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Numerical classification of ravine forests in Poland
Remigiusz Pielech*1), Jakub Baran2), Jan Bodziarczyk2), Stanisław Kucharzyk3), Marek Malicki1),
Michał Smoczyk, Zbigniew Wilczek4), Wojciech Zarzycki4)
1) Department of Botany, University of Wrocław, Poland; 2) Department of Forest Biodiversity, University of Agriculture, Kraków, Poland;
3) Bieszczady National Park, Poland; 4) Department of Ecology, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
*Corresponding author: remekpielech@gmail.com
1. Introduction
Communities of broad-leaved ravine forests are
spatially limited to specific habitat conditions, including
steep slopes with skeletal soil and unstable ground. Such
places have been mostly inaccessible, and in many regions
these ecosystems are the only remnants of unmanaged
forests with high biodiversity value. Thus, in the EU, ravine
forests are protected as a priority habitat (code 9180). In
spite of the great importance, ravine forests in Poland are
still insufficiently recognized and the syntaxonomical status
of distinguished units is not clear.
The aims of the presented study are i) to recognize the
complete distribution and diversity of ravine forests in
Poland, ii) to perform a numerical classification and iii) to
determine reliable sets of diagnostic species for each of the
distinguished units.
2. Materials and Methods
The study area covered mountain ranges in southern
Poland. We established a database that consisted of all
published relevés of ravine forests in the Polish mountains
(the Carpathians, the Sudetes and Polish Jura),
supplemented by relevés from our personal resources. The
samples were then georeferenced and projected onto a map
to detect areas that were insufficiently explored. In the
vegetation season of 2015, ca. 100 new plots were sampled
to fill the gaps in the distribution of the relevés. The whole
dataset include 942 relevés, most of which are unpublished
data (see fig. 1). All plots were geographically stratified using
a grid of 1.25 longitudinal × 0.75 latitudinal minutes and
resampled using a heterogeneity-constrained random
resampling method (the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index was
used as a measure of heterogeneity). Finally, the resampled
datased was 520 relevés.
Fig. 1. Distribution of 942 relevés of ravine forest in southern Poland, overlying the borders of
geographical regions.
To perform the preliminary classification, we used a
modified TWINSPAN algorithm and cluster analysis.
Ordination techniques were used to interpret the main
ecological gradients responsible for the identity of the
resulting clusters. Finally, statistical measures of fidelity
(phi coefficient) were used to determine sets of diagnostic
species.
3. Results
Aceri-Tilietum Faber 1936
Diagnostic species: Acer platanoides, Aegopodium podagraria, Alliaria petiolata, Campanula
persicifolia, C. rapunculoides, C. trachelium, Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus excelsior, Galium
aparine, Geum urbanum, Moehringia trinervia, Prunus avium, Quercus petraea, Tilia cordata, T.
platyphyllos, Vicia dumetorum; Constant species: Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus;
Dominant species: Acer pseudoplatanus.
Sorbo aucupariae-Aceretum Cel. et Wojt. 1978
Diagnostic species: Adenostyles alliariae, Athyrium distentifolium, Cicerbita alpina, Doronicum
austriacum, Dryopteris dilatata, Geranium sylvaticum, Ranunculus platanifolius, Ribes
petraeum, Rumex arifolius, Sorbus aucuparia, Streptopus amplexifolius, Veratrum lobelianum;
Constant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Oxalis acetosella, Rubus idaeus, Sorbus aucuparia;
Dominant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Sorbus aucuparia .
Arunco dioici-Aceretum pseudoplatani Moor 1952
(incl. Lunario-Aceretum Schlüter in Grüneberg et Schlüter 1957 and Mercuriali perennis-
Fraxinetum excelsioris (Klika 1942) Husová in Moravec et al. 1982)
Diagnostic species: Asarum europaeum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Hordelymus europaeus, Impatiens
noli-tangere, Lunaria rediviva, Mercurialis perennis, Mycelis muralis, Pulmonaria obscura,
Stellaria nemorum; Constant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Mercurialis perennis; Dominant
species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Lunaria rediviva.
Phyllitido-Aceretum Moor 1952
Diagnostic species: Abies alba, Actaea spicata, Corylus avellana, Cystopteris fragilis, Dentaria
bulbifera, D. glandulosa, Euonymus verrucosus, Lonicera xylosteum, Lunaria rediviva,
Mercurialis perennis, Phyllitis scolopendrium, Polystichum aculeatum, P. braunii, Ribes alpinum,
Tilia platyphyllos, Ulmus glabra,; Constant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Dryopteris filix-mas,
Fagus sylvatica, Galeobdolon luteum, Phyllitis scolopendrium; Dominant species: Acer
pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Lunaria rediviva, Phyllitis scolopendrium.
Calamagrostis varia-Acer pseudoplatanus community
Diagnostic species: Anthyllis alpestris, Asplenium viride, Calamagrostis varia, Carduus glaucus,
Carlina acaulis, Cirsium erisithales, Delphinium elatum, Digitalis grandiflora, Fragaria vesca,
Leucanthemum waldsteinii, Phyteuma orbiculare, P. spicatum, Picea abies, Polystichum
lonchitis, Ranunculus platanifolius, Salix silesiaca, Scabiosa lucida, Soldanella carpatica, Sorbus
aria, S. aucuparia, Swertia perennis; Constant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Cirsium erisithales,
Picea abies, Valeriana tripteris; Dominant species: Acer pseudoplatanus, Calamagrostis varia, C.
arundinacea, Picea abies.