THE PLANT ASSOCIATION ALYSSO BORZAEANI – EPHEDRETUM DISTACHYAE TZONEV ET AL. 2005 IN THE PROTECTED AREA MARINE SAND DUNES OF AGIGEA”

The plant communities study in the area of Agigea Marine sand dunes Reserve revealed the presence of the new association Alysso borzaeani – Ephedretum distachyae Tzonev et al. 2005 within the habitat 2130* (fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation). This endemic plant association of Dobrogea (Tzonev et al. 2005) was described for the first time from the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast, near the border with Romania (Anna Maria beach). The characteristic species of the association are Ephedra distachya and Alyssum borzaeanum, plants which are easily distinguished among the accompanying species due to high value of abundance-dominance indices. The psammophile species Secale sylvestre and Carex colchyca are missing or are poorly represented quantitatively in the phytocoenosis of the association. Instead, Alyssum borzaeanum is constantly present with high value of abundance-dominance (AD=2-3) in this plant community, accompanying the dominant species, Ephedra distachya. Phytocoenosis of this association seems to make the transition from the mobile sand dunes dominated by Secali sylvestri – Alyssetum borzaeani to fixed sand dunes covered by the association Ephedro – Caricetum colchicae.