Vegetation cover in an ancient agricultural landscape: the Proszowice Plateau (southern Poland) as a case-study

The investigations on vegetation cover in the Proszowice Plateau (Małopolska Upland, southern Poland) in 1997-1999 were carried out. This vast area (770 sq. km), hitherto not in this respect investigated, is covered with arable fields in 80%. This area has been used for agriculture since the Neolithic age. The aim of the paper is to show the present state of the vegetation and flora in face of the growing man's impact upon living biotas and their environment. The Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method was used, yielding 1030 relevés. In effect, a total of 48 plant associations and communities were found. Plateaux and gently slopes are covered with arable fields. In the cereal communities Vicietum tetraspermae and in the root crops Echinochloo-Setarietum are mostly found. In the wide and shallow stream valleys moist and wet meadows (Calthion, Magnocaricion) predominate, and the stands of the xerothermic grassland (Festuco-Brometea) occur in places not used for agriculture: on steep escarp-ments between fields and on steep slopes of hills, gullies and stream banks. Small and scarce forests (Querco-Fagetea) are preserved on plateaux and on gently slopes. In the stream banks they consist of willow thickets (Salicion) and fragments of riverside carr (Alno-Padion). Basing on the relevé material and floristic checklists a total of 860 vascular plant species was recorded, in this 19.2% of rare and endangered. The flora is of lowland character; c. 80% are native species. The characteristic feature of the Proszowice Plateau is the occurrence of the xerothermic grassland and wet meadows, in which species rare in other regions of the country flourish