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Vegetation Classification and Survey
Number of Followers: 0  Open Access journalISSN (Online) 2683-0671 Published by Pensoft  [58 journals]
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- Proposal (39) to conserve the name Koelerietalia splendentis Horvatić
1973 as a nomen conservandum
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 165-167
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.127873
Authors : Jürgen Dengler, Kiril Vassilev, Erwin Bergmeier : After a nomenclatural revision of the available names for the order of rocky grasslands of the Balkan Peninsula within the class Festuco-Brometea, based on Article 52 ICPN we propose the conservation of the name Koelerietalia splendentis against the name Halacsyetalia sendtneri. In syntaxonomic concepts not combining the limestone and serpentine rocky grasslands of the Balkans in a single order, the latter name would still be available as it is based on a different nomenclatural type. (39) Koelerietalia splendentis Horvatić 1973 nom. cons. propos. Typus: Chrysopogono grylli-Koelerion splendentis Horvatić 1973 (holotypus) (=) Halacsyetalia sendtneri Ritter-Studnička 1970 Typus: Potentillion visianii Ritter-Studnička 1970 (lectotypus: Kuzmanović et al. 2016) Taxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature, 4th edition (Theurillat et al. 2021). HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Mon, 5 Aug 2024 13:48:59 +0300
- A coupled cartographic approach between bioclimatology and vegetation
formations of Mexico
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 153-164
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.120442
Authors : Fernando Gopar-Merino, Alejandro Velazquez, Alejandro González-Pérez, Sara del Río, Jean F. Mas, Ángel Penas : Aims: The task of classifying and naming Mexican vegetation types has been undertaken by previous botanists, ecologists, and mapping agencies. However, discrepancies remain due to the lack of criteria and joint efforts from a geographical and botanical perspective. We aim to unravel the complex interactions between climate and vegetation in Mexico using climatic data and advanced mapping techniques, display in maps the transition from land cover to vegetation maps and couple geobotanical and bioclimatological approaches to provide a sound, unified system for identifying Mexican bioclimatic physiognomic patterns. Methods: Bioclimatic mapping was developed from the Digital Climatic Atlas of Mexico data source. In addition, land cover and vegetation data were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico regrouped as described by the Standardized Hierarchical Vegetation Classification. These data were analysed via standard map crossing technics using geographic information systems. Results and conclusions: The results revealed five ombrotypes and five thermotypes, leading to the identification of 13 different bioclimatic classes, which, when combined with physiognomic types, led us to recognize 11 forests, 3 shrublands and 3 herbaceous formations (at a scale of 1:4,000,000). The core outcome is a detailed bioclimatic/physiognomic vegetation map including forests, shrublands and areas dominated by Herbaceous/Non-Vascular formations. The map highlights the critical importance of harmonising methodologies to ensure comprehensive and accurate insights into Mexico’s bioclimatic diversity. Taxonomic reference: Villaseñor et al. (2005). Syntaxonomic reference: Velázquez et al. (2021). Abbreviations: INEGI = Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía; SECLAVEMEX = Standardized Hierarchical Vegetation Classification; WBCS = Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Wed, 3 Jul 2024 20:56:57 +0300
- Potential distribution of major plant units under climate change scenarios
along an aridity gradient in Namibia
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 127-151
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.99050
Authors : Leena Naftal, Vera De Cauwer, Ben J. Strohbach : Objectives: Climate change is expected to have major impacts on plant species distribution worldwide. These changes can affect plant species in three ways: the timing of seasonal activities (phenology), physiology and distribution. This study aims to predict the effect of shifting climatic conditions on the major vegetation units along an aridity gradient through Namibia. Study area: Namibia’s vegetation is characterised by open woodland in the northeast to low open shrubland in the southern part of the country. These differences are a result of increasing aridity from north to south with a rainfall gradient from 100 mm to 600 mm. Namibia is projected to have an increase in annual mean temperature of 2°C by the end of the 21st century. Methods: A vegetation classification was done for 1,986 relevés using cluster analysis, a Multi-Response Permutation Procedure and indicator species analysis. The current distribution of the vegetation classes was modelled with Random Forest. Future projections for the most important climate variables were used to model the potential distribution of the vegetation units in 2080. This modelling approach used two scenarios of Representative Concentration Pathways (4.5 and 8.5) from two Global Climate Models – the IPSL–CM5A–LR and HAdGEM2–ES. Results: The predicted distribution shows a high expansion potential of Eragrostis rigidior-Peltophorum africanum mesic thornbush savannas, Combretum africanum-Terminalia sericea broad-leafed savannas and Senegalia mellifera-Dichrostachys cinerea degraded thornbush savannas towards the south under both scenarios. Conclusions: The model indicated the ability to classify and predict vegetation units to future climatic conditions. Half of the vegetation units are expected to undergo significant contraction. Overall, RCP8.5 conditions favour the proliferation of certain vegetation types, particularly Combretum collinum-Terminalia sericea broad-leafed savannas and Senegalia mellifera-Dichrostachys cinerea degraded thornbush savannas, potentially displacing other vegetation types. Taxonomic reference: Klaassen and Kwembeya (2013) for vascular plants, except Kyalangalilwa et al. (2013) for the genera Senegalia and Vachellia s.l. (Fabaceae). Abbreviations: CDM = Community Distribution Model; CMIP5 = Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5; EVI = Enhanced Vegetation Index; GCM = General Circulation Model; IV = Indicator Value; ISA = Indicator Species Analysis; MAP = mean annual precipitation; MAT = mean annual temperature; MRPP = Multi-Response Permutation Procedure; NMS = Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling; RF = Random Forest; RCPs = Representative Concentration Pathways; SDM = species distribution model. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:54:17 +030
- The Pistacietea verae: a new class of open, deciduous woodlands in Middle
and Southwestern Asia
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 109-126
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.104841
Authors : Arkadiusz Nowak, Sebastian Świerszcz, Alireza Naqinezhad, Sylwia Nowak, Marcin Nobis : Aims: To analyse the syntaxonomy of open, deciduous woodlands at the southern margin of the steppe zone in the colline and montane belts of the Pamir-Alai, western Tian Shan and Iranian Mountains (Irano-Turanian region). Study area: Tajikistan (Middle Asia) and Iran (Southwestern Asia). Methods: We prepared two datasets: the first dataset contained 110 relevés from Tajikistan and Iran representing pistachio groves, the second one was a comparative dataset of 1,276 relevés of pistachio groves and floristically related woody and grassland phytocoenoses from the Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean regions. These two datasets were classified separately with the modified TWINSPAN algorithm with pseudospecies cut levels 0%, 2%, 10% and 25%, and total inertia as a measure of cluster heterogeneity. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. A NMDS ordination was used to explore the relationships between the distinguished groups. Results: We found that Pistacia open woodlands are very distinctive in terms of species composition, including numerous endemics. Our observations in Pamir-Alai, Kopet-Dagh, Zagros, Alborz and other Central and southern mountains of Iran proved that pistachio open woodlands form distinct zonal vegetation of the colline-montane belt. We thus propose a new class Pistacietea verae, with the order Pistacietalia verae and appropriate type alliance Pistacion verae, including two associations: Pistacietum verae and Pistacietum khinjuk. Conclusions: Our research has shown that the Pistacia open woodlands are a distinct vegetation typical of the Irano-Turanian region and due to its specific ecology, phytogeography and unique species composition, should be regarded as a vegetation class Pistacietea verae. It needs further examination and comparison with similar vegetation in the western Irano-Turanian and Hindu Kush regions. Recognizing the unique pistachio open woodlands as a distinct vegetation class in the Irano-Turanian region is crucial for establishing effective conservation strategies in these understudied yet ecologically significant ecosystems, spanning potentially from the Zagros, Alborz and other Central and southern Mountains of Iran to Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. Taxonomic reference: Plants of the World Online (POWO 2023), with World Flora Online (WFO 2023) for some problematic cases and Nobis et al. (2020) for Stipa spp. Syntaxonomic references: Mucina et al. (2016) for SE European syntaxa, Nowak et al. (2022a, 2022b) for all other syntaxa. Abbreviations: NMDS = Non-metric multidimensional scaling. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:30:34 +030
- Habitat characterization and mapping on the western slopes of Mount Hermon
in Lebanon
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 85-107
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.106377
Authors : Hicham El Zein, Lamis Chalak, Safaa Baydoun, Carla Khater, Dominique Choueiter, Maher McKenna : Aims: Lebanon is renowned in the Levant for its distinctive vegetation types with some biodiversity hostposts as Mount Hermon, with rare and endangered endemic plant species. We aim to present the ecological characteristics and spatial distribution of habitat types present on its western slopes through the analysis of plant communities. Study area: Mount Hermon, Lebanon. Methods: We surveyed 169 plots, each spanning an area of 314 m², from 2020 to 2023, in the district of Rashaya, calculated compositional dissimilarity using the Bray–Curtis index, conducted hierarchical clustering analysis using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA), applied the Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) method to investigate the relationship between species frequency per site and environmental parameters, and identified significant diagnostic species for each group. Results: We recorded 383 taxa, including 27 narrow endemics. Ten habitat types are described; three at the oro-Mediterranean level: hedgehog-heaths of Astragalus echinus and Noaea mucronata, hedgehog-heaths of Tanacetum densum and Astragalus cruentiflorus, cliffs of Rosularia sempervivum subsp. libanotica; three at the supra-Mediterranean level: grasslands with Eryngium glomeratum, woodlands of Quercus infectoria, Q. coccifera and Crataegus azarolus, evergreen woodlands of Q. coccifera; four at the montane level: scree deciduous woodlands of Prunus korshinskyi and Lonicera nummulariifolia, woodlands of deciduous P. korshinskyi and evergreen Q. coccifera, shrublands of Astragalus gummifer, and deciduous woodlands of Quercus look and Acer monspessulanum subsp. microphyllum. Four environmental variables exhibited significant influences in shaping vegetation composition: elevation, mean annual temperature, slope and northness. Conclusions: Five habitats are novelties proposed as sub-types for the national typology. Floristic affinities with Mount Barouk are highlighted. The nature reserve on the western slopes of Mount Hermon encompasses the majority of the identified habitats. The insights from this study and the habitat map are useful for the development of a management plan and conservation measures. Taxonomic reference: International Plant Names Index (IPNI 2023). Abbreviations: EUNIS = European Nature Information System; NMDS = nonmetric multidimensional scaling; UPGMA = unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean; WGS84 = World Geodetic System, 1984. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 7 Jun 2024 11:35:24 +0300
- Nordic-Baltic Grassland Vegetation Database (NBGVD) – current state
and future prospects
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 75-84
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.119968
Authors : Nadiia Skobel, Łukasz Kozub, Iwona Dembicz, Steffen Boch, Hans Henrik Bruun, Olha Chusova, Valentin Golub, Aveliina Helm, Dmytro Iakushenko, Paweł Pawlikowski, Piotr Zaniewski, Jürgen Dengler : This Long Database Report describes the historical background and current contents of the Nordic-Baltic Grassland Vegetation Database (NBGVD) (GIVD-code EU-00-002). NBGVD is the EDGG-associated collaborative vegetation-plot database that collects vegetation-plot data of grasslands and other open habitats (except segetal and deep aquatic vegetation) from the Nordic-Baltic region excluding Germany, namely Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, N Poland, NW Russia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Sweden. Target vegetation types are lowland grasslands and heathlands, arctic-alpine communities, coastal communities, non-forested mires and other wetlands, rocky, tall-herb and ruderal communities. As of March 2024, it included 12,694 relevés recorded between 1910 and 2023. These were mainly digitised from literature sources (84%), while the remainder comes from individual unpublished sources (16%). The data quality is high, with bryophytes and lichens being treated in more than 80% of all plots and measured environmental variables such as topography and soil characteristics often available in standardised form. A peculiarity of the Nordic-Baltic region are the relatively small plot sizes compared to other regions (median: 4 m2). The available data stem from 35 vegetation classes, with Koelerio-Corynephoretea, Festuco-Brometea, Sedo-Scleranthetea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Scheuchzerio-Caricetea being most frequent. We conclude that NBGVD provides valuable data, allowing interesting analyses at the regional scale and fills gaps in continental to global analyses. Still, since there are many more data around, we ask interested readers to contribute their own data or help find and digitise old data from the literature. Taxonomic reference: TURBOVEG species list “Europe”. Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: EDGG = Eurasian Dry Grassland Group, EVA = European Vegetation Archive, GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases, NBGVD = Nordic-Baltic Grassland Vegetation Database HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 23 May 2024 07:50:02 +030
- Dry grasslands and thorn-cushion communities of Armenia: a first
syntaxonomic classification
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 39-73
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.119253
Authors : Denys Vynokurov, Alla Aleksanyan, Thomas Becker, Idoia Biurrun, Dariia Borovyk, George Fayvush, Itziar García-Mijangos, Martin Magnes, Salza Palpurina, Ute Becker, Asun Berastegi, Beata Cykowska-Marzencka, Iwona Dembicz, Dieter Frank, Andreas Hilpold, Philipp Kirschner, Helmut Mayrhofer, Marine Oganesian, Iuliia Vasheniak, Jürgen Dengler : Aim: To provide the first syntaxonomic, plot-based classification of the dry grasslands and thorn-cushion communities in Armenia. Study area: Armenia. Methods: We sampled 111 vegetation plots (10 m2) and recorded environmental and structural parameters. We collected additional 487 relevés from surrounding countries for a broad-scale comparison. We used modified TWINSPAN to derive a syntaxonomic classification system, whose units were then compared among each other regarding species composition, structure, site conditions and distribution. Results: The classification of Armenian vegetation plots resulted in a 12-cluster solution. Unsupervised classification of the broad-scale dataset yielded five main groups, which were used for the high-level syntaxonomic assignments of the Armenian data. We assigned about half of the plots of the Armenian dataset to the Festuco-Brometea, while the remaining represented a potential new class, preliminarily called “Ziziphora tenuior-Stipa arabica grasslands”. Most of the syntaxa below class level are new to science, therefore we provide formal descriptions of three orders (Plantagini atratae-Bromopsietalia variegatae, Onobrychido transcaucasicae-Stipetalia pulcherrimae, Cousinio brachypterae-Stipetalia arabicae), four alliances (Acantholimono caryophyllacei-Stipion holosericeae, Artemision fragrantis, Onobrychido michauxii-Stipion capillatae, Onobrychido transcaucasicae-Stipion pulcherrimae) and six associations. We found significant differences in the topographic, climatic and soil characteristics, and structural parameters, species life forms and distribution range types between the grassland types at different syntaxonomic levels. The mean species richness was 47.3 (vascular plants: 46.8, bryophytes: 0.4, lichens: 0.1). Conclusions: We found remarkable differences of the Armenian dry grasslands from the previously known units and described most of the higher syntaxa and all the associations as new to science. Our study provides arguments for a potential new class of Ziziphora tenuior-Stipa arabica grasslands separate both from the Euro-Siberian Festuco-Brometea and the Anatolian Astragalo-Brometea. Finally, we found plot scale richness of vascular plants clearly above the Palaearctic average of dry grasslands and that of non-vascular plants clearly below, which calls for further biodiversity analyses. Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med (2023) for vascular plants, Hodgetts et al. (2020) for bryophytes, Nimis et al. (2018) for lichens except for Xanthoparmelia camtschadalis (Ach.) Hale. Abbreviations: EDGG = Eurasian Dry Grassland Group; DCA = detrended correspondence analysis; ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al. 2021); TWINSPAN = two-way indicator species analysis. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 9 May 2024 14:51:24 +0300
- Nomenclatural revision of the syntaxa of European coastal dune vegetation
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 27-37
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.108560
Authors : Corrado Marcenò, Jiří Danihelka, Tetiana Dziuba, Wolfgang Willner, Milan Chytrý : This manuscript provides a review of the phytosociological nomenclature of the European syntaxa included in the classes Ammophiletea arundinaceae, Honckenyo peploidis-Elymetea arenarii, and Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis. The nomenclature has been refined and updated following the 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). In the Appendix, we submit two proposals (37, 38) to conserve the names Ammophilion arundinaceae Braun-Blanquet 1933 and Medicagini marinae-Ammophiletum arundinaceae Braun-Blanquet 1933. Taxonomic reference: see references in the main text. Syntaxonomic reference: see references in the main text. Abbreviations: EVCC = European Vegetation Classification Committee; ICPN = 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al. 2021). HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 15 Mar 2024 11:03:21 +020
- How to classify forests' A case study from Central Europe
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 17-26
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.117703
Authors : Wolfgang Willner : Aims: Inconsistent treatment of the vegetation layers is one of the main problems in the floristic classification of forests. In this study I investigate whether a classification based solely on woody species leads to units similar to the Braun-Blanquet system or to something completely different. Study area: Austria (Central Europe) and adjacent regions. Methods: 23,681 forest relevés from the Austrian Vegetation Database were classified using TWINSPAN. Spruce and pine plantations and stands with a cover of non-native woody species > 5% were excluded from the dataset. Only native tree and shrub species were used in the classification while herbs, dwarf shrubs, cryptogams and all records of woody species in the herb layer were omitted. Results: The TWINSPAN classification revealed elevation (i.e., climate) as the main floristic gradient in the data set. Within lowland communities, soil moisture was the dominant factor. The higher units of the Braun-Blanquet system were mostly well reproduced. Conclusions: The higher levels of the phytosociological forest classification (class, order, partly also alliance) can basically be defined by taking only the shrub and tree layer into account. However, all past and current classifications suffer from arbitrary exceptions to this rule. This leads to many inconsistencies and blurs the main biogeographical patterns within European forests. Here I argue that using the tree and shrub species for defining the higher levels and the understorey species for defining the lower ones is best suited to meet the properties that users would expect from a good forest classification. Taxonomic reference: Fischer et al. (2008). Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016) if not stated otherwise. Abbreviations: EVC = EuroVegChecklist (Mucina et al. 2016). HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 1 Mar 2024 09:13:15 +0200
- Proposal (36) to conserve the name Philonotidion seriatae Hinterlang 1992
for the species-poor, bryophyte-dominated, non-calcareous arctic-alpine
spring vegetation of Europe
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 11-15
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.103154
Authors : Michal Hájek, Tomáš Peterka, Petra Hájková, Dirk Hinterlang, Harald Zechmeister, Milan Chytrý : According to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature, a younger name of a syntaxon may be conserved against its older name to improve the stability of the nomenclature and avoid misunderstandings in scientific communication. Here, we propose conserving the name Philonotidion seriatae Hinterlang 1992 for arctic-alpine, bryophyte-dominated, non-calcareous spring vegetation against the names Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1925, Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1926, and Montion Maas 1959. In current vegetation classification systems, the two name-giving taxa of Cardamino-Montion no longer indicate the character of the vegetation corresponding to the nomenclatural type of this alliance and are instead characteristic of other currently distinguished alliances. Maintaining the oldest name Cardamino-Montion in strict adherence to the Code would be a source of errors. In the current vegetation classification systems, two similar but counter-intuitive names would then have to be used: Cardamino-Montion for arctic-alpine springs (although the name-giving taxa are more indicative of montane springs) and Epilobio nutantis-Montion for montane springs (although the name-giving taxon Epilobium nutans is indicative of arctic-alpine vegetation). Hence, there is a risk that the name Cardamino-Montion may gradually become ambiguous. We also propose conserving the name Philonotidion seriatae against Mniobryo-Epilobion hornemannii Nordhagen 1943 to prevent confusion in case of a merger of these alliances. (36) Philonotidion seriatae Hinterlang 1992 Typus: Cratoneuro-Philonotidetum Geissler 1976 (holotypus) (=) Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1925 Typus: Bryetum schleicheri Braun-Blanquet 1925 [≡ Montio fontanae-Bryetum schleicheri Braun-Blanquet 1925 nom. corr. et invers. (alternative name)] (holotypus) (=) Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1926 nom. superfl. [≡ Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1925] (=) Mniobryo-Epilobion hornemannii Nordhagen 1943 Typus: Mniobryo-Epilobietum hornemannii Nordhagen 1943 (lectotypus selected by Zechmeister & Mucina 1994) (=) Montion Maas 1959 nom. superfl. [≡ Cardamino-Montion Braun-Blanquet 1925] Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med PlantBase (http://europlusmed.org; accessed 4 January 2024) HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 1 Mar 2024 08:47:59 +0200
- Vegetation Classification and Survey is performing well
Abstract: Vegetation Classification and Survey 5: 1-10
DOI : 10.3897/VCS.118454
Authors : Jürgen Dengler, Idoia Biurrun, Florian Jansen, Wolfgang Willner : On the occasion of the completion of the fourth volume of Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS), we have analysed the performance of the journal since its inception. The number of papers and pages show a moderate increase over the years. VCS has been included in the Scopus database for more than a year and received its first CiteScore of 2.0 in summer 2023 but is not yet included in the Web of Science Core Edition. We therefore used data from the Scopus database to compare the citation impact of articles in VCS with that of 29 other ecological journals. By calculating normalized citation rates per journal and publication year, we found that VCS started at the bottom of the rankings in the first two years (28th out of 30) but improved to 26th in 2022 and 14th in 2023. Together with the known time lag and the strong positive relationships between the different citation metrics, this allows a projection of the future development of the CiteScores and, after inclusion in the Web of Science, the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). Using the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) from the Scopus database, we identified the top 12 out of 95 VCS articles published in the first four years that received more citations than expected for their age and field. We also present the four Editors’ Choice papers of 2023, among which Strohbach and Strohbach (2023; Vegetation Classification and Survey 4: 241–284) received the Editors’ Award in 2023. We conclude that VCS is on the right track, supported by the fact that in 2024 most authors will still be charged no or very low article processing charges (APCs). Abbreviations: APC = article processing charge; IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science; JIF = Journal Impact Factor; OA = open access; VCS = Vegetation Classification and Survey; WoS = Web of Science Core Edition. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:00:03 +020
