Phytosociological analysis of acidophytic alpine mat-grass swards in the Julian Alps and the Karawanks

Acidophytic alpine mat-grass swards are rare in the alpine belt of the predominantly calcareous Southeastern Alps of Slovenia, and occur where limestone is admixed with marlstone or chert. Those for which we were able to make phytosociological relevés can be predominantly classified into two syntaxa: Carici curvulae-Nardetum strictae vaccinietosum gaultherioidis and Sieversio-Nardetum strictae. At slightly lower elevations, in the forest zone of the subalpine plateau Pokljuka, we found similar swards occupying small areas in frost hollows with luvisol on limestone. They comprise character species of different subalpine-alpine sward and snow bed communities and are classified into the syntaxon Homogyno alpinae-Nardetum scorzoneroidetosum croceae.V pretežno karbonatnih Jugovzhodnih Alpah v Sloveniji so kisloljubna travišča v alpinskem pasu redkost in se pojavljajo tam, kjer je apnencu primešan laporovec ali roženec. Tiste, ki smo jih uspeli fitocenološko popisati, lahko uvrstimo predvsem v dva sintaksona: Carici curvulae-Nardetum strictae vaccinietosum gaultherioidis in Sieversio-Nardetum strictae. Nekoliko nižje, še v gozdnem pasu visokogorske planote Pokljuka smo podobna travišča našli na majhnih površinah v mraziščnih kotanjah z izpranimi tlemi na apnencu. V njih rastejo značilne vrste različnih subalpinsko-alpinskih združb travišč in snežnih dolinic. Za zdaj jih uvrščamo v sintakson Homogyno alpinae-Nardetum scorzoneroidetosum croceae