Reed beds - phragmitetalia

Reed bed communities spread from the area of the Mediterranean Sea to Southern Scandinavia. They occur at the margins and floating rafts of lakes, rivers, and brooks and at fens and eutrophic marshes. One of the characteristic features of the community is that its habitat is flooded at least for a certain part of the vegetation period. This community is a relatively species poor. The stands are usually dense and tall; this physiognomy is influenced by strong competition and clonal growth of the edificator species. The ecological requirements of the community depend on the dominant species (Borhidi 2003)