Milan Valachovič

CONTEXT-DEPENDENCE OF DIAGNOSTIC SPECIES: A CASE STUDY OF THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN SPRUCE FORESTS

In the phytosociological literature, there are numerous different approaches to the designation of diagnostic species. Frequently, this results in discrepancies between the lists of diagnostic species published for one and the same community. We examined different approaches to determining diagnostic species using as an examplePicea abies forests within the broader context of all Central European forests. Diagnostic species of spruce forests were determined from a data set of 20,164 phytosociological relevés of forests from the Eastern Alps, Western Carpathians, and the Bohemian Massif, which included 3,569 relevés of spruce forests. Phi coefficient of association was used to measure species fidelity, and species with the highest fidelities were considered as diagnostic. Diagnostic species were determined in four ways, including (A) comparison of spruce forests among the three mountain ranges, (B) comparison between spruce forests and other forests, performed separately in each of the mountain ranges, (C) simultaneous comparison of spruce forests of each of the mountain ranges with spruce forests of the other two ranges and with the other forests of all ranges, (D) comparison of spruce forests with the other forests, using pooled data sets from the three mountain ranges. The sets of diagnostic species of spruce forests yielded in comparisons A and B were sharply different; the set resulting from comparison C was intermediate between the first two and comparison D resulted in similar diagnostic species as comparison B. In comparison A, spruce forests of the Eastern Alps had a number of diagnostic species, while the spruce forests of the other two mountain ranges had only few diagnostic species. In comparison B, by contrast, the number and quality of diagnostic species decreased from the Bohemian Massif to the Eastern Alps. This exercise points out that lists of diagnostic species published in phytosociological literature are dependent on the context, i.e. the underlying data sets and comparisons: some of these lists are useful for identification of vegetation units at a local scale, some others for distinguishing units within a narrowly delimited community type over a large area. The thoughtless application of published lists of diagnostic species outside of the context for which they were intended should therefore be avoided.

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.

Effect of environmental variables on the aquatic macrophyte composition pattern in streams: a case study from Slovakia

The relationships between macrophyte assemblage composition and environmental variables were assessed across 39 Slovak streams in the Pannonicum and Carpathicum bioregions. Twenty-one environmental variables including geographical characteristics, hydrology, physical habitat, water chemistry, and anthropogenic stressors were assessed. A total of 89 macrophyte taxa were identifi ed, of which 26 % and 74 % were bryophytes and vascular plants, respectively. Signifi cant differences were observed between the Pannonicum and the Car- pathicum bioregions for all studied environmental variables except the following: stream width, the presence of human-made sediment and the phosphate content. Similarly, the number of species as well as the Mean Mass Total of all plant groups was signifi cantly different between the Pannonicum and the Carpathicum regions except for fi lamentous algae. Macrophyte composition in Slovak streams was affected by sediment type (5.8 %), followed by shading of shrubs and trees on the banks (3.5 %), water depth (3.0 %), NO2 - (2.8 %) and water acidity (2.2 %). Bryophytes (such as Brachythecium rivulare, Cratoneuron fi licinum, Hygrohypnum ochraceum, Lophocolea he- terophylla, Marchantia polymorpha or Rhynchostegium riparioides) and only some vascular plants (such as Persi- caria hydropiper and Glyceria notata) occur on coarser sediment types. In contrast, most vascular plants grew on fi ner sediment types.

European Red List of Habitats : Part 2. Terrestrial and freshwater habitats

The first ever European Red List of Habitats reviews the current status of all natural and semi-natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats and highlights the pressures they face. Using a modified version of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems categories and criteria, it covers the EU28, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the Balkan countries and their neighbouring seas. Over 230 terrestrial and freshwater habitats were assessed. The European Red List of Habitats provides an entirely new and all embracing tool to review commitments for environmental protection and restoration within the EU2020 Biodiversity Strategy. In addition to the assessment of threat, a unique set of information underlies the Red List for every habitat: from a full description to distribution maps, images, links to other classification systems, details of occurrence and trends in each country and lists of threats with information on restoration potential. All of this is publicly available in PDF and database format (see links below), so the Red List can be used for a wide range of analysis. The Red List complements the data collected on Annex I habitat types through Article 17 reporting as it covers a much wider set of habitats than those legally protected under the Habitats Directive.

Vegetation of the rock outcrops and screes in the forest-steppe and steppe belts of the Altai and Western Sayan Mts., southern Siberia

A new concept of classification of petrophytic vegetation, i. e. plant communities on rock outcrops and screes, is proposed for the steppe and forest-steppe belts of the southern Siberian mountains, using the Braun-Blanquet approach and original releves from the Altai and Western Sayan Mts. In these areas with arid continental climate, the species composition of petrophytic vegetation seems to be less differentiated from the other habitats than is usual in Europe or the Far East. The main habitats of petrophytic vegetation include rock crevices, shallow soils on weathered rock outcrops, disturbed screes with herbaceous vegetation, and shrubberies in less disturbed places. In the proposed classification petrophytic vegetation is divided into three phytosociological classes. The vegetation of moderately dry rock crevices is included in the Eurasian class Asplenietea trichomanis (Br.-Bl. in Meier et Br.-Bl. 1934) Oberdorfer 1977 and the alliance Selaginellion sanguinolentae Hilbig 2000. Vegetation of disturbed or strongly drought-stressed rock outcrops and screes is included in the class of central Asian steppes, Cleistogenetea squarrosae Mirkin et al. ex Korotkov et al. 1991. Within this class, vegetation with predominance of succulent plants is assigned to the alliance Sedion hybridi all. nova and xeric rock-crevice vegetation to the alliance Eritrichio pectinati- Selaginellion sanguinolentae all. nova. A distinct type of central Asian petrophytic vegetation is assigned to the class Artemisio santolinifoliae-Berberidetea sibiricae cl. nova, which includes xeric shrubberies on mobile screes and rock outcrops of different lithology. Seven associations, three subassociations and four communities without syntaxonomic rank are documented in an ordered species-by-releve table and briefly described with respect to their phytosociological affinities and ecology. The DCA ordination of the releves was used to demonstrate patterns of floristic differentiation of the higher vegetation units in the Altai and Western Sayan.

Syntaxonomy and ecology of plant communities of the Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii in the western carpathians

We present a syntaxonomic account of the communities of the alliances of Oxytropido-ElynionBr.-Bl. 1949 and Festucion versicolorisKrajina 1933 from Western Carpathians. Both alliances comprise naked-rush, cushion form and dwarf-shrub heath communities typical of wind-exposed habitats occurring at the highest altitudes of the Tatra Mts. They represent a relic vegetation of the cold stages of the Pleistocene (probably Late Glacial Maximum) and they can be classified within the class of Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardiiOhba 1974. A set of relevés was subject to numerical-classification analysis. Floristics and ecology of the communities were characterised and the relationships to similar syntaxa were discussed.The Oxytropido-Elynion is restricted to the extreme ridge positions in the highest altitudes of the Belianske Tatry Mts. Five associations were distinguished, such as the Pyrolo carpaticae-Salicetum reticulatae, the Festuco versicoloris-Oreochloetum distichae, the Festucetum versicoloris, the Oxytropido carpaticae-Elynetum myosuroides and the Drabo siliquosae-Festucetum versicoloris.The Festucion versicoloris is limited to the mylonite zone of the alpine and subnival belt of the Vysoké Tatry and Západné Tatry Mts (and found as rare in the Nízke Tatry Mts). The stands of these communities prefer terraces of steep rocky faces and cliffs and stabilised small-grained screes below the cliffs. Within this alliance, three associations were described, including the Agrostio alpinae-Festucetum versicoloris, the Silenetum acaulis and the Salicetum kitaibelianae.

The impact of forest management on changes in composition of terricolous lichens in dry acidophilous Scots pine forests

This study focuses on dry acidophilous Scots pine forests, well known for their high biodiversity of cryptogams. We hypothesized that dense forests and heavy management were responsible for changes in species diversity, decreasing trends in lichen cover and increasing moss cover. This hypothesis was tested in three types of Scots pine forests maintained under three different management regimes: 1) managed forests (forest plantations regenerated by planting), 2) semi-natural forests (forest plantations regenerated naturally), both located in the Borska nižina lowland in SW Slovakia, and 3) natural forests (primordial vegetation without visible management actions from the association Cladonio-Pinetum Juraszek 1928), located in the Bory Tucholskie National Park, NW Poland. We observed that the cover of the canopy tree layer had the most significant influence on the diversity of lichens. Managed forests are planted and maintained to achieve denser tree stocking, and although the environmental conditions created appear optimal for moss species, they are less suitable for terricolous lichens.

Forest Vegetation of the Northern Korean Peninsula

North Korean forest and shrub vegetation data were obtained during several expeditions in 1984–1990. Field analyses were carried out using Braun-Blanquet methods. The resulting data-set of 244 phytocoenological releves was processed by numerical techniques. Soil analyses were done for most vegetation types. Seven associations were distinguished in coniferous forests, including Rhododendro aurei-Laricetum olgensis, Goodyero repentis-Piceetum jezoensis, Carici peiktusani-Abietetum nephrolepidis, Ledo decumbentis-Laricetum olgensis, Polysticho retroso-paleacei-Rhododendretum dahurici, Taxo-Pinetum pumilae, and Thujo koraiensis-Piceetum jezoensis; 15 subassociations were described new. The following communities were found in semi-deciduous and deciduous forests: Lychno-Quercetum mongolicae, Vaccinio-Quercetum mongolicae, Parthenocisso tricuspidati-Fraxinetum rhynchophyllae, Festuco ovinae-Pinetum densiflorae, Saso-Quercetum mongolicae, Artemisio-Quercetum mongolicae, Syneilesio palmatae-Carpinetum laxiflorae, Lilio lancifolii-Rhododendretum schlippenbachii, and Indigofera kirilowii-Securinega suffruticosa community. Nine subassociations were newly described. Three new alliances were defined, a Laricion olgensis for coniferous forests of North Korea, a Rhododendro dahurici-Acerion barbinervi for shrub and mantle communities, and a Weigelo floridae-Fagarion schinifoliae for shrub vegetation. Zonation of forest vegetation in North Korea is briefly characterized.

Comparison of Forest Syntaxa and Types in Northeast Asia

Forest vegetation of northeastern Asia was studied, in particular in easternmost Russia, northeastern China, North Korea and northern Japan. Forest communities belonging to following classes have been differentiated: Vaccinio-Piceetea, Betulo ermanii-Ranunculetea japonici, Querco-Fagetea crenatae, Querco mongo-licae-Betuletea davuricae, Populetea laurifolio-suaveolentis, and Salicetea sachalinensis. Within of these classes, a total of 20 orders, 45 alliances, 174 associations, and 103 units without rank (communities, forest types, formations etc.) were also distinguished. The survey of syntaxa represents a first attempt towards consolidation of classification of forest vegetation in northeastern Asia and is therefore only preliminary.

Environmental effects on species richness of macrophytes in Slovak streams

The effect of 19 environmental variables on species richness of macrophytes was studied in 39 Slovak streams. The studied streams were poor in species; in total, 88 macrophyte taxa were found and the average number of macrophytes per sampling site was 4, ranging from 0 to15. The most frequently occurring macrophytes were filamentous algae (occurrence at 38.6% of sampling sites), followed by Rhynchostegium riparioides (28.4%) and Phalaris arundinacea (19.3%). The strongest environmental gradient in the sampling site detected by factor analysis (factor 1 explains more than 32% variability) is related to the portion of artificial banks, shading by woody vegetation along banks, flexuosity of stream course and the portion of natural land cover in the contact zone of the stream, and can be interpreted as a natural-anthropogenic gradient. The following variables had the highest correlations with species richness of macrophytes: shading by woody vegetation (r=−0.507), portions of artificial bank (r=0.488), flexuosity (r=−0.457) and distance from stream source (r=0.388).