Title
Pannonian halophytic steppes (Festuca pseudovina) with Artemisia santonicum, Limonium hungaricum alternating with oak forests (Quercus robur, Quercus pubescens) with Aster sedifolius
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
small-scaled in Austria: Neusiedler See (not shown on the map); Slovakia: Šúr, Tvrdošovce, Kamenín (not shown on the map); Hungary: Veleceer lake, Danube-Theiß-intermediate current area, great Theiß plain mostly near Hortobágy; Romania: plains between Danube and Someç, Banat and Crisana (not shown on the map)
area frequency
11 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Artemisio santonici-Festucetum pseudovinae Soó in Máthé 1933 corr. Borhidi 1996, Achilleo setaceae-Festucetum pseudovinae Soó (1933) 1947 corr. Borhidi 1996, Peucedano officinalis-Asteretum sedifolii Soó 1947 corr. Borhidi 1996, Peucedano officinalis-Festucetum pseudovinae (Rapaics 1927) I. Pop 1968, Centaureo pannonicae-Festucetum pseudovinae Klika & Vlach 1937, Galatello-Quercetum roboris Zólyomi & Tallós 1967.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Vegetation mosaic consisting of halophilous steppe communities on salinified soils in hollows and broadleaved forest communities on non-salinified plakor soils. The halophilous steppes feature as their main components the species Festuca pseudovina, Artemisia santonicum, Achillea setacea, that form a dense cover of vegetation with many other halophytes. The forests consists in the tree layer of Quercus robur, sometimes with Quercus pubescens and Quercus cerris, as well as Acer tataricum, Pyrus pyraster and rarely Acer campestre. The shrub layer is well developed. The herb layer consist of species of various syntaxa: Aceri-Quercion, Quercion pubescenti-petraeae, Festuco-Brometea as well as halophytes (Aster sedifolius, Artemisia santonicum, Limonium hungaricum) and widespread forest species (Dactylis polygama, Geum urbanum, Polygonatum hirtum, Poa nemoralis).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
forests: Quercus robur, locally Quercus pubescens and Quercus cerris, with Acer tataricum, Pyrus pyraster, rarely Acer campestre
Shrub layer
forests: Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus cathartica, Rosa gallica
Herb layer
forests: Melica altissima, Pulmonaria dacica, Pulmonaria mollis, Doronicum hungaricum; Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Asparagus officinalis, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Galium mollugo, Dactylis polygama, Polygonatum hirtum, Poa nemoralis, Geum urbanum;
forest fringes: Peucedanum officinale Aster linosyris, A. sedifolius, Carex praecox, Odontites luteus, Serratula tinctoria, Thalictrum minus, Festuca rupicola, F. valesiaca, Poa angustifolia, Filipendula vulgaris;
halophilic steppes: Festuca pseudovina, Artemisia santonicum, Achillea collina, A. setacea, Limonium hungaricum, Lotus angustissimus, Cerastium dubium, Silene viscosa, Plantago schwarzenbergiana, Polygonum patulum, Trifolium fragiferum, T. filiforme, T. retusum, T. subterraneum, T. vesiculosum; Hordeum hystrix, Koeleria macrantha, Gypsophila muralis, Bromus mollis, Ranunculus pedatus, Veronica prostrata, Plantago lanceolata, Scorzonera cana, Puccinellia limosa, Beckmannia eruciformis, Plantago cornuti
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Festuca pseudovina, Achillea setacea, Artemisia santonicum, Ranunculus pedatus, Cerastium anomalum, Rumex pseudonatronatus, Trifolium angulatum, Trifolium filiforme, Trifolium retusum, Limonium hungaricum; Quercus robur; Aster sedifolius, Peucedanum officinale
Ecological variants
On lower lying, later dried out microhabitats with higher salt content Artemisia santonicum together with Pholiurus pannonicus, Puccinellia distans, Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex tatarica, Bassia sedoides, Camphorosma annua, Matricaria recutita, Rorippa kerneri, Salicornia prostrata, Spergularia rubra, Spergularia salina, Plantago maritima, Plantago tenuiflora, Taraxacum bessarabicum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Further halophilic communities are contained within the halophilic steppe complex: Puccinellietum limosae Rapaics ex Soó 1933, Hordeetum hystricis Wendelberger 1943, Agrosteto-Beckmannietum Soó 1933, Plantaginetum schwarzenbergianae-cornuti banaticum Stere 1969, on solonetz soils also Puccinellietum peisonis Franz et al. 1937, Lepidietum crassifolii Wenzl 1934, Lepidio crassifolii-Camphorosmetum Soó (1947)1957, Lepidio crassifolii-Puccinellietum limosae Soó (1947)1957 on solonchak soils. On permanently wet sites also alkaline meadow communities: Alopecureto-Rorippetum kerneri (Soó 1933) I. Pop 1968, Agrosteto-Alopecuretum geniculati Magyar ex Soó 1947, Agrosteto-Alopecuretum pratensis Soó (1933) 1947, Agrosteto-Caricetum distantis Rapaics ex Soó 1933, Agrosteto-Glycerietum poiformis Magyar ex Soó 1933 Agrostetum stoloniferae (Ujvarosi 1941) Burduja et al. 1957, Agropyretum repentis Burduja et al. 1957.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed pedunculate oak forests (G4, G5), forest steppes (L10), salt vegetation (P32), alluvial forests (U16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Few plantations since the forests have almost been completely destroyed in order to acquire ground for crop farming.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Halophilous vegetation mostly as pasture ground, recently transformation into cultivated meadows: Alopecurus pratensis, Festuca pratensis, Agrostis stolonifera or Elymus repens communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Halophilous communities have often been converted into arable land by amelioration.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Plains with an irregular mosaic of smaller and larger salty hollows and loess ridges. In the hollows, alkaline, mesotrophic, heavy solonetz soils (szik) or sandy solonchak soils, and on the loess ridges deep eutrophic chernozems.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland; 50-100 m
Geology (bedrock)
bluff formation (Pleistocene) above Tertiary sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
solonetz, solontchak, weakly solonzied as well as degraded black soils; (mollic solonetz; solonchaks; chernozems)
soil texture
loamy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
periodically moist to dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)
average annual temperature
10-11,5 °C
average annual precipitation
500-550 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 21,5-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -2 to 0 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
sommer-warm, semi-arid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The natural halophilic vegetation has remained preserved over quite large areas, however, the forests have almost completely disappeared.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
steppe forests.
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the surviving forest remnants and semi-natural vegetation complexes is urgently necessary.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Hungary: Ujszentmargita, Ohat, Körösladány, Fás; west Romania: plains of Banat and Crisana, Cluçinen Cris.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Borhidi 1996; Borhidi & Sánta 1999; Ivan, Doniţă, Coldea, Sanda, Popescu, Chifu, Boşcaiu, Mititelu & Paucă-Comănescu 1993; Máthé 1933; Pop 1968; Rapaics 1927a; Soó 1933; Soó 1947b; Soó 1964a; Zólyomi & Tallós 1967
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová referring to D. Ivan et al. 1993; revised version by A. Borhidi
