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Vegetal communities in Dambovita county

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 The Annals of Valahia University of Târgovişte, Geographical Series, Tome 9 / 2009
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VEGETAL COMMUNITIES IN DÂMBOVIŢA COUNTY

Mihaela SENCOVICI1
1
Valahia University of Târgovişte

Abstract: The great diversity of geophysical forms has supported the presence of the territory
corresponding to nowadays Damboviţa County on the world’s historical map. This county, along with
a larger area that includes the south-western parts of Romania, belongs to the vast Afro-Eurasian area
of anthropogenesis. Taking into account its geographic position, including mountains, hills and plains,
Dâmboviţa County has a rich and diverse vegetation and fauna, expressed both on the level of the
ecosystems, and on the level of the wild species of flora and fauna, some extremely valuable and even
unique. Under natural conditions, most of the Territory of Dâmboviţa County was covered in forests;
at present, it still occupies 28.34% of the county’s territory. The forests that are still present, especially
in the alpine area and in the Subcarpathians, provide propitious conditions for many plant and animal
species, of scientific, landscape and economic importance. Generally, the county’s natural landscape
remains within its natural quality parameters, and the necessary conditions are met for the
conservation of the biological diversity. The presence of a diverse relief in the area of Dâmboviţa
County has allowed the scientists to classify the vegetation into zones and tiers, as follows: the alpine
level (with low-grass lawns and shrubs); the subalpine level, with sparse forests and bushes; the
boreal level (with spruce fir forests); the nemoral level (with deciduous forests) with the sublevel of
the evergreen oak forests and of the mixed forests with evergreen oak and the sublevel of the beech
forests and of mixed beech and resinous forests; the nemoral area (of the mesophile and submesophile
oak forests).

Key words: alpine level, boreal level, nemoral level, nemoral area, Dâmboviţa County

1. Introduction
The features of the natural environment constitute the expression of the specific
association of several factors: setting, size (horizontally and vertically), repartition and
proportions of the three natural units that make it up.
The county’s relief is diverse, being arranged in tiers and containing three major
levels situated from north to south on an ample hypsometric curve with a level difference of
2375 m, from 2505 m, at the summit Vârful Omul (maximum altitude in Dâmboviţa County)
to 130 m, in the area of Poiana Commune, situated in the low divagation plain of Titu-Potlogi,
south-east of Titu. The proportion of the three relief tiers in the total area of Dâmboviţa
county is different: mountains 9%, (Subcarpathian and Piedmont) hills – 41%, plains – 50%.
The scientific works on the flora and vegetation that can be found in the south of the
country comprise detailed studies concerning the vegetal layer, both from a floristic and from
a phytocenological viewpoint. Beside the extremely valuable works of the botanists Brandza,
Grecescu, Prodan, Borza, and the tomes on the Romanian flora: Flora R. S. România (I-XII),
which mention the species of plants found throughout the country, regional monograph-like
works have been elaborated as well. So, Flora şi vegetaţia munţilor Bucegi (Flora and
Vegetation of Bucegi Mountains) (Beldie, 1967) includes a number of 1185 species of
superior plants. Lista plantelor superioare din Câmpia Munteniei (The List of the Superior
Plants in the Walachian Plain) achieved by Doltu, Popescu, Sanda, Nedelcu (1984) contains a
number of 1704 species, of which many are found in Dâmboviţa County.
Taking into account its geographic position, including mountains, hills and plains,
Dâmboviţa County has a rich and diverse vegetation and fauna, both on the level of the

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ecosystems, and on the level of the wild species of flora and fauna, some extremely valuable
and even unique.
Under natural conditions, most of the Territory of Dâmboviţa County was covered in
forests; at present, it still occupies 28.34% of the county’s territory. The forests that are still
present, especially in the alpine area and in the Subcarpathians, provide propitious conditions
for many plant and animal species, of scientific, landscape and economic importance.
Generally, the county’s natural landscape remains within its natural quality parameters, and
the necessary conditions are met for the conservation of the biological diversity.

2. Distribution of vegetation
The presence of a diverse relief allowed an arrangement of the vegetation into zones
and levels as follows:
- the alpine level (with low grass lawns and shrubs)
- the subalpine level (sparse forests and bushes)
- the boreal level (forests with spruce fir)
- the nemoral level (with deciduous forests) with the sublevel of evergreen oak
forests and mixed forests with evergreen oak and the sublevel of beech forests and mixed
forests including beech and resinous species
- the nemoral area (of mesophile and submesophile oak forests)

The alpine level

On the highest peaks of the Bucegi and the Leaota Mountains, at over 2000 -2200m,
the alpine vegetation is predominantly made up of associations of low or creeping plants that
withstand low temperatures and strong winds. They make up complexes of vegetation
together with the alpine shrubs. The main species that can be found here are: Festuca
glacialis, Luzula spicata, Luzula campestris, Carex curvula, Juncus trifidus (Beldie, 1967).
They grow in shrubs or sparse groups that do not cover the land continuously. In these
groupings and especially in the transitional units towards lawn associations or grassy rocks,
one can see, here and there, without forming lawns: Festuca airoides, Agrostis rupestris,
Festuca violacea, Sesleria coerulans.
On the platforms or on the bottom of the small depressions situated on plateaus, on
tops and in saddles, here and there may appear low dark green groups of dwarf willows Salix
herbacea. Its stem, of just up to 2-3 cm long, is completely buried in the soil, sending at the
surface only its short fragile branches, its small leaves and its delicate aments, with a few
flowers.

The subalpine level

Between the alpine level and the upper limit of the spruce fir forests is situated the
level of the subalpine bushes and lawns.
The subalpine bushes are formed especially of juniper tree, green alder tree and
Rhododendron kotschyi = myrtifolium: Quite large areas are covered by secondary bushes,
made up of huckleberry.
The bushes of juniper tree (Juniperus communis) constitute the main formation of the
subalpine level. In the lower part of the level, the formation may appear as a complex together
with sparse subalpine forests of spruce fir, larice or zâmbru. The herbaceous flora is poor and
made up first of all of oligotrophic elements with a large ecological amplitude in point of the
light (Vaccinum myrtillus, Soldanella hungarica, Homogyne alpina). Within the mixed
bushes, one can usually find a flora of subalpine weeds, such as Heracleum palmatum,
Carduus personata.

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The bushes of juniper tree have shrunk a lot because of the anthropic activity. They
have been better preserved in the upper basin of Ialomiţa River.
The bushes of Juniperus sibirica, subspecies: nana can be found especially in the
Leaota Massif, in the area of the juniper tree, without forming an individual zonal unit. The
bushes are low, no bigger than 50-60 cm high. Well represented are the lawn grasses: Nardus
stricta, Festuca airoides, Agrostis rupestris. They have represented since times out of mind
areas for grazing. On the soil, mosses appear frequently (Polytrichum juniperinum and
others).

Fig. 1. Dâmboviţa County. Vegetation Map

The bushes of green alder tree (Alnus viridis) generally cover the steep and more
humid slopes, along the rivulets and torrents they mix with juniper trees. The bushes of alpine
alder tree grow on meager soils in the Leaota Massif, and their herbaceous flora is usually
made up of weeds.
The bushes of Rhododendron kotschyi = myrtifolium cover large areas in the Bucegi
and Leaota Massifs. The low, compact shrubs, about 30-40 cm high, develops on the slopes
covered in snow during winter and are able to withstand the low temperatures.

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Rhododendron kotschyi = myrtifolium is commonly dominant only in association, but

sometimes codominant with huckleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and cranberry (Vaccinium
vitis-idaea). The not very developed herbaceous layer contains species of subalpine lawn
(Festuca airoides, Agrostis rupestris, etc.).

The boreal level (with spruce fir forests)

Spruce fir forests have a relatively simple structure, being made up almost
exclusively of spruce fir (Picea abies), associated with rare samples of Sorbus aucuparia,
Betula pendula, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ulmus glabra, and sometimes fir tree (Abies alba) and
beech (Beechus sylvatica). Shrubs are missing or they are sometimes represented by rare
samples of Lonicera xylosteum, Lonicera nigra, Spiraea ulmifolia, Ribes petraeum. The
herbaceous layer is usually weakly developed, comprising a low number of superior plants:
huckleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). In many spruce fir
areas can be found a more or less continuous layer of moss (N. Doniţă & collab., 1992).

The nemoral level

In Bucegi Mountains and on the southern slopes of Leaota Mountains, the connection
between the spruce fir forests and the beech forests is assured by the sublevel of mixed
resinous and beech forests. Locally, there appear even fir tree groups with a relatively
simple structure. The dominant tree is fir (Abies alba); it can be met in association with a low
proportion of spruce fir, beech, Acer pseudoplatanus and Ulmus glabra. We can notice the
fact that, in these forests, small groups of different trees have begun to appear as well, such
as: Fraxinus excelsior, Acer platanoides, Populus tremula. Shrubs are not very common,
being represented by hazelnut (Coryllus avellana), elder (Sambucus racemosa, Sambucus
nigra), raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The herbaceous layer is made up of mull plants, especially
Salvia glutinosa (Beldie, 1967).
The lower parts of the alpine slopes are covered by alpine beech forests (Beechus
sylvatica). The beech can be found in association with low proportions of Acer
pseudoplatanus, Ulmus glabra, ash, birch, trembling poplar. Shrubs, quite few in number, are
represented by hazelnut, Sambucus racemosa, raspberry.
Then follows the characteristic hill vegetation namely beech forests. These forests
are encountered on the shadowy slopes, especially towards the contact with the mountain and
in the subalpine area, where, because of the főehnized air masses, the beech has spread up to
altitudes of 900 m. Beech forests cover the areas of Culmea Micloşanilor, Dealul Bărbuleţu,
etc. They can appear as well in association with evergreen oak (Quercus petrea), on the sunny
slopes. These forests can be admired very well on Câlcea Hill in Valea Largă, and on the
Piedmont of Cândeşti, slowly descending from 660 m to 250 m.
In these forests, one can find a variety of shrubs, some loving more light, others
preferring the shadowy humid places. Among the light loving species, we will mention:
Ligustrum vulgare, Viburnum lantana, Evonymus latifolius, while among those that love
humidity more, there are: Evonymus verrucosa and Salix caprea. Just like in the mixed
forests, the herbaceous layer is present more in the clearings, where the species present are:
Dentaria bulbifera, Gentiana asclepiadaea, Aquilegia vulgaris, Colchicum autumnale,
Crocus heuffelianus, Gladiolus imbricatus.
The evergreen oak forests are encountered at lower altitudes than the mixed forests
made up of beech and evergreen oak. The southern limit of these forests goes along the
localities: Dărmăneşti, Teiş, Dragomireşti, Hulubeşti, while the northern one goes
approximately by Moreni, Gorgota, Vulcana, Măneşti, Scheiu de Jos. Significant areas
covered by such evergreen oak forests and mixed forests of evergreen oak and other
deciduous trees can be found between Adânca and Ghirdoveni and between Şotânga and

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Măneşti. The shrubs within these forests include: hazelnut, Cornus sanguinea, Crataegus
monogyna, and the herbaceous layer comprises: Carex pilosa, Melica uniflora, Asperula
odorata = Galium odoratum.
In the orchards and on the relatively trodden areas, the lawns with Lolium perenne
are frequently encountered. Following the erosion of the soil triggered by excessive grazing
and by the torrential organisms appeared in the region of Vârfureni from the hydrographic
basin of Valea Largă, the degraded lawns of Botriochloa ischaemum have increased in size.

The nemoral area

The southern area of the county is specific for the areas of this latitude. A
characteristic of most of the forests of the plain area is the abundant presence of the oak
forests (Quercus robur), especially in the Plain of Târgovişte and that of Titu-Găieşti. Among
the accompanying species there are variable proportions of Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre,
Acer platanoides, Fraxinus angustifolia, Prunus avium, Ulmus minor, and in the north of
Târgovişte Plain and Cricovului Dulce Plain, there appears sometimes evergreen oak, and
very rarely beech. These forests have undergone deep changes during the last few decennia,
so the proportion of oak decreased, while hornbeam and common maple have thrived. Shrubs
are usually well represented, including cornel, hazelnut, hawthorn, Ligustrum vulgare,
Sambuus nigra. Among the climbing plants, the most abundant are Hedera helix and Clematis
vitalba (Sencovici, 2008).
In the south of Dâmboviţa County, there are islets of Quercus cerris and Quercus
frainetto forests. They are more frequently encountered in the Plain of Picior de Munte, in
the south of Cândeşti Piedmont, and in Găvanu-Burdea Plain. In these areas, complex mixed
forests can appear, where along the two main species mentioned above one can see as well
evergreen oak, pedunculate oak, ash, ARTAR, common maple, wild pear, silver lime (Doniţă
& collab., 1992).
The shrubs in these forests include hawthorn, Ligustrum vulgare, wild rose,
blackthorn, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus mas, the herbaceous layer being well developed, too.
Festuca valesiaca is dominant in the lawns formed in areas formerly covered by
Quercus cerris and Quercus frainetto.

Azonal vegetation
In the river valleys, because of the excessive humidity and the nature of the soil
(alluvial deposits), the vegetation is made up of hygrophile plants, and also mixed forests or
riverside forests. These forests may appear as well along the valleys of the secondary
tributaries, and also on the slopes affected by landslides. The dominant species in these forests
are soft wood trees: white alder tree (Alnus incana), in the hilly area and black alder tree
(Alnus glutinosa) in the plain areas, willows (Salix alba, Salix fragilis, Salix purpurea),
poplars (Populus alba, Populus nigra, Populus canescens). Often, in riverside forests there
appears a high proportion of ash (Fraxinus excelsior, F. angustifolia).
Poplar tree is common especially on high riverside areas, less prone to flooding and
having sandy soils. In the poplar areas, graminaceae appear frequently, while in the areas
with willows, a hygrophile flora, specific for riversides, can be seen.
Growing fast and using well the nutrients in the alluvial soils and deposits, the hybrid
black poplar tree plantations allow the introduction in the circuit of vegetal production of
certain unproductive lands from the riverside area. So, some poplar riverside areas represent
recent plantations created between the river courses and the protective dams.
The lands affected by erosional processes, with marly rock at the surface, are home
to box thorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), which forms impenetrable thickets, for instance in the
basin of Ocniţa.

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The aquatic and palustrine wetland vegetation also thrives by the waters (rivers,
lakes, swamps), some plants being rooted on the bottom of these waters.
Among the hydrophile plants, noticeable are: Hydrocharis morsus-ranae,
Potamogeton natans; Myriophyllum. Very frequent are the filamentous algae. The palustrine
wetland vegetation is represented by: reed (Phragmites australis) and club rush (Typha
latifolia, Th.angustifolia). By the lakes and swamps there are: Iris pseudacorus, Carex
riparia, Carex acutiformis. Fixed on the bottom of these waters, sometimes deeper
underwater, there are plants such as: Stratiotes aloides; Elodea canadensis. On the surface of
the water, one can see certain plants that are first rooted underwater and then float above it,
like Utricularia vulgaris; Lemna sp.
All these plants and some smaller, microscopic ones, like different algae, make up a
thicket and a favorable environment for the life of small and big water animals.
Segetal vegetation is encountered in the cultivated areas, some of the respective
species being undesirable for their effects on the cultivated plants: red poppies (Papaver
rhoeas), Cirsium arvense, blue Centaurea cyanus, Iris pumila, Raphanus raphanistrum.
Ruderal vegetation accompanies human settlements and roads. Representative in
this sense are: Sambucus ebulus, Cirsium lanceolatum, Arctium lappa, Plantago major,
Plantago lanceolata, Capsella bursa pastoris, Carduus nutans.

Species of scientific interest

The great variety of habitats is reflected in the impressive diversity of plant species.
A great number of rare, relic and endemic species are concentrated in the massifs of the
county.
In the Bucegi Mountains, following the investigations made by the Institute of
Biology of Bucharest, an inventory of 3037 species of plants was highlighted, including all
the great groups, from algae to cormofitae.
Among the species of plants protected by the law present in the alpine and the
Subcapathian area, we can mention: Pinus cembra, Taxus baccata, Gentiana lutea,
Leontopodium alpinum, Trollius europaeus , Daphne blagayana , Angelica archangelica ,
Rhododendron myrtifolium Nigritella nigra and Nigritella ruba, Larix decidua ssp. carpatica,
Salix myrtilloides, Cypripedium calceolus (a species of orchid encountered as well in the
deciduous forests of the Târgovişte-Gorgota area), Secale montanum, Festuca apennina (a
species of păiuş), Hesperis moniliformis, Iris dacica, Hepatica transsilvanica. Many of these
plants that are endemic, rare or glacial relics are protected by the law and for them several
natural reserves have been created in the Bucegi Massif.
In the hill and plain area are protected: Narcissus stellaris– in the lawns of the
localities Vişina, Dragomireşti, Ungureni, Viişoara; Paeonia peregrine in the sunny clearings
of the localities Răcari, Ghimpaţi, Potlogi. An endemic relic of the Tertiary is Hepatica
transsilvanica, present in the clearings of the Subcarpathian and alpine forests, and going
down up to the plain area – Târgovişte, Conţeşti. The red algae (Hildenbrandtia rivularis) –
glacial relic – encountered in the cold springs from Corbii Ciungi, at an altitude of just 110 m,
witness a regress. Normally, Hildenbrandtia rivularis – quite rare among the algae flora in
Romania, is present in the alpine regions, at altitudes over 1000 m.
The most representative endemic species in the flora of Dâmboviţa County are:
Athamanta turbith subspecies hungarica (Zănoaga, Lespezi), Dianthus glacialis subspecia
gelidus (Omu Peak, Bătrâna Mountain), Draba haynaldii (Babele, Bătrâna, Omu Peak),
Eritrichium nanum (Lespezi), Festuca bucegiensis (Omu Peak, Obârşia, Doamnele), Festuca
nitida (Doamnele, Obârşiei Valley, Şugarile Valley), Hepatica transsilvanica (in the
Subcarpathian and alpine forests, and also in the plain area), Hesperis matronalis subspecia
moniliformis (Horoabei Valley, Ialomiţei Gorge, Tătarului Gorge), Saxifraga mutata

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subspecies demissa (Lespezi, Zănoaga, Bătrâna, Ialomiţei Gorge, Obârşiei Valley, Babele),
Astragalus australis subspecies bucsecsi (Bucegi Mountains), Thesium kernerianum (Omu
Peak), Trisetum macrotrichum (Zănoagei Gorge, Ialomiţei Gorge, Urşilor Gorge, Cocora
Mountain).
Another extremely interesting category for the flora of Dâmboviţa County is
represented by the relic plants. Among the most significant there are: Tertiary relics –
Hepatica transsilvanica; glacial relics – Salix myrtilloides and Salix phylicifolia (Tinovul
Lăptici of the Bucegi Mountains); Pinus cembra (Horoabei Valley, Bătrâna Mountain, Cocora
Mountain); Hildenbrandtia rivularis (the springs from Corbii Ciungi).

Conclusions
The territory of Dâmboviţa County, due to its relief arranged in tiers of different
heights – plain, hills and mountains, belongs, from a biogeographic viewpoint, of different
levels and zones of vegetation: the alpine level (with low grass lawns and small shrubs), the
subalpine level (with sparse forests and bushes), the boreal level (with spruce fir forests), the
nemoral forest (with deciduous forests) with the sublevel of the evergreen oak forests and of
the mixed forests with evergreen oak and the sublevel of the beech forests and of the mixed
forests of beech and resinous trees and the nemoral area (of the mesophile and submesophile
oak forests).
The vegetal layer bears the imprint of the relief, of the features of the soil,
temperature and humidity, specific for the alpine, hilly and plain climate; in its turn, the
vegetation influences the pedogenetic processes through the quantity and quality of the matter
deposited annually at the surface and inside the soil and by the way it changes.
In Dâmboviţa County, the vegetation is relatively rich in point of make up, including
diverse vegetal communities: forests, shrubs and lawns.
On the whole, from a biogeographic viewpoint, the area of Târgovişte Plain is part of
the province of Dacia (R. Călinescu, 1969; C. Drugescu, 1994) and, according to the present
biogeographic classifications, it is part of continental Europe.

References:

Beldie, Al., (1967), Flora şi vegetaţia munţilor Bucegi (The Flora and Vegetation of Bucegi
Mountains), Ed. Academiei R.S.R.
Borza, Al. (1966), Cercetări asupra florei şi vegetaţiei din Câmpia Română (Researches on
the Flora and Vegetation in the Romanian Plain), I, Contrib. Bot. Cluj, II.
Borza, Al., Boşcaiu N. (1965), Introducere în studiul covorului vegetal (Introduction to the
Study of the Vegetal Layer), Editura Academiei, Bucureşti
Bugă, D., Zăvoianu, I. (1974), Judeţul Dâmboviţa (Dambovita County), Editura Academiei,
Bucureşti
Călinescu, R.(1969), Biogeografia României (Biogeography of Romania), Editura ŞT.,
Bucureşti
Drugescu, C. (1994), Zoogeografia României (Zoogeography of Romania), Editura All,
Bucureşti
Doniţă, N. (coord.), (1992), Vegetaţia României (Vegetation of Romania), Editura Tehnică
Agricolă, Bucureşti
Pişota, I., Zaharia, Liliana (1997), Les écosystèms naturels de la haute Plaine de Targovişte,
Analele Universităţii Bucureşti, Geografie, XLVI
Sencovici, Mihaela, (2009), A Geographic Study on the Environment of the High Plain of
Târgovişte – abstract of doctoral thesis, Editura Transversal, Târgovişte,

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