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In spite of enormous climatic differences between Burkina Faso and Germany, 20 species belong to the spontaneous flora of both countries, i.e. 1% of the flora of Burkina Faso and 0.15 % of the German flora. All of them are either ruderal and segetal species (16) or water and reed plants (4). All of the 16 ruderals/segetals are therophytes. From a recent point of view, most of the 20 species can be classified as cosmopolitan, because they cover three and more floristic zones, and/or at least three climatic zones, and/or are represented in at least three continents. Although Burkina Faso has a semi-arid climate, none of the species can be called a sclero- or xerophyte. Therefore, in Burkina Faso, all are more or less bound to habitats at least temporarily flooded or to humid soils. In Germany, however, the concerned ruderals, with one exception, are indicators of medium dry or dry habitats.
Thermophilous deciduous forests of Quercetalia pubescentis are widespread in Bosnia and Herze-govina (B&H), where they occupy about 11% of the national territory and account for about 20% of the total forest area. This paper provides their formalized classification and nomenclatural revision, based on 274 relevés from the literature and 399 relevés collected during intensive field research. The Cocktail method was used for supervised classification, which resulted in 17 associations recognized for B&H. Additionally, one new association emerged after semi-supervised classification of relevés not classified by Cocktail. The following associations were recognized, and characterized by species composition, ecology and distribution: 1. Querco pubescenti-Carpinetum orientalis; 2. Rusco aculeati-Carpinetum orientalis; 3. Carici hallerianae-Quercetum pubescentis; 4. Cruciato glabrae-Carpinetum orientalis; 5. Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum pubescentis; 6. Aristolochio luteae-Quercetum pubescentis; 7. Asparago tenuifolii-Quercetum pubescentis; 8. Seslerio autumnalis-Ostryetum carpinifoliae; 9. Rusco aculeati-Ostryetum carpinifoliae; 10. Querco pubescenti-Ostryetum carpinifoliae; 11. Quercetum frainetto-cerridis; 12. Fraxino orni-Quercetum cerridis; 13. Lathyro nigri-Quercetum petraeae; 14. Aceri obtusati-Quercetum petraeae; 15. Cytiso hirsuti-Quercetum petraeae; 16. Festuco drymejae-Quercetum petraeae; 17. Potentillo micranthae-Quercetum petraeae; 18. Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum petraeae. The validity and legitimacy of associations were checked and they were validated and corrected as needed, strictly following the rules of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. A complete list of synonyms has been given for every association, with an indication of the article of the Code according to which the name must be rejected. The associations were assembled into four groups, following the criterion of dominant species in a tree layer, in order to present differences and similarities in floristic composition between associations of the same type, i.e., dominated by the same tree species. An ecogram was drawn displaying the relative ecological range of each association along soil pH and moisture gradients. The largest number of associations (13) occurs in the Mediterranean region; the Dinaric and Pre-Pannonian regions each harbour ten associations, while there are only five associations in the Transitional Illyrian-Moesian region. Seven syntaxa previously reported for thermophilous deciduous forests of B&H were not recognized during the analysis. A list is given of all nomina nuda that could not be resolved and ascribed to synonymy with accepted associations.
The Cocktail method was applied to a small data set derived in a regional survey on riparian forest in the Polish part of the Sudetes. Formalised classification revealed the occurrence of seven associations. Considering the ecological character, three distinct groups emerged among them: i) alluvial forests (Salicetum albae, Alnetum incanae), ii) forests of small and medium mountain streams with only a narrow riparian zone (Salicetum fragilis, Stellario nemorum-Alnetum glutinosae and Fraxino-Alnetum) and iii) forests developed on waterlogged soils of spring-fed areas (Carici remotae-Fraxinetum and Piceo-Alnetum). The associations Salicetum fragilis and Piceo-Alnetum are reported for the first time from Poland. Analysis of GIS-derived environmental variables showed that average altitude, stream power index (SPI) and river order were significantly different among the associations, while there were no differences among average values of slope, solar radiation and topographic wetness index (TWI). Significant differences in species richness among the associations were also identified. Application of the Cocktail method in regional studies was also discussed.
This paper is the continuation of a survey of the scree vegetation in alpine landscapes of western Pamir-Alai Mts in Tajikistan. In total, 105 phytosociological relevés were collected in the colline and montane belt in 2012‒2014, applying the Braun-Blanquet method. Phytocoenoses inhabiting mobile or fairly stabilised screes of different sizes of rock particles in the montane and colline zone are herein described. A hierarchical syntaxonomic synopsis of scree communities in the western Pamir Alai Mts is provided. The collected vegetation samples represent the majority of the variations among the phytocoenoses of gravel, pebble, cobble and rock block slides and screes. As a result of field survey and numerical analyses, eight associations ‒ Cousinietum corymbosae, Eremostachyetum tadschikistanicae, Cousinietum refractae, Caccinietum dubiae, Eremuretum sogdiani (with two subassociations: E. s. typicum and E. s. delphinietosum decolorati), Feruletum kuhistanicae, Zygophylletum atriplicoidis and Corydalidetum kashgaricae ‒ have been described. Because of their floristic composition, all of these communities have been assigned to a new alliance Alceion nudiflorae within the Sileno brahuicae-Scutellarietalia intermediae order and Artemisio santolinifoliae-Berberidetea sibiricae class. The main factors determining the species composition of the classified associations seem to be scree mobility, rock particle size, elevation above sea level and slope inclination. Saxicolous vegetation in Tajikistan reveal an extraordinary diversity and richness in terms of species composition and beta diversity along the main environmental gradients in this mountaionous areas. A further geobotanical survey is needed, especially in eastern Pamir and adjacent areas to fully recognize the chasmophytic plant communities of this rocky land.
Transitional between the Pannonian Basin and the Eastern Carpathians the Transcarpathian Ukraine (Transcarpathia) has a diverse geology including Quaternary sediments, volcanites, limestones and flysch, and its climate at low altitudes is relatively warm and humid. We conducted a field survey in June 2016 focusing on mesophilous forest vegetation along a transect covering almost the whole lowaltitudinal part of Transcarpathia. We recorded 54 relevés in the field and further digitized 22 relevés from literature. Using classification analysis, we distinguished three clusters of oak-hornbeam forests (alliance Carpinion betuli; 1–3) and three clusters of scree and ravine forests (alliance Tilio platyphylli-Acerion; 4–6): (1) Slightly wet Pannonian oak-hornbeam forests occurring in the lowland part of the region (Circaeo-Carpinetum); (2) Mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests (Carici pilosae-Carpinetum); (3) Xero-mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests (a drier subtype of the Carici pilosae-Carpinetum and the association Primulo veris-Carpinetum); (4) Mesophilous scree forests (Phyllitido-Aceretum); (5) Forests of steep slopes (Aceri-Tilietum) and transitions to mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests (Carici pilosae-Carpinetum); (6) Cool and wet scree and ravine forests (Arunco dioici-Aceretum pseudoplatani). Using indirect ordination analysis, three environmental variables (altitude, heat load index and slope) were identified as factors of significant influence on the species composition. These factors well distinguish oak-hornbeam forests from scree and ravine forests.
Classification of higher level vegetation units (orders and alliances) based on numerical methods often yields different results than traditional plant community classification concepts. We performed a numerical cluster analysis of phytosociological relevés from the class Festuco-Brometea in Slovakia with the aim of identifying areas of overlap between the two classification approaches. The research was carried out using a database of approximately 1500 phytosociological relevés sampled in the period between 1927 and 2004. The outputs of the numerical classification form six clusters. Diagnostic taxa of individual clusters were determined using species constancy and fidelity. The cluster analysis enabled us to differentiate the alliances Seslerio-Festucion pallentis, Diantho lumnitzeri-Seslerion albicantis, Festucion valesiacae, Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati and Asplenio septentrionalis-Festucion pallentis (inch Festucenion pseudodalmaticae). However, it did not permit the differentiation of the alliances Koelerio-Phleion phleoidis and Bromion erecti. It also did not allow us to differentiate the orders Brometalia erecti and Festucetalia valesiacae. The reason for this may be the peripheral occurrence of plant communities of Brometalia erecti in Slovakia.
The article deals with Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver fir (Abies alba) and larch (Larix decidua) forests of the orders Piceetalia and Athyrio-Piceetalia (Vaccinio-Piceetea) in Slovenia. A total of 934 relevés of spruce, larch and fir forests within the Piceetalia and Athyrio-Piceetalia were collected from the literature. After resampling, 319 relevés remained, originating from 28 associations. Classification revealed two major groups of spruce, larch and fir forests, one thriving on non-carbonate bedrock and the other on carbonate. We further divided forests on non-carbonate substrate into two major groups – one thriving at high altitudes and the other in lowlands, both assigned to Piceion abietis. The second major group contains mesophilous, species-rich communities found mostly on carbonate bedrock. This major group can be further divided into four groups. The group of secondary forest on sites of beech forests, as well as the group of forest found in frost hollows can be assigned to Abieti-Piceion. The group of herb-rich, mesophilous communities forming zonal spruce and larch forests can be assigned to Chrysanthemo-Piceion and the group of forests on boulder scree to Calamagrostio-Abietion. Analysis of structural, functional, phytogeographical and geomorphological features, as well as ecological condi-tions estimated by bioindicator values, demonstrated the usefulness of this classification.
This paper presents the results of a study on psammophilous grasslands, conducted during the years 1994-1997 and in 2008 in the Masurian Lake District (NE Poland). The study aimed at the determination of floristic composition, phytosociological diversity and habitat characteristics. Field work resulted in 511 phytosociological releves. Soil samples were taken to determine pH, hydrolytic acidity, sum of basic cations, cation exchange capacity, content of CaC03 and total carbon. In 2008, the presence of communities dominated by grey-hair grass (Corynephorus canescens) in the previously established sites was checked. TWINSPAN was used for hierarchic classification of the association Comiculario aculeatae-Corynephoretum canescentis (syn. Spergulo morisonii-Corynephoretum canescentis). Accordingly, the association is divided into four subtypes (typical subtype, subtype with Cladonia mitis, subtype with Thymus serpyllum and subtype with Festuca ovina) with nine variants. Field observations showed that the communities analyzed have been under strong anthropogenic pressure, causing their degeneration and decrease in area. The most common human uses of psammophilous grassland communities are housing development, road construction, afforestation, sand extraction, wood storage and unauthorized dumping. In contrast to the above types of land use, seasonal use of grasslands for recreation purposes (as sunbathing spots or as sports fields) does not lead to their degeneration and may have a beneficial influence on their maintenance as a component of the local landscape.
We first report from the 7th European Dry Grassland Meeting held 27 May to 1 June 2010 in Smolenice, Slovakia, devoted to the main topic "Succession, restoration and management of dry grasslands". Apart from the scientific programme and the excursions, we also summarise the outcomes of the General Assembly of the EDGG and present the Smolenice Grassland Declaration. Then we take stock of the dynamic development of the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG), report on its activities during the past year, and announce its future plans. Finally, we give a short introduction to the four articles of this Special Feature, which deal with biodiversity patterns, vegetation classification, and dynamics of dry grassland habitats. One presents a detailed phytosociological study of the xeric and mesic grasslands of the Slovak part of the Biele Karpaty Mts. The second provides a new numeric approach to the assignment of relevés to syntaxa and exemplifies this in a case study for the delimitation of the classes Festuco-Brometea against Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei in Austria. The third article investigates the septennial impact of mouflon grazing and weather on dry grassland plant communities in dry grassland patches of the Czech Republic. The fourth article deals with long-term abandonment of grasslands in Central Slovakia and shows the importance of vegetation structure, ecological stability, and low-disturbance regime for specific ant assemblages.