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Vegetace České republiky 4. Lesní a křovinná vegetace. Vegetation of the Czech Republic 4. Forest and scrub vegetation
... In Central Europe, the species is found mainly in lowlands, wet to damp places, nutrient-rich and pHneutral soils, in semi-shaded to shaded habitats in the floodplains of larger rivers (Kaplan et al., 2020). It usually grows in communities of poplars and tall willows, narrowed-leaved ash, European white elm and pedunculate oak which are often under the impact of flooding (Borhidi et al., 2012;Chytrý, 2013). In Slovenia, this species is noted to grow in communities belonging to the Montio-Cardaminetea class but more often in lowland riparian forest communities (Trčak & Bačič, 2017). ...
... In Central Europe, the species is found in various habitats, but most commonly on moist, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, such as fens, transitional mires, wet moss-rich meadows, tall sedge stands, edges of fishponds, and alder carrs, less often also in bog hollows (Kaplan et al., 2017). It is also usually found in Salix cinerea scrub communities (Borhidi et al., 2012;Chytrý, 2013). ...
... It is widespread in most parts of Europe except the southern areas (Webb & Rix, 1972;Kurtto et al., 2013). In Central Europe, it typically occurs in closed forests and is a common and diagnostic taxon of Alnion incanae alliance, but it can be found in a wide range of habitats (Willner & Grabherr, 2007;Borhidi et al., 2012;Chytrý, 2013). This species is common in most Central European countries (Rhodes & Maxted, 2013), including Slovenia, and northern and western Croatia, which represents the edge of its compact distribution range. ...
Wetland habitats in Bosnia and Herzegovina are usually small, fragmented and under numerous anthropogenic pressures. Therefore species confined to such habitats can be considered being among the most threatened plant species in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The focus of this article is the distribution pattern and threatened status of five such plant species: Achillea ptarmica, Carex elongata, Carex strigosa, Comarum palustre and Prunus padus. While these taxa can be common in other parts of Europe, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they are rare and usually restricted to a small number of localities. Wetland flora can be found in the Dinaric mountains, where it is confined to the karst fields, mountain plateaus, spring areas and banks of glacial lakes, but as well in the lowlands in the north of the country, occupying the remnants of wetland habitats. Published, new and unpublished (herbarium) chorological data for Bosnia and Herzegovina, description of the habitat, population estimate, threats on habitats and species, and estimation of threatened status based on IUCN criteria are given for each studied species.
... High montane acidophytic beech forests of Central Europe (Calamagrostio villosae-Fagetum) were even assigned to the Vaccinio-Piceetea in Oberdorfer (1992). Temperate Abies alba forests are either considered as part of the Carpino-Fagetea (e.g., Chytrý 2013), or as part of the Vaccinio-Piceetea (e.g., Willner and Grabherr 2007;Mucina et al. 2016), whereas some authors split them between the two classes (Oberdorfer 1992). ...
... Lime forests (Melico-Tilion platyphylli) were grouped together with oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinion betuli). Abies alba forests were not reproduced as a separate cluster, but mostly included in beech forests, supporting the concept of Chytrý (2013). The position of subalpine Larix decidua and Pinus cembra woodland seems at odds with the EVC system, but it fits well with the classification in Willner and Grabherr (2007), where both units were included in a broadly defined Pinion mugo. ...
Aims : Inconsistent treatment of the vegetation layers is one of the main problems in the floristic classification of forests. In this study I investigate whether a classification based solely on woody species leads to units similar to the Braun-Blanquet system or to something completely different. Study area : Austria (Central Europe) and adjacent regions. Methods : 23,681 forest relevés from the Austrian Vegetation Database were classified using TWINSPAN. Spruce and pine plantations and stands with a cover of non-native woody species > 5% were excluded from the dataset. Only native tree and shrub species were used in the classification while herbs, dwarf shrubs, cryptogams and all records of woody species in the herb layer were omitted. Results : The TWINSPAN classification revealed elevation (i.e., climate) as the main floristic gradient in the data set. Within lowland communities, soil moisture was the dominant factor. The higher units of the Braun-Blanquet system were mostly well reproduced. Conclusions : The higher levels of the phytosociological forest classification (class, order, partly also alliance) can basically be defined by taking only the shrub and tree layer into account. However, all past and current classifications suffer from arbitrary exceptions to this rule. This leads to many inconsistencies and blurs the main biogeographical patterns within European forests. Here I argue that using the tree and shrub species for defining the higher levels and the understorey species for defining the lower ones is best suited to meet the properties that users would expect from a good forest classification.
Taxonomic reference : Fischer et al. (2008).
Syntaxonomic reference : Mucina et al. (2016) if not stated otherwise.
Abbreviations : EVC = EuroVegChecklist (Mucina et al. 2016).
... ex Doing 1962 All.: Sambuco-Salicion caprae Tx. et Neumann ex Oberd. 1957 The shrubs of deciduous mesopilous species (such as Lonicera xylosteum, Rubus idaeus, and Sambucus racemosa) occur in nutrient-rich places in forest clearings of temperate Europe (SÁDLO et al. 2013, MUCINA et al. 2016, PREISLEROVÁ et al. 2022. It can also contain tree species, including coniferous ones, which indicate forest regeneration (SÁDLO et al. 2013). ...
... 1957 The shrubs of deciduous mesopilous species (such as Lonicera xylosteum, Rubus idaeus, and Sambucus racemosa) occur in nutrient-rich places in forest clearings of temperate Europe (SÁDLO et al. 2013, MUCINA et al. 2016, PREISLEROVÁ et al. 2022. It can also contain tree species, including coniferous ones, which indicate forest regeneration (SÁDLO et al. 2013). ...
The subalpine and alpine vegetation belts are well-developed in Bulgarian mountains, and the alpine
biogeographic region covers a large area in Bulgaria. Although alpine and subalpine vegetation is
susceptible to climate and land-use changes, the knowledge of this vegetation in Bulgaria is very poor.
The Western Stara Planina Mts. extends from Zlatishki Pass in Bulgaria in the east to Serbia, where
it has its westernmost point. In its eastern part, it is composed mainly of limestone, whereas in its
highest parts in the Chiprovtska Planina it is composed of acidic rocks, mainly of sandstone, conglomerate, and granite. Most of today’s alpine vegetation is secondary due to long-lasting pasturing and
fire management; only rock outcrops in high altitudes host primary alpine vegetation.
The alpine and subalpine vegetation in the Western Stara Planina Mts. was systematically studied
only on the Serbian territory; the manuscript of Vojislav Mišić which describes this vegetation was
published in 1978.
Here, I present vegetation classification of the Bulgarian part of the highest mountain ridge of the
Western Stara Planina Mts. and fill gaps in knowledge of the alpine and subalpine vegetation in the
northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. I recorded 78 phytosociological relevés, based on which I
distinguished 12 vegetation classes, 29 associations, and nine informally described local communities.
Many of these syntaxa are new to Bulgaria or are newly described according to the International Code
of Phytosociological Nomenclature.
A DCA ordination was conducted to display dissimilarities between
... Their considerable proportion and high frequency in our plots is due to the dynamic relationship between pistachio stands and surrounding grasslands and the effect of the ecotonal nature (transitional character), the removal of open woodlands and intensive grazing. A similar relationship and overlap of diagnostic species groups is found in seral or marginal vegetation like Crataego-Prunetea and Carpino-Fagetea, Trifolio-Geranietea and Crataego-Prunetea or Paliuretalia and Quercetea pubescentis (see Mucina et al. 2016;Chytrý 2013). ...
Aims: To analyse the syntaxonomy of open, deciduous woodlands at the southern margin of the steppe zone in the colline and montane belts of the Pamir-Alai, western Tian Shan and Iranian Mountains (Irano-Turanian region). Study area: Tajikistan (Middle Asia) and Iran (Southwestern Asia). Methods: We prepared two datasets: the first dataset contained 110 relevés from Tajikistan and Iran representing pistachio groves, the second one was a comparative dataset of 1,276 relevés of pistachio groves and floristically related woody and grassland phytocoenoses from the Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean regions. These two datasets were classified separately with the modified TWINSPAN algorithm with pseudospecies cut levels 0%, 2%, 10% and 25%, and total inertia as a measure of cluster heterogeneity. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. A NMDS ordination was used to explore the relationships between the distinguished groups. Results: We found that Pistacia open woodlands are very distinctive in terms of species composition, including numerous endemics. Our observations in Pamir-Alai, Kopet-Dagh, Zagros, Alborz and other Central and southern mountains of Iran proved that pistachio open woodlands form distinct zonal vegetation of the colline-montane belt. We thus propose a new class Pistacietea verae, with the order Pistacietalia verae and appropriate type alliance Pistacion verae, including two associations: Pistacietum verae and Pistacietum khinjuk. Conclusions: Our research has shown that the Pistacia open woodlands are a distinct vegetation typical of the Irano-Turanian region and due to its specific ecology, phytogeography and unique species composition, should be regarded as a vegetation class Pistacietea verae. It needs further examination and comparison with similar vegetation in the western Irano-Turanian and Hindu Kush regions. Recognizing the unique pistachio open woodlands as a distinct vegetation class in the Irano-Turanian region is crucial for establishing effective conservation strategies in these understudied yet ecologically significant ecosystems, spanning potentially from the Zagros, Alborz and other Central and southern Mountains of Iran to Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan.
Taxonomic reference: Plants of the World Online (POWO 2023), with World Flora Online (WFO 2023) for some problematic cases and Nobis et al. (2020) for Stipa spp.
Syntaxonomic references: Mucina et al. (2016) for SE European syntaxa, Nowak et al. (2022a, 2022b) for all other syntaxa.
Abbreviations: NMDS = Non-metric multidimensional scaling.
... The area of this class extends from the westernmost part of Europe to the southern Urals. Similar forests are also found in western and southern Siberia [18]. The largest number of plots (1590) was assigned to this class. ...
To assess the carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems of the Republic of Tatarstan, vegetation classification was carried out at the class level using the Braun-Blanquet system. 17,000 relevés from the "Flora" database were used as source materials. The classification was carried out using the EuroVeg Checklist expert system in the Juice 7.0 software. A total of 34 classes of vegetation were identified. The 14 largest classes have been selected for vegetation cover modelling.
... Indeed, thermophilous oak woodlands gradually transform into mesophilous (oak-hornbeam) woodlands after the cessation of woodland grazing and/or coppicing (Jakubowska-Gabara, 1996; Kwiatkowska and Wyszomirski, 1990;Hédl et al., 2010;Reczyńska and Ś wierkosz, 2017). Thermophilous oak forests are believed to be significantly influenced by human activities particularly in areas outside their macroclimatic optimum (Roleček, 2013). ...
Historical woodland management practices like coppicing and grazing have formed the diversity and structure of oak-hornbeam woodlands. We analysed large-scale, high-resolution spatial data on the distribution of woodland communities in Czechia to find out whether past human impacts influenced the distribution of oak-hornbeam woodlands in present-day landscapes. We tested the relation of oak-hornbeam woodlands to the past and cur rent settlement distribution pattern, woodland continuity since about 1840 and distance to the woodland edge, on top of natural environmental predictors, using generalized additive mixed-effects models (GAMM).
During an interdisciplinary study of the mire “Torfowisko pod Małym Śnieżnikiem”, a very old specimen of the Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) was encountered. The aim of the present work was to perform a detailed examination of this tree, to compare it to other spruce trees on the mire, and to provide support for establishing protection for this tree stand. Tree ring cores were sampled at 1.3 m above ground using a Pressler borer, in two field campaigns: June and July 2023, the latter campaign aiming to find the oldest trees. A total of 46 trees were sampled, yielding 84 measured radii. Tree ring widths were measured down to 0.01 mm under a stereomicroscope. The oldest sampled tree yielded a total of 370 tree rings in the two radii, representing the period 1653–2022. The average tree ring width for this oldest tree equals 0.33 mm/year, and shows low values (on average 0.19 mm/year) for the period 1742–1943, i.e., during the Little Ice Age cooling. Changes in the tree ring width coincide with periods of cooling and warming in the nearby Tatra Mountains. The oldest tree does not stand out from other trees from the population with respect to height or trunk diameter. A comparison of the age of this tree to the oldest spruce trees in Poland indicates that it is one of the longest living specimens of this species. Considering the natural character of the stand, the remaining flora, and the peat-forming processes taking place within the mire “Pod Małym Śnieżnikiem”, we argue that the mire should become protected by the law as soon as possible in order to preserve this valuable high mountain habitat.
Sorbus gemella is a stabilised apomictic species endemic to Czechia. It originated by hybridisation between S. torminalis and probably S. danubialis, and occurs in the Džbán region in north-western Bohemia. The species was described in 1996 and to date very little was known about its population size. A detailed survey of its distribution carried out in 2018–2021 showed that the number of individuals of the species is at least 1,500, which makes it the second most abundant endemic Sorbus species in Czechia. Despite the relatively high number of individuals, the species is critically endangered, mainly due to the geographically limited distribution range, aging of the populations, and the unfavourable state of its habitats. Sorbus gemella is endangered by spontaneous colonisation of open habitats (especially open-canopy forests) by trees, and by wild herbivore grazing. The traditional management of woodlands in the area used to include maintaining open-canopy and oligotrophic forests, which are the main habitat of the species. The closed canopy which prevails in present-day forests is unfavourable for survival in the long term and for regular reproduction of this light-demanding species. Particular attention should be paid to active protection of the species in the future. Building fences for the protection of seedlings, reduction of game populations, and appropriate forest management should be implemented. A distribution map, an improved description of the species, a list of studied herbarium specimens, comments on the origin, reproduction, and biology of the species’, and other relevant information are provided. The paper also includes a line drawing and photographs of the species and a photograph of the type specimen.
Deadwood is known to be an irreplaceable substrate for various groups of organisms but its importance for vascular plants is still unclear. To examine which deadwood characteristics promote its colonization by vascular plants and whether species can prefer this substrate to mineral soil (or vice versa), we used regression modeling and ordination methods to analyze an extensive data set of vegetation records from more than 1800 pieces of lying deadwood and 200 control plots on soil. Data were collected in four old-growth forest sites ranging from lowland alluvial to mountain spruce forests. Colonization of deadwood of all decay classes, including freshly fallen logs, was frequent at all study sites. The density of colonizers differed between deadwood species, increased with deadwood decomposition stage and was higher when deadwood was exposed to light. On average, about 40% of observed species showed a preference for either deadwood or soil substrate with preference for soil usually being more common. Species that preferred deadwood to soil were typically early successional species, while those with preference for soil were often hygrophytes or typical understorey species. Most species responded consistently to substrate across multiple sites. With its unique microsite conditions and specific composition of plant colonizers, we highlight the importance of deadwood for herb layer species composition. Deadwood retention should be encouraged not only in protected but also in commercial forests.
The diversity of planted forest stands of the alien species Quercus rubra L. in Central Europe was studied. The northern red oak is a neophyte that has been cultivated in Europe since the seventeenth century as an ornamental as well as a useful tree. In 38 phytosociological relevés from Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, we recorded a total of 223 vascular plant taxa, of which 10% were alien (with 9 invasive species). The stands were species-poor compared to the most native forests, with an average of 17 species per relevé, and most of the species had a low coverage value (around 5% on average). The representation of endangered species was very low, only three species were recorded. The dense canopy of Q. rubra and large cover of litter consisting mainly of fallen old red oak leaves affected the richness of the undergrowth. The mean cover of the tree layer was 84%, the mean cover of the shrub layer was 9% and the mean cover of the herb layer was 22%. The EuroVegChecklist Expert System assigned the relevés to five classes: Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae , Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae , Rhamno-Prunetea , Epilobietea angustifolii and Robinietea .
404 LFC01. Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum abietis
- Lfc Svaz
- ............................................................................................................................................................................. Piceion Abietis
Svaz LFC. Piceion abietis........................................................ 404
LFC01. Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum abietis................................ 406
LFC02. Athyrio distentifolii-Piceetum abietis.................................... 411
LFC03. Equiseto sylvatici-Piceetum abietis.................................... 414
LFC04. Soldanello montanae-Piceetum abietis................................. 416
236 LBC01. Galio odorati-Fagetum sylvaticae
- Lbc Svaz
- ......................................................................................................................... Fagion Sylvaticae
Svaz LBC. Fagion sylvaticae...................................................... 236
LBC01. Galio odorati-Fagetum sylvaticae...................................... 245
LBC02. Mercuriali perennis-Fagetum sylvaticae................................. 249
266 LBE01. Luzulo luzuloidis-Fagetum sylvaticae
- Lbe Svaz
- ........................................................................................................................................................................... Luzulo-Fagion Sylvaticae
Svaz LBE. Luzulo-Fagion sylvaticae................................................ 266
LBE01. Luzulo luzuloidis-Fagetum sylvaticae................................... 268
LBE02. Calamagrostio villosae-Fagetum sylvaticae.............................. 271
LBE03. Luzulo-Abietetum albae............................................. 274
LBE04. Vaccinio myrtilli-Abietetum albae...................................... 277
219 LBB01. Galio sylvatici-Carpinetum betuli
- Lbb Svaz
- ................................................................................................................................................................................... Carpinion Betuli
Svaz LBB. Carpinion betuli....................................................... 219
LBB01. Galio sylvatici-Carpinetum betuli...................................... 223
LBB02. Stellario holosteae-Carpinetum betuli.................................. 227
LBB03. Carici pilosae-Carpinetum betuli...................................... 230
LBB04. Primulo veris-Carpinetum betuli....................................... 233
351 LDA01. Luzulo luzuloidis-Quercetum petraeae
- Lda Svaz
- ........................................................................................................................................................................ Quercion Roboris
Svaz LDA. Quercion roboris....................................................... 351
LDA01. Luzulo luzuloidis-Quercetum petraeae.................................. 352
LDA02. Viscario vulgaris-Quercetum petraeae.................................. 356
LDA03. Vaccinio vitis-idaeae-Quercetum roboris................................ 359
LDA04. Holco mollis-Quercetum roboris....................................... 362
50 KAB01. Salicetum elaeagno-purpureae
- Kab Svaz
- ............................................................................................................................................... Salicion Elaeagno-Daphnoidis
Svaz KAB. Salicion elaeagno-daphnoidis............................................. 50
KAB01. Salicetum elaeagno-purpureae........................................ 55
KAB02. Salicetum purpureae................................................ 57
KAB03. Salici purpureae-Myricarietum germanicae............................... 60
323 LCC01. Sorbo torminalis
- Lcc Svaz
- .................................................... Quercetum..................................................................................... Quercion Petraeae
Svaz LCC. Quercion petraeae..................................................... 323
LCC01. Sorbo torminalis-Quercetum......................................... 325
LCC02. Genisto pilosae-Quercetum petraeae.................................. 329
LCC03. Melico pictae-Quercetum roboris...................................... 332
301 LCA01. Lathyro collini-Quercetum pubescentis
- Lca Svaz
- ............................................................................................... Quercetum............................................ Quercion Pubescenti-Petraeae
Svaz LCA. Quercion pubescenti-petraeae............................................ 301
LCA01. Lathyro collini-Quercetum pubescentis................................. 303
LCA02. Lithospermo purpurocaerulei-Quercetum pubescentis..................... 307
LCA03. Euphorbio-Quercetum.............................................. 310
167 LAA01. Thelypterido palustris-Alnetum glutinosae
- Laa Svaz
- ..................................................................................................................................................... Alnion Glutinosae
Svaz LAA. Alnion glutinosae...................................................... 167
LAA01. Thelypterido palustris-Alnetum glutinosae............................... 169
LAA02. Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae................................... 171
LAA03. Carici acutiformis-Alnetum glutinosae.................................. 174
389 LFB01. Cladino-Pinetum sylvestris
- Lfb Svaz
- .................................................................................................................................................................................. Dicrano-Pinion Sylvestris
Svaz LFB. Dicrano-Pinion sylvestris................................................ 389
LFB01. Cladino-Pinetum sylvestris........................................... 391
LFB02. Vaccinio myrtilli-Pinetum sylvestris..................................... 394
LFB03. Hieracio pallidi-Pinetum sylvestris..................................... 398
LFB04. Asplenio cuneifolii-Pinetum sylvestris................................... 401