Search

Vegetated walls are an important habitat for urban biodiversity. We conducted an analysis of the plant species that grow on the Elbasan, Albania fortress walls. Walls vary in age from 4th to 21st century, and in composition. On 71 walls we assessed 2787 plants of 35 species and recorded plant size, presence of flowers or fruits, height from the ground, crevice depth, wall aspect, wall age and composition, and distance to nearest opposing wall. Eleven species, two of which were ferns, composed 93.8% of the plants. The vast majority of plants flowered and fruited on the walls. Plant density ranged from 0.1–70 plants/m2. Species distributions varied significantly based on height on the wall, crevice depth, aspect and distance to the opposing wall. These differences may be influenced by dispersal mechanisms, moisture, substrate composition, and other important environmental factors. For example, Antirrhinum majus was generally found high on south facing walls in deep cracks whereas Umbilicus rupestris was found lower on north facing walls in shallower cracks. It is important that older walls colonized by plants be maintained such that a native flora can persist where natural rocky features are lacking.

Zidovi predstavljaju skup antropogenih staništa na kojima vladaju uvjeti znatno drugačiji od prirodnih, te na njima može rasti samo ograničen broj biljnih svojti. Ovim istraživanjem obuhvaćeni su zidovi na 27 lokaliteta u širem centru grada Zagreba, na kojima je popisana, odnosno uzorkovana flora kako bi se odredila njezina struktura, biogeografske značajke i ekološke prilagodbe. Pronađene su ukupno 183 svojte iz 59 porodica, a najzastupljenije porodice po broju svojti su Poaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Cichoriaceae, Rosaceae i Brassicaceae. Što se tiče položaja na zidu, 34 % ukupne flore zabilježeno je samo u podnožjima zidova, dok je 20 % svojti zabilježeno samo na vertikalnim dijelovima zidova. Najbrojniju skupinu životnih oblika predstavljaju hemikriptofiti (40,44 %), terofiti (28,96 %) i fanerofiti (24,04 %), dok od flornih elemenata prevladavaju euroazijski (33,88 %), te neofiti, adventivne svojte i kultivari (23,5 %). Kultiviranim alohtonim svojtama pripada 15,3 % flore, dok invazivne svojte predstavljaju 8,8% flore istraživanog područja. Većina zabilježenih svojti prilagođeno je umjerenim temperaturama, a prema kontinentalnosti većina svojti spada u suboceansko-subkontinentalni tip. Najveći broj svojti prilagođen je svjetlu i polusjeni, umjereno vlažnim staništima, slabo kiselim do neutralnim tlima te tlima umjereno bogatima i bogatima nutrijentima. Ukupno 64 % flore prilagođeno je oprašivanju kukcima, a među načinima rasprostranjivanja ističe se zoohorija (58 %). Prosječne vrijednosti CSR strategije svih lokaliteta ukazuju na prevladavajuću kombinaciju kompetitivne i ruderalne strategije unutar proučavane flore. Walls represent a group of man-made habitats that can be colonized by a limited variety of plant taxa due to a presence of conditions that are very different than the natural ones. This research includes walls on 27 locations in Zagreb city centre, on which flora was listed or sampled in order to determine its structure, biogeographical features and ecological adaptations. A total of 183 taxa belonging to 59 families were recorded. The families with the largest number of taxa were Poaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Cichoriaceae, Rosaceae and Brassicaceae. Considering position on the wall, 34 % of all taxa were recorded only in the cavities at ground levels of the walls, while 20 % were found growing only from vertical surfaces. The most common life forms were hemicryptophytes (40,44 %), therophytes (28,96 %) and phanerophytes (24,04 %), and the prevailing floral element was euroasian (33,88 %), followed by neophytes, adventive taxa and cultivars (23,5 %). Cultivated flora makes up 15,3 % of all recorded taxa, while invasive species are present with 8,8 % of all taxa. Most of the recorded taxa are adapted to moderate temperatures, and considering continentality, the biggest part of flora belongs to the suboceanic-subcontinental type. Heliophytes and semi-skiophytes prevail among the taxa, as well as taxa adapted to moderately moist habitats, slightly acidic to neutral soils and soils moderately rich and rich in nutrients. The most present pollination agents are insects (64 %), and zoochory (58 %) is the most common type of seed dispersal. Average CRS values of all the locations indicate the predominant combination of competitive and ruderal strategy among the studied flora.

A typical flora from an archaeological site reported first time from the southern-east part of Turkey by this study. Bryophytes on the wall remains with basaltic rocks, soil surface, patch sides and on the stems of vascular plants were surveyed between 2006-2007. The survey revealed 45 bryophyte taxa of which 7 liverworts and 38 were mosses. All taxa of bryophytes in Tilmen höyük are belonging to 28 genera and 20 families. According to the life form analysis of total flora in study site, short turf determined as the most dominant life form. Also, the distribution of species in relation to the actual vascular vegetation and local abiotic conditions were discussed. Most of bryophytes taxa in the flora are xerophytic and these are naturally adapted to the summer drought of Mediterranean climate. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information.

The flora of the Nebet Tepe Architectural Reserve in the city of Plovdiv (Thracian Plain) was studied in the period 1998–2003. The number of plants growing spontaneously on and around the fragments of the fortification wall and on the pavements is 131. The flora is analyzed with respect to the local distribution of the taxa, their chorology, life form and geoelement characteristics. The flora contains a relatively high proportion of ruderals and weeds. The hemicryptophytes and therophytes constitute the largest group. The following families are distinguished by the greatest number of species: Asteraceae (14), Fabaceae (13), Poaceae (12), Brassicaceae (8), Scrophulariaceae (7), Caryophyllaceae (7). The species Cerastium tauricum Spreng. and Melica transsilvanica Schur are recorded for the first time for the flora of the Thracian Plain floristic region. The results are compared with other European and Mediterranean wall floras.

The wall flora of Malta contains some 140 species. The participation of plant families and life forms is discussed with regard to the types of walls. The Parietario-Antirrhinetum siculi is documented by plant sociological relevés. Oxalis pes-caprae is the most important alien species in the wall vegetation., Die Mauerflora von Malta umfaßt mindestens 140 Gefäßpflanzenarten. Deren Verteilung auf Familien und Lebensformen wird im Hinblick auf die verschiedenen Mauertypen diskutiert. Das Parietario-Antirrhinetum siculi wird mit pflanzensoziologischen Aufnahmen belegt. Oxalis pes-caprae ist der bedeutendste Neophyt in der Mauervegetation.