THE FLORA OF THE GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS FROM THE GEOPARK PLATEAU MEHEDINȚI, ROMANIA

Rezumat

This paper presents the flora of the grassland ecosystems from the Geopark Plateau Mehedinți. The temperate-continental climatic characteristics, with sub-Mediterranean and even oceanic influences, determine the specificity of the grassland ecosystems in the Geopark: natural and semi-natural grassland formations: natural grasslands: rupicolous calcareous or basophile grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi, rupicolous Pannonic grasslands (Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis) represented by communities on calcareous substrates that come into contact with beech karst forests; semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies: semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometea) (*important orchid sites), sub-pannonic steppic grasslands; semi-natural wet meadows with tall herbs: [Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae), hydrophilous tall-herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels; mesophilous meadows: [Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis), mountain hay meadows and even ecosystems of serpentine outcrops present in xerophile grasslands. Also, vegetation from medio-European calcareous screes of hill and mountain levels and calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation, which occupy smaller or larger areas, they are most often integrated into the xerohyllous meadows from the territory or come into contact with them.