PLANT COVER OF NATURAL PASTURES LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF THE TOWN OF NOVI KNEŽEVAC

Specific features of the plant cover of the natural pastures located in the vicinity of the town of Novi Kneževac (the Vojvodina Province, Serbia) result from their floristic, ecological, plant geographic, florogenetic and phytocoenological characteristics. Floristic characteristics result from 205 taxa. Of the 205 taxa, 191 taxa (177 species, six subspecies, three varieties and five forms) were listed on account of their distinctive floristic characteristics. Ecological characteristics result from 55 halophyte taxa with the ecological index S+. Plant geographic characteristics result from one endemic species of the Pannonian Plain Statice gmelini subsp. hungaricum and subendemic species in the Pannonian Plain Achillea asplenifolia, Puccinellia limosa and Roripa kerneri. Florogenetic characteristics result from postglacial relic Scilla autumnalis. The registered taxa form stands of 12 plant communities that belong to the vegetation classes Phragmitetea, Thero-Salicornietea, Festuco-Puccinellietea and Festuco-Brometea. Taking in consideration the considerable presence of halophyte taxa, the presence of Pannonian and sub-Pannonian floristic elements, and domination of phytocoenoses of the class Festuco-Puccinellietea it was concluded that the studied plant cover is part of the halobiome of the Pannonian Plain