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A systematic survey of grassland communities in central Slovakian sub-montane and montane regions (including the Kremnické vrchy Mts., Starohorské vrchy Mts., Veľká Fatra Mts., and Zvolenská kotlina Basin) was performed between 1996 and 2007. The main aim was to identify main environmental gradients in the studied vegetation and to estimate the most important individual variables responsible for the variation of their species composition. Along with the floristic composition, the environmental variables were either recorded in the field (altitude, slope, aspect), calculated (solar radiation, climatic data, and phytochorological affinity), or derived from available maps or GIS digital data layers (type of bedrock, soil parameters). These environmental variables were used as supplementary in the detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) or explanatory in the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The affiliation of individual phytosociological relevés to associations was estimated by an electronic expert system for Slovak grassland communities. Altogether, 15 xero-, sub-xero- and mesophilous grassland associations were distinguished. Wet and fen meadows were analysed at the level of alliances. Unconstrained ordination revealed moisture and nutrient gradients as most important for the data set. By means of constrained ordination, the variability of the studied vegetation could be explained by a set of geological, topographic, phytochorological and derived climatic variables, although the percentage of explained variance was rather low and did not exceed 12% for all significant factors combined. Among individual variables, the geological bedrock type, climatic water balance, solar radiation, and slope played the most important role in determining the distribution and variability of individual grassland communities. Affinity to phytochorions determined according to local air temperature gradients was also significant. Soil properties played only a subordinate role in our analyses. The analysis of a more homogeneous subset of the data without wetland relevés gave similar results as the analysis of the complete data set. The differences in results of constrained and unconstrained ordinations are discussed together with the potential reasons for extremely high proportion of unexplained variance revealed by the variation partitioning methods.
Seit 11 Jahren werden von Mitgliedern der Eurasian Dry Gassland Group (EDDG) und deren Vorgängerorganisationen Grasland-Sonderteile in Tuexenia herausgegeben. Der diesjährige Sonderteil präsentiert sechs Artikel mit unterschiedlichen Fragestellungen zu Trockenrasen und verwandten Graslandtypen aus sechs europäischen Ländern: Belgien, Bosnien-Herzegowina, Deutschland, Italien, Serbien und Ungarn. Ein Artikel behandelt syntaxonomische Aspekte der Serpentin-Steppenrasen des Balkans (s. auch Umschlagfoto). Zwei Beiträge untersuchen funktionelle Eigenschaften von Pflanzenarten im Grasland, der eine (in belgischen Trockenrasen) die Variationen funktioneller Merkmale in Abhängigkeit von den Umweltbedingungen und der andere die Mengenverhältnisse von funktionellen Merkmalen entlang eines Höhengradienten in den italienischen Alpen. Ein Artikel zeigt mithilfe eines experimentellen Ansatzes, dass artenarmes ungarisches Grasland durch Diasporenzufuhr in artenreiche Wiesen überführt werden kann, während ein anderer Beitrag ökologische Theorien am Grasland in einer ungarischen Stadt überprüft. Der sechste Artikel behandelt schließlich Vegetationsveränderungen von Steppenrasen in Nordostdeutschland nach 20 Jahren.
This Special Feature is the tenth in a series devoted to dry grasslands and edited by members of the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG; http://www.edgg.org) or its prede-cessor Arbeitsgruppe Trockenrasen that have been published in Tuexenia since 2005 (GAL-VÁNEK et al. 2012). With this issue we celebrate our tenth anniversary of the Tuexenia Dry Grassland Special Features.
Der diesjährige 9. Trockenrasen-Sonderteil von Tuexenia beginnt mit einem Bericht über die aktuellen Aktivitäten der European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG). Zunächst geben wir einen Überblick über die Entwicklung der Mitgliederzahl. Dann berichten wir vom letzten European Dry Grassland Meeting in Zamość (Polen, 2013) und vom letzten European Dry Grassland Field Workshop in Chakassien (Russland, 2013) und informieren über künftige Veranstaltungen der EDGG. Anschließend erläutern wir die Publikationsaktivitäten der EDGG. Im zweiten Teil des Editorials geben wir eine Einführung zu den fünf Artikeln des diesjährigen Trockenrasen-Sonderteils: Zwei davon beschäftigen sich mit der Syntaxonomie von Trockenrasen in Osteuropa: Der eine Artikel präsentiert erstmalig eine nach internationalen Nomenklaturregeln gültige Liste der Trockenrasengesellschaften Serbiens während der andere die Ergebnisse des zweiten EDGG-Field Workshop 2010 nach Podolien (Ukraine) vorstellt. Im dritten Artikel werden kryophytische Steppen in Südsibirien (Russland) analysiert. Der vierte Artikel analysiert in Böhmen (Tschechien) die bestimmenden Kräfte für Artenreichtum und Artenzusammensetzung der Trockenrasen. Der fünfte Artikel befasst sich mit der Auswahl von Wiederansiedlungsarten am Beispiel der Steppenrasen in Thüringen (Deutschland).
We performed a survey of grassland communities in the Ukrainian Carpathians with the aim of: (1) syntaxonomically classifying the meso- and subxerophilous grassland vegetation; (2) analysing the main gradients in their species composition; (3) estimating the effect of selected environmental factors on grassland species composition; (4) assessing the species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes in relation to the measured environmental variables. We collected 46 phytosociological relevés during the growing seasons of 2010 and 2011. Species composition and species richness were studied at two spatial scales (1 m² and 16 m²) in relation to soil parameters (soil depth, pH (KCl), content of P, K, Mg, N and C), management regime (mowing, grazing, ploughing in the past and burning), and other factors (altitude, litter cover, open soil, inclination, solar radiation and animal excrement). Seven grassland types were distinguished belonging to 3 classes and 4 alliances, namely the Nardetea strictae including the Violion caninae (mesic pastures at altitudes of 400–600 m mostly on moderate slopes) and the Nardo strictae-Agrostion tenuis (grasslands on moderate slopes at altitudes of 700–900 m usually managed by mowing and grazing the aftermath); the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, including the Arrhenatherion elatioris (submontane grasslands originated mostly on former fields after their abandonment in the past) and the Cynosurion cristati (intensive pastures); and the Festuco-Brometea including the Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati (abandoned grasslands dominated by Brachypodium pinnatum and Inula salicina). Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that the major compositional turnover was related to altitude and soil reaction. A canonical correspondence analysis confirmed that altitude had the strongest effect on species composition in the analysed dataset, followed by management treatments (former ploughing, grazing intensity). For vascular plant species richness, regression tree analysis identified grazing intensity as the most important predictor at the 1 m² scale. At the 16 m² scale, soil humus content was evaluated as the most important predictor of vascular plant species richness, followed by litter cover and grazing intensity. The number of bryophytes was not determined by the studied environmental factors at either of the two spatial scales. Although the number of analysed relevés in this study was limited, our results significantly contribute to the understanding of submontane grasslands in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
This paper focuses on ecological requirements and phytosociological affinity of Avenula adsurgens subsp. adsurgens. Although this grass is widely distributed in central and south-eastern Europe reaching dominance in certain grassland types, the knowledge on its ecology and coenology is very poor. Moreover, some of the published data on its distribution are wrongly related to Avenula praeusta. We studied the taxon within an area of about 300 km2 (Central Slovakia) where it occurs in diverse habitats. Data from a systematic phytosociological survey were used to assess interspecific associations and ecological indicator values of the taxon. Detailed measurements from a transect along a spruce colonisation gradient were used to evaluate its relationship to a set of topographical, microclimatical, pedological and soil-microbiological characteristics. Tillers of A. adsurgens subsp. adsurgens were cultivated for two growing seasons to estimate characteristics of its clonal morphology and growth and its ability of spatial spreading. In the studied area, the taxon occurred mainly over the volcanic bedrock along a wide range of altitudes. It was concentrated in slightly managed or abandoned montane grasslands (800–1100 m) of the Violion caninae and Nardo strictae-Agrostion tenuis alliances. Phytosociologically the taxon seems not to be an important diagnostic species of these communities, rather an indicator of their successional development. Its highest cover was recorded in early to mid-successional stages without significant proportions of woody species. In stands with traditional management by mowing, grazing or their combination, the taxon was common (albeit with lower percentage cover), but more intensive ma-nagement including amelioration or fencing led to its retreat. Ellenberg ecological indicator values of A. adsurgens subsp. adsurgens were set as follows: light 7, temperature 5, continentality 4, moisture 4, soil reaction 5 and nutrients 3. Along a successional gradient, the taxon cover was positively correlated with percentage cover of herb litter, catalase activity, canopy openness and potassium content and negatively correlated with percentage cover of needles and canopy index reflecting the cumulative effects of spruce colonisation. The horizontal spreading of the taxon was enabled by the formation of spacers with a maximum length of 25.5 cm. We suppose that the ability to spread horizontally by spacers, together with the observed clonal plasticity, tall stature and fast growth by intensive tillering, belong to important attributes of A. adsurgens subsp. adsurgens promoting its success and dominant role in the abandoned grasslands.
New vegetation data of dry grasslands in the Western Carpathians and the northern Pannonian Basin
(2010)
The paper presents new vegetation data from dry grassland sites in the biogeographical regions of the Western Carpathians and the northern Pannonian Basin, mainly belonging to the alliances Bromo pannonici-Festucion pallentis and Festucion valesiacae (Festuco-Brometea). The 124 phytosociological relevés were sampled between 2005 and 2009 in Slovakia, the SE Czech Republic, NE Austria, and N Hungary. They are classified into 16 associations and four transitional vegetation types. The paper also brings new information on the distribution of grassland associations in the study area. A new locality of the rare association Teucrio botryos-Andropogonetum ischaemi was confirmed. During our recent investigation of historical sites of the Alopecuro pratensis-Festucetum pseudovinae (Cynosurion cristati, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea) in the Slaná river floodplain, only one occurrence could be confirmed. Geographical principles in distribution of dry grassland associations and classification of the Stipa pulcherrima-dominated stands are also discussed.
In our contribution, we report on the 6th European Dry Grassland Meeting held from 31 August to 1 September 2009 in Halle (Saale), Germany. The meeting was attended by 40 participants, who gave 15 oral and 17 poster presentations. The rapid positive development of the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG), the organiser of this conference, is mentioned: the inclusion of the EDGG in the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) as a working group, the establishment of two new subgroups focussing on Mediterranean and South-East European dry grasslands, respectively, and the organisation of the first EDGG research expedition in 2010 belong to the most important events. In the last part of our contribution, we give a short introduction to the six articles of this Special Feature. Two of them deal with phytosociological classification of semi-natural grassland communities, one with vegetation- environment relationships. Two papers are concerned with conservational topics, one focussing on the population structure of endangered Pulsatilla patens, the other dealing with conservation of xeric grasslands in Transylvania. The last paper examines temporal changes in calcareous grasslands with regard to species diversity.
Dry grasslands of NW Bulgarian mountains : first insights into diversity, ecology and syntaxonomy
(2013)
We present the data of the 3rd research expedition of the European Dry Grasslands Group (EDGG), which was conducted in 2011 in two contrasting areas in NW Bulgarian mountains. The aim was to collect plot data for comparing Bulgarian dry grasslands with those of other parts of Europe in terms of syntaxonomy and biodiversity. We sampled 15 nested-plot series (0.0001–100 m²) and 68 normal plots (10 m²) covering the full variety of dry grassland types occurring in the Vratsa area (Balkan Mts.) and the Koprivshtitsa area (Sredna Gora Mt.). In the plots all vascular plants, terricolous non-vascular plants and a set of soil and other environmental parameters were determined. By applying modified TWIN-SPAN, we distinguished 10 floristically well characterised vegetation types at the association level. After comparison with the regional and European literature, we propose to place them within three classes and five orders: Festuco-Brometea with the orders Stipo pulcherrimae-Festucetalia pallentis (xerophilous dry grasslands of base-rich rocks; alliance Saturejion montanae), Brachypodietalia pinnati (meso-xeric, basiphilous grasslands; alliances Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati and Chyrsopogono grylli-Danthonion calycinae), Calluno-Ulicetea with the order Nardetalia stricae (lowland to montane Nar-dus swards; alliance Violion caninae), and Koelerio-Corynephoretea with the orders Sedo-Scleranthetalia (open communities of skeleton-rich, acidic soils; alliance unclear) and Trifolio arvensis-Festucetalia ovinae (closed, meso-xeric, acidophilous grasslands; alliance Armerio rumelicae-Potentillion). The Violion caninae with the association Festuco rubrae-Genistelletum sagittalis is reported from Bulgaria for the first time, while the two occurring Koelerio-Corynephoretea communities are described as new associations (Cetrario aculeatae-Plantaginetum radicatae, Plantagini radicatae-Agrostietum capillaris). According to DCA the main floristic gradient was largely determined by soil conditions, differentiating the Festuco-Brometea communities on soils with high pH and high humus content from the Koelerio-Corynephoretea communities on acidic, humus-poor soils, while the Calluno-Ulicetea stands are the connecting link. At 10 m2 Festuco-Brometea and Calluno-Ulicetea stands were richer in species across all investigated taxa and in vascular plants than Koelerio-Corynephoretea stands; the latter were richest in lichen species, while bryophyte richness did not differ significantly among syntaxa. Among the Bulgarian classes, the species-area relationships tended to be steepest in the Festuco-Brometea (i.e. highest beta diversity), but both alpha and beta diversity clearly fell behind the Festuco-Brometea communities in the Transylvanian Plateau, Romania, located less than 500 km north of the study region. Overall, our study contributes to a more adequate placement of the Bulgarian dry grasslands in the European syntaxonomic system and provides valuable data for large-scale analyses of biodiversity patterns.
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.