COENOLOGY, DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF THE SPECIES ADONIS VERNALIS L. IN THE SOUTH-WEST OF OLTENIA, ROMANIA

Abstract

Adonis vernalis L., known as pheasant's eye, spring pheasant's eye, yellow pheasant's eye, is a perennial plant with yellow flowers from the Ranunculaceae family that grows in xerophytic meadows but sometimes also in the glades of the thermophilic and sub-thermophilic forests of Europe and Asia. Following the studies carried out, in the south-west of Oltenia, the species was identified in xerophytic and xero-mesophytic meadows, but also in the glades and clearings of the Turkey oak and Hungarian oak trees in the localities: Radovan, Perișor, Plenița, Mărăcine, Tencănău, Vârvoru de Jos, Târnava.
The populations were found on level ground at altitudes between 60-125 m. From a phytocoenotic point of view, the species was identified in the following plant communities: Stipetum capillatae Schneider-Binder 1967, Bothriochloetum ischaemi (Krist. 1937) Pop 1977, Festucetum valesiaco-rupicolae Csuros et Kovacs, Quercetum cerris Georgescu 1941; Quercetum frainetto-cerris (Georgescu 1945) Rudski 1949.
The populations of the species are very few, the number of individuals in a population being quite small. It was found that the climatic changes of recent years, combined with the expansion of the sandy lands in Oltenia, had a negative impact on this species both from the population and phytocoenotic point of view. Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2011. Adonis vernalis is listed as Least Concern. The species is also protected by 2 international agreements important at European level.