Ecological groups of vascular plant species in the herb layer of the pine forests of Northern and Central Europe

Roo-Zielińska, Ewa

Download

Title: Ecological groups of vascular plant species in the herb layer of the pine forests of Northern and Central Europe

Abstract:

The species of vascular plants of the herb layer, were studied on ten forest sites representing pine forests of the alliance Dicrano-Pinion. These sites are located along the N-S transect in Northern and Central Europe, between 50°28' and 70°09' N - in Norway (NO1), Finland (FN1, FN2, FN3), Estonia (ES1), Latvia (LT1), Lithuania (LI1), and Poland (PL1, PL2, PL3). The relation was determined between the geographical location of these forests and the proportion in total species number and cover of the plants in the herb layer with known ecological, habitat and climatic requirements for light (L) and temperature (T) and soil requirements for moisture (F), acidity (R), and content of nitrogen (N). The indication method was applied using the species scale of Ellenberg et al. (1991), indicating the climatic and habitat requirements of the plant species on the basis of the values of the L, T, F, R and N in the macroclimatic gradient. The species which behave in a similar manner with respect to the habitat factors mentioned were clustered into the indicator species groups. The distinct directional changes of the share of these groups along the North-South transect were observed: 1) gradual appearance of the species characteristic for the moderately warm areas; 2) decrease of the share of the hygrophilous and acidophilous species.

References:

Breymeyer A. 2003 - Pine ecosystem response to warning along North-South climatic transet in Europe: presentation of research project. - Pol. J. Ecol. 51,4:403-411.
Degórski M. 1984 - Porównanie stopnia kontynentalizmu w Polsce okreslanego metodami klimatologiczną i bioindykacyjną [Comparison of the degree of continentalism in Poland determined with the climatological and bioindication methods] - Przegląd Geograficzny, 56, 3-4, pp. 55-73 (in Polish).
Degórski M. 2003 - Morpholithological genesis and soil properties of the pine forest ecosystems in relation to the pine forest ecosystems in relation to the North-South transect in Europe. - Pol. J. Ecol. 51: 441-459.
Ellenberg H. 1974 - Zeigerwerte der Gefasspflanzen Mitteleuropas, - Scr. Geobot. 9:982. Gottingen.
Ellenberg H., Weber H. E., Dull R., Wirth V., Werner W., Paulissen D. 1991 - Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen in Mitteleuropa - Scripta Geobotanica, 18, Gottingen.
Lindacher R. (Ed.) 1995 - Phanart Datenbank der Gefasspflanzen Mitteleuropas. Erklarung der Kennzahlen, Aufbau und Inhalt [Phanart Database of Central European Vascular Plants. Explanation of Codes, Structure and Contents] - Veroffentlichungen Geobotanischen Instituts der ETH Stiftung Rubel, 125, Zurich.
Roo-Zielińska E. 1993 - The current state and changes in the meadow flora in the Nida valley, southern Poland. - Fragm. Flor.Geobot. 38(2), pp. 581-592.
Roo-Zielińska E. 2002 - Stopień kontynentalizmu borów sosnowych wyrażony zmiennością kompozycji gatunkowej runa wzdłuż transektu równoleżnikowego Chrisdorf (Niemcy wschodnie) - Uzlogi (Białoruś wschodnia) [The degree of continentalism of the pine forests expressed through the variability of the herb layer species composition along the parallel transect Chrisdorf (eastern Germany) - Uzlogi (eastern Belarus')] - Przegląd Geograficzny 74, 4, pp. 569-591 (in Polish).
Roo-Zielińska E., Solon J. 1998 - Charakterystyka geobotaniczna i analiza zasięgów borów i borów mieszanych na transektach badawczych: klimatycznym (wzdluz 52°N, od 12° do 32°E) i śląskim [The geobotanical characteristics and the analysis of reach of the pine and mixed forests on the study transects: the climatic (along 52°N, between 12° and 32° E) and the "silesian" one];. (In : Bory sosnowe w gradiencie kontynentalizmu i zanieczyszczeń w Europie Środkowej - badania geoekologiczne [Pine forests in Central European gradient of continentality and pollution - geoekological studies] Eds: Breymeyer A., Roo-Zielińska E.) - Dokumentacja Geograficzna, 13, pp. 79-99 (in Polish).
Solon J. 2003a - Scots pine forests of the Vaccinio-Piceetea class in Europe: forest sites studied . - Pol. J. Ecol. 51, 4. 421-439.
Solon J. 2003b - Changes in herb layer heterogeneity of Scots pine forests along the North-South transect - Pol. J. Ecol. 51 , 4: 481-492.
van der Maarel E. 1993 - Relations between sociological-ecological species groups and Ellenberg indicator values - Phytoceonologia, 23, pp. 343-362.
Wójcik Z. 1983 - Charakterystyka i ocena siedlisk polnych metodami bioindykacyjnymi [Characterisation and assessment of the field habitats with bioindication methods] - Wyd. SGGW-AR, pp. 7-79 (in Polish).