Classification of Calamagrostis epigeios (l.) Roth dominated wet and dry grasslands in Biharugra

Abstract

We worked in large sedge communities and loess steppe grasslands in the Easternmost part of the Great Hungarian Plain nearby Biharugra. Stands of both associations were studied, being in undisturbed state or invaded by Calamagrostis epigeios. 7 representative coenological relevés were investigated in both types of stands. We worked on looking for answers regarding how may the accumulation of a dominant species affect deifferent plant communities, which are the most common species occuring together with Calamagrostis and which are those that live in parallel with it only occassionally. Comparing the intact stands and those invaded by Calamagrostis, the following results can be stated.The average number of species in large sedge communities are very similar in the two situations (7.85 and 7.28), while in loess steppe grasslands, those in close-to-natural state carry an average of 30.85 species and those dominated by Calamagrostis (13.14 species) are poor in species. The total cover of intact large sedge 100.85%, respectively. In the loess steppe grasslands the opposite trend was found as 122.29% and 97.51%. In the stands dominated by Calamagrostis, its coverage was 77.9% in large sedge communities and 51.4% in loess steppes. The Calamagrostis has overshadowed the original grass species significantly, the relative volume has changed. The recordings multivariate analysis distinguished three major groups: the intact in large sedge communities, the intact loess grasslands and Calamagrostis dominated types. We found that the Calamagrostis dominated stands lose their original property and are more similar to each other than to the original associations.