Wycieczka botaniczna do Pienińskiego Parku Narodowego (opracowanie naukowo-metodyczne)

Abstract

For a naturalis the territory of the Pieniny Mts. is, along with that of the Tatra the most interesting place in the whole West Carpathiana. A place of the highest interest are the Central Pieniny where various natural peculiarities are to be found in great numbers, both accumulated and endemic species. If the time allows, the excursion can be extended to the territory of West Pieniny or Little Pieniny ranges. The author's objective has been to provide a sort ot botanical guidebook to teachers who are plannig to take their students on an excursion to the Pieniny Mts. Two routes are sueggested. One leads to the Central Pieniny range with a visit to the Sokolica peak, to the Pieninki range, the Castle's Mount, the "Three Crowns" and a canceing trip down the Dunajec R. This route offers ample opportunity to observe the most striking paculiarities of the Pieniny range. Thus, one can see the curious xerothermic lichenaceous greenswards such as Erysimum Wittmannii, Alyssum Arduinii, Chrysanthemum Zawadzki, Aster alpinus, Theucrium montanum, Saxifraga aizoon, and other varieties. The route is brdered with fine old fir- and beech-woods of the lower sub-alpine region (Fagetum carpaticum). To crown the excursion the autbor recomends to take the students down the Dunajec River Gorge in the Central Pieniny Range, an unsurpassed experience, as the place is unique of its kind in Europe. The second route suggested by the author leads up to the region of the Homole ravine and the "High Rocks" in Little Pieniny, different from Central Pieniny Mts. under the geological and floristic respects. In this part of the Pieniny the agglomerations are not so rich, the number of the species is less abundant; this is particularly manifest in the lichenaceous greenswards, which lack many of the species growing in the Central Pieniny range. The vegetable cover and the floristic situation of the Pieniny diverge so much from the mountain ranges surrounding them that Pawłowski (1959), in his geobotanical division of the West Carpathians, isolated, them as a special circuit. Highly specific are the lichenaceous greenswards, where besides species of mountain character (Secleria varia, Erysimum Wittmanni, Saxifraga aizoon, Aster alpinus, var. glabratus, Leontodon incanus, Scabiosa lucida) there are also species of xerothermic, lowland character (Festuca pallens, Inula ensifolia, Anthemis tinctoria, Melica transilvanica, Theucrium montanum, Bupleurum falcatum). Woods, as a result of the moderate height of the range (which as a rule does not surpass 1,000 m a.s.l.) are generally built up of agglomerations typical of the lower subalpine region. Among the most remarkable specimens growing in the Pieniny woods are the following species: Phyllitis scolopendrium, Dentaria glandulosa, Lunaria rediviva, Symphytum cordatum and Taxus baccata. The richest agglomeration of all are the Pieniny meadows, distinguished by a particularly high number of varieties of orchid. The occurrance of specific endemites on so small a space is another proof of the area's floristic peculiarity. Here is a list of the endemic classification units: Teraxacum pieninicum, Chrysanthemum Zawadzki var. pieninicum, Minuartia setacea var. pieninica, Centaurea Triumfetti var. pieninica, Arabis pieninica, Sedum sacre var. calcigenum, Centaurium umbellatum var. pieninicum, Artemisia absynthium var. calcigena.