Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Band 29 (2009)
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In this paper we aim to present data on current state of steppe-like grasslands dominated by feather grasses (Stipa spp.) in the Transylvanian Lowland (Romania), and to investigate whether management type affects species composition, biodiversity, or the occurrence of rare and endangered vascular plant species in these grasslands. Twelve grassland stands, originating from nine areas and belonging to two associations, Stipetum lessingianae and Stipetum pulcherrimae from the alliance Stipion lessingianae (Festucetalia valesiacae, Festuco-Brometea), were investigated by phytosociological sampling. Our data set contains 60 relevés originating from differently managed grasslands: grazed and abandoned stands as well as former grasslands afforested with Pinus nigra. Transylvanian stands of the Stipion lessingianae occur on steep, south-facing slopes. The species composition has an accentuated sub-continental character, including several steppe elements of Siberian and Pontic origin, many of them reaching the western edge of their distribution in this region. By comparing the species composition of the two associations, we identified 12 differential species for the Stipetum lessingianae and 19 for the Stipetum pulcherrimae, but these associations also contained many species in common, which underlines their close syntaxonomic relatedness. Grazing vs. abandonment had only a slight influence on species composition and vegetation structure, while afforestation with pines resulted in strong transformations: decreased cover of the herb layer, increased cover of litter, decreased representation of diagnostic (i.e. typical) species of the two associations but increased frequency of woody, ruderal, and mesophytic grassland species. As the Stipion lessingianae belongs to the priority habitats of the Habitats Directive, these alterations call for grassland restoration measures. Our study revealed a lack of high-quality data on the vegetation of steppe-like dry grasslands in southeast Europe, where they have their largest and best-developed stands on the continent. Thus, we emphasize the need for compiling such data and for developing a consistent supranational vegetation classification of Festucetalia valesiacae communities in this region.
This paper compiles and synthesizes the present knowledge of dry grassland vegetation on sandy soils in northern Ukraine, based on published and unpublished sources. In total, 391 relevés from 29 association-level syntaxa of the class Koelerio-Corynephoretea (inch Sedo-Scleranthetea and Festucetea vaginatae), as well as of the alliance Agrostion vinealis from the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea were used for the analysis. Based on cluster analysis and comparison of synoptic tables, a compact classification scheme of the sandy dry grassland vegetation in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the plains region of Ukraine has been developed. It comprises 10 associations from the Koelerio-Corynephoretea and one from the Agrostion vinealis (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea). The Koelerio-Corynephoretea include four orders in Ukraine: Alysso-Sedetalia, Trifolio arvensis- Festucetalia ovinae, Corynephoretalia canescentis, and Sedo acris-Festucetalia. The Alysso-Sedetalia are represented by two associations, the Aurinio saxatilis-Allietum podolici and the Minuartio auctae- Festucetum pallentis from West Podillya. The associations Stipetum pulcherrimae, Astragalo-Stipetum, and Poetum versicoloris, which also had been included in the Alysso-Sedetalia by some authors, are assigned to the class Festuco-Brometea based on their species composition. All Ukrainian stands of the Trifolio arvensis-Festucetalia ovinae are assigned to the association Thymo pulegioides-Festucetum ovinae. They develop on granite outcrops within Ukrainian crystalline shield. Communities of the Corynephoretalia canescentis are described from the Polissya region, where fluvioglacial sediments dominate. These relevés are provisionally assigned to the associations Corniculario aculeatae-Cory- nephoretum canescentis and Corynephoro-Silenetum tataricae. Sedo acris-Festucetalia communities have mainly been recorded in the Dnieper Valley, and some relevés come from Zhytomyr Polissya. This order includes two alliances. The Koelerion glaucae is represented by two associations, namely Veronica dillenii-Secalietum sylvestris and Diantho borbasii-Agrostietum syreistschikovii. The Festucion beckeri is represented by three associations (Centaureo borysthenicae-Festucetum beckeri, Chamaecytiso ruthenici-Festucetum beckeri and perhaps Poo bulbosae-Caricetum colchicae), which are distributed in the Dnieper Valley. The Agrostion vinealis alliance from the Galietalia veri order has been assigned to the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. The present analysis revealed a significant similarity among the previously described associations of this alliance, which allowed the reduction of them to one association, the Koelerio-Agrostietum vinealis. It occurs mostly in the Dnieper Valley and its left bank tributaries. Among the right bank tributaries, it occurs only along lower stretches of rivers and around their confluences with the Dnieper. Most of the dry grassland communities on sandy soils within the study area require further detailed investigation.
We first report from the 5th Dry Grassland Meeting held from 28th to 30st of August 2008 in Kiel, Germany. Then we take stock of the achievements of the German Arbeitsgruppe Trockenrasen and the international Working Group on Dry Grasslands in the Nordic and Baltic Region towards establishment of vegetation databases of dry grasslands in these study regions. At the conference, the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) was founded as an international platform of dry grassland researchers and conservationists. As networking tools it provides a homepage on the internet, publishes a quarterly electronical bulletin, and will organise the future European Dry Grassland Meetings. In the last part of this contribution, we give a short introduction to the five articles of this Special Feature. Four of them make a major contribution to supra-national classification of Koelerio-Corynephoretea and Festuco- Brometea communities, respectively, by providing syntaxonomic overviews based on comprehensive data from eastern European countries for which only few data have been available until now. The other major focus of the Feature papers is on degradation and restoration of various types of dry grasslands.