Classification of mesic and wet grasslands in northwest Croatia

Stančić, Zvjezdana

doi:10.2478/s11756-008-0153-5

Cited by 19 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The presence of the species Cynodon dactylon indicates the more southern and warmer character of these stands compared to this type of vegetation in Central Europe. The position of Bromo‐Cynosuretum is unclear; according to (Stančić ) characteristic species have a broad ecological range and should be divided into a number of associations. In our analysis, these stands (together with some wet Arrhenatherion elatioris stands) are separated as a single cluster with a transitional position between Cluster 5 and 10 in the DCA diagram (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grassland vegetation of the Molinio‐Arrhenatheretea class in the NW Balkan Peninsula

Šilc

Aćić

Škvorc

et al. 2014

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions: How does the floristic composition of plant species of meadows and mesic pastures vary along a broad geographical gradient in the NW Balkans? How does the current phytosociological classification of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea vegetation differ among the NW Balkan countries? Location: NW Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia). Methods: 3635 relev es originally assigned to the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea were classified with a beta flexible method, and the crispness of classification was checked. DCA ordination with Pignatti indicator values and climate data were applied to show the influence of site conditions on species composition.Results: The classification was best interpreted at the level of 13 clusters, but could also be interpreted at the level of three groups of clusters. The first division was according to geography and climate: the first and third groups were concentrated in the NW part, while the second was restricted to the eastern part of the study area. The most important variable was site moisture, followed by nutrients and altitude, which corresponded with a west-east direction. The first group was very diverse and included communities on the wettest and most nutrientrich sites (Potentillion anserinae, Cynosurion cristati, Calthion palustris, Molinion caeruleae, Molinio-Hordeion). The second group comprised mesophilous continental grasslands (Trifolio-Ranunculion pedati, Trifolion pallidi, Trifolion resupinati), while the third group consisted of grasslands from regions with abundant precipitation (Arrhenatherion elatioris, Deschampsion cespitosae, Pancicion serbicae, Triseto flavescentis-Polygonion bistortae).Conclusions: Our analysis can be used to unify different phytosociological classifications in different countries, also showing the transitional forms of wellknown Central European vegetation types that have a different floristic composition and ecology in the Balkans. This knowledge will enable classification of the same vegetation types in neighbouring Balkan countries that are less studied.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…). Stančić () indicated that some of the relevés of Bromo‐Cynosuretum should be classified into Arrhenatherion elatioris and some into Deschamspion cespitosae .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grassland vegetation of the Molinio‐Arrhenatheretea class in the NW Balkan Peninsula

Šilc

Aćić

Škvorc

et al. 2014

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…), also from the Netherlands. Small former river meanders crossing the site have an even more flood‐tolerant species association, of the Calthion alliance, which resembles the Oenanthe silaifolia‐Alopecurus pratensis association of Stančić () from Central Europe. In 2003, four 150‐m long transects were set out across a slope topography, along each of which 11,1 m × 1 m quadrats were placed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Areas of the meadow subject to longer periods of inundation contain a less species-rich community, whose closest continental counterpart is the Sanguisorbo-Silaetum (Schaminée et al 1996), also from the Netherlands. Small former river meanders crossing the site have an even more flood-tolerant species association, of the Calthion alliance, which resembles the Oenanthe silaifolia-Alopecurus pratensis association of Stančić (2008) from Central Europe. In 2003, four 150-m long transects were set out across a slope topography, along each of which 11,1 m 9 1 m quadrats were placed.…”

Section: Field Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Does soil nitrogen availability mediate the response of grassland composition to water regime?

Araya

Gowing

Dise

2012

J Vegetation Science

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Questions How is the composition of wet meadow plant communities influenced by water regime? What controls soil nitrogen (N) availability along a gentle soil water regime gradient? Is vegetation response to subtle changes in soil water regime mediated by N availability? Location Cricklade, Wiltshire, southwest England. Methods A field survey of community composition and soil N availability was conducted along a gentle gradient of water table depth (mean water table depth between 25 and 70 cm) at a species‐rich hay meadow in southwest England. This study was complemented by a controlled mescosm study undertaken at water table depths between 5 and 45 cm, and a controlled laboratory N mineralization study with water tension varying between 0 and 100 cm (0–10 kPa), the latter augmented with a microbial community study. Results The field, mesocosm and laboratory studies showed that the soil N mineralization rate and N availability responded to water regime. In particular, the N mineralization rate strongly declined when the soil air‐filled pore space dropped below 10% of total soil volume. In the field, plant cover distribution (individual species as well as functional groups) correlated with increase in soil water table depth (r = −0.86 and r = 0.89 for graminoids and forbs, respectively) and soil N availability (r = 0.77 and r = −0.85, respectively). A switch in dominance between forbs and graminoids occurred at a mean water table depth of 55 cm and mean soil inorganic N of 20 mg·kg−1). Study of the soil microbial community composition in the mesocosms, using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) signatures, showed that microbial community composition was also significantly influenced by soil water status. Conclusions We show that soil moisture content and soil aeration control the availability of N, a limiting nutrient, in species‐rich wet meadows. The mechanism is linked to changes in suitability of the soil water regime for microbially mediated N mineralization. Maintaining the water regime is therefore critical because adjustment of the hydrological niche also conditions species' responses along the N availability gradient. This could subsequently prove a useful tool for conservation managers trying to sustain a target vegetation type.

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“…Abandoned grasslands are subject changes in their floristic composition, ecology and syntaxonomy (Meshinev et al 2000, Jantunen 2003, Stránská 2004, Velev & Apostolova 2008, Ruprecht et al 2009, Rusina & Kiehl 2010, Házi et al 2011, Priede 2011. When such changes occur in vegetation, some grassland types may locally disappear (Stančić 2008, Hegedüšová & Senko 2011. These changes in the vegetation are also reflected in other components of biodiversity, such as insects (Söderström et al 2001, Wiezik et al 2011, Šumpich & Konvička 2012, birds (Nikolov 2010), etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management Regimes within Syntaxa of Semi-Natural Grasslands in West Bulgaria

Velev

Vassilev

2014

Hacquetia

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This study focuses on mesic and xeric grasslands of mostly secondary origin, and that are influenced by human activity. Mesic grasslands are traditionally used for hay-making, and xeric ones for pastures. Over the last 20 years, livestock farming in Bulgaria has significantly declined so that less grass is needed. Many types of grasslands are no longer used and lots of abandoned fields can be found nowadays in Bulgaria. The analyses in this study are based on 868 relevés collected on xeric and mesic grasslands according to the methodological approach of BraunBlanquet. As a result, five alliances within two classes are recognized: the class Festuco-Brometea, represented by three alliances, namely Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati, Chrysopogono-Danthonion calycinae and Festucion valesiacae, and the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, represented by two alliances, namely Arrhenatherion elatioris and Cynosurion cristati. The majority of the managed grasslands are situated in close proximity to settlements. Most of the abandoned areas (30%) are found within Cirsio-Brachypodion alliance. These grasslands are characterized by the highest values of total cover of vegetation. They are located in the most distant and least accessible areas. If use is not resumed, all the abandoned grasslands will be under threat of extinction in the near future. At the same time, many arable lands have been abandoned and turned into grasslands by the processes of secondary succession. Keywords: classification, grazing, mowing, ordination, species diversity, syntaxonomy, vegetation. IzvlečekV raziskavi smo se osredotočili na mezična in kserična travišča večinoma sekundarnega nastanka, ki so pod vplivom človekovih aktivnosti. Mezična travišča se tradicionalno uporabljajo za seno, kserična pa kot pašniki. V Bolgariji je živinoreja v zadnjih 20 letih močno upadla in je potreba po krmi manjša. S številnimi tipi travišč ne gospodarijo več in danes je v Bolgariji moč najti številne opuščene površine. V analizi smo zbrali 868 vegetacijskih popisov kseričnih in mezičnih travišč, narejenih z Braun-Blanquetovo metodo. Uvrstili smo jih v pet zvez in dva razreda: razred Festuco-Brometea, ki ga predstavljajo tri zveze Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati, Chrysopogono-Danthonion calycinae in Festucion valesiacae in razred Molinio-Arrhenatheretea z dvema zvezama Arrhenatherion elatioris in Cynosurion cristati. Večina vzdrževanih travišč se nahaja v bližini naselij. Večino opuščenih površin (30%) uvrščamo v zvezo Cirsio-Brachypodion in za te travnike je značilno, da imajo največjo skupno pokrovno vrednost in se nahajajo v najbolj oddaljenih, težko dostopnih območjih. Če jih ne bomo ponovno začeli uporabljati, bodo v bližnji prihodnosti izginili. Obenem se opuščajo tudi številne obdelovalne površine, ki se spreminjajo v travnike v procesu sekundarne sukcesije.

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Classification of mesic and wet grasslands in northwest Croatia

Cited by 19 publications

References 22 publications

Grassland vegetation of the Molinio‐Arrhenatheretea class in the NW Balkan Peninsula

Grassland vegetation of the Molinio‐Arrhenatheretea class in the NW Balkan Peninsula

Does soil nitrogen availability mediate the response of grassland composition to water regime?

Management Regimes within Syntaxa of Semi-Natural Grasslands in West Bulgaria

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