Vegetation of thermophilic trampled habitats in the Bay of Kvarner

The vegetation of thermophilic trampled habitats was sampled in the Bay of Kvarner according to the standard procedures of the Braun- Blanquet method. The following associations were determined: Polycarpo-Amaranthetum deflexi Pignatti 1953, Euphorbio-Oxalidetum corniculatae Lorenzoni 1964, Euphorbietum maculatae Poldini 1989, Eleusinetum indicae Pignatti 1953. Among them a new association was described: Catapodio loliacei-Herniarietum rotundifoliae ass. nova. The Euphorbia prostrata community, Trifolium repens community, and the Cynodon dactylon community were not assigned to the association. The ordination diagram (Princoor program) shows the main differences among the communities. On the first axis, there is a gradient from the most thermophilic Cynodontetum dactylon comm. and Catapodio-Herniarietum to the more mesophilous and less trampled Polycarpo-Amaranthetum and Euphorbio-Oxalidetum. On the other axis, the gradient runs from floristically simple communities with only a few C4 species such as the Polycarpo-Amaranthetum and Cynodon dactylon community to all other communities with more Eragrostietalia elements.