Summary

Flora in Jieznas Environs

Daiva Patalauskaitė

In summer of 2006, a survey has been carried out in Jieznas environs in order to elucidate the sites most valuable from the viewpoint of biodiversity. The area was surveyed by a route method. Descriptions of communities have been made in natural ecosystems based on the principles used by the Braun-Blanquet school for the investigation of vegetation and its classification.

A major part of Jieznas environs is notable for a picturesque hilly relief, but the distribution of communities of natural vegetation is uneven. The highest concentration of natural communities, as well as biodiversity, was observed in the valleys of the Nemunas and Verknė rivers. There are forest and meadow communities belonging to fertile meadow alliances consisting of Molinio-Arrhenatheretea elatioris class plants such as Arrhenatherion elatioris and Calthion palustris; verge and open areas in forest plots, as well as those of slope meadow communities Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei) class with Trifolion medii and Geranion sanguinei alliances; steppe meadow Festuco-Brometea erecti class; large helophytes and Phragmitetea australis class; Phragmition australis and Magnocaricion elatae alliances, as well as Sedo-Scleranthetea and broad-leaved forest (Querco-Fagetea sylvatici) classes. Different-size natural communities of meadows, low bogs and shrubs survived only at the inaccessible sites on lake coasts: Jieznas, Pečiauskai and at small lakes between Kašonys and Dukuronys in the northern area. There are larger areas of communities belonging to large helophytes and Phragmitetea australis class Magnocaricion elatae alliance as well as fertile meadow Molinio-Arrhenatheretea elatioris class Calthion palustris alliance. The rest part of the territory has most often just small fragments of natural meadows and low bogs in the depressions among the hills.