Succession rates and patterns twelve years after land use abandonment in the estuary of the river aliakmon, n. greece

Abstract

-Vegetation succession is a key element for research studying biodiversity losses, effects of climatic change on ecosystems, invasive species and restoration of ecosystems in which human activities have shifted their natural or semi-natural vegetation. Surrogate variables like Pignatti's bioindicator values or dissimilarity indices can provide further insights regarding succession trajectories aggregating the combined effects of changes in the cover/abundance of taxa. The land-use abandonment in an area in the estuary of the River Aliakmon, N. Greece, provides an opportunity to study medium-term rates and patterns during the first twelve years of vegetation succession. Cluster and time-series analyses of turnover rates, Sørensen's dissimilarity index and Pignatti's bioindicator values revealed clear differences in succession patterns and rates among permanent plots. Succession rates and patterns in the study area were found to be dominated by two ecological factors. On the one hand, availability of fresh water, assumed by the proximity to the river, allows the fast growing Populus alba to develop a forest canopy that radically alters the shading environment which, in its turn, controls succession trajectories. Increased soil salinity on the other hand, allows salt-tolerant taxa to be quickly established, and defines the species inventory on these sites as early as the first years of succession.

Monitoring and Projecting Land Use/Land Cover Changes of Eleven Large Deltaic Areas in Greece from 1945 Onwards

“…During the last examined period , in most of the deltaic areas studied, the surface cover of agricultural land remained stable, decreased or, at least, did not increase with the same rates as those seen in the period from 1945 to 1975. The observed increased cover of natural LULC classes can be attributed to restoration projects that allowed the regrowth of natural ecosystems in deltaic areas [109] or, in some cases, due to extended salinization of areas that had been earlier delivered to agricultural exploitation following drainage projects. These fields were abandoned, and secondary vegetation succession drove LULC changes towards natural vegetation classes.…”

Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans

“…Previous studies have shown that above‐ground vegetation biomass may increase for ca 80 years before reaching an equilibrium (Bose, Schelhaas, Mazerolle, & Bongers, ). Thus, we consider that vegetation succession is an on‐going process in our study area, leading to an expected species richness increase in the future (Grashof‐Bokdam & Geertsema, ; Harmer, Peterken, Kerr, & Poulton, ; Rivera, Zimmerman, & Aide, ; Xystrakis et al., ).…”

Vegetation units of wetland and terrestrial habitats: the case study of Spercheios River and Maliakos Gulf (Sterea Ellas, Greece), a Natura 2000 Site

“…The habitat types and the related vegetation of the Natura 2000 site "Stena Kalamakiou" (GR 1440004) in the plain of Thessalian Pinios river were briefly described by Theodoropoulos et al (2006), whilst essential knowledge on land-use/vegetation cover relationships was given for the riparian areas of Nestos river (Zaimes et al 2011a). Few studies have also focused on the vegetation of some river deltas (Babalonas 1979, Georgiadis et al 1997, Economidou 1998, Karagiannakidou et al 2000, Korakis & Gerasimidis 2006, Xystrakis et al 2014.…”