12E1
Mountain pastures
Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: E1.72 Bent fescue grassland, E1.73 Wavy hair-grass grassland, E1.833 Balkan montane mat-grass swards; PAL. CLASS.: 35.12 [Agrostis] – [Festuca] grasslands, 35.13 [Deschampsia flexuosa] grasslands, 35.73 Balkan montane mat-grass swards; HD 92/43: 6520 Mountain hay meadows ; Bondev (1991): 26 Grass communities (Agrostideta capillaris, Nardeta strictae etc.) replacing spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), silver pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and balkan pine (Pinus peuce Griseb.) forests, 44 Grass communities (Agrostideta capillaris, Nardeta strictae, Bellardiochloeta violaceae etc.) replacing ordinary beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and white fir (Abies alba Mill.).
Conservation status. BDA, BC, HD.
Category. Endangered [EN - A1, 2 B1 C1 D1 E2 F2 G2 H2 I J L2].
General characteristics. The mountain pastures are secondary plant communities that have replaced mesophytic forests or mesophytic meadows due to changes in the regimes of use. They occur in the mountains where extensive stock breeding is widely practiced. This habitat has originated in the same soil and climatic conditions as the wood and grassland communities in the mountains. However, as a result of the intensive grazing some changes are observed in the structure, humidity and aeration of the soil, and in the floristic composition of the plant communities. Syntaxonomically, the mountain pastures belong to class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, order Arrhenatheretalia and alliance Cynosurion. Plant communities with floristic composition close to the one of the xerophytic communities from the class Festuco-Brometea develop in the lower parts of the mountains (700–1000 m alt.) and in dry places. Two varieties of the association Pastinaco hirsutae-Festucetum nigrescentis (i.e. Galium verum var. and Dianthus armeria var.) have been described for Rhodopi Mts. At higher altitudes of distribution (1600–1800 m alt.) where the temperature is low and humidity is high, the mountain pastures are floristically, ecologically and sytaxonomically close to the subalpine and alpine grasslands from the alliances Molinion coeruleae and Potentillo ternatae-Nardion. Parts of these communities belong to the subassociation Verbascetosum longifolii of the association Pastinaco hirsutae-Festucetum nigrescentis. The mountain pastures are closely connected to mountain hay meadows. Very often it is difficult to distinguish one from the other, especially when they are used both as pastures and hay meadows. The dynamic socio-economical processes in the country in the last decades have caused changes in the utilization of these coenoses. Parts of the pastures have been abandoned and hence shrubs and trees have developed. The intensive grazing in close proximity to the human settlements has caused degradation and ruderalization. Human activities and natural processes in the mountain pastures in Bulgaria have resulted in two habitat subtypes.
- Mesophytic and xeromesophytic mountain pastures. Typical for this subtype is moderate grazing or combined use as pastures and hay meadows, but with a prevailing of grazing. Its floristic composition is very close to that of the mesophytic hay meadows and is dominated by Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra agg. and Cynosurus cristatus. Nardus stricta participates in the mountain pastures as a co-dominant and subdominant due to trampling and hence changed soil structure. Armeria rumelica, Galium verum, Hypericum maculatum, H. perforatum, Knautia arvensis, Plantago lanceolata, Poa media, Ranunculus montanus, Rhinanthus rumelicus, Rumex acetosella, Silene roemeri, Stellaria graminea, and Veronica chamaedrys occur more frequently. In drier places more meso-xerophytic varieties of this habitat subtype develop with the participation of Achillea collina, Carum carvi, Chamaespartium sagittale, Dianthus armeria, Festuca valesiaca, Filipendula vulgaris, Galium verum, Hieracium hoppeanum, Koeleria macrantha, Poa angustifolia, P. bulbosa, Potentilla argentea, Scleranthus perennis, etc. Communities dominated by Deschampsia flexuosa also belong to this subtype but they are rare in Bulgaria.
- Ruderalized mountain pastures. Overgrazing have caused processes of ruderalization and degradation in this subtype. A major dominant is Nardus stricta, which replaces the more sensitive to trampling Agrostis capillaris and Festuca rubra agg. Its floristic composition is relatively poorer with wider distribution of more mobile and ruderal species like Carduus nutans, Carlina acanthifolia, Cirsium ligulare, Luzula campestris, Phleum phleoides,Rumex acetosa, R. alpinus, Sieglingia decumbens, Urtica dioica, Veratrum album subsp. lobelianum, Verbascum longifolium subsp. pannosum, etc.
Characteristic taxa.
- Vascular plants: 1. Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Armeria rumelica, Briza media, Carum carvi, Cynosurus cristatus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra agg., Filipendula vulgaris, Galium verum, Hypericum maculatum, H. perforatum, Knautia arvensis, Leontodon autumnalis, L. hispidus, Lotus corniculatus, Pastinaca hirsuta, Plantago lanceolata, P. media, Poa angustifolia, Ranunculus acris, R. montanus, Rhinanthus rumelicus, R. wagneri, Rumex acetosella, Scabiosa ochroleuca, S. triniifolia, Scleranthus perennis, Silene roemeri, Stellaria graminea, Taraxacum officinale, Trifolium alpestre, T. aureum, T. campestre, T. montanum, T. pratense, T. repens, Veronica chamaedrys;2. Carduus nutans, Carlina acanthifolia, Cirsium ligulare, Elymus repens, Nardus stricta, Phleum phleoides, Rhinanthus spp., Rumex acetosa, R. alpinus, Sieglingia decumbens, Urtica dioica, Veratrum album subsp. lobelianum, Verbascum longifolium subsp. pannosum, etc.
- Fungi: Macromycetes – Agaricus arvensis, A. campestris, A. comtulus, Bovista nigrescens, Camarophyllus pratensis, Conocybe lactea, Coprinus spp., Entoloma spp., Handkea utriformis, Hygrocybe ceracea, H. chlorophana, H. conica, H. psittacina, H. punicea, H. reai, H. virginea, Langermannia gigantea, Marasmius oreades, Panaeolina foenisecii, Panaeolus fimiputris, P. papilionaceus, Psilocybe semilanceata, Stropharia coronilla, S. semiglobata; Micromycetes – Lachnum carneolum var. longispora (on Nardus stricta), Puccinia graminis, Tilletia sphaerococca (on Agrostis capillaris).
- Animals: Invertebrates – Pardosa amentata, Ectobius balcani, Decticus verrucivorus, Poecilimon orbelicusi, Chrysopa perla, Megalomus torricordesi, Amara morio nivium, Neocalathus melanocephalus, Myrmica lobicornis, Cepea vindobonensis, Lehmannia bruneri, Bradybena fruticum, Xerolena obvia;Vertebrates – Eremophila alpestris balcanica, Spermophilus citellus.
Distribution in Bulgaria. The mountain pastures occur in all mountains of the country from 800 up to 1800 (1900) m alt.
Conservation importance. Mountain pastures are a valuable source of forage. They play an important role in soil protection and water-regulation. Some plants of conservation significance also occur like: Carduus thracicus, Centaurea nigrescens, Verbascum jankaeanum, V. longifolium subsp. pannosum.The fungi species of conservation concern Entoloma incanum, Hygrocybe ceracea, H. punicea, H. reai also occur.
Threats. Overgrazing that causes degradation and ruderalization; ploughing and consequent colonisation of shrubs and trees; unregulated tourism; fires.
Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex № 1 of the national Biodiversity Act. Part of the mountain pastures are within protected areas: Rila, Pirin and Central Balkan National Parks; Vitosha and Balgarka Nature Parks and in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Maintenance of the habitat and regulation of grazing; detailed phytocoenological studies; mapping and monitoring of the preserved and vulnerable habitats; increase of the areas of this habitat included in protected areas.
References. Ganchev et al. 1964; Kitanov 1947; Kozhuharov 1961; Meshinev et al. 2003.
Author: Marius Dimitrov
