Emil Hadač

THE VEGETATION ON SCREES - A SYNOPSIS OF HIGHER SYNTAXA IN EUROPE

A synopsis of high-rank syntaxa of scree vegetation with an accompanying list of plant communities is presented. The classification of scree vegetation in only one broadly conceived class, theThlaspietea rotundifolii, throughout Europe is a new concept.The vegetation on screes was classified into 8 major groups (17 orders and 42 alliances) according to their altitudinal range and the chemistry of the parent material. Brief information on ecological conditions, phytogeographical patterns, and altitudinal distribution are given. The characteristics and important diagnostic taxa for each alliance and order classified within theThlaspietea rotundifolii are given.

Notes on plant communities of Spitsbergen

Abstract17 plant associations belonging to 9 alliances from Spitsbergen are discussed; 7 associations, 2 alliances and 1 order are described as new. The percentage of diploids and polyploids in individual plant communities and their relation to ecology is examined.

Notes on syntaxonomy of cultural forest communities

It is suggested that communities of cultivated forests can be incorporated into the system of “natural” wood communities either as facies, variants or subassociations, if they differ below the association level; if they differ on the association level, a new association is suggested, with the prefix “culti-” before the planted dominant tree species. Most of our planted forest communities differ on the level of association or less; the communities ofRobinia are the exception. The authors agree withJurko (1963) in classifying them as individual associations, alliances, order and class.

Comparison of esterase isoenzyme patterns in seeds of someAllium species and in cultivars ofAllium cepa L

Esterase isoenzyme patterns were studied in seeds of 6 cultivars ofAllium cepa L. and of14 species ofAllium, namelyAllium aflatunense B. Fedtsch.,A. altaicum (Pall.) Reyse,A. Cristophii Trautv.,A. fistulosum L.,A. jajlae Vved.,A. Karsianum Fom.,A. nutans L.,A. porrum L. cv. Gigant,A. praemixtum Vved.,A. pskemense Vved.,A. ramosum L.,A.rotundum L.,A. schoenoprasum L.,A. stipitatum Regel. The cultivars differ in their isoenzyme patterns, the cultivar Kaštická stands apart from all the other cultivars, probably due to the high alkalinity of its seed extract. The examined species, arranged according to their mutual similarity of isoenzyme patterns, form several groups corresponding to individual sections of the genus. Our results corroborate the recognizing of the sectionCepa and the subsectionPhyllodolon. The maintaining ofA. jajlae andA. rotundum as well described species fits better with our results, than degrading them to subspecies ofA. scorodoprason.Our results agree in main features with those obtained by the immunological method. Some few differences appear concerning individual species. It is evident that esterase isoenzyme patterns can be used in chemotaxonomy ofAllium on an infrageneric level, and, at least inA. cepa, also on an infraspecific level.

The comparison of seed protein patterns within the genusArachis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

The seed protein patterns of 12Arachis species were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), similarities between patterns were measured by the Jaccard index. Results obtained confirm the close relationships established between members of the genus on morphological grounds and support the more recent classification schemes.A. villosa andA. correntina could well be regarded as distinct species on grounds of protein differences whileA. macedoi andA. villosulicarpa (although members of the same section, Extranervosae) show considerable differentiation of their protein patterns. Surprisingly, the formA. ×batizogaea showed less similarity in protein pattern to those of its parental species than might have been expected. The principle value of seed protein pattern data appears to be in distinguishing species within sections.

A survey of plant communities of springs and mountain brooks in Czechoslovakia

Up till now 22 plant associations of springs and mountain brooks are known in Czechoslovakia. They can be arranged in 6 alliances:Cardaminion amarae, Cardamino-Montion, Swertio-Anisothecion squarrosi, Cratoneuro filicini-Calthion laetae, Cratoneurion commutati andLycopo-Cratoneurion. Three alliances, two associations and one subassocíation are described as new ones, three associations are renamed.

Wood plant communities of the Bukovské vrchy Hills, NE Slovakia

Three shrub associations and 11 forest associations with 8 subassociations were found in the Bukovské vrchy hills. Three associations are described as new.

Comparison of seed proteins of some representatives of the genusPisum from the point of view of their relationship comparison by disc electrophoresis

Ten taxa of the genusPisum were examined by disc electrophoresis in gels according to Davis and to Reisfeldet al. For evaluation of band patterns the Jaccard Index was applied.The results in both types of gels show thatPisum abyssinicum and especiallyP. fulvum have biochemically a relatively isolated position.Pisum elatius and its subspeciescaspicum andpalestinicum form a subgroup withP. cinereum;P. sativum var.zeylanicum and cv. Jupiter form another subgroup withP. syriacum.Our results are in good agreement with the results of Przybylskaet al. (with the exception ofP. cinereum) and also with immunoelectrophoretic analyses performed by Turkováet al. (1980), with the same exception.

Plant communities of mires in the western part of the Krkonoše mountains, Czechoslovakia

Mire plant communities of the W. Krkonoše mountains may be grouped in 11 associations and 3 alliances:Caricion canescentis-fuscae, Rhynchosporion albae andOxycocco-Empetrion hermaphroditi. The ecology, structure and geographical distribution of the communities, as well as the ecology of the species occurring in them are discussed.

Species diversity of mangrove and continental drift

The mangrove formation on the coasts of S. Atlantic is very poor in species (only 6) compared with mangrove in S. and SE. Asia or E. Africa (more than 30). This fact cannot be explained by ecology. It is suggested that the main cause is the historically late origin of the Atlantic due to the continental drift.