Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Band 36 (2016)
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Elevational gradients in high mountain ranges are particularly suitable to study and understand patterns and drivers of plant community diversity and composition, yet there are only few studies that explicitly addressed this topic for the European Alps. Here we analysed an elevational gradient in grasslands of the Gran Paradiso National Park (NW Italy) from c. 1,700 to 3,100 m a.s.l. We recorded vascular plant species composition in 13 100-m² plots, each with two series of nested subplots from 0.0001 to 10 m², as well as a set of environmental parameters (topography, soil). Beta-diversity was assessed via the z-values of power-law species-area relationships, both across all plot sizes and from one plot size to the next bigger one. Diversity-environment relationships were assessed with multi-model inference based on Akaike information criterion (AIC), while scale dependence in z-values across plot sizes was analysed with an ANOVA. Life forms and three major functional traits (specific leaf area = SLA, canopy height, seed mass) were derived from trait databases to calculate fractions of life forms and community-weighted means for the metric traits. Species richness on 100 m² ranged from 17 to 65, with a mean of 43.5. The z-values were within a typical range known for European grasslands (mean: 0.227), with non-significant scale dependence. The importance of environmental factors for richness changed across grain sizes, with inclination (positive effect), mean soil depth and soil skeleton content (both: negative effect) being most influential at grain sizes of 0.0001–1 m². By contrast, soil pH was most important (with a unimodal relationship) for 10 and 100 m². After account-ing for the other environmental factors, elevation showed a moderate unimodal relationship only for the two largest grain sizes. By contrast, functional composition showed strong and mostly significant rela-tionships with elevation: hemicryptophytes and geophytes became rarer and chamaephytes more fre-quent, while community-weighted means of SLA, canopy height and seed mass decreased. Our findings highlight the scale dependence of biodiversity patterns, thus pointing to the need of multi-scale sampling to reach comprehensive understanding. Further, we could provide one of the first documentations of biodiversity and functional composition along an elevational gradient in the Alps, some in agreement with expectations, others not. This suggests that more extensive studies with a similar design in this and other regions of the Alps could be a valuable contribution to the understanding of how environmental factors drive components of biodiversity as well a functional community assembly.
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 paper compares the floodplain forests from Romania to those described from Central and Southeastern Europe from syntaxonomical and ecological perspectives and proposes a clear and ade-quate vegetation classification system that was needed for the Romanian floodplain forests. We performed a syntaxonomical analysis and classification of 473 vegetation relevés published from all nine Romanian provinces, between the years 1968 and 2015. The plant communities, established on the basis of character and differential species, were grouped within the alliance Alnion incanae Pawłowski 1928, according to current phytosociological consensus. The floristic structure of each syntaxon is presented in a synoptic table with species constancy expressed as a percentage. Since plant communi-ties specific to intramontane river floodplains are notably different from those in the plains, we grouped the associations within two different suballiances. Within the suballiance Alnenion glutinosae-incanae Oberdorfer 1953, we included the associations Stellario nemorum-Alnetum glutionosae Lohmeyer 1957, Telekio speciosae-Alnetum incanae Coldea 1990, and Carici remotae-Fraxinetum excelsioris Koch ex Faber 1936. In the suballiance Ulmenion Oberdorfer 1953, we included the associations Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum glabrae Aszód 1935 corr. Soó 1963, Ulmo campestris-Fraxinetum holotrichae Borza ex Sanda 1970 and Fraxino pallisae-Quercetum pedunculiflorae Oprea 1997. In order to show the distribution of these associations within the territory of Romania, we have generated two maps displaying the provenance of the analyzed relevés. The proposed classification system will facilitate the phytosociological and ecological investigation of floodplain forests and support the activities aiming at their conservation.
Im ersten Teil wurden erstmals für den jahreszeitlichen phänologischen Wandel einer Kulturlandschaft 12 Geophänophasen beschrieben. Die Phasen 1-9 sind vor allem durch den Blühbeginn von phänologischen Artengruppen definiert. In diesem zweiten Teil werden für diese Phasen einige quantitative Merkmale von Farbspektren vorgestellt. Die Auswertung beruht auf 520 blühenden Arten der untersuchten Landschaft. Sie wurden den Farbgruppen Gelb - Weiß - Rot - Blau sowie der Gruppe der Unscheinbaren und Grünen zugeordnet. Die Zahl blühender Arten zeigt einen Anstieg bis zum Hochsommer (Phase 8: 261 blühende Arten) mit folgendem deutlichen Rückgang. Gelb und weiß blühende Arten haben in allen Phasen die höchsten Werte. Besonders hingewiesen wird auf Kurz- und Langzeitblüher. Nach der Bedeutung ihrer Blüten für Landschafts-Farbaspekte wurden alle Arten fünf neu definierten Aspektwerten (1-5) zugeordnet. Durch Addition dieser Werte für jede Geophänophase ergeben sich für die fünf Farbgruppen absolute und relative Diagramme der Landschaftsaspekte. Dominante Farben sind in allen Phasen Gelb und Weiß. Rot zeigt eine Zunahme im Sommer. Am Ende wird die Bedeutung der farbigen Landschaftsspektren für Mensch und Tier diskutiert.
Verglichen mit Laubwaldgesellschaften sind Langzeitstudien über Waldkiefern-Bestände (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Mitteleuropa selten und die Sukzessionsdynamik von Kiefernwäldern wurden in dieser Region bisher kaum untersucht. Obwohl es sich um den am stärksten von Feuern betroffenen Waldtyp in Mitteleuropa handelt, liegen lediglich wenige Daten zu den Auswirkungen von Bränden auf die Vegetation von mitteleuropäischen Kiefernwäldern vor. Außerdem sind Kiefernwälder in besonders hohem Maße von Eutrophierung betroffen, die starke Veränderungen in der Vegetation verursachen können. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden naturnahe, waldbrandbeeinflusste Kiefernwälder (Leucobryo-Pinetum) im Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz (Sachsen, Deutschland) untersucht. Dauerbeobachtungsflächen wurden mit bis zu vier Wiederholungen von Vegetationsaufnahmen seit 1963 untersucht. Gemäß den einzelnen Waldbrandereignissen und dem Jahr der Flächeneinrichtung wurden drei Zeitreihen analysiert. (A: 1963-2012, Feuer: 1948/1953); B: 2002-2014, Feuer: 1993; C: 2002-2014, Feuer: 2000), Hierbei wurden unerwartet geringe Veränderungen der Pflanzendiversität und des Artenspektrums der Vegetation gefunden. Nur wenige Arten wurden kurzzeitig durch Waldbrände gefördert, und lediglich einzelne Arten zeigten signifikante Veränderungen in ihren Deckungsgraden in Abhängigkeit vom Waldbrandereignis. Nitrophyten fehlten weitgehend. Offenbar liegen die lokalen Stickstoff-Depositionsraten noch deutlich unter den für einen Vegetationswandel kritischen Werten. Verglichen mit Kiefernforsten und durch traditionelle Nutzung entstandenen Kiefernwäldern stellen naturnahe Bestände des Leucobryo-Pinetum einen relativ stabilen Waldtyp dar, der nur wenig von Waldbränden beeinflusst wird und langfristig nur einer trägen Sukzession unterliegt.
In Italy most of the habitats hosting terricolous lichens are found in the Alps and along the coasts, but some lichen-rich plant communities are also present in the Po Plain. We report a study of terrico-lous lichen communities found in dry grasslands attributed to Spergulo vernalis-Corynephoretum canescentis in the western Po Plain (Northern Italy), in accordance with the Braun-Blanquet approach. Relevés (138) were carried out in several developmental stages of the Corynephorus grassland. They were sorted manually and analyzed using ANOSIM, non-parametric MANOVA and PCA. Indicator species of the groups were found by means of INDVAL and SIMPER analyses and literature. Seven lichen vegetation types were distinguished. These were attributable to 4 described associations: Stere-ocauletum condensati, Cladonietum foliaceae (in which we found 3 subassociations: typicum, cladonietosum furcatae and cladonietosum subrangiformis), Cladonietum mitis and Cladonietum rei, and to one impoverished community (Cetraria aculeata community). Ordination of floristic variables showed several overlaps between communities, underlining the depleted floristic conditions found in the study area, where several species occur in many communities and other species are very rare, and thus play a minor role in the differentiation of the lichen vegetation types. Overlaps are also referable to intermediate conditions between one community and another, reflecting dynamic relationships, with Stereocauletum condensati, Cetraria aculeata community and Cladonietum foliaceae typicum having the most distinct pioneer character and Cladonietum mitis being the most evolved. Ordination of eco-logical variables based on the indices of substrate pH, light and humidity requirements and tolerance to eutrophication showed several overlaps between the communities, found to be from acidophytic to subneutrophytic, from rather to very photophytic, from mesophytic to rather xerophytic and from anitrophytic to slightly nitrophytic. Rarity in Italy and conservation needs are discussed in detail, also in comparison with the situation of the same communities in central European Corynephorus grasslands. These grasslands and their typical lichen communities are rare in Italy and, though somewhat depleted, they are the habitat of several threatened lichen species at the southern margin of their distribution range. Therefore management plans should always consider both the cryptogamic and the vascular plant communities.
Plant diversity change for cities and their surroundings is well documented. For rural areas such studies are difficult as literature data are mostly insufficient. We reconstructed phytodiversity change in the Feldatal community (Germany, Hesse) by comparison of historical herbarium collections (1945–1976, Hans Hupke) with a recent floristic survey (2012). The study area is a rural area typical for Central Europe, dominated by agriculture and forestry and with a stable human population. Floristic diversity decreased (683 to 497 species; 31% of the total flora), principally by disappearance of species of unimproved grassland, fields and villages. The small number of newly documented species (33 spp.; 5% of total flora) comprises mostly naturalized ornamentals and salt tolerant species along roads. Plant diversity change of the last decades in rural landscapes in Central Europe was mainly dependent on the intensification of agriculture.
The majority of studies investigating plant functional traits have used species average trait values, and assumed that average values were sufficiently representative of each species considered. Although this approach has proven valuable in community ecology studies, plant functional traits can significant-ly vary at different scales, i.e. between but also within populations. The study of species functional trait variability can facilitate increasingly accurate studies in community ecology. Nevertheless, the current extent of within-site plant trait variability has been poorly addressed in the literature. Calcareous grass-lands are ecosystems well-suited to study plant trait variation at small spatial scales. Many species are present on heterogeneous calcareous sites, with significant differences in hydric status due to variations in soil depth, soil moisture, aspect, and slope. This study assesses the extent of intra-population func-tional trait variability and tests the hypothesis that this variability can be explained by within-site envi-ronmental heterogeneity. Three functional traits (SLA-specific leaf area, LDMC-leaf dry matter con-tent, and plant vegetative height) were assessed in three populations of four calcareous grassland spe-cies totalling 950 individuals. The heterogeneity in soil depth and potential direct incident radiation was also quantified and related to plant functional trait variability. The intra-population functional trait variability was compared to the inter-population variability of collected data and global inter-population variability data obtained from the worldwide TRY functional traits database. The results showed that SLA, LDMC, and plant height are characterized by considerable intra-population variation (SLA: 72–95%, LDMC: 78–100% and vegetative height: 70–94% of trait variability). The results also indicate higher plant height and larger SLA for individuals located in plots with deeper soils or lower potential direct incident radiation, on gentle slopes or north-facing slopes. Our findings additionally support the concept that higher plant height, higher SLA, and lower LDMC are related to higher availability of soil water. Individuals on shallow soils or in more exposed areas are better equipped to cope with environ-mental stress. Our results indicate plasticity or local adaptation in individuals to environmental hetero-geneity. This study suggests that detailed analyses involving plant functional traits require measure-ments in situ from a large number of individuals, as the degree of individual response strongly depends on an individual’s location and its micro-environmental conditions. Neglecting intra-population trait variability may be critical, as intraspecific variation can be very high at the population scale, and is likely to be driven by local environmental heterogeneity.
In many regions of Central Europe, semi-natural grasslands have experienced severe vegetation changes, e.g. compositional change and overall species loss, because of land use changes, atmospheric nitrogen input and also climate change. Here we analysed the vegetation change in a dry grassland complex (Gabower Hänge) in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin (NE Brandenburg, Germany), one of the driest regions of the country. We resampled four 10 m² plots of each of four typical alliances (Festucion valesiacae, Koelerion glaucae, Armerion elongatae, Arrhenatherion elatioris) about 20 years after their original sampling with a recovery accuracy of approx. 10 m. The cover of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens was recorded in both samplings. The overall compositional change was analysed with a detrended correpondence analysis (DCA). To interpret this change, we calculated unweighted mean Ellenberg indicator values for old and new plots. Furthermore we tested differences in constancy of individual species between old and new plots as well as differences in species richness, cover of herb and cryptogam layer, ecological indicator values and unweighted proportion of species groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens), floristic status (native or not), life forms, CSR-strategy types and Red List species. The results of the ordination indicated no significant vegetation change, but revealed tendencies towards more nutrient-rich conditions. Ellenberg indicator values for nutrients and soil reaction were significantly correlated with the axes of the ordination. There were 28 species exclu-sively found in the new plots and 45 species of the old plots missing. While no species decreased signif-icantly, there were seven species that increased significantly. Mean species richness was significantly increased in the new plots. There were no significant differences in mean Ellenberg indicator values. Proportions of vascular plants, neophytes, hemicryptophytes and CS-strategists decreased. We conclude that overall vegetation changes are small, indicating that the dry grassland complex at the Gabower Hänge is still in a good state and of high conservation value. This relative stability over time compared to the situation in many other dry grasslands throughout temperate Europe is likely attributable to low nitrogen deposition and the dryness of the local climate. However, the detected tendency towards more nutrient-rich conditions should be taken into account in future management.
Orange lily Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum occurs in the mountains of Western and Central Europe. Within almost the entire area of distribution, it is considered to be rare and endangered. The main purpose of the present study is to analyse the variability of environmental conditions of sites of the orange lily that are considered natural on its north-eastern border of occurrence. Using vegetation databases from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and our material collected during field work in the Western Carpathians and the Sudetes, we analysed the variability of species composition within communities with the occurrence of L. bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum. The classification was performed using a modified TWINSPAN algorithm in the JUICE software. Ecological analysis was performed on the basis of Ellenberg indicator values with a Zelený-Schaffers modified permutation test. In general, the findings indicate that in the study area there are at least seven plant communities, within three separate classes, with the occurrence of the orange lily. All vegetation units distinguished here are semi-natural communities, which are maintained through extensive and traditional agricultural practices. Microclimatic conditions, which indicate a narrow ecological tolerance of the species to light availability and temperature, may have a crucial effect on the distribution of L. bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum on the north-eastern border of its range in Europe. These factors significantly reduce the possibility of penetration of the species into forest or scrub communities. On the other hand, owing to far wider ranges of tolerance to moisture conditions and soil reaction than previously considered typical of the species, the orange lily can occur in different light-demanding communities, from acidic pastures up to calcareous thermophilous grasslands. An almost exclusive presence of L. bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum in semi-natural habitats suggests that active management and protection are crucial to protect its full genetic variation on the European continent.