*Sub-pannonic steppic grasslands
Subcontinental steppic grasslands with vegetation of the Festucion valesiacae alliance and related syntaxa. The vegetation may be primary or secondary.
Description
The criterion for the delimitation of this habitat type is the presence of vegetation of the syntaxa given above (xerophile subcontinental grasslands of the Festucion valesiacae and the Cirsio-Brachypodion - e.g. Adonido-Brachypodietum). This type may occasionally contain vegetation that is transitional to thermophilic saum communities of the Trifolio-Geranietea which should be included if they contain a considerable proportion of character species of the Festucetalia valesiacae and syntaxa included in this class.
Semi-dry calcareous grasslands (especially with dominant Brachypodium pinnatum or Festuca rupicola) should be assigned to habitat type 6240 if at least one of the following subcontinental differential species is present:
Achillea setacea, Achillea pannonica, Adonis vernalis, Astragalus danicus, Astragalus exscapus, Campanula sibirica, Carex supina, Festuca valesiaca, Oxytropis pilosa, Potentilla arenaria, Scorzonera purpurea, any Stipa species.
Notes on habitat mapping
The criterion for the delimitation of this habitat type is the presence of vegetation of the syntaxa given above (xerophile subcontinental grasslands of the Festucion valesiacae and the Cirsio-Brachypodion - e.g. Adonido-Brachypodietum). This type may occasionally contain vegetation that is transitional to thermophilic saum communities of the Trifolio-Geranietea which should be included if they contain a considerable proportion of character species of the Festucetalia valesiacae and syntaxa included in this class.
Semi-dry calcareous grasslands (especially with dominant Brachypodium pinnatum or Festuca rupicola) should be assigned to habitat type 6240 if at least one of the following subcontinental differential species is present:
Achillea setacea, Achillea pannonica, Adonis vernalis, Astragalus danicus, Astragalus exscapus, Campanula sibirica, Carex supina, Festuca valesiaca, Oxytropis pilosa, Potentilla arenaria, Scorzonera purpurea, any Stipa species.
Comments
This habitat type was added to Annex I in the course of its amendment as part of the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. This type of vegetation was previously included under sub-type 6211 of habitat type 6210. Its centre of distribution is the pannonic region, hence the description as sub-pannonic.