Natura Croatica Issue number: Natura Croatica, Vol. 9 No.2

Ekološka i floristička obilježja Ledene jame na Velebitu – Hrvatska

Authors: Mirjana Vrbek, Suzana Fiedler

Authors and affiliation

  • Mirjana Vrbek Department of Botany, Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Suzana Fiedler Department of Botany, Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

In the entrance of Ledena Jama pit, located on Velebit mountain (Croatia), flora and some ecological factors were investigated – momentary light intensity, daily air temperature and humidity during vegetational seasons in 1995–96. In consequence of the collected data, the entrance was divided into three zones. In the first two zones (+6 m to –23 m) it is mostly spermatophytes (122 species) and pteridophytes (5 species) that grow, while in Zone III (down to –40 m) most of the plants are bryophytes and algae. With each species, ecological values according to Landolt were associated: F – humidity value, L – light value, T – temperature value and W – life form. By analysing these values division into zones was confirmed. It was also established that the first two zones, as well as in composition of plant species, also vary in air temperature and humidity, soil moisture and light, which is reflected in the larger proportion of geophytes and alpine species present in Zone II.

Keywords

speleobotany, ecological factors, flora, speleological features

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