Title
Danubian sand steppes (Festuca vaginata, Festuca wagneri) with Dianthus bessarabicus, Astragalus varius, Echinops ruthenicus, Anthemis ruthenica alternating with oak forests (Quercus pedunculiflora, Quercus robur) with Poa angustifolia, Vinca herbacea
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Romania: western lower Danube plain along the lower course of the rivers Jiul, Ialomita, Calmatui, Buzau, Birlad
area frequency
7 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Festucetum vaginatae (Pap 1923) Soó 1929 oltenicum Paun & Popescu 1972 et danubiale Soó 1929, Trago-Anthemietum ruthenicae Puscaru et al. 1963, Achilleo kitaibelianae-Secalinetum silvestris Mititelu et al. 1973; Quercetum pedunculiflorae Borza 1937 arenosum Pascovschi et al. 1956.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Small-area mosaic consisting of psammophytic steppes on the dunes and oak forests in valleys between the dunes. Festuca vaginata, Festuca wagneri are present in the more or less closed sand steppes. Other psammophytes and species of the loess steppes (Poa bulbosa, Stipa-species, Medicago falcata, Koeleria macrantha, Seseli tortuosum, Thymus kosteleckyanus) are also added.The forests are formed from oak species (Quercus pedunculiflora, occasionally also Q. robur and Q. petraea). In the second tree layer one finds Acer tataricum and Ulmus minor. The shrub layer is species-rich, and in the herb layer forest plants, steppe grasses (Festuca valesiaca) and some psammophytes (Polygonum arenarium, Viola hymettia, Syrenia cana, Kochia laniflora) are found.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
in forests: Quercus pedunculiflora, locally Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, in the underwood Acer tataricum, Ulmus minor, Pyrus pyraster
Shrub layer
in forests: Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus cathartica, Euonymus europaea, Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum vulgare, Sambucus nigra
Herb layer
in forests: Dactylis polygama, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Geum urbanum, Vinca herbacea, Poa angustifolia, Festuca valesiaca, Polygonum arenarium, Viola hymettia, Syrenia cana, Kochia laniflora;
in steppes: Festuca vaginata (in the west), F. wagneri, Stipa borysthenica (in the east), Tragopogon floccosus, Euphorbia seguieriana, Onosma arenaria, Centaurea arenaria, Gypsophila paniculata, Kochia laniflora, Silene conica, Koeleria glauca, Secale sylvestre, Poa bulbosa, Stipa pennata, S. capillata, Medicago falcata, Koeleria macrantha, Seseli tortuosum, Thymus kosteleckyanus, T. odoratissimus, Astragalus onobrychis, Linum perenne, L. austriacum, Asperula cynanchica, Bothriochloa ischaemum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Festuca vaginata, Festuca wagneri, Dianthus bessarabicus, Astragalus varius, Corispermum nitidum, Viola kitaibeliana, Echinops ruthenicus, Anthemis ruthenica, Achillea ochroleuca, Secale sylvestre; in forests: Quercus pedunculiflora, Acer tataricum; Vinca herbacea, Poa trivialis subsp. silvicola, Viola suavis, Carex melanostachya
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Western form with Festuca vaginata, and an eastern type with Festuca wagneri and Stipa borysthenica.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
oak-hornbeam forests (F66), Quercus polycarpa-oak forests (G9), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), mixed downy oak-bitter oak-grey oak forests (G34), forest steppes (L13), steppes (M5), salt vegetation (P33), alluvial forests (U18, U20).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
False acacia- and Pinus forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Replacement communities where grazing has occurred: Brometum tectorum Soó 1939, Plantaginetum indicae Buia et al. 1960, Molluginetum cervianae Borza 1963, Bromo-Cynodontetum I. Pop 1970.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cultivation of rye, new potatoes, melons; vineyards, orchards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
alluvial terraces with inland dunes and a characteristic profile with dunes and dune valleys
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland; 15-50 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian sediments (Pleistocene) above river terraces
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
sand soils of different development, humus content, trophy, lime content, moisture; (calcaric regosols; petrocalcic calcic chernozems)
soil moisture, water balance
in sand steppes: dry to very dry (dune ridge); in forests: moderately dry to moist (dune valleys )
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII), VII
average annual temperature
10-11,5 °C
average annual precipitation
350-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-4 to -1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
summer-warm, semi-arid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only small remnants are preserved and protected only in nature reserves.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
sand steppes and oak forests.
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, grazing, crop field use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of remnants of natural vegetation in their natural variety in several nature reserves.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Romania: Sadova (along the Jiul), Popesti-Berleste (along the Danube), Hann Conachi (along the Birlad).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Ivan, Doniţă, Coldea, Sanda, Popescu, Chifu, Boşcaiu, Mititelu & Paucă-Comănescu 1993; Mititelu 1973; Paşcovschi & Doniţă 1967; Popescu, Sanda & Doltu 1980; Puşcaru et al. 1963; Soó 1929
Compiled by
N. Doniţă
