Diversity and ecology of Salvia officinalis communities in the Western Balkans

Vegetation diversity and ecology of grassland communities with Salvia officinalis were assessed in the natural range of the species in the Western Balkans, using the Braun-Blanquet approach. With the aim of defining the differences among the communities and identifying the main environmental gradients, cluster analysis (Flexible Beta method) and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination were applied. From a total of 346 phytosociological releves (259 releves were used from the literature, and 87 new releves were collected recently in Montenegro and the Middle Dalmatian Islands of Croatia), seventeen associations were identified. Three associations (Brachypodio retusi-Salvietum officinalis, Salvietum brachyodonti-officinalis and Salvio officinalis-Phlomidetum fruticosae) and one subassociation (Stipo-Salvietum officinalis campanuletosum lingulatae) were described for the first time. Most of the associations belong to the alliances Saturejion subspicatae and Chrysopogono grylli-Koelerion splendentis, separated along an altitudinal and thermal gradient. They were classified in the order Koelerietalia splendentis and in the class Helianthemo cani-Seslerietea nitidae, whose presence in the western Balkans is a syntaxonomic novelty. Three associations belong to three other vegetation classes, Festuco-Brometea erecti, Lygeo sparti-Stipetea tenacissimae and Ononido-Rosmarinetea.