Abstract
After the Pannonian Sea has dried up, the Pannonian Basin has become a major depression in Central Europe. The continental climate and intensive groundwater evaporation from the upper layers of the soil caused the accumulation of salts and the formation of Solonchak and Solonetz soil. A mosaic of very specific halophytic vegetation has developed on these soils. Pioneer, species-poor vegetation of annual succulents of the Therosalicornietea class occupy the exposed bottoms of salt marshes and inland salt lakes. Very similar vegetation of the class Crypsietea aculeatae is developed in periodically flooded bare shores and bottoms of salt lakes, dead oxbows, ponds, and terrain depressions. Typical vegetation of inland salt steppes is included in the class Festuco-Puccinellietea, while the class Scorzonero-Juncetea gerardii associates subhalophytic grassland vegetation of wet meadows and pastures. The extreme character of these habitats not allowed human to use them for agricultural purposes for hundreds of years; they have traditionally been managed as pastures for sheep or cattle. A significant human impact on these habitats began only in connection with land drainage and flood control measures about 150 years ago. After World War II, there were attempts to intensify agriculture in stands of halophytic vegetation (plowing, amelioration, fertilization) but caused only the destruction or severe damage to these habitats. Recently, however, it has begun to pay more attention to protection and recovery supporting their conservation for the future.
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Eliáš jun, P., Dítě, D., Dítě, Z. (2021). Halophytic Vegetation in the Pannonian Basin: Origin, Syntaxonomy, Threat, and Conservation. In: Grigore, MN. (eds) Handbook of Halophytes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57635-6_11
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