Floristic diversity in the Pannonian Plain is the result of mosaic habitat composition, characterized by steppes, saline meadows, and lowland forests along major rivers. In the last few centuries, the flora has become enriched by species introduced by human activities, such as colonization and industrialization. Presently it consists of nearly 1800 species. As a result of 30 years of field research as well as herbarium and literature searches, a list of invasive alien neophytes has been compiled and is presented here. The list includes 152 species, classified as either naturalized, casual, or unknown. One of the species is listed in Red Book of Serbian Flora. Eighty species are naturalized, and 61 are casual species. The majority of the introduced flora originates from North America (66) and the Old World (43). Most alien invasive species of the Southeastern part of the Pannonian Plain, were introduced accidentally by seed material or deliberately by nursery saplings. The annual and perennial herbaceous plants, which flower in the summer and summer-autumn periods, are represented in the greatest numbers. The alien flora was further analyzed with respect to taxonomy, life forms, pollination, and seed dispersal mode. The greatest number of alien species appears in anthropogenic and semi-natural habitats (59). In natural habitats, 45 invasive taxa were recorded, representing a conservation threat to biodiversity.
Methods for assessing the hydrology and morphology of lakes (‘hydromorphology’) are needed for reporting under national and international legislation, as well as to assist in lake management and restoration. Despite this, no consistent approaches have been developed around Europe for monitoring lake hydromorphology. To address this need, representatives from 12 countries met at a series of workshops to develop two protocols for monitoring, published under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). The first standard (EN 16039) describes six categories for assessing lake hydromorphology: hydraulics, morphometry, bedforms/landforms and substrate, connectivity and continuity, and land cover. The second standard (EN 16870) sets out a scoring system for assessing the degree of modification of lake hydromorphology, which was designed, tested and refined using data from 127 lakes in seven European countries. The CEN standards focus on four lake zones—riparian, shore, littoral, and open water—but recognize the importance of considering lakes within their wider catchment context. The field techniques described are based largely on Lake Habitat Survey but also rely on existing databases, maps and remote‐sensing data. These standards are aimed at scientists, conservation bodies and environmental regulators, and are relevant not only for monitoring lakes under the Water Framework Directive, but also for contributing to programmes of lake conservation. For example, in the UK, parts of the CEN standards have been incorporated within the methods used for monitoring and reporting on the condition of Special Areas of Conservation (under the Habitats Directive) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest under national legislation. It is hoped that this pan‐European approach will improve the ability to compare data across many countries, and ultimately ensure that the results of monitoring are translated into measures for improving the hydromorphological condition of lakes and the biological communities they contain.
ABSTRACT1. The aim of this study was to describe a botanical classification for lakes in Serbia based on vegetation assemblage, basic water quality parameters and geographic region.2. Between 2008 and 2010 records from more than 1000 relevés were collated into one dataset. All relevés were derived from synoptic syntaxon tables .3. In order to fill geographical and methodological gaps in the database, additional field research was carried out during 2008, 2009 and 2010 at 18 new locations, producing a final total of 98 sites, 748 relevés and approximately 22,500 floristic records.4. Cluster analysis using TWINSPAN (Two-Way INdicator SPecies ANalysis) revealed two main lake vegetation types (LVT1 and LVT2). LVT1 is characterized by typically species-rich, eutrophic sites with Ceratophyllum demersum dominant, followed by Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, Lemna minor, Salvinia natans as constants, while LVT2 comprises species-poor, meso-eutrophic sites with Myriophyllum spicatum constant. These two main lake vegetation types are further divided into four sub-types (LVT1a, LVT1b, LVT2a, LVT2b), and seven site groups.5. Instead of predicting the vegetation lake groups using predefined physico-chemical categories, the reverse approach has been applied. Altitude and BOD/COD values (as proxies of trophic status) verified the TWINSPAN-derived classification based on lake vegetation.6. Brief reviews are given to describe national conservation strategy. The results from this study illustrate their value in amplifying descriptions of sites already recognized as important nationally and internationally. In addition, Groups 5 and 6 are considered a potential conservation resource, with six site-targets in particular, representing specific oases for many aquatic species whose natural habitats are endangered by human activity or natural succession.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.