piceetum), tall-forb community of Adenostylo alliariae-Piceetum and ca. species-poor low-forb community of Mnio spinosi-Piceetum (syn. Oxalido-Piceetum). Additionally, two new associations are differentiated: Fragario vescae-Piceetum ass. prov. standing between Cirsio-Piceetum and Adenostylo-Piceetum and acidified Hieracio murorum-Piceetum on deeper soils developed over rocks of the Mráznica formation. For nomenclatural reasons, new order Cortuso-Piceetalia is described for species-rich calcicolous communities of the class Vaccinio-Piceetea as well as subordinated new alliance Cortuso matthioli-Piceion for the supramontane calcicolous Norway spruce communities.