2002 Dendrobiology Chorological analysis of trees.pdf

The wild woody flora of the Stołowe Mts include small number of species. It is connected with a few factors, mainly with relatively small area, not to high altitudinal differentiation, little geological variation and intensive anthropopression. Altitudinally the Stołowe Mts overlap only two layers of vegetation. The lowest portion is covered with the submontane type of vegetation, whereas the upper one is occupied by lower montane belt of vegetation. The present plant cover of the both layers is strongly modified when compared to the natural one. The submontane belt is settled and most of its area is under various types of agricultural utilisation. The forests of montane belt are modified as a result of the forest economy, mainly by felling of natural forests and establishing mono-specific plantations of Norway spruce from the XVIII and XIX centuries. The fragments of natural forests survive on small patches only in the Pośna and Dańczówka stream valleys and on the tops of Wielki and Mały Szczeliniec Mt. (Pender 1996; Świerkosz 1998; Jędryszczak 1999). Also in the montane vegetation layer the great areas have been deforested, and presently are covered by agricultural or abandoned agricultural lands. <br>The aim of the present work was the particular determination of contemporary dendrofloristic resources of the Stołowe Mts with special stress on the historical localities of rare taxa.