Search results for "VEGETATION"
showing 10 items of 1069 documents
Phytosociological survey vegetation map of Sicily (Mediterranean region)
2016
ABSTRACTWe present the results of a study aimed at developing a vegetation map of Sicily (Italy) including the smaller circum-Sicilian islands, for an area of approximately 25,703 km2. The work is a synthesis of studies carried out in accordance with the survey methodology of phytosociology in the last 40 years over the whole study area. The vegetation map of Sicily was compiled in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment, in order to produce a cartographic representation at a scale of 1:10,000 (reduced to a scale of 1:250,000). The physiognomic-structural characteristics of the plant landscape of Sicily are analyzed, providing a general and, at the same time, detailed overview …
Distribution, ecological role and symbioses of selected shrubby species in the Mediterranean Basin: a review
2020
Among the Mediterranean ecosystems, shrublands are a characteristic type of vegetation, widespread in different habitats. Owing to different factors such as the physiological, morphological, reproductive, phenological and regenerative properties, as well as the inter-intraspecific interactions, each shrubby species represents an important element within the plant community and plays a specific ecological role. In this review, attention was focused on the ecological functions and type of plant-microsymbiont interactions in respect of selected shrubby species within the Mediterranean Basin: Amelanchier ovalis, Astragalus nebrodensis, Crataegus laciniata, Lycium intricatum, Prunus spinosa and …
Classification of steppe vegetation in the eastern Pamir Alai and southwestern Tian-Shan Mountains (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan)
2018
Aims: To complete the syntaxonomical scheme for the steppe vegetation of the montane and alpine zones in the Pamir Alai and southwestern Tian-Shan Mountains in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with some remarks on its environmental predictors. Location: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Methods: A total of 274 relevés were sampled in 2016–2017 using the seven-degree cover-abundance scale of Braun-Blanquet. They were classified with modified TWINSPAN with cut-off levels of 0%, 5%, 10% and 25% and total inertia as a measure of cluster heterogeneity. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analys…
Dwarf shrub vegetation of rock ledges and clefts in the Pamir Alai Mountains (Middle Asia: Tajikistan)
2016
AbstractThe paper presents the results of phytosociological researches on rocky slope vegetation in Tajikistan with the aim to establish a comprehensive syntaxonomical classification system. Field studies were conducted in 2010-2014 in Pamir Alai ranges and Pamirian plateau. Nearly 500 relevés documenting rock and scree vegetation were made according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Numerical analyses of selected 58 relevés representing dwarf shrub vegetation on rock ledges made it possible to distinguish: Ephedro glaucae- Spiraeion baldschuanicae and Ephedrion regeliano-fedtschenkoi alliances, as well as Spiraeetum baldschuanicae, Rhamnetum coriaceae, Pentaphylloidetum parvifoliae and Pentaph…
Vegetation changes in boreo–nemoral forest stands depending on soil factors and past land use during an 80 year period of no human impact
2016
Information on the long-term changes in plant communities that occur without human interference is limited, due to insufficient studies where vegetation can be resurveyed. In 1912, a strict nature protection reserve, with non-intervention management, was established on Moricsala Island in Latvia, located in the boreo–nemoral forest zone. Prior to establishment of the nature reserve, part of the island area was used for agriculture. The island is now covered almost entirely by forest dominated by Quercus robur L. and Tilia cordata Mill. on sandy soils. Resurvey was conducted in 2011 in 17 plots in which tree layers and the understory vegetation had been described in 1930. The plots were cla…
Grazing decreases N partitioning among coexisting plant species
2017
Herbivores play a key role in shaping ecosystem structure and functions by influencing plant and microbial community composition and nutrient cycling. This study investigated the long‐term effects of herbivores on plant resource acquisition. We explored differences in the natural δ15N signatures in plant, microbial and soil N pools, and examined mycorrhizal colonization in two tundra sites that have been either lightly or heavily grazed by reindeer for more than 50 years. The study examined changes in nutrient acquisition in five common tundra plants with contrasting traits and mycorrhiza status; the mycorrhizal dwarf shrubs, Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum hermaphroditum; a m…
The drivers of soil microbial communities structure on forest stands along the altitudinal gradient in western carpathians
2020
Abstract This study examines the effect of the soil physicochemical properties and the vegetation diversity and composition on the soil microorganism community structure on the temperate forest stands along the altitudinal gradient. The studied stands were located at three altitudes (600, 900, and 1200 m a.s.l.) on five separate mountain slopes (treated as independent replicates) in the Western Carpathians Mountains (Poland). The soil physicochemical characteristics varied widely between the stands on these same altitude, and only the organic matter content, water-holding capacity and dissolved organic nitrogen differed significantly between the different altitudes, exhibited highest values…
Vegetation of Middle Asia – the project state of art after ten years of survey and future perspectives
2017
Middle Asia is one of the most diverse regions on earth with high endemism of vascular plants and remarkable habitat richness, mainly due to the considerable altitudinal range (300-7,500 m a.s.l.). The region is considered as one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots. This paper presents the Vegetation of Middle Asia database (VMA; GIVD ID: AS-00-003; http://www.givd.info/ID/AS-00-003) which is the regional database that covers the area of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The database contains phytosociological relevés collected between the years 2006 and 2016 in different vegetation types with the use of the Braun-Blanquet method. The covered vegetation types include: deciduous fore…
Impact of drainage and hydrological restoration on vegetation structure in boreal spruce swamp forests
2014
Drainage to increase timber production is a major cause of degradation of boreal peatlands in Europe. As a consequence of the forestry drainage, the area of pristine spruce swamp forests has declined drastically in northern Europe over the past century. In restoration by rewetting, drainage ditches are blocked to restore the pre-disturbance hydrological regime and, ultimately, the biodiversity values and ecosystem functions of pristine spruce swamp forests. In this study, we quantify vegetation recovery and examine mechanisms behind the changes in plant community composition. For this, we surveyed the understorey vegetation of 9 undrained, 9 drained and 18 rewetted spruce swamp forest sites…
The mechanistic basis of changes in community assembly in relation to anthropogenic disturbance and productivity
2016
Anthropogenic disturbance often causes changes in communities. However, the mechanistic basis of these changes remains elusive. As all patterns in community ecology can be understood as a result of four processes (speciation, selection, drift, and dispersal), the effect of disturbance should depend on how disturbance disrupt these processes. We studied the effects of disturbance and productivity on species richness, community composition, and community dispersion (i.e., variation in community composition) in the vegetation of 120 boreal peatlands using null-model approach to determine whether community assembly processes differ between pristine and disturbed sites. Sites represented three p…