Flood impact on vegetation communities

Changes in plant communities of flooding terraces after the high flood of 1 997 in the Drevnice catchment and in the adjacent part of the Morava river, East Czech Republic, are described. Three plant biomass responses and six hypothetical stress vegetation composition responses are distinguished. Pla nt communities in all permanent plots returned to previous state within one or two years period. Short-time responses were observed in the upper parts while long-time responses were noted in the lower parts of the Drevnice ca tchment. Plant biomass and vegetation composition responses probably depend on the type of habitats, form of exploitation, and water dynamics in flood ing habitats in parts of the Morava river.