The new vegetation map of the Czech Republic, Map of the Potential
Natural Vegetation at a scale of 1:500 000, prepared in the years 1994-1996
and published in 1997, is a collective work by many Czech, Moravian and
Silesian botanists. It was compiled on the basis of field work and the
evaluation of all maps and phytosociological studies published until the
end of 1996.
In comparison with the first geobotanical map of the Republic, the Map
of Reconstructed Vegetation, published in 1968-1972 (see Mikyška 1968-1972,
Geobotanická mapa ČSSR. 1. České země, ed. NČSAV Praha), this new
map bears witness to the considerably increased knowledge of our vegetation
and its distribution. In its compilation the principles of habitat analogy
were again used, but irreversible changes of habitat resulting from human
activity were also taken into account. The map depicts the equilibrium
between present-day habitat conditions and the vegetation. While the legend
of the Map of Reconstructed Vegetation contained 19 mapping units based
on the floristic-phytocenological differentiation of the vegetation (Braun-
Blanquet classification), the new map includes 51 units, mostly representing
individual associations or two associations; only in special cases are
complexes of higher syntaxa depicted (alliances to classes, e.g. mapping
unit 13 - alliance Tilio-Acerion, MU 47, 48, 5O - mires distinguished at
the level of order's, or small-areas covering alpine and subalpine vegetation
- MU 46, representing syntaxa of several classes).
In the legend, singular mapping units are included within the supraordinated
phytosociological categories. The structure of the legend, with very short
characteristics of the individual mapping units, is given as follows:
Hygrophilous to meso-hygrophilous, deciduous woodlands (dom. Quercus
robur, Ulmus minor, U. laevis, Alnus glutinosa, A. incana, Fraxinus excelsior,
F. angustifolia subsp. danubialis, Populus nigra), very rarely mixed woodlands
with Picea abies, periodically or episodically flooded and influenced by
groundwater, on alluvial and gley soils from planar to montane levels:
Pruno-Fraxinetum (dom. Fraxinus excelsior, rarely Alnus glutinosa
on moister sites or Tilia cordata on drier sites, frequent Padus avium)
on gley soils or fluvisols at colline levels.
Quercus robur-Padus avium comm. and Alnus glutinosa-Padus avium
comm., more or less without Fraxinus excelsior, in the flat relief
of the South-Bohemian basins, frequently flooded.
Piceo-Alnetum (dom. Alnus glutinosa, frequently Picea abies) on
flat sites with slow-flowing water, on gley soils at (sub)montane levels.
Querco-Populetum (dom. Quercus robur, with Populus nigra), rich
in pre-vernal geophytes, partly in complex with Querco -Ulmetum, in large
river valleys of Central Bohemia.
Querco-Ulmetum (dom. Quercus robur, with Ulmus laevis, U. minor,
Alnus glutinosa on moister sites Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata; on
drier sites Acer campestre, Carpinus betulus) in large river valleys in
the lowlands.
Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum (dom. Quercus robur, Fraxinus angustifolia
subsp. danubialis, with Ulmus minor, U. laevis), with Leucojum aestivum,
partly in complex with Fraxino-Populetum (Populus nigra, P. alba, P. canescens),
in the warmest part of S.Moravian river valleys.
Mostly mesophilous, broad-leaved (dom. Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea,
Q. robur, Tilia cordata), rarely mixed, climax woodlands with Abies alba
or Picea abies, on mesotrophic to eutrophic brown earths, from planar to
colline, or submontane levels:
Melampyro nemorosi-Carpinetum (dom. Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus,
with Tilia cordata or T. platyphyllos, Quercus robur and many other [hygro]mesophilous
woody species) at planar to supracolline levels, with the optimum at colline
levels.
Tilio-Betuletum (dom. Quercus petraea, rarely Tilia cordata or Q.
robur), on poorer, mostly drier soils, transitional type to acidophilous
oak woodland at lower levels of Bohemia.
Primulo veris-Carpinetum (dom. Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea
or Q. robur), with many thermophilous species in Pannonian part of S. Moravia.
Carici pilosae-Carpinetum (dom.Carpinus betulus or Quercus petraea,
with frequent Tilia cordata and Fagus sylvatica), with Carex pilosa, Euphorbia
amygdaloides, Symphytum tuberosum, Salvia glutinosa etc. at lower levels
of the W. Carpathians.
Tilio-Carpinetum (dom. Carpinus betulus, Tilia cordata, Quercus
robur, with natural occurrence of Picea abies, Populus tremula and Sorbus
aucuparia), with many hygrophilous species at colline levels of Silesia
and adjoining parts of Moravia.
Stellario-Tilietum (dom. Tilia cordata or Quercus robur, with absence
of Q. petraea and Carpinus betulus), in the river valleys of S. Bohemia.
Permanent communities of broad-leaved (Carpinus betulus, Acer pseudoplatanus,
A. platanoides, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra), rarely mixed woodlands
with Taxus baccata or Abies alba on scree and boulder slopes with immature
soils at colline to montane levels. There is only one mapping unit:
including Aceri-Carpinetum, Lunario-Aceretum, Mercuriali-Fraxinetum
and Scolopendrio-Fraxinetum.
Beech, silver fir-beech and lime-beech climax or sub-climax woodlands
(Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos) with frequent
herbs, rarely sedges or grasses, on siliceous brown earths at submontane
and montane levels:
Tilio platyphylli-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, with frequent Tilia
platyphyllos), locally conditioned unit at submontane levels on tertiary
eruptives of N Bohemia.
Tilio cordatae-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, with Carpinus betulus,
Tilia cordata, Quercus petraea, less frequently Abies alba) at submontane
levels of Central, S and W Bohemia.
Melico-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica), herb- and Melica uniflora-rich,
mostly at submontane levels of N and Central Moravia.
Carici pilosae-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, with frequent admixture
of Quercus petraea), with predominant Carex pilosa, mostly at submontane
levels of the Carpathians.
Dentario enneaphylli-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica with Acer pseudoplatanus
and Abies alba, at higher levels Picea abies) with Dentaria eneaphyllos,
at (sub)montane levels. The most frequent beech woodland of the whole Republic.
Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum, a similar unit, with Dentaria glandulosa,
at montane levels in E Moravia.
Festuco altissimae-Fagetum with the same woody species as the two
foregoing units, with a relatively species-poor herb layer (dom. Festuca
altissima), on relatively poor substrates at (sub)montane levels.
Violo reichenbachianae-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, with Acer
pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior), with frequent Hordelymus europaeus,
at (sub)montane levels of NW Bohemia.
Beech woodlands (Fagus sylvatica) on rendzina soils on substrates rich
in carbonates or with an admixture of CaCO3, mostly at submontane, rarely
montane, levels:
Cephalanthero-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, with many broad-leaved
woody species), with numerous orchids (Cephalanthera damasonium, C. rubra,
Epipactis helleborine, Corallorhiza trifida, Neottia nidus-avis) and some
thermophilous species.
Herb-rich silver fir forests (Galio-Abietenion)
Fir forests (Abies alba) rich in species, on heavy, gley or pseudogley,
poorly drained soils of depressions or convex slopes, mostly at submontane
levels of SW. and Central Bohemia:
Saniculo europaeae-Abietetum (dom. Abies alba, rarely with other
woody species), with indicators of fir woodlands (Galium rotundifolium,
Sanicula europaea, Luzula pilosa).
(Hygro)mesophilous- to mesophilous species-poor beech and fir woodlands
(Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) on oligotrophic siliceous soils at submontane
to supramontane levels, and waterlogged oak-beech woodlands on pseudogleys
at lower levels in NE Moravia:
Luzulo-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, at lower levels with Quercus
petraea) with prevailing (sub)acidophytes, species-poor, on oligotrophic
brown earths at (sub)montane levels.
Calamagrostio villosae-Fagetum (dom. Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies,
with Acer pseudoplatanus and Abies alba), mostly on semipodsols at (supra)montane
levels.
Carici brizoidis-Quercetum (dom. Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica,
on moist sites with Alnus glutinosa, Betula pubescens, with B. pendula,
Populus tremula), with prevailing (sub)acidophytes, on pseudogleys at lower
levels of NE and E Moravia.
Deschampsio flexuosae-Abietetum, fir stands on oligotrophic sites,
influenced by climatic inversions, mostly in deep submontane valleys of
SW Bohemia.
Thermophilous oak woodlands (Quercus pubescens and/or Q. petraea) on
(moderately) nutrient-rich substrates containing CaCO3, mostly
at planar and colline levels in warm and dry areas.
Lathyro versicoloris-Quercetum pubescentis (dom. Quercus pubescens),
with Lathyrus pannonicus, and Torilido-Quercetum (Quercus petraea) with
frequent Buglossoides purpurocaerulea, both with many other (sub)thermophilous
species, in the warmest and driest areas of Bohemia.
Pruno mahaleb-Quercetum pubescentis (dom. Quercus pubescens and
Cerasus mahaleb) on extremely dry sites) and Corno-Quercetum (Quercus petraea,
with Fraxinus excelsior, Carpinus betulus) on less warm and less dry sites
of Moravia.
Undetermined basiphilous thermophilous woodlands (dom. Quercus petraea,
rarely Q. robur, with Pinus sylvestris), with many (sub)xerothermic woodland
species, frequently in complex with calcareous pine woodlands on mineral-rich
substrates.
Oak woodlands (Quercus petraea, Q. pubescens, Q. robur) on chernozem
(on loess) or cambisols (on sands), mostly on flat sites at planar and
colline levels in the Pannonian area of S Moravia, at the NW limit of their
distribution:
Quercetum pubescenti-roboris (dom. Quercus petraea, Q. pubescens,
Q. robur) on loess, with elements of thermophilous and mesophilous woodlands
(Buglossoides purpurocaerulea, Carex michelii, Dictamnus albus, Iris graminea,
I. variegata, Galium sylvaticum, Mercurialis perennis) in Pannonian S Moravia.
Carici fritschii-Quercetum roboris (dom. Quercus robur) with frequent
Carex fritschii, elements of open thermophilous and mesophilous woods,
and species of oligotrophic and alternating moist soils (Geranium sanguineum,
Iris variegata, Festuca ovina, Potentilla alba, Serratula tinctoria) on
cambisols of sand dunes, covering tertiary clays in S Moravia.
Subacidophilous Central-European thermophilous oak woodlands (Quercion
petraeae)
Oak woodlands (Quercus petraea or Q. robur), on poor soils of siliceous
substrates on relatively cold and moist sites at planar and (supra)colline
levels:
Potentillo albae-Quercetum (Quercus petraea, Q. robur, rarely Carpinus
betulus, Tilia cordata) on illimerized brown earths to pseudogleys at planar
to colline levels.
Sorbo torminalis-Quercetum (dom. Quercus petraea, with thermophilous
Sorbus- species) on shallow, oligotrophic soils of dry, sunny sites, mostly
at colline levels.
Asplenio cuneifolii-Quercetum petraeae (dom. Quercus petraea, with
Pinus sylvestris), open woodland with thermophilous species on Mg-rich
rendzinas on serpentine substrates of steep, sunny slopes in valleys of
the Jihlava- and ¦elivka- rivers.
Acidophilous oak woodlands (Genisto germanicae-Quercion)
Species-poor broad-leaved (Quercus petraea, Q. robur) or mixed (Abies
alba or Pinus sylvestris) oak woodlands, with grasses, Juncaceae or dwarf
shrubs on nutrient-poor substrates at planar and colline, locally submontane,
levels:
Luzulo albidae-Quercetum petraeae, Abieti-Quercetum (dom. Quercus
petraea, Q. robur, with Abies alba and a slight admixture of other woody
species) on (meso)oligotrophic brown earths, very frequent in Bohemia.
Molinio arundinaceae-Quercetum (dom. Quercus robur), with Molinia
arundinacea and/or Carex brizoides on heavy, pseudogley soils in depressions,
mostly at colline levels, frequent in Silesia. Vicariant of (sub)Atlantic
birch-oak woods.
Vaccinio vitis-idaeae-Quercetum (dom. Quercus petraea, rarely Q.
robur, with Pinus sylvestris), with prevailing dwarf shrubs (Vaccinium
myrtillus, V. vitis-idaea) on very-strongly acidic oligotrophic soils at
supracolline (to submontane) levels.
Festuco ovinae-Quercetum roboris, open pine-oak woodlands with (sub)thermophilous
woodland species and psammophilous elements on arenic cambisols of lowlands.
Basiphilous perialpine pine woodlands (Erico-Pinion)
Open pine woods (Pinus sylvestris) with peri-alpine species (Biscutella
laevigata, Myosotis stenophylla, Thesium alpinum, Thlaspi montanum) and
elements of serpentine rocks (Asplenium cuneifolium, Armeria vulgaris subsp.
serpentini) on Mg-rich rendzinas on steep slopes at colline levels:
Thlaspio montani-Pinetum sylvestris, in valleys of the Jihlava-
and ¦elivka- rivers.
Acidophilous pine woodlands (Dicrano-Pinion)
Primary relict rocky pine woods (Pinus sylvestris), partly in mosaics
with boulder- spruce forests on dystrophic rankers or podsols, and pine
woods on oligotrophic soils of sands and sandy terraces:
Betulo carpaticae-Pinetum with Anastrepto-Piceetum (dom. Pinus sylvestris
and/or Picea abies, with Betula carpatica, Abies alba or Sorbus aucuparia),
(sub)montane stands on shallow dystrophic rankers in sandstone areas of
NE Bohemia.
Further Dicrano-Pinion comm. (dom. Pinus sylvestris) on rocky habitats,
oligotrophic sands and sand terraces, including: Dicrano-Pinetum, Asplenio
cuneifolii-Pinetum sylvestris, Hieracio pallidi-Pinetum, Cardaminopsio
petraeae- Pinetum.
Natural spruce forests (Picea abies) with a dominance of dwarf shrubs
or grasses and with a well developed and species-rich moss layer on podsols
and podsol-cambisols of siliceous substrates at supramontane levels, and
waterlogged, edaphically determined moss- and Sphagnum-rich spruce forests
on stagnogleys, gley podsols and peaty gleys in waterlogged depressions,
mostly at (sub)montane levels:
Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum (dom. Picea abies, with frequent
Sorbus aucuparia, rarely, at lower levels, Fagus sylvatica or Abies alba),
with predominant Calamagrostis villosa or Vaccinium myrtillus, at (supra)montane
levels.
Mastigobryo-Piceetum, partly with Sphagno-Piceetum (dom. Picea abies),
waterlogged stands with a dense and species-rich moss layer (principally
Sphagnum- species).
Montane to supramontane fern-rich spruce forests (Athyrio alpestris-Piceion)
Species and fern-rich spruce forests (Picea abies) with many elements
of high-montane tall-herb communities on moist oligotrophic soils on steep
slopes, permanently saturated by groundwater, at montane and supramontane
levels:
Athyrio alpestris-Piceetum (dom. Picea abies), with Athyrium distentifolium
and tall herbs (Veratrum lobelianum, Rumex alpestris, Cicerbita alpina),
with a weakly developed moss layer, in cold areas with frequent fogs and
a high snow cover. Subalpine and alpine vegetation (Pinion mughi, Juncetea
trifidi, Mulgedio- Aconitetea, Salicetea herbaceae etc.) Complex of vegetation
units of open subalpine areas above the tree line, with a high diversity
of species and communities, on the summits of the Sudeten Mts.:
Pinion mughi, Juncetea trifidi, Mulgedio-Aconitetea, Salicetea herbaceae
etc., very heterogeneous, species-rich (ca. 600 species) group of communities
with many endemic species and associations (belonging to 9 classes), of
which summit tundra vegetation, tall-herb and tall-grass stands are the
most frequent.
Complex of mire vegetation from sedge- and sedge-moss-rich types to
raised bogs at planar to subalpine levels.
Caricetalia fuscae (dom. Cyperaceae, Poaceae and Juncaceae and/or
Bryidae) on shallow minerotrophic peats from lowland to submontane levels.
Scheuchzerietalia palustris (excl. Leuko-Scheuchzerion palustris)
(dom. Cyperaceae and Sphagnidae), almost always covering mesotrophic to
oligotrophic peat substrates at (sub)montane, rarely subalpine, levels.
Pino rotundatae-Sphagnetum, Eriophoro vaginati-Pinetum sylvestris,
Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum sylvestris (dom. Pinus rotundata, P. sylvestris,
with Picea abies, Betula pubescens), with dwarf shrubs and herbs, and Sphagnum-species.
Sphagnetalia medii excl. syntaxa mentioned sub (49), partly with
Pinus mugo and/or Sphagno-Piceetum with dwarf shrubs, Cyperaceae, and prevailing
acidophilous Sphagnum-species of oligotrophic to dystrophic habitats at
(supra)montane, rarely subalpine levels.
Vegetation on sites strongly influenced by human activity
Complex of successional stages with stabilized Betula pendula-Calamagrostis
epigejos comm. in NW Bohemia.
The currently developing open vegetation on raw substrates (tertiary clays)
on open- cast coal mines.
Together with the compilation of the map, the explanatory text for the
mapping units mentioned above has been prepared.
This text is divided into two parts: the first part includes general
information on the physical-geographical characteristics of the country,
basic information on vegetation mapping in the Republic, history of the
vegetation during the last 15 OOO years and methodology. The second, more
detailed, part includes characteristics of the mapping units (data on the
most frequent synonyms, structure and species composition, diagnostic species
combination, floristic differentiation from the most closely related mapping
units, developmental stages, associated natural vegetation in complex with
individual mapping units, adjoining potential natural vegetation, habitat
and distribution, substitute communities, land use, importance for nature
conservation and landscape planning, rare and endangered taxa and syntaxa,
most important references, examples of typical relev‚s or synthetic tables,
and data on invasive and expansive species in the area of the mapping unit.
Beside the Map of Potential Natural Vegetation, the text has been completed
by synthesized maps of the distribution of groups of mapping units, figures,
and colour photos. It will be printed at the end of 1998.
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