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A Key to Raunkiaer plant life forms with revised subdivisions
... Though functional diversity is commonly deduced from individual plant traits, this study did not evaluate it due to its comprehensive requirements. Instead, the research incorporated the life-form classification based on Raunkiaer's system, as adapted by Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois (Ellenberg 1967). This method provides insights into plant adaptive strategies to disturbances and environmental challenges, acting as a surrogate for understanding functional diversity in relation to evolutionary adaptation to specific habitats. ...
... Functional traits can offer richer insights into ecosystem processes than species alone (Tilman 2001), Changes in species traits can indicate a pattern of successional pathways (Prrach et al. 1997), in the absence of temporal analysis like the New Zealand study (Smale 1990). While we applied the revised Raunkier lifeform system (Ellenberg 1967), B. davidii's influence on lifeform diversity was only marginally significant and the random effect 'area' showed no influence. This suggests the Raunkier-Ellenberg classification might not capture the full breadth of functional diversity in this context. ...
The use of non-native species within ecological restoration remains debated. This study focuses of one such species Buddleja davidii (Buddleia) in passive ecological restoration on a former China clay tip in Cornwall, UK. We examined the facilitative potential of B. davidii on species richness, species diversity, and lifeform diversity, contrasting it with the native Salix caprea (goat willow). Through assessments of both above-ground morphological and below-ground soil characteristics, our findings emphasize the pronounced influence of B. davidii in enhancing under-canopy species richness and diversity, likely through alteration of soil nutrient dynamics. These findings underscore the potential value of certain non-native species in restoration projects. Recognizing the contribution of spontaneous vegetation could reshape traditional restoration practices, addressing challenges related to erosion, propagule dispersal, and revegetation times and leading to long-term success. The creation of resilient novel ecosystems capable of withstanding environmental changes is possible by eliminating setbacks typically associated with traditional restoration methods and historical reference ecosystems. Our research encourages a nuanced view of non-native species in restoration, urging further exploration and potential integration in restoration strategies. Cornwall's China clay landscape and its unique novel ecosystems can offer significant ecological and societal benefits.
... A community's life form is generally defined as the sum of plant adaptations to certain ecological conditions and is an important part of vegetation analysis. Over the years many different systems of classification of plant lifeforms have been revised by many ecologists [2,3]. However, Raunkiaer's [1] life-form system and its further extension by Braun-Blanquet [4] have found the widest application worldwide, making the system of Raunkiaer the most accepted one. ...
Aims: To study the life forms and biological spectrum of the vegetation of Dhanamanjuri University Campus, Manipur to determine its phytoclimate and species diversity. Study Design: The vegetation of the whole university campus was studied and the site selection was made randomly. Place and Duration of Study: Dhanamanjuri University Campus is located at the intersection of 24.82ºN Latitude and 93.94ºE Longitude. The study was carried out from March to September, 2023. Methodology: Life forms were determined in the study area after detailed floristic studies. Vegetation classification on a physiognomic basis as per Raunkiaer’s system as modified by Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois. Frequency, density, abundance and basal area were calculated for quantitative analysis. Both Shannon- Weiner Index and Simpson index were calculated for diversity studies. The degree of association between two randomly selected species was studied with a simple index of association IASM. Results: The biological spectrum of Dhanamanjuri University Campus consists of 183 plant species belonging to 163 genera distributed over 74 families. Due to predominance of Phanerophytes (54.1%) and Therophytes (22.4 %) over the other life-forms, the study site was assigned to the “Phanero-Therophytic” Phytoclimate. The values of the Shannon- Weiner Index and Simpson Index were found to be 1.5202 and 3.101 respectively. For the degree of association between two randomly selected species χ2 value was calculated to be 0.101 inferring that the two species are not associated with each other, rather they are independently distributed in the site. Conclusion: The current study has described the vegetation of the Dhanamanjuri University Campus, as per Raunkiaer’s terminology as “Phanero-Therophytic” phytoclimate. The study also shed light on various phytosociological attributes of plants growing on the campus, thus shedding more light on the diversity and distribution patterns of the plants growing there.
... Comparing the life-form spectra of the ultramafic flora of this study and other non-ultramafic mountains of Greece, a greater similarity with Northern Greece appears where hemicryptophytes dominate in similar proportions, such as in Mt Menikio with 54.30% (Karagiannakidou, 1991) and Mt Vermio with 50.90% (Chochliouros, 2005). According to Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois (1967), hemicryptophytes characterize the temperate climatic zone. The hemicryptophytes/therophytes ratio is a strong indication of the T A B L E 6 The number of taxa (species and subspecies) of ultramafic grasslands in the Northern Pindus mountain range, included in national and international conservation lists (IUCN: ...
In Europe, the largest and most floristically diverse ultramafic (serpentine) outcrops are located on the Balkan Peninsula. In Greece, the Northern Pindus mountain range is characterized as a floristic diversity hotspot, due to the presence of large ultramafic outcrops that harbor a large number of nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulators with potential use in agromining. The work presented here is part of a more in‐depth study of floristic composition and ecology of plant communities in ultramafic grasslands of the Northern Pindus mountain range. In 2021–2022, 120 relevés in three subareas (sA1, sA2, and sA3) were sampled according to the Braun‐Blanquet method. We identified 493 plant taxa belonging to 61 families. The most abundant families were Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Caryophyllaceae. A total of 22 plant taxa are endemic to Greece. Ninety‐five taxa are of Balkan origin while 158 taxa are distributed to the broader Mediterranean region. The highest number of plant life‐forms are hemicryptophytes (56.39%) and therophytes (23.33%). Eight Ni hyperaccumulators including Centaurea thracica , Bornmuellera baldaccii , Bornmuellera emarginata , Bornmuellera tymphaea , Noccaea boeotica , Noccaea tymphaea , Odontarrhena chalcidica , and Odontarrhena smolikana were recorded.
... Total cover percentages and species richness and, the cover percentage of each morpho-functional group (annuals (grasses + forbs), perennials (grasses + forbs), forbs (annuals + perennials), grasses (annuals + perennials) and shrubs and Raunkiaer's life-form scheme (Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois, 1967) in each quadrat were calculated. The Raunkiaer system is a system for categorizing plants using life-form categories (Raunkiaer, 1934). ...
Understanding the responses of vegetation to grazing exclusion along a salinity gradient is useful for the management of grasslands. We studied the responses of vegetation to grazing removal (ungrazed areas) in three semiarid regions with different soil salinity levels: non-saline, moderately saline and hyper-saline. The results showed that Bray-Curtis dissimilarity between grazed and ungrazed areas were highest in the non-saline region. In the hyper-saline region, the grazing removal had no significant effect on any of the diversity indices, while in the non-saline regions, vegetation changes were occurred by grazing exclusion at the highest magnitude. Generally, the magnitude of vegetation changes by livestock grazing exclusion was decreased along the soil salinity gradient. This research could help to understand how disturbances and stresses interactively influence grasslands dynamics in semiarid regions and to understand the effects of grazing on grassland dynamics and sustainability in deserts in the context of salinization.
... Definitions of growth forms used in this study. The definitions are based onPérez-Harguindeguy et al. (2013) andTavşanoğlu and Pausas (2018) Polycarpic perennial herbs are divided into two additional life form categories based on Raunkiaer's life forms(Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois 1967) Growth formMonocarpic perennial Herbaceous plants growing vegetatively in the first or second growing season, then flowering and producing seeds in the last growing season before their death Polycarpic perennial Herbaceous plants living for at least three growing seasons and reproducing more than once in their lifetime Hemicryptophyte Herbaceous plants which can persist in unfavourable conditions with a bud-bearing stem base near the ground surface Geophyte Herbaceous plants which can persist in unfavourable conditions with buds located below ground Woody Suffruticose Polycarpic perennial herbaceous plant woody at the base Subshrub Polycarpic perennial dwarf woody plants less than 0.5 m Variable Herbaceous or woody plants with a loose growth form definition in the published Flora of Türkiye (e.g. 'biennial or perennial', 'annual, biennial or perennial', 'subshrub or suffruticose', 'subshrub or perennial herb'); this category includes only eight taxa. ...
The lack of information on plant traits limits our understanding of how plant species and communities will respond to ongoing global changes. The biodiversity-rich Anatolian steppes have remained unexplored in terms of belowground plant traits. We documented the distribution and representation of belowground organs (excluding roots that do not form a bud bank) in Anatolian steppe plants, categorizing them by taxonomic family and growth form. Comparisons and analyses were made using data from the published Flora of Türkiye. Our results show that one-fifth (736 taxa) of all Anatolian steppe plants and one-third (514 taxa) of polycarpic hemicryptophytes bear a belowground organ with clonality or perennation functions. The proportion of belowground organ types varied between growth forms, as polycarpic hemicryptophytes had mainly rhizomes or rootstocks whereas geophytes had bulbs. Some families, such as the Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Liliaceae, possessed a specific type of belowground organ, while some others, including the Rosaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Asteraceae, had a higher diversity of belowground organ types. We conclude that the seasonal climate with cold winters and dry summers can be a driver of this belowground organ diversity in Anatolian steppes. The presence of bulbs, rhizomes and tubers appears to be phylogenetically clustered, with the representation of these organs differing between the monocot clade and the eudicot clade; indeed, bulbs and corms are, in this case, exclusive to monocot families. Further measurements of belowground plant traits in the field and laboratory are needed to fully understand the patterns and processes in Anatolian steppe ecosystems.
... Plant species display a range of structural, physiological and morphological adaptations to environmental gradients. Various authors proposed different categories of plant life forms (e.g., Du Rietz, 1931;Raunkiaer, 1934;Ellenberg & Mueller-Dombois, 1967). ...
The first comprehensive phytosociological classification of all vegetation types in Europe (EuroVegChecklist; Applied Vegetation Science, 2016, 19, 3-264) contained brief descriptions of each type. However, these descriptions were not standardized and mentioned only the most distinct features of each vegetation type. The practical application of the vegetation classification system could be enhanced if users had the option to select sets of vegetation types based on various combinations of structural, ecological, and biogeographical attributes. Based on a literature review and expert knowledge, we created a new database that assigns standardized categorical attributes of 12 variables to each of the 1106 alliances dominated by vascular plants defined in EuroVegChecklist. These variables include dominant life form, phenological This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Campanula L. is the largest genus of Campanulaceae family and comprises about 400 (as well as 110 species in Caucasus and 46 species in Azerbaijan flora) herbaceous perennial, sometimes annual and biennial monocarp species distributed in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Most of Campanula species are cosmopolitan. The species of this genus have long been used in the national economy, primarily as decorative plants, but also as pollinator, melliferous, food and medicinal plants. The genus Campanula L. yet does not have a modern taxonomic classification, although many species are of high horticultural value, and many are rare and endangered. The only monograph was published by A. de Candolle (1830). The final systematic composition of the genus was given in Flora of the Caucasus by M. E. Oganesian and V. V. Shvanova (2008). Representatives of this genus grows in various environmental conditions: forests, meadows, rocks and rarely in deserts and semi — deserts. Most of them are numerous and varied in high mountains, in the subalpine and alpine belts.
Steppe rangelands in the Naâma region have suffered continuous and accentuated degradation in recent years, reducing biological potential by causing a disturbance of the ecological and socio-economic order. This critical situation makes it necessary to opt for a new approach to compensate for water scarcity by using unconventional water resources such as the reuse of treated wastewater. Through this work, we try to study the impact of purified domestic wastewater from the Mécheria wastewater treatment plant (West Algeria) on the valorization of degraded rangelands that are downstream of this plant. The results obtained show the qualitative and quantitative contribution of purified water in steppe areas which results in a high specific richness and a significant production of plant material that can be used as fodder for livestock feeding. To take advantage of this, the farmers can practice alternative grazing by dividing the spreading area into sub-plots which will be irrigated and dried alternately, the herds range in the dry plots only. The second method consists of harvesting standing forage vegetation, and use in livestock feed after drying.
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