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34th International Symposium of the Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation EcologyCamerino (Marches, central Italy), 24 - 28 May 2011

34th EADSVE Symposium is supported by the School of Environmental Sciences - University of Camerino

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34th International SymposiumEastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation Ecology

Camerino (Marches, central Italy) 24 - 28 May 2011

Programme, Abstractsand Excursion Guide



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Scientic Committee

Edoardo Biondi (Ancona, Italy)

Andraž Čarni (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Paul Heiselmayer (Salzburg, Austria)

Vladimir Hršak (Zagreb, Croatia)

Organising Committee

Andrea Catorci (Camerino, Italy), President of EADSVE

Alessandra Vitanzi (Camerino, Italy), Secretary of EADSVE

Sabrina Cesaretti (Camerino, Italy)

Renata Gatti (Camerino, Italy)

Federico Maria Tardella (Camerino, Italy)

Book of Abstracts editingLaura Carimini (School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino)

Cover pictureOphrys bertolonii by Angelo Speziale



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Contents

Programme.......................................................................................... 4

Magistral lectures .............................................................................. 7

Oral presentations ............................................................................ 11

Posters ............................................................................................... 33

Excursion guide ................................................................................ 53

Authors index.................................................................................... 57



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Programme

Tuesday, May 24th

13.30 - 15.00 Registration at Villa Fornari Congress Centre and posters hanging

15.00 - 15.30 Welcome and opening of the 34th Symposium of the Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society

for Vegetation Ecology by Andrea Catorci, President of the Society and the Academic

Authorities of University of Camerino

I Session: Conservation and management of the natural resources

Chairman: Prof. Vladimir Hršak, University of Zagreb

15.30 - 16.00 Magistral lecture: Edoardo Biondi

A new denition of the concept of association proposed 100 years after its original denition

16.00 - 16.20 S. Burrascano, I. Anzellotti, E. Carli, E. Del Vico, L. Facioni, F. Pretto, A. Tilia, C. Blasi - β-diversity patterns in calcareous semi-natural dry grassland as a tool for their conservation

planning

16.20 - 16.40 A. Paušič, A. Čarni, I. Somodi - Modelling the occurrence and distribution pattern of wet

meadows (Molinion Koch 1926) in NE Slovenia

16.40 - 17.00 Coffee break

17.00 - 17.20 K. Penksza, J. Házi, B. Wichmann, A. Tóth, S. Szentes, S. Bartha - Comparative researches

and evaluations on grassland management and nature conservation in natural grasslands of the

Balaton Uplands National Park, Hungary

17.20 - 17.40 S. Cesaretti, J.L. Velasquez, H. Zeballos, A. Catorci - The importance of facilitative interac-

tions for biodiversity conservation in dry Puna (southern Peruvian Andes)

17.40 - 18.00 S. Redzic - The patterns of biodiversity richness and endemo-relictness of plant communities

(Prenj-Čvrsnica-Čabulja mts. in Herzegovina - W Balkan)

18.00 - 18.20 E. Biondi, L. Colosi, D. Galdenzi, S. Pesaresi - A proposed methodology for the identication

and classication of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland: the case study of the Marche

Region (central Italy)

18.20 - 19.00 General Assembly

20.00 Dinner

Wednesday, May 25th

II Session: Plant community analysis and monitoring

Chairman: Prof. Paul Heiselmayer, University of Salzburg

9.00 - 9.30 Magistral lecture: Franco Pedrotti

Vegetation series throught a central Alps gradient (Adige basin)

9.30 - 9.50 F. Millaku, F. Rexhepi, E. Krasniqi, Xh. Mala, B. Gashi - Intensity of infection with yellow

mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus L.) of the Oak forests in the north-eastern Kosovo



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9.50 - 10.10 A. Čarni, N. Juvan, M. Kostadinovski, P. Košir, A. Marinšek, V. Matevski, A. Paušič, U. Šilc -

Forest vegetation of Galičica mountain range in Macedonia

10.10 - 10.30 J. Vukelić, A. Alegro, D. Baričević, V. Šegota, I. Šapić - Phytocoenoses of common spruce

(Picea abies Karst) in the subalpine belt of Croatia

10.30 - 10.50 A. Vitanzi, F.M. Tardella, A. Catorci, V. Hršak - Functional plant trait variation along a rege-

neration chronosequence in submediterranean Ostrya carpinifolia forests


11.20 - 11.40 M. Allegrezza, E. Biondi - Syntaxonomic revision of the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in

the central Italy.

11.40 - 12.00 N. Juvan, A. Čarni, N. Jogan - Chasmophytic vegetation of silicate rocks on the southern

outcrops of Alps in Slovenia

12.00 - 12.20 M. Terzi - History of the syntaxonomy of the order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia and rele-

vant nomenclatural aspects

12.20 - 12.40 E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. Pesaresi - A cartographic, phytosociological, sindynamic, geo-

synphytosociological and habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC) database. The Regione

Marche case study

12.40 - 13.00 F. Landucci, R. Venanzoni, D. Gigante, E. Panli - Data banking and elaboration of large data

sets: general remarks and a case study

13.00 - 14.40 Lunch

III Session: Plant landscape analysis and change assessment

Chairman: Prof. Andrea Catorci, University of Camerino

14.40 - 15.10 Art and nature: Angelo Speziale’s solo exhibition

15.10 - 15.40 Magistral lecture: Giulia Caneva

The Botany of Raphael: The Renaissance, the discovery of the ancient, and the new world

15.40 - 16.00 E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. Pesaresi, M. Pinzi - The new syndynamic vegetation maps and

their ecologic meaning. Case study: “Plant Landscape map of Foglio Fossombrone (n. 208 of

Carta d’Italia) at the scale 1:50,000 (Marche Region - central Italy)

16.00 - 16.20 J. Házi, S. Bartha, S. Szentes, B. Wichmann, K. Penksza - Secondary succession in seminatu-

ral dry grasslands in Hungary

16.20 - 16.40 A. Lancioni, F. Taffetani - Vegetation and hydrographic network analysis as an application of

the method for the evaluation of agro-ecosystem’s functionality


17.00 - 17.20 L. Zapponi, L. Luiselli, M. Cento, A. Catorci, M. Bologna - The role of landscape heteroge-

neity: a multi-scale approach to woodland bird distribution

17.20 - 17.40 D. Ribeiro, I. Somodi, A. Čarni - Study on patterns of distribution of the invasive species

Robinia pseudacacia in NE Slovenia

17.40 - 18.00 A. Catorci, A. Vitanzi - The plant landscape of Sibillini Mountain National Park (introduction

to the excursions)

18.00 - 18.45 Poster Session

20.00 Dinner



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Excursion May 26th

Torricchio Mountain Natural Reserve focused on Apennine hilly/mountain plant landscape and grassland management.

Excursion May 27th

Prati di Ragnolo (Sibillini Mountains National Park) focused on Apennine mountain plant landscape: beech wood management and grassland abandon effects.

Post congress excursion May 28th

Top of Sibillini Mountains, in the alpine bioclimatic belt (excursion with hiking level).



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Magistral Lectures

A new denition of the concept of association proposed 100 years after its original denitionEdoardo Biondi .................................................................................................................................................................8

The Botany of Raphael: the Renaissance, the discovery of the ancient, and the new worldGiulia Caneva ....................................................................................................................................................................9

Vegetation series throught a central Alps gradient (Adige basin)Franco Pedrotti ...............................................................................................................................................................10



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A new denition of the concept of association proposed 100 years after its original denition

E. BiondiDepartment of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University - Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Phytosociology as a synecological science is underlined. From its beginning phytosociology represents a scientic approach of the study of vegetation that has been later developed thanks to the complex analysis on plant populations, from the community level to that of dynamic successions that are included in the landscape contexts. So they were created and developed several integrated areas of analysis that contribute to produce models of high predictive value following the distribution of environmental gradients and so working like valid bio-indicators that can be used in the environmental and planning management.The date of birth of phytosociology coincides with the Third International Congress of Botany, held in Brussels in 1910, when it was unanimously approved the denition of association proposed by Flahault and Schroëter and then modied by Braun -Blanquet in 1914.In this presentation we propose a new denition of association updating the 1914’s one of Braun-Blanquet with the purpose of let it more adhering respect the conceptual evolution of the discipline.In the new denition, the concept of “characteristic specie” is replaced by the concept of “preferent specie” in statistical and structural terms also with a territorial meaning. All together these species constitute the “cha-racteristic composition of species” that expresses the “particular and autonomous ecology” of the association already recalled in the denition of Braun-Blanquet.The new denition also considers the development of the knowledge on the dynamic processes that are no more considered as marginal aspects in the study of communities but as fundamental in the transformation of the plant landscape. The introduction in the denition of the concept of ecological valence expresses the quan-titative meaning of the association’s interval of existence according to an environmental factor’s variation. As regards dynamic phytosociology, connected with the concept of vegetation serie (sigmetum), we propose to replace the concept of climax, used to dene the more mature stage of the serial trial and that in the same time expresses the potentiality of the vegetation of the area in which we nd the serie (tesela) with that of “actual potential vegetation” with reference to the vegetation that is pointed out at present and that is interpreted by the historical study of the successions. Then, we present the phytosociological approach to the plant landascape that carries to the denition of the landscape unit named geosigmetum, constituted by an integrated system of vegetation series that is repeated in an area with the same edaphic, bioclimatic and biogeographic conditions. Modern technologies in GIS environment remarkably favoured an exceptional development of the carto-graphic representation of the vegetation (vegetation map), of vegetation series (syndynamic vegetation map) and of the representation of plant landscape (plant landscape map).Finally, we present some applicative aspects of the phytosociological methodology in the application of the Habitat Directive (92/43/CEE) referring to the recognition of the ecosystems that belongs to the habitats and for the denition of the management plans, in collaboration with several other experts that traditionally manage natural and semi-natural environments.



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The botany of Raphael: the Renaissance, the discovery of the Ancient and of the New World

G. CanevaDepartment of Environmental Biology, University Roma Tre, viale Marconi 446, RomeCorresponding author: [email protected]

According to the new spirit of the Renaissance, Raphael and the artists of his school, in particular Giovanni da Udine, abandoned the Medieval approach in representing nature (Levi D’Ancona, 1977; Dacos, 2009). The “Amore and Psyche Lodge” in the residence of Agostino Chigi in Rome, as well as the “Raphael’ Lodge” in Vatican, are outstanding examples of the new interest for nature and of the new reinterpretation of ancient art. Both are beautiful and exceptional examples of considerable inventory of biodiversity, summarizing thousands images of plant elements, for a total of about 170 different species (in the “Amore and Psyche Lodge”) and about 100 (in the “Raphael’s Lodge” ). In the case of the Chigi’s residential home (actually Farnesina villa of the National Academy of Lincei) the plant diversity holds an absolute record as regards the richness and diver-sity of species, which form festoons in the ceilings of the Lodge. Moreover, it is worth to mention that here it is possible to date the rst representations of American plants in Europe, which has been depicted less than 20 years after Columbus returned from his rst expedition (Zea mays and Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. pepo) (Caneva 1992, Janick and Caneva 2005). In the case of the Vatican Lodge, Raphael used three differ-ent iconographic languages for Nature (Caneva and Carpaneto, 2010). The rst one is used for the landscape representations, which were necessary for depicting the biblical scenes: environments typical of Palestine were changed into closer ones of the Apennine mountains (Italy). The second one is inspired by the Roman “fantastic” representation, which derives from the grotesque style, from the frescoes’ imitation of the Nero’s villa (Domus Aurea) (Dacos, 1969). Here the idea of the continuous metamorphosis in Nature is the dominant element, probably without a deep understanding of the philosophy of the Ancients. The third one is a natural-istic language, which uses fruits, owers and roots, or agricultural and ornamental plants, to make very special augural festoons (see photo below). Considering both the art history eld and the eld of historical botany, these Raphael’s works are cardinal points of the Western culture (Caneva et al, 2005).



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Vegetation series throught a central Alps gradient (Adige basin)

F. Pedrotti Prof. Emerit. University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The central Alps extends between 45°40’ and 47°06’ latitude north and between 10°23’ and 12°28’ longitude east. The minimum altitude is at Riva del Garda (67 m), and the maximum at Cima Ortler (3905 m). This entire zone belongs to the eurosiberian region, with temperate macrobioclimate (Rivas Martínez, 1996). The vegetational landscape of this region (Trentino-Alto Adige region) is characterized by 95 vegetation series. The different vegetation series have been grouped into zonal, extrazonal, intrazonal and azonal, and mapped on a scale of 1: 250,000. The distribution of the single vegetation series has also been mapped in reference to a regional network, and a map has been prepared for each series. This high number of vegetation series is the consequence of multiple causes, such as altitudinal extension, lithological substrate, geomorphological conditions, and phytoclimate. It demonstrates the complexity and great phytogeographic diversity of the territory under study, with very marked gradient, passing from the pre-alpic to endoalpic sector, which can be highlighted by referring to both ora (including endemism) and vegeta-tion series (Gafta and Pedrotti, 1988; Pedrotti and Gafta, 2003; Pedrotti, 2010). The endoalpic and alpic sectors are characterized by Picea abies and Pinus cembra forests (Larici-Piceeto sigmetum, Pineto cembrae sigme-tum); the prealpic sector by Fagus sylvatica forests (Carici albae-Fageto sigmetum, Cardamino pentaphylli-Fageto sygmetum). Pinus sylvestris forests are distributed from endoalpic sector (Astragalo-Pineto sylvestris sigmetum) up to prealpic sector (Chamaecytiso-Pineto sylvestris sigmetum).

References

Gafta D., Pedrotti, 1988. Fitoclima del Trentimo-Alto Adige. Studi Trentini Scienze Naturali, 73: 55-111.Pedrotti F., 2010. Le serie di vegetazione della Regione Trentino-Alto Adige. In: Blasi C. (a cura di), La vege-

tazione d’Italia. Roma, Palombi ed.: 83-109.Pedrotti F., Gafta D., 2003. Phytogeographical approach to distinction of vegetation megageoseries in the Alps

of Trentino-Alto Adige (with map 1: 250.000). Report CEA, Trento, 30: 1-18.Rivas Martinez S., 1996. Bioclimatic map of Europe (scale 1: 10.000.000). Cartographic Service, University

of Leon, Leon.



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Oral presentations Syntaxonomic revision of the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in the central ItalyM. Allegrezza, E. Biondi .............................................................................................................................................. 12A cartographic, phytosociological, sindynamic, geosynphytosociological and habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC) database. The Regione Marche case studyE. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. Pesaresi ........................................................................................................................ 13

The new syndynamic vegetation maps and their ecologic meaning. Case study: Plant Landscape map of Foglio Fossom-brone (n. 208 of “Carta d’Italia”) at the scale 1:50.000 (Marche Region - central Italy)E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. Pesaresi, M. Pinzi ........................................................................................................ 14

A proposed methodology for the identication and classication of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland: the case study of the Marche Region (central Italy)E. Biondi, L. Colosi, D. Galdenzi, S. Pesaresi ............................................................................................................ 15

β-diversity patterns in calcareous semi-natural dry grassland as a tool for their conservation planningS. Burrascano, I. Anzellotti, E. Carli, E. Del Vico, L. Facioni, F. Pretto, A. Tilia, C. Blasi ................................... 16

Forest vegetation of Galičica mountain rangeA. Čarni, N. Juvan, M. Kostadinovski, P. Košir, A. Marinšek, V. Matevski, A. PaušiĀ, U. Šilc ............................ 17

The importance of facilitative interactions for biodiversity conservation in dry Puna (southern Peruvian Andes)S. Cesaretti, J.L. Velasquez, H. Zeballos, A. Catorci ................................................................................................ 18

Secondary succession in seminatural dry grasslands in HungaryJ. Házi, S. Bartha, S. Szentes, B. Wichmann, K. Penksza ........................................................................................ 19

Chasmophytic vegetation of silicate rocks on the southern outcrops of Alps in SloveniaN. Juvan, A. Čarni, N. Jogan ...................................................................................................................................... 20

Vegetation and hydrographic network analysis as an application of the method for the evaluation ofagro-ecosystem’s functionality A. Lancioni, F. Taffetani .............................................................................................................................................. 21

Data banking and elaboration of large data sets: general remarks and a case studyF. Landucci, R. Venanzoni, D. Gigante, E. Panli ..................................................................................................... 22

Intensity of infection with yellow mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus L.) of the Oak forests in the north-eastern KosovoF. Millaku, F. Rexhepi, E. Krasniqi, Xh. Mala, B. Gashi ......................................................................................... 23

Modelling the occurrence and distribution pattern of wet meadows (Molinion Koch 1926) in NE SloveniaA. PaušiĀ, A. Čarni, I. Somodi .................................................................................................................................... 24

Comparative researches and evaluations on grassland management and nature conservation in natural grasslands of the Balaton Uplands National Park, HungaryK. Penksza, J. Házi, B. Wichmann, A. Tóth, S. Szentes, S. Bartha ......................................................................... 25

The patterns of biodiversity richness and endemo-relictness of plant communities (Prenj-Čvrsnika-Čabulja Mts. in Herzegovina - W Balkan)S. Redžić ........................................................................................................................................................................ 26

Study on patterns of distribution of the invasive species Robinia pseudacacia in NE SloveniaD. Ribeiro, I. Somodi, A. Čarni ................................................................................................................................... 27

History of the syntaxonomy of the order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia and relevant nomenclatural aspectsM. Terzi ......................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Functional plant trait variation along a regeneration chronosequence in submediterranean Ostrya carpinifolia forestsA. Vitanzi, F.M. Tardella, A. Catorci, V. Hršak ......................................................................................................... 29

Phytocoenoses of common spruce (Picea abies Karst) in the subalpine belt of CroatiaJ. Vukelić, A. Alegro, D. BariĀević, V. Šegota, I. Šapić ............................................................................................. 30

The role of landscape heterogeneity: a multi-scale approach to woodland bird distributionL. Zapponi, L. Luiselli, M. Cento, A. Catorci, M. Bologna ...................................................................................... 31



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Syntaxonomic revision of the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in the central Italy

M. Allegrezza, E. Biondi Department of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands, present from sub-coastal sectors to the mountain, are mesophilous and mesohygrophilous communities characterised by high species diversity and maintained due to periodic cutting and fertilisation. Currently these grasslands are in serious risk of extinction in a good part of Europe and espe-cially in the Mediterranean and sub-mediterranean zones, due to the fact that the collapse of bovine breeding happened much more quickly here than in other areas: anthropic activities that determined the constitution and maintenance of these areas over the centuries have been abandoned thus causing the current situation.The phytosociological studies on the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in Italy have mainly concerned the alpine and the central-eastern pre-alpine arc while the phytosociological data coming from central-southern Italy and the islands are relatively few. This is mainly due to the abandonment of traditional cultural practices, which over time has affected vast areas and which has led to the depletion of these communities. In the last years, important scientic contributions of phytosociological (Poldini and Oriolo, 1995) and cho-rological (Buffa et al., 1997) character have allowed to individualize a certain autonomy of the alpine and prealpine Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in comparison to the analogous coenosis of central Europe. In general the results of the chorological analysis on the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands of the Arrhenatherion elatioris alliance in Europe (Buffa et al., 1997) suggest the hypothesis vicariant syntaxa, at a European level, of the only alliance currently recognized.With the present contribution we want to clarify the syntaxonomical value of the Arrhenatherum elatius gras-slands of the central sector of the Italian peninsula and to appraise their state of conservation so as to furnish suggestions that can avoid the extinction. In the present study 45 phytosociological relevés have been studied, of which 16 unpublished and 29 coming from phytosociological tables already published. The statistic elaboration of the relevés allowed us to constan-tly individualize a group of preferential species in the Arrhenatherum elatius coenosis considered, some of which with particular bio-geographical value, differential species in comparison to the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands of central Europe and of the alpine and pre-alpine arc and that therefore assume the meaning of cha-racteristic and differential species of the new alliance: Ranunculo neapolitani-Arrhenatherion elatioris. The new alliance represents the vicariant in central Italy of the central-European alliance Arrhenatherion elatioris Koch 1926. The Ranunculo neapolitani-Arrhenatherion elatioris alliance comprises Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands of central Italy present from the mesotemperate to the lower supratemperate bioclimatic belt, with penetrations in the mesomediterranean belt but only under conditions of edaphic compensation.

References

Buffa G., Bracco F., Sburlino G., 1997. Première contribution à l’analyse de prairies à Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) Presl (Alliance Arrhenatherion elatioris W. Koch 1926) en Europe. Fitosociologia, 34: 47-68.

Poldini L., Oriolo G., 1995. La vegetazione dei prati da sfalcio e dei pascoli intensivi (Arrhenatheretalia e Poo-Trisetetalia) in Friuli (NE Italia). Studia Geobotanica, 14, suppl. 1: 3-48.



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A cartographic, phytosociological, syndynamic, geosynphytosociological and habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC) database. The Regione Marche case study.

E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. PesaresiDepartement of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polythecnic University - Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

It is here presented the Regione Marche cartographic data base which has been properly normalized for stor-ing, processing and management of ecological data (in phytosociological, synphytosociological, geosynphy-tosociological terms and data about habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC). This kind of structure represents a valid model for the design and the implementation of a geographic and geosynphytosociological data bank at a national level. The Marche geographic information system is an effective tool capable of:- processing and handling substantial volumes of mapping data in order to set up phytosociological, synphyto-sociological, geosynphytosociological geographical maps, and habitats according to Directive 92/43/EEC with extensive legends of great semantic detail (www.ortobotanico.univpm.it/cartograa);- implement applied research, multiple-scale, through studies of correlation and integration of the phytoso-ciological, synphytosociological and geosynphytosociological data, cartographic type, with the oristic and phytosociological data stored in specially made database (www.anarchive.it) adopted by the Società italiana di Scienza della vegetazione as a standard tool for the vegitaly project (http://www.scienzadellavegetazione.it/);- monitoring allowing in the same areas, at different times (diachronic analysis), to make ecological compari-son (in phytosociological and geosynphytosociological terms) consistent and meaningful; - allow adaptation of habitats and their signicance over time, according to different phases of implementation of the Habitats Directive, connected with EU enlargement, and then, after updating Annex I Dir 92/43/EEC and changes in the Habitat Manual interpretation, while keeping track of changes over time;- identify management strategies of species and environments aimed at the preservation of biodiversity with a multi-scale spatial awareness at site level, region level or national Natura 2000 network level;- implement the spread and sharing of geobotany and environmental knowledge through geobotany maps and their publication on the Web mapping applications (www.ortobotanico.univpm.it/habitat; www.ortobotanico.univpm.it/cartograa).



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The new syndynamic vegetation maps and their ecologic meaning. Case study: “Plant Landscape map of Foglio Fossombrone” (n. 208 of “Carta d’Italia”) at the scale 1:50,000 (Marche Region - central Italy).

E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, S. Pesaresi, M. PinziDepartment of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polytechnic Universiy - Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Plant landscape maps, based on the geosynphytosociological approach in GIS environment, are highly accu-rate geographic documents and they interpret in a predictive way the plant landscape. Therefore, they represent useful tools for the management of both territory and biodiversity.In this view the vegetation map of Marche Region, at 1:50,000 scale and consisting of 28 sheets for the whole regional territory, has been produced. As an example, it is here presented the plant landscape map of Foglio Fossombrone (sheet n. 208) at the 1:50,000 scale which has been done using the information from the Marche Vegetation Information System, designed and implemented within the Marche Ecological Network Project (REM). The mapped area, located in the northern-eastern part of Marche Region, in central Italy, is characterized by a high diversity and complexity of both geomorphology and vegetation. The biogeographical classication has been done for this area and for the rest of the Region up to the plant landscape element level. This classication allowed us to detect 13 plant landscape elements: seven of them belong to the lower mesotemperate bioclima-tic belt, four to the upper mesotemperate, one to the lower supratemperate belt and one is related to the current alluvial and recent plains of rivers. At the same time, some new syntaxa were also described: Juniperetum oxycedri-communis, Potentillo are-nariae-Artemisietum albae, Helianthemo apenninae-Festucetum circummediterraneae var. with Helichrysum italicum, Anemono trifoliae-Ostryetum carpinifoliae, Asparago acutifolii-Ostryetum carpinifoliae subass. asparagetosum acutifolii, Cephalario leucanthae-Saturejetum montanae subass. cephalarietosum leucanthae, Clematido vitalbae-Rubetum ulmifolii subass. cornetosum sanguineae. The following plant landscape units (geosigmeta) have been detected: Geosigmetum of pelitic and pelitic-arenaceous substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of arenaceous substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of arenaceous substrates of the upper mesotemperate ther-motype, Geosigmetum of marly-calcareous substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of pelitic-sandy substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype submediterranean variant, Geosigmetum of marly-calcareous substrates of the upper mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of pelitic substrates of the upper mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of pelitic substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of calcareous substrates of the lower mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of calcareous substrates of the upper mesotemperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of carbonate substrates of the upper supra-temperate thermotype, Geosigmetum of current and recent ooplains of river courses, Geosigmtum of alluvial terraces of the lower mesotemperate thermotype.The serial and catenal vegetation processes developed in each plant landscape element have been described.In the conclusions, explicit reference to the habitat according to Directive 92/43/EEC is made.



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A proposed methodology for the identication and classication of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland: the case study of the Marche Region (central Italy)

E. Biondi1, L. Colosi2, D. Galdenzi1, S. Pesaresi1

1Department of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University - Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy2Collaborator for botanic-vegetation aspects of Territorial Information System of Province of Ancona, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Considering that farming areas account for about half of the EU’s total area, the biodiversity conservation is there-fore strongly linked to agricultural practices that can create agro-ecosystems with a good environmental value. Since the greater productivity agro-ecosystems are subjected to increasing pressure, in order to intensify the yield, and the crops in the high hills and mountainous areas continue to be abandoned, the recovery and preser-vation of biodiversity must provide the basis for more targeted productions in accordance with the potentiality of sites and with services related to the different agro-ecosystems.For these reasons, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aims to improve and sustain the “Agricultural Areas of High Nature Value” (HNV Farmland) biodiversity. The farming is the main (usually also the dominant) form of land use in these areas and they are also characterized by an high species and habitats diversity, where species of European interest are often present.The still generic denition of HNV Farmland, that is already present in the current Rural Development Plan, was modied by the European Union which dened specic parameters and criteria in order to identify the dimension and the geographic localization of HNV inside the Member State of the EU. Aim of this communication is to present a methodological cartographical approach (geoprocessing) that is able to identify “High Nature Value” by using the available data of the Marche Region. The map of naturalness and diversity of the Marche Region were derived from information related to the inherent characteristics of plant communities (species composition, structure, trends, dynamics, etc.) that are summarized in the phytosociological map of the Marche Region, on a 1:50,000 scale, recently drawn for the project “Ecological Network of Marche” (REM, Rete Ecologica delle Marche).The thematic layers processing, expressed in a grid of 1 square km, allowed to assess the state of naturalness, diversity, and the intensity of agricultural activities for each cell affected by agro-pastoral activities. This asses-sment allowed the identication and classication of HNV areas in the Marche Region.The investigations can be considered as a preliminary methodological approach because the denition of HNV needs additional processing that consider the dynamics of vegetation and that assess the environmental context dened by ecological-vegetation series and geosigmeta. The application of this methodology has allowed us also to evaluate the quality of agro-ecosystem of a signi-cant part of the Regional Natural Park of Conero.



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β-diversity patterns in calcareous semi-natural dry grassland as a tool for their conservation planning

S. Burrascano, I. Anzellotti, E. Carli, E. Del Vico, L. Facioni, F. Pretto, A. Tilia, C. BlasiDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza Universitày of Rome - P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Calcareous grasslands are among the most species-rich habitats in Europe because they develop in shallow soils and high pH substrate conditions that are similar to those in which grassland oras evolved (Pärtel et al., 2005). However, the decline in the extent, connectivity and diversity of grasslands throughout Europe in recent decades has become a major conservation problem (Klimek et al., 2007).Whittaker (1972) dened the amount of turnover in species composition from one location to another as ‘β-diversity’. According to this denition, β-diversity is a major determinant of species diversity at the regio-nal scale, and can be used as a basis for conservation planning (Margules and Pressey, 2000).The aims of this paper were to dene the main drivers of variation in β-diversity of the semi-natural grassland Habitat 6210 (European Directive 92/43/EEC) in southern Lazio (central Italy) at different spatial scales and to characterize diverse species assemblages within this Habitat.Since the Directive often denes Habitats according to their phytosociological classication, the use of phy-tosociological relevés is particularly useful because it fully complies with the interpretation manual. We used 207 relevés distributed in three different spatial extents according to a nested design. A partitioning of the variation in β-diversity between spatial and environmental variables was performed by means of Multiple Regression on distance Matrices (Lichstein, 2007), and the relative contribution of individual variables were quantied. For the largest extent, species assemblages were identied and characterized by means of a Multi-variate Regression Tree and Indicator Species Analysis.The portion of variance explained by environmental variables was negatively related to the spatial extent, whe-reas the portion explained by spatial distances displayed an irregular pattern. Spatial distances and stoniness were signicant at all the scales, while climatic variables only at the nest and broadest scales. The multiva-riate regression tree divided the dataset in four clusters and highlighted annual rainfall as the most inuential environmental variable.Our results highlight the importance of β-diversity patterns in grassland conservation plans. Such plans should take into account spatial patterns and scale issues. Annual rainfall, proven to be a critical factor in the semi-natural grasslands we investigated, should be considered in the selection and management of Natura 2000 sites for this Habitat.

References

Klimek S., Richter gen. Kemmermann A., Hofmann M., Isselstein J., 2007. Plant species richness and com-position in managed grasslands: The relative importance of eld management and environmental factors. Biol. Conserv., 134: 559-570.

Lichstein J.W., 2007. Multiple regression on distance matrices: a multivariate spatial analysis tool. Plant Ecol., 188: 117-131.

Margules C.R.., Pressey R.L., 2000. Systematic conservation planning. Nature, 405: 243-253.Pärtel M., Bruun H.H., Sammul M., 2005. Biodiversity in temperate European grasslands: origin and conser-

vation. In: Integrating Efcient Grassland Farming and Biodiversity. Proceedings of the 13th International Occasional Symposium of the European Grassland Federation (Lillak R, Viiralt, Linke, Geherman): 1-14. Estonia Grassland Society.

Whittaker R.H., 1972. Evolution and measurement of species diversity. Taxon, 21: 213-251.



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Forest vegetation of the GaliĀica mountain range in Macedonia

A. Čarni1, 2, N. Juvan1, M. Kostadinovski3, P. Košir1, 4, A. Marinšek1, V. Matevski3, A. Paušič1, U. Šilc1

1Institute of Biology, Scientic Research centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia3Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Macedonia4University of Primorska, Koper, SloveniaCorresponding author: [email protected]

The mountain of Galičica is situated in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia, between two lakes: Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. To the north it is limited by lower mountains and to the south by the state border with Albania. On the Macedonian side of the mountain there is a National park Galičica. The primary reason for its designation is the unique plant and animal life of the forests and the woodlands. The forests of Galičica mountain range are quite diverse. They can be divided into two distinct groups, one with more or less mesophi-lous character, dominated by Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus, Corylus colurnae, and Acer obtusatum, and the other composed of thermophilous deciduous forests, dominated by various oaks (Quercus frainetto, Q. cerris, Q. petraea, Q. trojana, Q. pubescens), Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis, and Juniperus excelsa. There exist also riverine forests dominated by Salix alba (Salicetum albae) and on the karstic plateau moun-tainous shrub community dominated by Juniperus communis that is a stage of reforestation in the area of beech forests.Forests are distributed along the altitudinal gradient, from various oak forests to beech forests that form tim-berline at 2,000 m. As altitude causes zonation along its gradient and designates circumstances in the stands, it can be used as outcome variable. The altitude does not inuence forest vegetation directly, but through change of various factors. We divided these factors (predictors) into four different groups, as ecological (light, humi-dity, etc. – all of them calculated by bioindicator values), structural (life forms), pedological (various measured factors) and chorological (geoelements). We have built four models and found out that the most is powerful model is composed by ecological factors, then chorological, pedological and the last is the model composed by structural factors.

Reference

Matevski V., Čarni A., Avramoski O., Juvan N., Kostadinovski M., Košir P., Marinšek A., Paušič A., Šilc U., 2011. Forest vegetation of the Galičica mountain range in Macedonia. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana. (v tisku).



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The importance of facilitative interactions for biodiversity conservation in dry Puna (southern Peruvian Andes)

S. Cesaretti1, J.L. Velasquez2, H. Zeballos3, A. Catorci4

1School of Advanced Studies PhD Course in Environmental Sciences and Public Health, University of Came-rino (MC), Italy2Study-Center and Promotion of Development (Desco), Arequipa, Peru3Research Center for “Pueblos” Development (Bienestar), Arequipa, Peru4School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Facilitation processes are positive interactions in which some plants benet from closely associated neigh-bours (Bertness and Callaway, 1994; Padilla and Pugnaire, 2006); this phenomenon is essential for plant sur-vival and for community diversity and dynamics in harsh environments (Flores and Jurado, 2003, Kikvidze, 2005, Cavieres and Badano, 2009).The study area was the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, in the southern Peruvian Andes, com-posed mostly of Festuca orthophylla grassland (dry Puna). The main research goals were to verify whether facilitation processes are in act in this plant community, to determine whether beneciary species have prefe-rential interaction and to analyse the type of facilitative interaction. Vegetation was sampled in twenty linear transects, each divided into twenty plots (50 x 50 cm). Species cover values and type of spatial interaction were recorded. Linear regression, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) were performed.Research ndings evidenced that the most important nurses are the tall tussock species. A direct correlation was observed between the dimension of the tussocks of tall grasses and the number of beneciary species. Four groups of beneciary species were highlighted, each having a specic relationship with nurse species and a different set of facilitative interaction types; a fth group comprises species growing on bare soil. The species most in need of facilitation interactions are those without avoidance strategies and/or with broad leaves. The facilitative interaction give rise to the clumped spatial pattern of vegetation, in which F. orthophylla is the core of the community structure. However, because F. orthophylla has rigid and unpalatable leaves, throughout the Peruvian dry Puna there is the widespread practice of burning these plant communities every one to ve years (“quemada”) to renew forage for livestock. Furthermore, after the burn, the juvenile leaves of F. orthophylla are eaten by domestic and wild camelids (Genin and Tichit, 1997), and thus subsequent to burning, shelter and regenerative niches are probably few and small for some years. The sum of these events may drive the loss of oristic diversity; in fact, the removal of nurse species could lead to a lack of diversity recovery in vegetation during regenerative processes.

References

Bertness M.D., Callaway R., 1994. Positive interactions in communities. Trends Ecol. Evol., 9: 191-193.Cavieres L.A., Badano E.I., 2009. Do facilitative interactions increase species richness at the entire commu-

nity level? J. Ecol., 97: 1181-1191.Flores J., Jurado E., 2003. Are nurse-protegé interactions more common among plants from arid environ-

ments? J. Veg. Sci., 14: 911-916.Genin D., Tichit M., 1997. Degradability of Andean Range Forages in Llamas and Sheep. J. Range Manage,

50 (4): 381-385.Kikvidze Z., Pugnaire F.M., Brooker R.W., Choler P., Lortie J., Michalet R., Callaway R., 2005. Linking pat-

terns and processes in alpine plant communities: a global study. Ecology, 86 (6): 1395-1400.Padilla F.M., Pugnaire F.I., 2006. The role of nurse plants in the restoration of degraded environments. Front.

Ecol. Environ., 4 (4): 196-202.



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Secondary succession in seminatural dry grasslands in Hungary

J. Házi1, S. Bartha2, S. Szentes3, B. Wichmann4, K. Penksza1

1Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary2Institute of Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Vácrátót, Hungary3Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Plant Production, Department of Grassland Management, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary4Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Szent István University, Gödöllő, HungaryCorresponding author: [email protected]

Regeneration of 35-40 years old abandoned vineyards were studied in west-Cserhát, Hungary. Here we report the results of a 10-year experiment designed to study the behaviour of sward matrix species (i.e., Festuca rupicola, Dorycnium herbaceum, Calamagrostis epigejos) in mid-successional grasslands in Hungary. The experimental design consisted of 8 permanent plots in west facing slopes, and 8 plots in north facing slopes. Vegetation was sampled in 2x2 m quadrats in each year between 2001-2010. The effects of spontaneous suc-cession were tested using repeated-measure ANOVA and Tukey HSD for post-hoc tests. On the west slopes C. epigejos was initially the dominant species, which was present in 73% of relative cover, but decreased toward 51% until 2010. Althought C. epigejos declined spontaneously, it remained the dominant species in this exposition. On the north slopes the C. epigejos was replaced by Festuca rupicola in 2007, and by Dorycnium herbaceum in 2009. Andropogon ischaemum appeared in 2004, and remained subordinated. The most frequent species was Agrimonia eupatoria. During the study period, the number of species, the total cover of all species, and the relative cover of subordinated species increased in both investigation areas.

References

Bartha S., Meiners S.J., Pickett S.T.A., Cadenasso M.L., 2003. Plant immigration windows in a mesic old eld succession. Appl. Veg. Sci., 6: 205-212.

Borhidi A., 1995. Social behaviour types, the naturalness and relative ecological indicator values of the higher plants in the Hungarian ora. Acta Botanica Hungarica, 39:97-181.

Csontos P., 2010. Light ecology and regeneration on clearings of sessile oak-turkey oak forests in the Visegrád mountains, Hungary. Acta Botanica Hungarica, 52: 265-286.

Gergely A., Hahn I., Mészáros-Draskovits R., Simon T., Szabó M., Barabás S., 2001. Vegetation succession in a newly exposed Danube riverbed. Appl. Veg. Sci., 4: 35-40.

Pielou EC., 1975. Ecological diversity. New York, Wiley.Prach K., Bartha S., Joyce C.B., Pysek P., Diggelen R., Wiegleb G., 2001. The role of spontaneous vegetation

succession in ecosystem restoration: A perspective. Appl. Veg. Sci., 4: 111-114.



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Chasmophytic vegetation of silicate rocks on the southern outcrops of Alps in Slovenia

N. Juvan1, A. Čarni1, 2, N. Jogan3

1 Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia2 University of Nova Gorica - Vipavska 13, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia3University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology - Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Applying the standard central-european method we studied the chasmophytic vegetation of the silicate rocks on the southern outcrops of Alps in the territory of Slovenia, in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the eastern Kara-vanke mountains, on Mt. Kozjak, and in Pohorje mountains. Three communities of the order Androsacetalia vandellii (Asplenietea trichomanis) were recognized: Campanulo cochleariifoliae-Primuletum villosae ass. nova (Androsacion vandellii), Woodsio ilvensis-Asplenietum septentrionalis (Asplenion septentrionalis), and Hypno-Polypodietum (Hypno-Polypodion vulgaris). All three communities can be found in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. It is only here that the community Campanulo cochleariifoliae-Primuletum villosae occurs, as Mt. Komen remains the only locality of Primula villosa in Slo-venia. Both Woodsio ilvensis-Asplenietum septentrionalis and Hypno-Polypodietum thrive on Pohorje, while in the Karavanke mountains and on Mt. Kozjak only the community Hypno-Polypodietum can be found.The community Campanulo cochleariifoliae-Primuletum villosae occurs in the high montane and subalpine belts, the community Woodsio ilvensis-Asplenietum septentrionalis is found from the lowland to the subalpine belt, and the community Hypno-Polypodietum is distributed from the lowland to the high montane belt.The oristic composition of the studied vegetation is signicantly affected by altitude, but remains unaffected by slope and aspect. Altitude correlates with light, temperature, continentality, soil reaction, and nutrients. Plants at higher altitudes are exposed to higher light intensity and lower temperatures. At lower altitudes on the other hand, the temperature and moisture are higher and the soil is more nutrient-rich.The plant species growing on the sample plots belong to eight geoelements: most of the species are boreal, followed by Eurasian, cosmopolite, south-European orophytes, endemics, Atlantic, Euri-Mediterranean, and Mediterranean-montane species. The number of south-European orophytes and endemics increases with the altitude, while the number of cosmopolite species decreases.All three communities differ from one another by altitude, light intensity, temperature, and the species clas-sied as endemics, south-European orophytes or cosmopolite species. The rst and the second community differ also in moisture, nutrients, and boreal species, and the rst and the third community also in aspect and continentality.



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Vegetation and hydrographic network analysis as an application of the method for the evaluation of agro-ecosystem’s functionality

A. Lancioni, F. TaffetaniDepartment of Environmental Sciences and Vegetal Productions, Polytechnic University of Marche - Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.Corresponding author: [email protected]

We present an application of the oristic-vegetational method for the assessment of the environmental quality of agro-ecosystems (Taffetani and Rismondo, 2009), recently updated (Taffetani et al., in press).The study area is the Aspio River Basin. It spreads in a hilly area of about 16,500 ha, entirely located within the Province of Ancona (Marche Region, central Italy). The area is mainly characterized by agricultural land use and intense urbanization, concentrated in the main valley.Intensive cultivation and soil consumption are the principal causes of oristic diversity and habitat types reduction. The application of intensive farming practices caused severe alteration of waterways and associated habitats. It also led to erosion phenomena detected over most of the examined area.We tested and applied a specic method in order to analyze the hydrographic network conservation status.The rst step was the reconstruction of the hydrographic network. We used IGM map scale 1:25,000 and other maps from the website www.pcn.minambiente.it. For the ordination of each segment of the network we applied the Horton-Strahler method.Then we subdivided the study area into eight sub-units (sub-basins) and we made up the photo-interpretation of land use. Eventually we obtained the map of the conservation status of the hydrographic network of the Aspio River Basin and its sub-basins, by intersecting the hydrographic network map with the land use map. It allows the identication of the areas mainly characterized by heavy alteration of the hydrographic network and by intense soil erosion.Afterward we performed the vegetation analysis of the study area, we applied the oristic-vegetational indexes to each detected plant community and we obtained the vegetation series map and the maturity map of two sub-basins and two sample areas inside them. The intersection between hydrographic network maps and maturity maps allowed us to carry out the hydrographic network conservation map on vegetational basis at sub-basin and sample area scale.In conclusion we described the sequence of plant communities detectable on streams edges using transects which illustrate the changes of vegetation according to the gradient of water availability.In order to ensure agrobiodiversity conservation and limit erosion, we suggested some management practices aimed to recover the functionality related to waterways strip vegetation, referring our proposals to the current normatives (Rural Development Programme, Cross Compliance).

References

Taffetani F., Rismondo M, 2009. Bioindicators system for the evaluation of the environment quality of agro-ecosystems. Fitosociologia, 46 (2): 3-22.

Taffetani F., Rismondo M., Lancioni A. Integrated tools and methods for the analysis of agro-ecosystem’s functionality through vegetational investigations. Fitosociologia, in press.



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Data banking and elaboration of large data sets: general remarks and a case study

F. Landucci, R. Venanzoni, D. Gigante, E. PanliDepartment of Applied Biology, University of Perugia - Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Data represent the basis of any scientic research; large data sets are particularly necessary when addressing large-scale research questions in biogeography and ecology of plant species and communities. It is well known that phytosociological syntaxa are vegetation models that can constantly be rened thanks to improved know-ledge and improved analytical and statistical tools. In this sense, relevé databanks play a special role in moni-toring and analyzing vegetation (Knollová et al., 2005). With the purpose to create an Italian database for archiving and sharing, the project AnArchive (http://www.anarchive.it) has been developed in the last decade. AnArchive is a collaborative project that involves several Italian universities coordinated by the University of Perugia (Venanzoni et al., 2011). The natural evolution of this project is VegItaly (http://vegitaly.anarchive.it), a web database designed to store, retrieve and analyze vegetation data of Italy. Designed for both oristic and phytosociological data, it can handle any eld plot according to the denition of “vegetation database” suggested by the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD) and the IAVS Eco-informatics working group. VegItaly is supported by Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione (former Società Italiana di Fito-sociologia) (Venanzoni et al., 2011).Besides a number of useful tools, VegItaly offers the possibility to sort and extract large thematic data sets sharing similar oristic and/or ecological attributes, starting off new chances for phytosociological reviews at a wide geographical scale. As a direct consequence, the need to improve data management techniques, with special reference to vegetation analysis, became prominent and led to screen different methods for vegetation classication as alternatives to those traditionally used in Italy. In fact, many well known numerical classica-tion algorithms do not always produce satisfactory results and often require further subjective interpretations and manipulations, such as manual re-allocation of relevés among clusters (Bergmeier, 2002; Podani, 2007). One alternative to the numerical classication algorithms is the Cocktail method (Bruelheide, 2000) modied by Kocí et al. (2003), successfully used in central Europe for over a decade. This method is designed to be applied to large data sets simulating the Braun-Blanquet approach and to create formal denitions of vegeta-tion units.On this ground, a large amount of data including the vegetation of central Italy was stored into AnArchive (about 4,500 relevés) in order to test the Cocktail method. To perform the method, the database system was interfaced with the program Juice 7.0 (Tichý, 2002) creating a compatible exporting data system. A case study restricted to aquatic plant communities and wetland vegetation of central Italy is here presented. Formal denitions were created for plant communities included in the classes Lemnetea, Potametea, Charetea and Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Formal denitions will be integrated in the project VegItaly in order to crate a simple classication method available to users.

References Bergmeier E., 2002. Plant communities and habitat differentiation in the Mediterranean coniferous woodlands

of Mt. Parnon (Greece). Folia Geobot., 37: 309-311. Bruelheide H., 2000. A new measure of delity and its application to dening species groups. J. Veg. Sci., 11:

167-178. Knollová I., Chytrý M., Tichý L., Hájek O., 2005. Stratied resampling of phytosociological databases: some

strategies for obtaining more representative data sets for classication studies. J. Veg. Sci., 15: 479-486.Kocí M., Chytrý M., Tichý L., 2003. Formalized reproduction of an expert-based phytosociological classi-

cation: A case study of subalpine tall-forb vegetation. J. Veg. Sci., 14: 601-610.Podani J., 2007. Analisi ed esplorazione multivariata dei dati in ecologia e biologia. Liguori editore, Napoli.

pp. 163-213.Tichý L., 2002. JUICE, software for vegetation classication. J. Veg. Sci., 13: 451-453.Venanzoni R., Panli E., Gigante D., 2011. Toward the Italian national vegetation database: VegItaly. Biodi-

versity and Ecology (in press).



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Intensity of infection with yellow mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus L.) of the Oak forests in the north-eastern Kosovo

F. Millaku, F. Rexhepi, E. Krasniqi, Xh. Mala, B. GashiDep. of Biology, FMNS, Pristina University - Republic of KosovoCorresponding author: [email protected]

During the research of the Oak forests in the north-eastern Kosovo, we found out that the infection frequency of these forests with the hemiparasitic species Loranthus europaeus L. had increased in recent years. In order to research this phenomenon, we selected an area of 82,103 ha, mixed deciduous forests dominated by the species Quercus petraea (Mattus.) Liebl., Quercus cerris L. and Quercus frainetto Ten. In the north and north-eastern part of the Oaks forests, Beech Fagus sylvatica L. subsp. moesiacae (K. Maly) Hayek is very well developed. The researched zone was from 700-950 m above sea level. The level of infection of the Gollak’s forests with the hemiparasitic species Loranthus europaeus L. was researched during the years 2008-2010. Twelve infected locations were researched. The results from the above researched parameters are expressed as an average value (X) and the statistical processing was done. The hemiparasitic species Loranthus europaeus L. was found on three species of genus Quercus: Q. petraea, Q. cerris and Q. frainetto and at Crataegus monogyna that belongs to Fam. Rosaceae. 11601 infected trees were examined. The infection frequency of the species Quercus petraea was: 14.65% to species Quercus cerris 12.87% and 5.66% to species Quercus frainetto. The infection frequency was directly related to the age and the density of the forest. This study also showed that the highest rate of mistletoe infection was in the mid part of the crown of the tree and the lowest rate was in upper and lower parts. The floristic data was analyzed according to: Tutin et al. (1968-1980), Millaku (2005), while the results were compared with the data found by the following authors: Aukema and Del Rio (2002), Idžojtić et al. (2006, 2008), Treštić et al. (2006).

References

Aukema E.J., Del Rio M.C., 2002. Where does a fruit-eating bird deposit mistletoe seeds? seed deposition patterns and an experiment. Ecology, 83 (12): 3489-3496.

Idžojtić M. et al., 2006. Intensity of infection with yellow mistletoe and white-berried mistletoe On the area of the forest administrations Vinkovci and Nova Gradiška. Šumarski list br., 9-10, CXXX: 399-409. Zagreb.

Idžojtić M. et al., 2008. Intensity of infection with yellow mistletoe and white-berrie Mistletoe on the area of the forest administrations Zagreb and Koprivnica. Šumarski list br., 3-4: 107-114. Zagreb.

Millaku F., 2005. Diversiteti oristik i Masivit të Gjeravicës. Kërkime, ASHAK, 13: 143-152. Prishtinë. Tutin T.G. et al., 1968-1980. Flora Europaea 1-5. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.



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Modelling the occurrence and distribution pattern of wet meadows (Molinion Koch 1926) in NE Slovenia

A. Paušič1, A. Čarni1,2, I. Somodi3

1Scientic Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slo-venia2University of Nova Gorica - Vipavska 13, SI-5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia 3Institute of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Arts - 2-4. Alkotmáány u., 2163 Vácratot, HungaryCorresponding author: [email protected]

Contribution deals with spatial analysis and modelling as methods for detection the landscape changes and distribution pattern of wet meadows Molinion (Koch 1926) in Prekmurje. The aim of our study was to nd explanations for the current occurrence and prediction of wet meadows in Goričko area (NE Slovenia).We analyzed potential factors that inuence the distribution of wet meadows in Goričko region. The wet meadow plots were elaborated with digital elevation model (DEM) provided the basic geomorphologic and socioeconomic factors about the objects whose statistical relationships have then been established by a gene-ralized linear model (GLM). The results show that surface of wet meadows in Goričko has been reduced in recent years and it is predicted which surfaces will be the most endangered in the future. The main factors that inuence the distribution of wet meadows in Prekmurje are elevation and slope.Recent wet meadow plots occur today in hilly area, between the elevation of 250 and 300 m. The most endan-gered wet meadow plots in study area are found on at areas in south of the region and around border zones with Hungary (east, north-east) and Austria (north).

References

Chahouki M.A.Z., Azarnivand H., Jafari M., Tavili A., 2010. Multivariate Statistical Methods as a Tool for Model-Based Prediction of Vegetation Types. Russ. J. Ecol., 41: 84-94.

Klimowska A., Van Diggelen R., Bakker J., Grootjans A., 2008. Wet meadow restoration in western Europe: A quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of several techniques. Biol. Conserv., 140: 318-328.

Schmidt N., Olsen H., Bildsoe M., Sluyds V., Leirs H., 2006. Effects of grazing intensity on small mammal population ecology in wet meadows. Basic Appl. Ecol., 6: 57-66.

Somodi I., Virágh K., Székely B., Zimmermann N.E., 2010. Changes in predictor inuence with time a and with vegetation type identity in a post-abandonment situation. Basic Appl. Ecol., 11: 225-233.

Zelnik I., Čarni A., 2008. Wet meadows of the alliance Molinion Koch 1926 and their environmental gradients in Slovenia. Biologia, 63: 1-10.



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Comparative researches and evaluations on grassland management and nature corservation in natural grasslands of the Balaton Uplands National Park, Hungary

K. Penksza1, J. Házi1, B. Wichmann1, A. Tóth1, Sz. Szentes2, S. Bartha3

1Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Szent István University 2Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Plant Production, Department of Grassland Management, Szent István University3Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungarian Academy of SciencesCorresponding author: [email protected]

Coenological studies were prepared on grazed and non-grazed steppe grasslands near the Inner Lake (Tihany Peninsula) in 1994-2010, and wet meadows near Badacsonytördemic (Taplocai Basin) in 2007-2010, all belon-ging to the Balaton Uplands National Park (Hungary). Studied area in the Tihany Peninsula is a pasture of Hungarian Grey Cattle (ancient traditional breed) near the Inner Lake, where 5 phytosociological samples were taken both in the upper and in the lower third of the slope every June of the above-mentioned years. Four areas were studied in the Taplocai Basin (undergrazed and overgrazed pastures, hayeld, control area) near Badacsonytördemic. The areas were suitable for following up the changes of vegetation and production in every grazing season of a year. 5 pieces of 2×2 m phytosociological samples were examined on each sample area, prepared according to the Braun-Blanquet method (1964) in April, May, June, August and September 2008. During grassland management studies, ratio and quantity of medicinal herbs, forage value and grassland management categories were analyzed. Forage values of signicant species occurring in the grassland were determined according to the 10-stage scale of Klapp et al. (1953), which gives value 8 for species with high forage value, 0 for those with the least value or not grazed by animals and -1 for poisonous species.

References

Bartha S., Campatella G., Canullo R., Bódis J., Mucina L., 2004. On the importance of ne-scale spatial com-plexit in vegetation restoration. Int. J. Ecol. Environ. Sci., 30: 101-116.

Braun-Blanquet J., 1964. Panzensoziologie 3. Au. Wien, Springer-Verlag.Campetella G., Canullo R., Bartha S., 2004. Coenostate descriptors and spatial dependence in vegetation Ð

derived variables in monitoring forest dynamics and assembly rules. Community Ecology, 5: 105-114.Catorci A., Cesaretti S., Gatti R., 2009. Biodiversity conservation: geosynphytosociology as a tool of analysis

and modelling of grassland systems. Hacquetia, 8 (2): 129-146.Kun A., Ruprech E., Bartha S., Szabó A., Virágh K., 2007. Az Erdélyi Mezőséég kincse: a gyepvegetáció egye-

dülálló gazdagsága. Kitaibelia: 93-104.Poschlod P., WallisDeVries M.F., 2002. The historical and socioeconomic prospective of calcareous grasslands-

lessons from the distance and recent past. Biological Conservation, 104: 361-376.Tscharntke T., Klein A.M., Kruess A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Thies C., 2005. Landscape perspectives on agri-

cultural intensication and biodiversity - ecosystem service management. Ecology Letters, 8: 857-874.



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The patterns of biodiversity richness and endemo-relictness of plant communities (Prenj-Čvrsnika-Čabulja Mts. in Herzegovina - W Balkan)

S. Redžić 1,2

1Academy of Sciences and Art of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina2Center of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Faculty of Science of University of Sarajevo - Bosnia and HerzegovinaCorresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected]

The complex of karstic mountains Prenj-Čvrsnica and Čabulja in Herzegovina (W. Balkan) is characterized by high level of both geomorphology and biodiversity richness (Redžić, 1997). This has been conrmed by a research of plant communities, their structure and dynamics, which took place throughout several seasons from 2005 to 2008. In the investigated area the vegetative cover, as a reliable indicator for specic karstic circumstances, is being differentiated in a great number of syntaxa (plant communities) that encompass over 2500 vascular plants. On the surface of about 100 000 ha identied were up to 236 associations, 116 alliances and 63 vegetation orders that belong to 34 classes (Fig. 1).This amounts 34% of total of vegetation classes at the European level and 100% of so far known vegetation classes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and over 80% of classes at the level of Montenegro (Redžić, 2003, 2007)

(Fig. 2).

There have been identied nearly 450 endemic and relict species, which is why most of the identied commu-nities are endemic and relict ones, not only at the level of association but also at the level of higher syntaxo-nomic categories, such as alliance and order. The highest diversity level characterizes those communities that make a direct contact with the carboniferous geological foundation either in rock crevices belonging to the class Asplenietea trichomanis, or screes on limestone that are comprised by the classes Thlaspietea rotundifolii and Drypetea spinosae, then sub-alpine and alpine pastures Elyno-Seslerietea, and rocky grasslands Thero-Brachypodietea. That high level of oristic and vegetation richness places this area among the most diverse areas both in Europe and whole Mediterranean. Such pattern of vegetation (syntaxonomy) and oristic diver-sity conrms undoubtedly the unique role of dinaric-herzegovina’s karst as a complex of unrepeatable ecolo-gical factors on global scale.

References

Redžić S., 1997. The Protection of the Diversity of Vascular Plants in the Karst Poljes of the Dinaric Moun-tains. Extended Abstracts of Lecture and Poster in Conservation and Protection of the Biota of Karst Presentations (Edited by Ira D. Sasowsky, Daniel W. Fong, and Elizabeth L.), p. 125, KWI Special Publi-cation 3, pp. 82-83, Glenn Rd, State College, PA, USA.

Redžić S., 2003. The syntaxonomy and syngenesis of the Elyno-Seslerietea Br.-Bl. 1948 in the Balkan penin-sula. Annali di Botanica (nuova serie), 3: 53-74.

Redžić S., 2007. Syntaxonomic diversity as an indicator of ecological diversity - case study Vranica Mts. at the central Bosnia. Biologia, Section Botany, 62: 173-184.

Fig. 1 - Comparative overview of syntaxosonomical diver-sity of Endemic center of Prenj-Čvrsnica, Čabulja at B&H’s level.

Fig. 2 - Comparative overview of syntaxonomical diversity of B&H with same parameters used in region and Europe.



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Study on patterns of distribution of the invasive species Robinia pseudacacia in NE Slovenia

D. Ribeiro1, I. Somodi2, A. Čarni1,3 1Laboratory for Environmental Research, University of Nova Gorica - Vipavska 13, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia2Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - 2-4. Alkotmány u., 2163 Vácratot, Hungary3Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Scientic Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Robinia pseudacacia L. was introduced into Europe at the beginning of the 17th century and is now considered to be an invasive species in many European countries including Slovenia. Our study area was located in northeastern Slovenia, within the Prekmurje region. The aims of this study were to develop a model to identify the critical inuencing factors for the current occurrence pattern of the species in the study site and to predict the spatial distribution of R. pseudacacia for invaded areas.Areas dominated by R. pseudacacia have been mapped in the eld in 2009 in a scale of 1:5.000 in the low-land area of Prekmuje, across a sample plot of 12 km2. We analyzed potential factors that can inuence the distribution of the species within the region: distance to the nearest road, distance to the nearest water body, elevation, land use, soil type and soil quality. We performed a spatial randomized sampling technique stratied for prevalence on the resulting maps in order to collect observations on the relationship between R. pseuda-cacia presence and the potential inuencing factors. The statistical relationships were then established by a generalized linear model (GLM), tted using the R statistical environment (R development core team, 2008). The analysis included three important steps, rst we built the model for the data collected; then tted and assessed the model and nally we used the nal model to predict the spatial distribution of the species in other areas within the study region. R. pseudacacia was found to occur mostly in parcels designated as meadows and pastures. Distance from the road network seems to facilitate the occurrence of the species to a certain degree. Distance from water bodies seems to decrease R. pseudacacia presence. We did not nd a relative relationship between elevation and species presence, this factor apparently does not inuence the distribution of the species in this region.R. pseudacacia expands naturally but it is also being planted by farmers, therefore, its expansion is directed as well. Our results also show that human decisions affect the species distribution.

References

R Development Core Team, 2008. A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. URL http://www.R-project.org.

Ribeiro D., Čarni A., Somodi I., 2011. Distribution Patterns of the invasive species Robinia pseudacacia in NE Slovenia. ANALI PAZU I (in press).



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History of the syntaxonomy of the order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia and relevant nomenclatural aspects

M. TerziInstitute of Plant Genetics, CNR - Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, ItalyCorrisponding author: [email protected]

The order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia was described by Horvatić and Horvat (Horvatić, 1958) to represent the sub-Mediterranean vegetation of dry grasslands in the western part of Croatia. Since then, many other stu-dies have widened the syntaxon distribution range to several countries in a broad area of southeastern Europe (including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia). Research in new regions also led to different interpretations of the relevant syntaxonomic arrangement. In fact the order, origi-nally assigned to the class Brachypodio-Chrysopogonetea, was later subordinated to Brachypodio-Brometea (Barbero and Loisel, 1972), Ononido-Rosmarinetea (Ubaldi, 2003), Festuco-Brometea (Royer, 1991) and Thero-Brachypodietea (Ritter-Studnička, 1967), or split into two parts and ascribed to the last two classes (Horvatić, 1973). Also for lower hierarchical levels, several alliances and suballiances were rst dened and then divided, united, or changed in rank or position. Until now, a comprehensive syntaxonomic revision for the order in its entire distribution range has been lacking, whereas numerous partial reviews at a national or regional scale have been conducted. Unfortunately, these works were not always accompanied by accurate revisions of the relevant nomenclature; all the more so because, until 1976, the nomenclatural rules had not been codied into a specic code. Many scientic works, especially the older ones, were published in journals with regional circulation, and often were written in languages without widespread use (e.g., Italian, Croatian). All of these reasons made the removal of nomenclatural uncertainties more complicated; as a consequence, nomenclatural imprecisions have accumulated and mingled over time. Based on the third edition of the Inter-national Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Weber et al., 2000), and with references to the main syn-taxonomic revisions of the order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia that have followed one another over the years, nomenclatural aspects of the following syntaxa (orders and alliances) are reviewed: Scorzonero villo-sae-Chrysopogonetalia grylli Horvatić et Horvat in Horvatić 1963; Koelerietalia splendentis Horvatić 1973; Scorzoneretalia villosae Horvatić 1973 nom. inval.; Centaureion dichroanthae Pignatti 1952; Chrysopogono grylli-Koelerion splendentis Horvatić 1973; Chrysopogono grylli-Saturejion subspicatae Horvat et Horvatić in Horvat, Glavač et Ellenberg 1974 nom. illeg.; Cytiso-Bromion caprini Bonin 1969 nom. nud.; Festucion illyricae (Horvat 1974) Trinajstić 2000; Hippocrepido glaucae-Stipion austroitalicae Forte et Terzi in Forte, Perrino et Terzi 2005; Hypochoeridion maculatae Horvatić 1973 nom. inval.; Saturejion subspicatae (Horvat 1974) Horvatić 1975; Scorzonerion villosae Horvatić 1963.

References

Barbero M., Loisel R., 1972. Contribution à l’étude des pelouses à Brome méditerranéennes et méditerranéo-montagnardes. Ann. Inst. Bot. Cavanilles, 28: 91-166.

Horvatić S., 1958. Geographisch-typologische Gliederung der Niederungs-Wiesen und Weiden Kroatiens. Panzengeographischen Gebiete Kroatiens. Angew Panzensoziol., 15: 63-73.

Horvatić S., 1973. Syntaxonomic analysis of the vegetation of dry grassland and stony meadows in eastern Adriatic coastal Karts district based on the latest phytocoenological research. Fragm. Herb. Jugosl., 32: 1-15.

Ritter-Studnička H., 1967. Reliktgesellschaften auf Dolomitböden in Bosnien und der Hercegovina. Plant Ecol., 15: 190-212.

Royer J.M., 1991. Synthèse eurosibérienne, phytosociologique et phytogéographique de la classe des Festuco-Brometea. Diss. Bot., 178: 1-296.

Ubaldi D., 2003. Elementi di Geobotanica e Fitosociologia (Elements of Geobotany and Phytosociology). CLUEB, Bologna. 334 pp.

Weber H.E., Moravec J., Theurillat J.P., 2000. International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 3rd edition. J. Veg. Sci., 11: 739-768.



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Functional plant trait variation along a regeneration chronosequence in submediterranean Ostrya car-pinifolia forests

A. Vitanzi1, F.M. Tardella1, A. Catorci1, V. Hršak2

1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy2Department of Botany, University of Zagreb - Marulićev trg 20/II, HR-10000 Zagreb, CroatiaCorresponding author: [email protected]

The aim of this paper is to describe functional shifts in the herb layer of submediterranean Ostrya carpinifolia coppiced forests (central Italy) along a coppicing rotation cycle, and, more specifically, to: i) understand which traits characterize each regeneration stage; ii) relate the pattern of trait variation with the environmental change along the regenerative chronosequence. Species cover percentage and time since last logging were recorded in 54 plots (20 x 20 m) with homogeneous ecological conditions. Relevés, ordered on the basis of the time since the last coppicing event and grouped into three age classes, were analysed with regard to variation of trait modes, based on species abundance. Differences in light, temperature, soil moisture, and nutrients bioin-dication values between consecutive regeneration stages were tested using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test. Multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) revealed statistically significant separation between young and intermediate-aged stands with regard to most traits. Indicator species analysis (ISA) highlighted dif-ferential trait modes, which were filtered, along the chronosequence, by changes in environmental parameters (i.e., light intensity). The pattern of trait change is related to strategies aimed to avoid stress and competition and to optimize uptake of resources and energy saving. Young stands were differentiated by short cycle species that only propagated by sexual reproduction and had low seed weight, summer green and overwintering green leaves, and a long flowering duration. Intermediate-aged and mature stands were characterized by trait modes associated with early leaf and flower production, high persistence in time, and preferential allocation to storage (e.g., geophytes, rhizomes, and mesomorphic/hygromorphic leaves).



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Phytocoenoses of common spruce (Picea abies Karst.) in the subalpine belt of Croatia

J. Vukelić1, A. Alegro2, D. Baričević1, V. Šegota3, I. Šapić1

1Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb - Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia2Faculty of Sciences, University of Zagreb - Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia3Institute for Research and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems - Jagodno 100a, 10415 Novo Ćiće, CroatiaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Phytocoenoses of common spruce in the subalpine belt of Croatia are predominantly developed on the carbonate parent material of Risnjak, Velika Kapela and northern Velebit, at altitudes above 1,200 m. They are decisively impacted by edaphic and local micro-climatic factors which favour spruce in relation to much better represented climatozonal subalpine beech forests. The Croatian Dinaric mountain range is relatively low. Here, the spruce does not build a vegetation belt, nor does it form large complexes of coherent stands. An important feature of spruce forests growing on the Croatian Dinaric range is that, floristically, they differ from the rest of the Dinaric area in the southeast of Europe. Moreover, the mountain massifs of Gorski Kotar and Velebit also differ from one another. Going from the north-west towards the southeast of the Dinaric range, the participation of alpine-boreal and central European species is decreasing or these species are even disappearing, while Illyrian and Balkan species are gradually making their presence or are increasing in number (Zupančić, 1980; 1999; Vukelić et al., 2010a, 2010b).The article describes three associations, which are compared with one another and with other related Dinaric spruce communities (Acceto, 2006; Zupančič, 1980, 1999; Fukarek, 1964; Stefanović, 1970). Spruce subal-pine forests of western Croatia (Risnjak, a part of Velika Kapela) are to a large extent similar to spruce forests in the Dinaric part of Slovenia. Due to the larger share of “spruce-picetal” species, they have already been described within the association Lonicero caeruleae-Piceetum Zupančič (1976) 1999.The other two associations are distributed mainly on northern Velebit. The association Hyperico grisebachii-Piceetum (Bertović 1975) Vukelić et al. 2010 extends for the most part at altitudes above 1,400 m and often occupies impassable, distinctly rocky tops and upper steep, stony and exposed slopes. Therefore, its diffe-rential species are also characterized by subalpine rocky sites of open canopies. The association Laserpitio krapfii-Piceetum abietis Vukelićś, Alegro et Šegota 2010 is developed as the terminal stage of the altimontane and subalpine belt. It inhabits rocky, northern, cold and shady slopes between 1,100 and 1,500 m. It differs from other spruce phytocoenoses by lesser participation of species of the class Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1939 em Zupančič 1976 and lower units; however, it is richer with species from zonal subalpine spruce forests (order Fagetalia Pawl. 1928) and high vegetation (order Adenostyletalia G. et J. Br.-Bl. 1931). References

Accetto M., 2006. Campanulo justinianae-Piceetum abietis var. ass. Nov. v Dinarskem gorstvu južne Slove-nije. SAZU, Razprave, XLVII-1: 65-101.

Fukarek P., 1964. Fitocenološka istraživanja Igmana. Elaborat, Sarajevo.Stefanović V., 1970. Die Fichte und Fichtenwäder in Bosnien und Herzegovina in den egetationsverhältnissen

der Dinariden. Ekologija, 5/1: 1-13.Vukelić J., Alegro A., Šegota V., 2010a. Altimontansko-subalpska smrekova šuma s obrubljenim gladcem

(Laserpiti krapfii-Piceetum abietis ass. nova) na sjevernom Velebitu (Hrvatska). Šumarski list, CXXXIV 5-6: 211-228.

Vukelić J., Alegro A., Šegota V., Šapić I., 2010b. Nomenklaturno-fitocenološka analiza asocijacije Calama-grostio variae-Piceetum dinaricum Bertović 1975 nom illeg. U Hrvatskoj. Šumarski list, CXXXIV, 11-12: 559-568.

Zupančič M., 1980. Smrekovi gozdovi v mraziščih dinarskega gorstva Slovenije. SAZU, Dela 24: 1-262.Zupančič, M., 1999. Smrekovi gozdovi Slovenije. SAZU, Dela 36: 1-222.



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The role of landscape heterogeneity: a multi-scale approach to woodland bird distribution

L. Zapponi1, L. Luiselli2, M. Cento3, A. Catorci4, M. Bologna1 1 Environmental Biology Department, Roma Tre University - V.le Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy2 Centre of Environmental Studies Demetra s.r.l. - Via Olona 7, 00198 Rome, Italy 3 Via Englen 35, 00165 Rome, Italy4 School of Environmental Sciences, UNICAM - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Environmental fragmentation leads to the transformation of continuous habitats in several patches, separated from each other by a habitat different from the original that is generally dened matrix (Wilcove et al., 1986). Fragmented woodland patches were initially assimilated to islands, surrounded by a uniform non-habitat, and were therefore studied applying theories describing insular fauna dynamics (e.g., MacArthur & Wilson). This view has recently been questioned, underlying the role of the matrix for the functionality of the residual patches and therefore for species persistence (Prugh et al., 2008). The aim of the present study is the investigation of the relationship existing between bird species distribution and landscape heterogeneity, to examine the inuence of matrix composition and conguration, and patch structure on the community assemblages of residual woods. Bird communities were sampled with point counts in 24 downy oak (Quercus pubescens) woods, in a heterogeneous area of approximately 100,000 ha in the Marche Region (Italy). Distribution patterns were analysed considering both assemblage and guild-level responses. The spatial structure of the sample sites was studied through circular sample plots. Aerial photographs and the area vegetation map (Catorci et al., 2007) were used to describe and quantify landscape patterns. Four classes of land cover were identied (woodland, cropland, hedges, shrubs, grassland and anthropic areas) and mapped with GIS. Two softwares were employed to describe the landscape conguration according to the developed map, Patch Analyst and Image Analyzer. The contemporaneous consideration of patch and landscape scales led to the emergence of different driving forces, contemporaneously shaping the community structure. Matrix composition and conguration inuenced species composition, and landscape structural connectivity was a key determinant of species occurrence. The structure of the patches was irrelevant for bird communities considered as a whole but did matter when they were subdivided in guilds. Species with different life-history traits responded to a combination of patch and landscape factors, suggesting the occurrence of habitat compensation phenomena. The smaller and poorer sites tended to contain subsets of the species present in bigger and richer woods, showing a signicant nested pattern that mostly involved generalist species. The matrix holds the capability to at least mitigate the effects of isolation and habitat loss, if its management, and hence its permeability, allows animal movement. The conservation of its semi-natural elements, derived from agriculture abandonment, can allow the persistence of bird communities in residual patches otherwise too poor and small to sustain viable populations.

References

Catorci A., Biondi E., Casavecchia S., Pesaresi S., Vitanzi A., Foglia M., Galassi S., Pinzi M., Angelini E., Bianchelli M., Ventrone F., Cesaretti S., Gatti R., 2007. La Carta della vegetazione e degli elementi di paesaggio vegetale delle Marche (scala 1:50.000) per la progettazione e la gestione della rete ecologica regionale. In: Atti del 43° congresso della Società Italiana Scienza della Vegetazione; “L’applicazione della Direttiva Habitat in Italia e in Europa”. Fitosociologia, 44 (2) suppl. 1: 115-118.

Prugh L., Hodges K., Sinclair R., Brashares J., 2008. Effect of habitat area and isolation on fragmented animal populations. PNAS, 105 (52): 20770-20775.

Wilcove D.S., Mclellan C.H., Dobson A.P., 1986. Habitat fragmentation in the temperate zone. In: Soulé M.E. (ed.), Conservation Biology. The Science of Scarcity and Diversity. Sinauer: 237-256.



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Posters

The database of deciduous forests vegetation in Peninsular ItalyA. Catorci, L. Cancellieri, M. Cutini, S. Fascetti, B. Paura, L. Rosati .................................................................34

Dynamics of upper timberline in Monti Sibillini National ParkA. Catorci, W. Scapin, F.M. Tardella, A. Vitanzi ....................................................................................................35

Variability in leaf functional traits in contrasting mountain grassland, central Apennines, ItalyS. Chelli, C. Wellstein, G. Campetella, S. Bartha, F. Spada, R. Canullo .............................................................36

The variations of water level stations in marshy woodland of Alnus glutinosa (Carici ripariae-Alnetum glutinosae) in the Sulmona Basin, (Abruzzo, central Italy)K. Cianfaglione ....................................................................................................................................................37

Beech forests vegetation in the Učka nature park (Croatia)J. Franjić, Ž. Škvorc, D. Krstonošić, K. Sever, I. Alešković ..................................................................................38

Experiments in recovery of autochthonous grasses germplasm of north-center Apennines (Italy) secondary grasslandM. Galié, M. Bianchelli, P. Soriano, E. Estrelles, E. Biondi ..................................................................................39

Preliminary analyses of the Orotemperate and Criotemperate grasslands of the Umbria-Marche Apennine (Marches Region - central Italy)R. Gatti, S. Ballelli, L. Carotenuto, S. Cesaretti, A. Catorci .................................................................................40

Ecological and phytogeographical differentiation of oak-hornbeam forests in southeastern EuropeP. Košir, A. Čarni, E. Biondi, S. Casavecchia, Ž. Škvorc, L. Zivkovic .................................................................41

Inuence of introduced Norway spruce on vegetation in submontane beech forestsA. Marinšek, A. Čarni, P. Košir, U. Šilc ..................................................................................................................42

The habitats of Forsythia europaea Deg. et Bald. in the territory of Kosovo F. Millaku, G. Hoti, E. Krasniqi, A. Shala, Sh. Ukaj .............................................................................................43

The map of environmental units of Monti Sibillini National Park (central Italy)F. Pedrotti ...................................................................................................................................................................44

The map of real vegetation and the map of dynamical tendencies in the vegetation of Torricchio Nature ReserveF. Pedrotti ...................................................................................................................................................................45

Morphology and ecology of Genista radiata (L.) Scop. and Cytisus purpureus Scop., outlined on specimens in south-Tyrol (Italy)T. Peer ........................................................................................................................................................................46

Diversity and distribution of Sorbus spp. in CroatiaI. Poljak, M. Idžojtić, M. Zebec, I. Šapić ................................................................................................................47

Ecological differentiation of the forest communities on Mt. Medvednica, central CroatiaZ. Sedlar, S. Marekoviæ, V. Šegota, A. Alegro, V. Hršak .......................................................................................48

Plant-soil relations on grasslands in horse pastures on Nagymező, HungaryS. Szentes, A. Barczi, B. Czitrovszky, M. Harcsa, K. Penksza ..............................................................................49

Management effects in the North Adriatic pastoral landscape (Ćićarija, Croatia)I. Vitasović Kosić, F.M. Tardella, A. Catorci ..........................................................................................................50

Analysis of family Umbelliferae from Carl Studniczka’s herbariumD. Vladoviæ, N. Ževrnja, B. Mitiæ ..........................................................................................................................51



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The database of deciduous forests vegetation in Peninsular Italy

A. Catorci1, L. Cancellieri2, M. Cutini2, S. Fascetti3, B. Paura4, L. Rosati3

1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino, (MC), Italy2 Dept. of Environmental Biology, University of “Roma Tre” - Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Roma, Italy3Dept. of Biology, Plant Protection and Agro-Forestry Biotecnologies, University of Basilicata - Via dell’Ate-neo Lucano, 85100 Potenza, Italy4Dept. SAVA, University of Molise - Via De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Thousands of phytosociological relevés have been made all over the world (Rodwell, 1995) but several natio-nal vegetation surveys are under way to formulate syntaxonomic classication systems (Mucina, 1997; Chytrý and Rafajová, 2003). The existence of large databases is fundamental to improve ecological and phytogeo-graphical information to build a ‘natural’ syntaxonomic scheme. In different parts of Europe, deciduous forest has already well studied and interpreted in phytosociological meaning at regional scale, nevertheless a broader scale approach is often missing.The aim of this project was to collect relevés of the thermophylous and mesophylous oak forest belonging to the Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae and Fagetalia sylvaticae orders to perform numerical analysis and to melt with other SE-European databases to obtain an efciently broad scale classication. At rst, we focus on mixed deciduous forests dominated by Quercus cerris, surveyed along the Italian Peninsula and classied in several associations, localized from ood plane to montane belt in different litho-morphological conditions. The project was based on selected published (and unpublished) relevés recorded according to Braun-Blanquet approach and stored in a TURBOVEG database (Hennekens and Schaminée, 2001). Nowadays, approximately 800 relevés of forest vegetation dominated (or co-dominated) by Q. cerris surveyed in the central and southern Italy were stored in the database. In the rst step we tried to:(a) evaluate the variation in species composition following geographical and environmental gradient;(b) identify diagnostic species by applying numerical classication techniques;(c) discuss the possible syntaxonomic alternative and provide a scientic basis for a south-european forest classication.

References

Chytrý M., Rafajová M., 2003. Czech National Phytosociological Database: basic statistics of the available vegetation-plot data. Preslia, 75: 1-15.

Hennekens S. M., Schaminée J. H. J., 2001. TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data. J. Veg. Sci., 12: 589-591.

Mucina L., 1997. Classication of vegetation: Past, present and future. J. Veg. Sci., 8: 751-760.Rodwell J.S., 1995. The European Vegetation Survey questionnaire: an overview of phytosociological data,

vegetation survey programmes and databases in Europe. Ann. Bot. (Roma), 53: 87-98.



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Dynamics of upper timberline in Monti Sibillini National Park

A. Catorci1, W. Scapin2, F.M. Tardella1, A. Vitanzi1

1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy2School of Advanced Studies, PhD Course in Environmental Sciences and Public Health, University of Came-rino - Via Lili 55, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Despite several studies on the timberline dynamics in Europe were carried out in the last decades, very few papers refer to mountain areas where the timberline is composed of broadleaved trees, and no research was conducted on the dynamics of Apennine beech timberline in relation to seedling survival. The research aim was to analyze the beech wood timberline dynamism in the central Apennines (Monti Sibillini National Park), and, more specically, to verify whether successional processes occur above timberline, assess beech seedling survival, and identify the factors that affect seedling survival. To assess the forest ecotone dynamism, vegeta-tion layer cover, rock fragment cover and information about forest management and krummholz occurrence were collected in sampling plots placed over 1,600 m a.s.l., on north-facing slopes. The beech seedlings occur-ring in Brachypodium genuense-dominated stands above the timberline were counted and monitored along two growing seasons. Soil temperature, soil moisture, and photosynthetically active radiation available for seedlings (PHAR) in grasslands above timberline were measured. The research outputs indicate that timberline is not a natural boundary and that there is no evidence of its extension upwards. The greatest number of beech seedlings was recorded in late spring. The one-year mortality rate ranged between 67% and 100%. None of the seedlings still alive in the early autumn of the rst year were recorded in the following spring. The low soil moisture during summer and the competitive exclusion by Brachypodium genuense individuals, which limit the incident PHAR, and probably also water and nutrient availability, were identied as the main factors that account for the high mortality of seedlings and affect beech regeneration above timberline.



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Variability in leaf functional traits in contrasting mountain grassland, central Apennines, Italy

S. Chelli1, Wellstein C.2, Campetella G.1, Bartha S.3, Spada F.4, Canullo R.1

School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy2University of Bayreuth, Department of Biogeography, Bayreuth, Germany3Hungarian Academy of Science, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary4University “Sapienza”, Department of Environmental Biology, Rome, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

As sessile organisms, plants are renowned for their plasticity both within species and individuals. Many studies demonstrated that such abilities have effect in different ecological processes such as community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. In this contribution, we wanted to test how leaf traits of some selected species respond to the variation of abiotic parameters. The eld work was carried out in the Torricchio Nature Reserve, in the central Apennines (Italy), where two contrasting grassland sites were selected: (A) a northwest facing slope with a closed and dense grassland vegetation of the Seslerio nitidae-Brometum erecti association, and (B) a south east facing slope with eroded and open grassland vegetation with higher runoff activity, shallow and and unstable soil, belonging to Asperulo purpureae-Brometum erecti association. We selected four species with different life history in both communities: Sesleria nitida, Lotus corniculatus, Astragalus sempervirens and Thymus longicaulis. In each site and for each species we randomly select 30 healthy adult individuals. The following leaf traits were measured according to standardised procedures: Specic Leaf Area (SLA), Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC), Leaf Mass per Area (LMA). In the exact position of each individual, three abiotic parameters were measured: sun-light reaching the canopy (PAR); soil moisture (%); soil temperature (C°). Results show that light is strongly correlated to SLA and LMA only in the site A, where it represents a limiting factor, while soil temperature is equally correlated to SLA and LMA in both sites. The role of soil moisture in determining SLA and LMA is most important in site B. LDMC appears to be less correlated to these abiotic parameters with the exception of the light in site B. These differences suggest that in site B plants are cha-racterized by slower growing rates, longer leaf turnover, thicker laminas and lower photosynthetic capacity. In conclusion, the individuals of the site B invest more in structural strength and secondary leaf defences, have lower herbivores palatability and are better equipped to cope with environmental stress.



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The variations of water level stations in marshy woodland of Alnus glutinosa (Carici ripariae-Alnetum glutinosae) in the Sulmona Basin, (Abruzzo, central Italy)

K. Cianfaglione C.E.A “Renzo Videsott”, University of Camerino - Via Gioco del Pallone 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The Sulmona basin (province of L’Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy), also known as Valle Peligna, is characteri-zed by calcareous and argillaceous uvial-lacustrine deposits. The bottom of the basin is almost completely cultivated and built-up, but still there are a few strips of azonal natural vegetation formed by marshy vegeta-tion of Alnus glutinosa (Carici ripariae-Alnetum glutinosae) belonging to the Alnetea glutinosae class (Cian-faglione, 2009). In this work we present the water level variation in the Carici ripariae-Alnetum glutinosae during one year of observations (2009/2010). This association is developed in some bottom valley depressions. The measuring for monitoring water level was in 4 depressions. Measurements 1 and 2 were executed in Bagnaturo - Villa Giovina Locality: 1- in alder marshy wood on the right side of the Velletta river; 2- in the left side of the river, just downstream from the previous. The remarks 3 and 4 was taken in Roccacasale, carried out in a strip between Velletta and Sagittario rivers: 3- in a more high terrace: 4- in the lowest part, near the previous. For each measurement site, remarks were always made on the same xed points. Supply random measurements have revealed the discontinuous proles of the territory, marking the deepest and highest points. In the rst station the variation was from +10 (August - September) to +40 cm (December - February); in the second was from +0/3 (July - October) to +120 cm (December); the third was from 0 (July - October) to +40 cm (January - February) and the fourth was from 0 (July - October) to +50 cm (January - March). After this we can see that the water level has a maximum level in winter and a minimum in summer; the water level is related to rainfall, which in the Valle Peligna are typically Mediterranean, with a strong reduction in summer; the average annual rainfall for the Sulmona basin is between 600 and 800 mm per year. In remarks 1 and 2 are to be reported the presence of some limnocrenic springs with low ow rate but relatively constant. In remarks 3 and 4 in the summer, when there is 0 level of water, the soil remains always moist. In all measurement lands the deepest points are almost always ooded during the year. These hydrological conditions allows the develop-ment of some species like Carex riparia, Filipendula ulmaria, Scrophularia umbrosa, Gallium palustre, Iris pseudacorus, Solanum dulcamara, etc. The obtained data are in agreement with those known in the literature (e.g.: Mucina et al., 1993) for Middle Europe.

References

Cianfaglione K., 2009. The hygrophilous vegetation of the Sulmona basin (Abruzzo, Italy). Contributii Bota-nice, XLIV: 49-56.

Mucina L., Grabherr G., Wallnöfer S., 1993. Die Panzengesellschaften Österreichs. Teil III. Wälder und Gebüsche. Stoccarda, ed. Fischer.



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Beech forests vegetation in the UĀka nature park (Croatia)

J. Franjić, Ž. Škvorc, D. Krstonošić, K. Sever, I. AleškovićFaculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb - Svetošimunska 25, 10000 ZagrebCorresponding author: [email protected]

The area of Učka Nature Park is comprised of the Učka massif and part of Ćićarija and is characterized by its specic position on the border of Continental and Mediterranean climatic inuence. One of the main characte-ristics of this area are beech forests. A total of 121 vegetational relevés have been made following the standard Braun-Blanquet method. Numeri-cal analyses of oristic composition were conducted and the relevés have been compared with the relevés of Aremonio-Fagion alliance from the surrounding area of Croatia and Slovenia. For description of ecological conditions Pignatti’s indicator values were used.The following plant associations of beech forests have been established: Seslerio autumnali-Fagetum M. Wraber ex Borhidi 1963, Ranunculo platanifolii-Fagetum Marinček et al. 1993 and Omphalodo-Fagetum (Tregubov 1957) Marinček et al. 1993. Seslerio autumnali-Fagetum is widely distributed across studied area and forms a continuous vegetation belt from 800 to 1150 m. Here it occurs on all aspects and slopes. On lower altitudes (700-800 m) it occurs in separate stands on mesophilous habitats surrounded by vegetation of Ostryo-Carpinion. A part of the relevés from this association differs from the typical stands with high proportion and coverage of the thermophilous species (Ostrya carpinifolia, Acer obtusatum, Sorbus aria, Tanacetum corymbosum and others). These stands usually occur on lower altitudes and they have developed by succession of ass. Seslerio-Ostryetum. In the southernmost part of the Učka Nature Park, on a small area specic stands of beech forest are deve-loped surrounded by the thermophilous vegetation of Ostryo-Carpinion. These are the warmest habitats of beech forests in the studied area on deep and moisture soil. Such specic habitat features as well as proxi-mity of Ostryo-Carpinion vegetation lead to interesting combination of thermophilous (Ostryo-Carpinion) and mesophilous (Lamio orvalae-Fagenion) species.Ass. Ranunculo platanifolii-Fagetum is developed in the highest parts of the Park. On Vojak it forms more or less a compact complex intermittent by some patches of ass. Seslerio-Fagetum on thermophilous microlo-calities, while on other sites it occurs in isolated stands with more humid and cooler microclimate on higher altitudes within the ass. Seslerio-Fagetum. In general, this association occurs on the highest altitudes, largest terrain slopes and in coldest habitats. Stands of this association on investigated area are very poor in their oristic composition in comparison to the other areas where this association occurs. This can be explained by the fact that Učka is a mountain which rises directly from the sea and is subjected to the inuence of the Mediterranean climate from almost all directions. Besides, the mountain massif above 1,100 m is very small and there is not enough space which could create favourable conditions for the growth of higher number of high-mountain species.



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Experiments in recovery of autochthonous grasses germplasm of north-center Apennines (Italy) second-ary grassland

M. Galié1, M. Bianchelli1, P. Soriano2, E. Estrelles2, E. Biondi1

1Germplasm Bank for the ex-situ conservation of Anadriatic species (ASSB), Interdepartmental Centre of Botanical Garden “Selva di Gallignano”, Marche Polytechnic University - Contrada Selva, 60020 Gallignano (AN), Italy2ICBiBE-Jardí Botànic, University of Valencia - Calle Quart 80 46008 Valencia, SpainCorresponding author: [email protected]

The aim of this research is the recovery of the autochthonous germplasm of some grasses of Apennine secon-dary grassland. The need of this work derives from the difculty, or rather the impossibility, in nding seeds of autochthonous population to use in project of natural environments restoration.The use of seeds acquirable on the market determines the introduction of clones and varieties allied to the autochthonous ones which could interbreed with, leading to genetic contamination.In order to obviate this serious problem, a research aimed to conservation and multiplication of Apennine grasslands autochthonous species was started.This study purposes to conserve and multiply seeds of autochthonous plants in the Germplasm Bank for the ex-situ conservation of Anadriatic species (ASSB), in order to use them for environmental restoration, especially in protected areas.In the rst phase of the research, aimed to nd information regarding germination physiology of grassland populations, Bromus erectus, Phleum bertolonii and Cynosurus cristatus germplasm was harvested in secon-dary grassland of “Sasso Simone e Simoncello” Park (PU), in the north-center Apennines.Experimental analyses were carried out to determine the possible presence of dormancy and the optimal con-ditions for germination, with reference to factors such as temperature and illumination.Such information are necessary to determine optimal species seedtime in eld cultivation, and also possible arrangement alternatives in a crop rotation, in the case of large scale production. The second part of the research, carried out during 2010 and 2011, concerned seed harvest and the study of further grass species, typical of secondary grasslands, and sampling of the same species achieved in different geographic locations of central Italy, situated at different altitudes, from Pesaro Urbino province to Molise Region. The study conducted on these populations also concerned other aspects of species physiology, espe-cially seed maturation time: this aspect is considered closely related with geographical data of sites where populations were sampled. Once known these information concerning physiology of the studied species, the last part of the research was started. This part concerned the multiplication of seeds through the preparation of appropriate cultivation par-cels at “Selva di Gallignano” Botanical Garden.The same procedure will be repeated for other species belonging to other families which are present in the same environments, in order to produce seed mixtures which could recreate the vegetational composition of secondary grassland and which could be used in projects of environmental restoration and of protection of habitats biodiversity.



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Preliminary analyses of the Orotemperate and Criotemperate grasslands of the Umbria-Marche Apen-nine (Marches Region - central Italy)

R. Gatti, S. Ballelli, L. Carotenuto, S. Cesaretti, A. CatorciSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC) ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The “Lago di Pilato” valley, is the main part of Sibillini Mountain National Park included in the subalpine belt. The study area includes the high slopes between 1800 and 2476 m a.s.l. and is characterized by limestone lithotypes (Regione Marche, 1991). From a bioclimatic point of view this area belongs to the “Temperate Region” (Rivas-Martíínez, 2004). The main features of the orotemperate belt are T ranging from 4 C° to 6 C°, and rainfall ranging from 1300 to 1500 mm/year. No summer drought stress is present while a strong winter could stress characterize the system between October and May.The phytosociological eldwork was carried out in 2005, 2006 and 2008. During this period, 101 relevés were made using the Braun-Blanquet’s phytosociological method (Braun-Blanquet, 1964; Géhu and Rivas-Martínez, 1981; Biondi et al., 2004). The matrix obtained was submitted to multivariate analysis procedure (cluster analysis using the algorithm Complete link) using the software Syntax 2000 (Podani, 2001). The phytosociological study allowed us to recognize ten different syntaxa (Seslerietum apenninae, Caricetum kitaibelianae-rupestris, Ranunculo pollinensis-Plantaginetum atratae ranunculetosum pollinensis, Luzulo ita-licae-Nardetum strictae caricetosum kitaibelianae, Taraxaco apennini-Trifolietum thalii, Carici kitaibelia-nae-Salicetum retusae, Isatido allioni-Thlaspietum stylosi, Isatido allioni-Thlaspietum stylosi papaveretosum degenii, Galio magellensis-Festucetum dimorphae, Galio magellensis-Festucetum dimorphae gentianetosum luteae) belonging to the classes Elyno-Seslerietea, Nardetea strictae, Salicetea herbaceae, and Thlaspietea rotundifolii. In conclusion, the phytosociological study allowed a preliminary syntaxonomic description of the alpine and subalpine grassland of the Monti Sibillini National Park. These results will be the basic knowledge aiming the sinecological (the study of relationships between vegetation with abiotic factors along environmental gra-dients) and functional assessment of the studied plant landscape.

References

Biondi E., Feoli F., Zuccarello V., 2004. Modelling environmental responses of plant associations: a review of some critical concepts in vegetation study. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci., 23: 149-156.

Braun-Blanquet J., 1964 - Planzensoziologie. Springer, Berlin, Wien, New York.Géhu J.M., Rivas-Martinez S., 1981. Notions fondamentales de phytosociologie. Ber. Int. Simp. Int. Vereini-

gung Vegetationsk: 5-33.Podani J., 2001. Syn-tax 2000 computer program for data analysis in ecology and systematics. Budapest.Regione Marche, 1991. L’ambiente sico delle Marche. Geologia Geomorfologia Idrogeologia. Giunta Regio-

nale. Assessorato Urbanistica e Ambiente, Ancona.Rivas-Martínez S., 2004. Global Bioclimatics (Clasicación Bioclimática de la Tierra). http://

www.globalbioclimatics.org (Versión 23-04-04; Nueva versión 27-08-04).



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Ecological and phytogeographical differentiation of oak-hornbeam forests in southeastern Europe

P. Košir1, A. Čarni1,2, E. Biondi4, S. Casavecchia4, Ž. Škvorc 3, L. Zivkovic4

1Institute of Biology, Scientic Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia3Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Croatia4Department Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The aim of the study was to establish main types of oak-hornbeam (Carpinus betulus and Quercus sp. div) forests on Apeninnes and Balkan peninsulas and southern Alps and their correlations with ecological and phytogeographical gradients in the region. Furthermore, the comparison with the major types recognized in the traditional expert-based classication was done in order to propose systematic classication of the elaborated groups.1676 relevés of oak-hornbeam forests (alliances Erythronio-Carpinion, Carpinion moesiacum, Physospermo verticillati-Quercion cerris) from the area of Apennines, Balkan peninsula and southern Alps were collected and entered in a Turboveg database. 508 relevés remainig after stratication were classied with a Modied Two Way Indicator Species Analysis which resulted in 4 main phytogeographically interpretable clusters, such as; 1. southern Apennines, 2. northern-central and central Apennines, 3. central-southern Balkan and 4. north-western Balkan and southern Alps, further divided into subclusters.Pignatti indicator values for relevés of each subcluster were subjected to PCA to show ecological relationship among subclusters and the spectra of geo-elements were calculated to show phytogeographical relationship between them. The diagnostic species combination was calculated by a delity measure (phi-coefcient) and presented in a synoptic table. Systematic classication of the elaborated groups is proposed.



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Inuence of introduced Norway spruce on vegetation in submontane beech forests

A. Marinšek1,2, A. Čarni1,3, P. Košir1,4, U. Šilc1

1Institute of Biology, SRC SASA - Novi trg 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2The Higher Vocational College for Forestry and Hunting - Ljubljanska 2, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia3University of Nova Gorica - Vipavska 13, Rožna Dolina, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia4University of Primorska - Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper, SloveniaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) was for various reasons an actively introduced tree species in the past, even on sites unsuitable for its growth. This is the reason why in Slovenia there is about 30 % of forests with altered tree species composition. This causes various environmental changes and problems in forest management. Most problematic are spruce monocultures and the high proportion of spruce in natural forests, above all at the altitudes of up to 700 metres. Such stands are biologically and mechanically unstable and the-refore likely to suffer from windbreakage, snowbreakage, bark beetle attacks and other negative phenomena.Due to our hypothesis that spruce considerably changes the ecological conditions, species composition of herb layer and development of the soil, we tried to answer the questions: how the increase in the proportion of spruce (as a result of plantation and natural rejuvenation) affects the species composition and soil characteristic and which is the highest proportion of spruce that still allows the naturalness of the forest to remain relatively unchanged? The impact of spruce cover on natural stands of beech was studied on the site of the association Hacquetio-Fagetum Košir 1962 community (submontane beech forest) in the SE part of Slovenia. 40 sample plots in the size of 20 x 20 metres in the homogeneous mature stands with different proportion (%) of introduced spruce in the tree layer were selected. Relevés were made according to the standard central-european method. Pedological samples (25) were systematically extracted at the depth of 0-10 cm, using the ISO/DIS 10381-4 method. Processing of data was made in JUICE programme, CANOCO 4.5 and PC-ORD 5.0.Some results: The difference between pure stands of beech and spruce and other stands with different propor-tion of spruce, is particularly in moisture and temperature. PCA, which includes only relevés with sampled soil, show that sum of basic cations is smaller in pure spruce stands. Beech stands with proportion of spruce 5-30 % seem to have the highest value of pH and Ca. Not expected, the number of species increased with higher proportion of spruce.



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The habitats of Forsythia europaea Deg. et Bald. in the territory of Kosovo

F. Millaku, G. Hoti, E. Krasniqi, A. Shala, Sh. Ukaj Dep. of Biology, FMNS, Pristina University, Republic of KosovoCorresponding author: [email protected]

During 2009-2010, we have investigated the habitats of species Forsythia europaea Deg. et Bald. in Kosovo, and we concluded that this species grows in scope of the following habitats: Mediterranean-Montane deci-duous brushwood, continental and sub-continental deciduous shrubs and subcontinental Balkan deciduous shrubs. In scope of these habitats Forsythia europaea Deg. et Bald. creates the association Polygalo-Forsythie-tum europaeae Blečić et Krasniqi 1971. This association is spread on degraded earths, on serpentines rocks, on altitudes of 300-1000 m, on hill-slopes and valley sides, where the Mediterranean climate has a great inuence. According to Blečić et Krasniqi (1971), Rexhepi (1994), Millaku et al. (2007), this association is typical in the Rahovec area (Zatriq and Koznik), then near Prishtina (Golesh) and near Peja (Gubavc) areas. Characteristic species of this association are: Forsythia europaea, Polygala doereri and Sanguisorba albanica. Species Forsythia europaea is found also in scope of the various associations of the thermophillous and subthermophil-lous Oak deciduous forests: Erico-Quercetum petreaea serpentinicum Rexhepi 1988 and Forsythio-Qercetum petreaea D. Muratspahić-Pavlović 2003 prov. Species were determined using the required literature such as: Tutin et al. (1964 - 1980), Paparisto et al. (1992), Vangjeli et al. (2000), Micevski (1985-2005).

References

Blečić V., Krasniqi F., 1971. Zajednica endemičnog šibljaka forzicije i krtušca (Polygalo-Forsythietum euro-paeae) u jugozapadnoj Srbiji. Glas. Repub. Zav. Zaš. Prir. Muz. Titograd, 4: 35-40.

Micevski K., 1985-2005. The Flora of SR Macedonia 1-6. Makedonska Akademija na Naukite i Umetnostite, Skopje.

Millaku F., Heiselmayer P., Rexhepi F., Krasniqi E., Eichberger Ch., Hazir A., 2007. Endemic, stenoendemic and relict plants in serpentines of Kosova. Sauteria, 16: 149-162.

Paparisto K. et al., 1992. Flora e Shqipërisë 2. Akademia e Shkencave të RSH, Qendra e Kërkimeve Biolo-gjike, Tiranë.

Rexhepi F., 1994. Vegjetacioni i Kosovës (1). FSHMN, Prishtinë.Tutin T. G. et al., 1968-1980. Flora Europaea 1-5. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Vangjeli J. et al., 2000. Flora e Shqipërisë 4. Akademia e Shkencave të RSH, Instituti i Kërkimeve Biologjike,

Tiranë.



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The map of environmental units of Monti Sibillini National Park (central Italy)

F. Pedrotti University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

Using the holistic landscape ecology approach together with synthesis cartography, the territory of Monti Sibillini National Park (central Italy) was divided into elementary environmental units; that is, areas of rela-tive ecological homogeneity having a characteristic arrangement of ecosystems (Pedrotti, 1999). Mapping of the environmental units is based on analytic data regarding lithology, geomorphology, pedology, climatology, vegetation, fauna, soil use and type of human establishement (Gafta and Pedrotti, 1997). The present work employed synthesis cartography, which integrates information drawn from singles thematic maps (Martinelli, 1991, 1999; Martinelli and Pedrotti, 2001).The redundancy of the environmental units facilitated to only 26 types. Thiese environmental units are classied in 3 environmental systems (or geosigmeta) called: 1) environ-mental system of massifs and carbonatic mountain ranges of Apennines of Marche and Umbria (16 units); 2) environmental system of high hills and mountains arenaceous of Camerino synclinal and of meridional Marche (7 units); 3) environmental system of alluvial bottom valleies (1 unit). Human settlements are proposed in 2 units.

References

Gafta D., Pedrotti F., 1997. Environmental units of the Stelvio National Park as basis of its planning. Oecolo-gia Montana, 6 (1-2): 17-22.

Martinelli M., 1991. Cartograa ambiental: uma cartograa especial muito especial. Colectanea de Trabalhos Tecnicos (S. Paulo, Brasil), 2: 353-356.

Martinelli M., 1999. La cartographie environnementale: una cartographie de synthèse. Phytocoenosis, 11, suppl. Cart. Geobot., 11: 123-129.

Martinelli M., Pedrotti F., 2001. A cartograa das unidades de paisagem: questoes metodologicas. Revista Depart. Geogra Universidade Sao Paulo, 14: 39-46.

Pedrotti F., 1999. Carta delle unità ambientali dei Monti Sibillini. Firenze, Selca.



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The map of real vegetation and the map of dynamical tendencies in the vegetation of Torricchio Nature Reserve

F. Pedrotti University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

The Torricchio Nature Reserve was established by the University of Camerino in 1970 in a 317 hectare area in the Apennines of the Marches region, central Italy. The Torricchio Reserve is an integral reserve dedicated entirely to nature conservation and scientic research. Since Torricchio is an integral reserve, no intervention whatsoever is undertaken and the territory is completely abandoned to the ecological processes underway (regeneration and secondary succession). The Torricchio Reserve is between 820 and 1491 meters above sea level in the central Apennines; in terms of phytogeography it is in the eurosiberian region. Annual precipita-tion measured at a station located at 1,130 meters at Casale Piscini, are of 1,750 mm and the average annual temperature of 8.6 °C. The rocky formations are all sedimentary type (carbonatic rocks). The vegetation is composed at rst of woodlands (Scutellario-Ostryetum carpinifoliae in the hilly belt, Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae in the mountain belt), shrubs (Prunetalia order, Cytision sessilifolii alliance), xeric prairies (many associations of Brometalia order) and mesophilous prairies (Colchico lusitani-Cynosuretum cristati). Also the series of vegetation (sigmeta) have been identied, and megageoseries. In the reserve have been maked some geobotanical maps, including the map of the real vegetation (natural actual vegetation) and the map of the dynamic tendencies of vegetation, booth at scale of 1:10,000. The real vegetation map is a tosociological map that represent the vegetal associations. The main dynamic processes are: woodlands are affected by rege-neration, xeric prairies of secondary succession, mesophylous prairies with antropogenic uctuation, and some areas under past overgraziong with the regression process.



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Morphology and ecology of Genista radiata (L.) Scop. and Cytisus purpureus Scop., outlined on speci-mens in south-Tyrol (Italy)

T. Peer Department of Organism Biology, University of Salzburg - Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, AustriaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Genista radiata and Cytisus purpureus are rare plants among the south-Tyrolean ora. They are restricted on small areas south of Bolzano, where they are members of the submontane hop-hornbeam and manna ash woods, the montane Scots pine woods, and the subalpine lime meadows. G. radiata is an extreme xeromorphic cushion-like, twiggy broom with decussate, small trifoliate, caducous leaves, and green, assimilating shoots. Stomata are deepened between shoot ridges and covered with hairs. Typical are collateral side buds from the second year on, from them persistent side shoots arise. Their apexes suberize over time and sometimes they are acanthoid. In contrast, C. purpureus is a non-woody, mesomorphic pleiocorm shrub with only vegetative erect side shoots at rst. Later on, oriferous short shoots as well as - and this is particularly noticeable - proliferating shoots with long-stemmed trifoliate leaves arise. They are part of the raceme and may enhance the assimilating leaf area. As both plants develop side shoots, they contribute to an effective vegetative spe-cies spread. According to the canonical correspondence analyses (CCA), altitude and shadowing are the most important environment factors explaining size of population, abundance, and morphological traits. In con-trast to the C. purpureus, the G. radiata prefer steep and sunny slopes within the montane/subalpine ecotone between Scots pine forests (Erico-Pinetum) and lime meadows (mainly with Festuca alpestris). The C. pur-pureus has it best growth under shadowing brush woods of the submontane belt. With increasing altitude, plant height and frequency decrease, whereas hairiness on leaves signicantly increases. However, even at an altitude of 1786 m C. purpureus sporadically occur (partly together with Dryas octopetala, Genista radiata and Pinus mugo). Because of the high ecological variability and wide distribution range of G. radiata (south-eastern Alps with some disjunct stations in the western Alps and on the northern and central Apennines), this broom is assigned to various classes, such as Querco-Fagetea, Erico-Pinetea, Rhamno-Prunetea, Trifolio-Geranietea, Festuco-Brometea, and Elyno-Seslerietea (Peer 1984; Biondi et al. 2004; Poldini et al., 2004). The sites are characterized by high precipitation and snow fall what is not in accordance with the xeromorphic feature of the twiggy-broom, and has to be considered as an inherited character from specimens living in the southeast Anatolian ancestral homeland. Phylogenetically, the G. radiata group belongs to the monophyletic section Spartocarpus which ranges from Turkey to Spain and north-Africa, respectively, and displays a con-centration of characters generally considered derived (Rizzi-Longo and Feoli-Chiapella, 1994). In contrast, C. purpureus is restricted on small patches between the Julian Alps and the Bergamaschi Prealps. The phylogeny is not clear so far, but according to Cristofolini (1976) C. purpureus is a derived species from the C. ratisbo-nensis, belonging to the section Tubocytisus, which origin is the lower Danube basin.

References

Biondi E., Pinzi M., Gubellini L., 2004. Vegetazione e paesaggio vegetale del Massiccio del Monte Cucco (Appennino centrale - Dorsale Umbro-Marchigiana). Fitosociologia, 41: 3-81.

Cristofolini G., 1967. I Citisi italiani della sezione “Tubocytisus” DC. Webbia, 30: 257-283. Peer T., 1984: Verbreitung und Gesellschaftsanschluss von Genista radiata (L.) Scop. in Südtirol (Italien). Acta

Bot. Croat., 43: 301-306. Poldini L., Oriolo G., Francescato C., 2004. Mountain pine scrubs and heaths with Ericaceae in the south-

eastern Alps. Plants Biosystems, 138: 53-85. Rizzi-Longo L., Feoli-Chiapella L., 1994. Contribution to the systematics of Genista L. Sect. Sparocarpus

Spach (Genisteae, Fabaceae) with emphasis on palynological data. Studia Geobot., 14: 41-62.



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Diversity and distribution of Sorbus spp. in Croatia

I. Poljak, M. Idžojtić, M. Zebec, I. Šapić Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb - Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaCorresponding author: [email protected]

The genus Sorbus encompasses about 200 species widespread in the northern hemisphere. According to Hegi (1995), it can be divided into 5 subgenera: Cormus, Aria, Torminaria, Sorbus and Chamaemespilus. Species of the genus Sorbus belong to noble hardwoods. Some have valuable and high quality wood, while some have edible fruits, due to which they have been cultivated for centuries. Generally, species of the genus Sorbus are important for the biodiversity of a region.In Croatia they grow in different environmental conditions and are widespread in the mountainous, subalpine and Mediterranean regions. According to Flora Europaea (Tutin et al., 1968) there are 13 different taxa wide-spread on Croatian territory, while Kárpáti (1960) lists 14 different taxa to the level of varieties for Croatia. The most common species in Croatia are: Sorbus aria, S. domestica, S. aucuparia and S. torminalis; some taxa are endemic, rare and insufciently known: S. velebitica, S. aria subsp. lanifera and S. austriaca subsp. croatica.In terms of taxonomy the status of taxa in the Sorbus genus has not been fully resolved and a thorough revision of the genus is necessary. The subgenus Aria has the most complex taxonomic status in Croatia, as well as in the rest of Europe.European Forest Genetics Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) adopted guidelines for the conservation of genetic resources of noble hardwoods, including Sorbus domestica (Rotach, 2003) and Sorbus torminalis (Demesure-Musch and Oddou-Muratorio, 2004). Assessing the genetic diversity of these species in Croatia is of great importance for the conservation of their genetic resources.In this paper were presented species of the genus Sorbus native to Croatian ora, their distribution range, taxonomy status issues and guidelines for the conservation of their genetic diversity.

References

Demesure-Musch B., Oddou-Muratorio S., 2004. EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for genetic conservation and use for wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy, pp. 6.

Hegi G., 1995. Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa. Band IV, Teil 2B Spermatophyta: Angiospermae: Dicotyle-dones 2 (3). Blackwell Wissenschafts Verlag, Berlin: 328-385.

Kárpáti Z., 1960. Die Sorbus-Arten Ungarns und der angrenzenden Gebiete. Feddes Repertorium - specierum novarum regni vegetabilis, 62 (2-3): 71-334.

Rotach P., 2003. EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for genetic conservation and use for service tree (Sorbus domestica). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy, pp. 6.

Tutin T.G., Heywood V.H., Burges N.A., Moore D.M., Valentine D.H., Walters S.M., Webb D.A. (eds.), 1968. Flora Europaea, vol. 2. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: 67-71.



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Ecological differentiation of the forest communities on Mt. Medvednica, central Croatia

Z. Sedlar1, S. Marekoviæ1, V. Šegota2, A. Alegro1, V. Hršak1

1 Department of Botany with Botanical Garden, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zagreb - Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 2Institute for Research and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems - Jagodno 100a, 10415 Novo Čiće, Velika Gorica, CroatiaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Although situated in the contact zone of Alps, Dinarides and Panonian Lowland, central Croatia contains barely a few mountains higher than 1000 m. Among them, Mt. Medvednica, located in the very vicinity of the city of Zagreb, is one of the most visited Croatian protected areas, and therefore intensely affected by human activities. Nevertheless it is a still oristically highly rich area which numbers almost one fth of the total Croatian ora, including numerous endemic, relict, endangered and protected taxa. However, the key phenomena of this mountain are well preserved and diverse forests which cover about 70 % of the area. Up to present, twelve forest communities on different elevations, expositions and above different bedrock were recognized. The aim of this study was to determine the main ecological factors that determinate the diversity and distribution of the most common forest communities on Mt. Medvednica. Therefore, the research included beech and r dominated forests within Luzulo-Fagion Lohm. et R. Tx. in R. Tx. 1954 and Aremonio-Fagion (Ht. 1938) Borhidi in Tarok et al. 1989 on higher, and sessile oak, hornbeam and chestnut dominated forests within Carpinion betuli Isll. 1932 and Quercion roboris-petraeae Br.-Bl. 1932 alliances on lower altitudes, respectively. The vegetation was surveyed according to the standard central european method (Braun Blan-quet, 1964). Each of 170 relevés was described by the altitude, exposition, inclination and cover of tree, shrub and herb layers. The soil samples were analysed in order to obtain pH (H

2O), total nitrogen and phospho-

rus content, total organic matter and calcium carbonate content. Using descriptive and multivariate statistics all syntaxa were determined according to different ecological preferences. Among beech dominated forests, mixed beech and r forests on higher altitudes (ass. Festuco drymeae-Abietetum Vukeliæ et Barièeviæ 2007) are dened by higher amount of soil nitrogen and higher soil acidity. Ass. Lamio orvalae-Fagetum (Ht. 1938) Borhidi 1963 is characterised by lower acidity and higher CaCO

3 content vs. ass. Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel

1937. The forests dominated by sessile oak, hornbeam and chestnut can be differentiate on the gradient of soil acidity and cover of tree and shrub layer. The most acidophilus community is ass. Querco-Castanetum Ht. 1938, followed by ass. Luzulo-Quercetum (Hillitzer 1932) Passarge 1953 and associations belonging to all. Carpinion betuli. Since this forest belt was and still is under very human pressure, the differences in cover of tree and shrub layer among these syntaxa cannot be explained exclusively by natural environmental processes. Apparently, the increased cover of shrub layer noticed in ass. Querco-Castanetum, is likely due to stronger inuence of wood cutting and opening of canopy.

References

Horvat, 1963. Forest communities of Jugoslavia. Encyclopaedia of Forestry, 2: 560-590 (in Croatian).Hršak V., 1987. Investigation of dynamics of nitrogen in soils of some plant communities on Mt. Medvednica.

Master Thesis. Faculty of Sciences, University of Zagreb. (in Croatian).Trinajstić I., 2008. Plant communities of Croatia. Academy of Forest Sciences, Zagreb (in Croatian).Vukelić J., Baričević D., 2007. Nomenclatural-Syntaxonomic Determination of Pannonian Beech-Fir Forests

(Abieti-Fagetum “pannonicum”) in Croatia. Journal of Forestry Society, 131/9-10: 407-429. Vukelić J., Rauš D., 1998. Forest phytosociology and forest communities in Croatia. University of Zagreb,

Faculty of Forestry. Zagreb (in Croatian).



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Plant-soil relations on grasslands in horse pastures on Nagymező, Hungary

S. Szentes1, A. Barczi2, B. Czitrovszky2, M. Harcsa1, K. Penksza2

1Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Plant Production, Department of Grassland Management, Szent István University2Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Environmental and Landscape Management, Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Szent István UniversityCorresponding author: [email protected]

Pedological studies were prepared on pastures of the Nagymező area, Bükk Mountains. (NE Hungary). Exami-nations sites were designated as moving farther from the summer stable of the Lipica stud, on the sample sites of the coenological examiniations made in 1994 and 2005. Based on the pedological examinations, original, typical soil type of the area was uvisol. The area has originally been covered by forest. Thickness of the humic layer varied signicantly in the samples (60-90 cm). In some areas cambisol has become dominant and even colluvium has generated. Phosphorous and potassium content have been high (P

2O

5 321 ppm - 229 ppm, K

2O

537 ppm - 317 ppm) in the upper layer of the soil near the fold of horses, referring to concentrated presence of the animals. Besides accumulations of substances, as a consequence of intensive trampling, soils have become thin, with a decreased humic layer. Excess grazing, especially if associated with excess trampling, have led to signicant degradation of vegetation during the observed 14 years. The most serious degradation could have been detected near the summer stable of the horses and on the area directly at its gate. Here the vegeta-tion has thoroughly changed into ruderal vegetation. In the grasslands farther from the summer stable number of species has decreased, meanwhile, signicant change in species of less grazed areas could not have been detected.

References

Buzás I. (szerk.), 1993. Talaj- és agrokémiai vizsgálati módszerkönyv I. INDA 4231 Kiadó, Budapest: 357.Ercoli L., Masoni A., Mariotti M., Arduini I., 2006. Dry matter accumulation and remobilization of durum

wheat as affected by soil gravel content. Cereal Research Communications, 34 (4): 1299-1306.Lacová E., Stekauerová, V., 2007. Soil water dynamics of the hillside. Cereal Research Communications, 35:

705-706.Suba J., Kiszelyné Vámosi A., Bakalárné Sütő I., 1982. A bükki Nagymező fokozottan védett (elkerített) terü-

letének térképezése tavaszi aspektusban. Abstracta Botanica VII, Budapest.Tasi J., 2007. Diverse impacts of nature conservation grassland management. Cereal Research Communica-

tions, 35 (4): 1205-1208.Várallyay Gy., 2006. Soil degradation processes and extreme soil moisture regime as environmental problems

in the Carpathian Basin. Agrokémia és Talajtan, 55 (1-2): 9-18.



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Management effects in the north Adriatic pastoral landscape (Ćićarija, Croatia)

I. Vitasović Kosić1, F.M. Tardella2, A. Catorci2 1Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb - Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 2School of Environmental Sciences, University of Camerino - Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino (MC), ItalyCorresponding author: [email protected]

It is known that grassland management acts as driving force in plant community diversity (Kahmen et al., 2002), thus it is important for conservation aims to assess plant communities oristic and functional shifts due to management modication. The analysis of coenological composition and functional traits assessment have-proven to be useful in understanding ecosystem dynamics and properties (Scheiner, 1992), making it possible to model shifts related to management or disturbance modication (Kleyer, 1999).A trend of abandonment of the current pastoral landscape has been observed in Ćićarija mountainous plateau (Croatia), Special Protection Area of Natura 2000 network (about 1,000 hectares). A similar trend had been observed in the north Adriatic pastoral landscape as well (Poldini, 1989; Kaligarič and Poldini, 1997). The research aims were: to understand which factors drive oristic differentiation (environmental features and/or grassland management conditions) and identify the related indicator species sets; to appraise the effects of management type on the coenological and functional composition of indicator species groups. To achieve the research aims, 73 phytosociological relevés were carried out; for each of them eld data (altitude, aspect, slope, and landform), productivity measurements and information on grassland management were collected. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identied a productivity-related soil moisture gradient as the environmental driving force of grassland oristic differentiation. Environmental parameters explained a higher percent of variance in oristic data set than management (use/non use). Indicator species analysis (ISA) detected the indi-cator species groups related to environmental features and management type. Shifts in coenological composi-tion were linked to the establishment of successional species in ungrazed pastures and to the loss of meadow species in hay meadows. The variations that emerged from the comparison of functional characteristics of the indicator species of grazing and of mowing (avoidance strategy, life form, and storage organs) proved more signicant than those observed in comparing used and abandoned grasslands. These results can be explained by the low intensity use (i.e., undergrazing and lack of periodic mowing), that is liable to lead to a progressive homogenization of pastoral landscape.The understanding of plant community coenological and functional composition can contribute to optimizing grassland management plans in the study area. This is important especially because Ćićarija calcareous gras-slands are very species-rich ecosystems, deemed priority habitats by the European Union (Habitat 62A0, 92/43/EEC Directive) and judged worthy of conservation.

References

Kahmen S., Poschlod P., Schreiber K., 2002. Conservation management of calcareous grasslands. Changes in plant species composition and response of functional traits during 25 years. Biol. Conserv., 104: 319-328.

Kaligarič M., Poldini L., 1997. Nuovi contributi per una tipologia tosociologica delle praterie magre (Scor-zoneretalia villosae H-ić 1975) del Carso nordadriatico. Gortania, 19: 119-148.

Kleyer M., 1999. The distribution of plant functional types on gradients of disturbance intensity and resource supply in an agricultural landscape. J. Veg. Sci., 10: 697-708.

Poldini L., 1989. La vegetazione del Carso isontino e triestino. Studio del paesaggio vegetale tra Trieste, Gorizia e i territori adiacenti. Edizioni Lint Trieste, 315 pp.

Scheiner S.M., 1992. Measuring pattern diversity. Ecology, 73 (5): 1860-1867.



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Analysis of family Umbelliferae from Carl Studniczka’s herbarium

D. Vladoviæ¹, N. Ževrnja¹,B. Mitiæ2

1 Natural History Museum and Zoo, Kolombatoviæevo šetalište 2, 21000 Split, Croatia 2 Botanic Institute of PMF University of Zagreb - Maruliæev trg 20/ II, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaCorresponding author: [email protected]

We analysed family Umbellifereae with total of 226 herbarium sheets. According to the labels, the majority of herborized material was collected in the area of Austria, followed by Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, USA, Switzerland, Romania, Algeria, Russia, Spain and Great Bri-tain. Most herbarium sheets belong to Flora Dalmatiens collection. In reference to the part of Studniczka’s herbarium which has already been analysed (compare to Vladoviæ et al., 2007; Mitiæ et al., 2008; Vladoviæ et al., 2009, 2010; Ževrnja et al., 2009, 2010), there are two new collections mentioned for the rst time: Flora von der Schweiz and Societas Botanica Barcinonensis; as well as 15 botanists (collectors): Autheman, Berher, Carron, Citarda, Jacob, Kováts, Motelay, Niessl, Oborny, Scharlok, Schlickum, Tellam, Tibout, Verrier-Litar-dière and Wirtz. Most herbarium sheets were collected by Studniczka himself (138). The oldest herbarium sheet dates from 1867 and the newest one is from 1904. Most herbarium sheets, 129 to be precise, were col-lected in the period from 1871 till 1880.

References

Mitiæ B., Vladoviæ D., Ževrnja N., Anteriæ P., 2008. Analiza redov Berberideen, Nymphaeaceen, Papavera-ceen in Fumariaceen herbarija C. Studniczkega. Hladnikia, 22: 61. Ljubljana.

Mitiæ B., Vladoviæ D., Ževrnja N., Anteriæ P., 2009. Die Cruciferen-Sammlung des Herbariums von C. Stud-niczka im Naturkundemuseum Split (Kroatien). Sauteria, 18: 299-307.

Vladoviæ D., Ževrnja N., Mitiæ B., Tomasoviæ D., 2007. Analiza reda Ranunculales iz herbara C. Studniczke. In: Britvec M., Škvorc Ž. (ed.), Book of Abstracts. 2nd Croatian Botanical Congress (20.-22. rujna 2007, Zagreb): 58-59.

Vladoviæ D., Ževrnja N., Mitiæ B., 2009. Analysis of Ord. Violarieen, Capparideen, Cistineen and Sileneen from C. Studniczka´s herbarium. In: Bacchetta G. (ed.), Book of Abstracts. Biodiversity Hotspots in the Mediterranean Area. 45th International Congress of SISV & FIP (22-24/25-29 June 2009, Cagliari): 104.

Vladoviæ D., Ževrnja N., Mitiæ B., 2010. The Papilionaceen-collection of the Herbarium C. Studniczka. Natural History Museum Split (Croatia). In: Dolenc Koce J. et al. (ed.), Book of Abstracts. 5th Slovenian symposium on plant biology (6-9 September 2010, Ljubljana): 50.

Ževrnja N., Mitiæ B., Vladoviæ D., 2009. Analysis of Ord. Geraniaceen, Oxalideen, Rutaceen and Lineen from C. Studniczka`s herbarium. In: Ninov N. (ed.), Book of Abstracts. International scientic conference Balkans - Hot Spots of Ancient and Present Genetic Diversity (17-20 June 2009 Soa, Bulgaria): 60.

Ževrnja N., Mitiæ B., Vladoviæ D., 2010. The new ndings from C. Studniczkas Herbarium. In: Jasprica N. et al. (ed.), Book of Abstracts. 3rd Croatian Botanical Congress (24.-26. rujna, otok Murter): 210-211.



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Excursion guide



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Thursday, 26th May

Torricchio Mountain Natural ReserveApennine hilly/mountain plant landscape and grassland management

The Torricchio Nature Reserve was established by the University of Camerino in 1970 in a 317 hectare area in the Marches Apennines, central Italy. The Torricchio Reserve is an integral reserve dedicated entirely to nature conservation and scientic research. Since Torricchio is an integral reserve, no intervention is undertaken and the territory is completely abandoned to the ongoing ecological processes (regeneration and secondary succession). The Torricchio Reserve is located in central Apennines, between 820 and 1,491 m a.s.l.; from a phytogeographic viewpoint it belongs to the eurosiberian region. Mean annual precipitation measured at a station located at 1,130 m, next to Casale Piscini, is about 1,750 mm; the average annual temperature is about 9 °C. The geological substrate is composed of sedimentary rocks (limestone).

The excursion will focus on Apennine hilly/mountain plant landscape and grassland management.

We will linger on the following topics:

1) Rocky habitat of “Le Porte”, a small gorge with Mediterranean vegetation fragments (Quercus ilex, Viburnum tinus, Ruscus aculeatus, etc.).

2) Ostrya carpinifolia woods, belonging to the Scutellario columnae-Ostryetum carpinifoliae Pedrotti, Ballelli et Biondi ex Pedrotti, Ballelli, Biondi, Cortini et Orsomando 1980 association of Carpinion orientalis alliance. These woods are unmanaged since 1970.

3) Corylus avellana woods (fragment) belonging to the Carpino betuli-Coryletum avellanae Ballelli, Biondi et Pedrotti 1980 association of Erythronio dentis canis-Carpinion betuli alliance. It is the cha-racteristic vegetation of the bottom of the hilly and mountain small valley.

4) Cynosurus cristatus hay meadows, belonging to the Colchico lusitani-Cynosuretum cristati Biondi et Ballelli 1995 of Cynosurion cristati alliance. They are the most productive grassland community of central Apennines and are cut down once a year in June.

5) Lunch in the “Casale Piscini” with the typical food of Apenninic pastoral culture.

6) Fagus sylvatica woods, belonging to the Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae Biondi, Casavecchia, Pinzi, Allegrezza et Baldoni 2002 of Geranio versicoloris-Fagion sylvaticae alliance. It is managed as high forest (“alto fusto”). It will be the chance to show to the participants the transition between the hilly and the mountain bioclimatic belts.

7) Pastoral landscape of “Pian della Cuna” characterized by a mosaic of xeric and semi-mesophylous grassland communities belonging to Potentillo cinereae-Brometum erecti Biondi, Pinzi et Gubellini 2004 and Brizo mediae-Brometum erecti Bruno in Bruno et Covarelli 1968 corr. Biondi et Ballelli 1982 of Phleo ambigui-Bromion erecti alliance.

8) Quercus pubescens woods belonging to the Cytiso sessilifolii-Quercetum pubescentis Blasi, Feoli et Avena 1982 of Carpinion orientalis alliance. Participants will also appreciate the plant landscape dynamism due to the abandonment of the mountain territory.

9) Dinner in Fematre village, at the “Lo Zafferano” agriturism and return to Camerino.



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Friday, 27th May

Prati di Ragnolo (Sibillini Mountains National Park)Apennine mountain plant landscape: beech wood management and grassland abandon effects

The “Prati di Ragnolo” are located at about 1,450 m a.s.l. in the northern part of the Sibillini Mountains National Park. The geological substrate is composed of limestones; the landforms have intermediate relief-energy in north-facing slopes. Soils, 40-50 cm deep, are classied as typic/lithic haplustoll loamy mesic and mollic leptosol, with OiAC prole. They have acid or sub-acid pH (5.0-6.0), and clayey-sandy texture with small-grained siliceous skeleton. The soil water-regime is ustic/udic. From a bioclimatic point of view, this area is encompassed within temperate region, in the upper supratemperate bioclimatic belt, lower hyper-humid ombrotype, and is characterized by four months with mean minimum temperatures below 0 °C, with possibi-lity of strong frosts from October to the end of March. There is a short period of water scarcity (drought stress) in July and the plant growing season lasts 120-150 days, between May and September. Annual rainfall is about 1400 mm, while the average in summer is 240 mm; mean annual temperature is 7.3 °C. The productivities of above-ground phytomass and dry matter are of 1000-1100 g/m2 and 300-400 g/m2, res-pectively. Flowering time occurs between the rst days of May and the end of July, while the highest peak is within the rst ten days of July; there is no grass growth between late July and late August.

The excursion will focus on Apennine mountain plant landscape: beech wood management and effects of grassland abandonment.


1) Fagus sylvatica woods belonging to Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae Biondi, Casavecchia, Pinzi, Allegrezza et Baldoni 2002 of Geranio versicoloris-Fagion sylvaticae Gentile 1969 alliance.

2) Pastoral land use history and effect of grazing abandonment on mountain pasture (invasion of Bra-chypodium genuense).

3) Effect of micro-topography on the vegetation pattern.

4) The hay meadows of Filipendulo vulgaris-Trifolietum montani Hruska, Francalancia et Orsomando 1981 association (Phleo ambigui-Bromion erecti alliance).

5) Sesleria juncifolia mountain grasslands belonging to Carici humilis-Seslerietum apenninae Biondi, Ballelli, Gujtan et Allegrezza 1988 of Seslerion apenninae alliance.

Lunch (at 14.30 p.m.) at the “Tribbio” refuge, with the typical mountain food of the central Apennines.



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Saturday, 28th May

Top of Sibillini Mountains in the alpine bioclimatic belt

The “Lago di Pilato” valley, is the main part of Sibillini Mountain National Park included in the subalpine belt. The study area includes the high slopes between 1,800 and 2,476 m a.s.l. and is characterized by limestone lithotypes. From a bioclimatic point of view this area belongs to the “Temperate Region” (Rivas-Martínez, 2004). The main features of the orotemperate belt are temperature ranging from 4 °C to 6 °C, and rainfall ranging from 1,300 to 1,500 mm/year. No summer drought stress is present while a strong winter cold stress characterize the system between October and May.The plant landscape is composed mainly by the following syntaxa: Seslerietum apenninae Furnari 1961 corr. Furnari 1966, Caricetum kitaibelianae-rupestris Biondi, Allegrezza, Ballelli et Taffetani 2000, Ranunculo pollinensis-Plantaginetum atratae Biondi, Allegrezza, Ballelli et Taffetani 2000 ranunculetosum pollinensis Catorci, Ballelli, Gatti et Vitanzi 2008, Luzulo italicae-Nardetum strictae Biondi, Ballelli, Allegrezza, Frattaroli et Taffetani 1992 caricetosum kitaibelianae Biondi, Ballelli, Allegrezza, Taffetani, Frattaroli, Gujtian et Zucca-rello 1999, Taraxaco apennini-Trifolietum thalii, Carici kitaibelianae-Salicetum retusae Biondi, Ballelli, Alle-grezza, Taffetani, Frattaroli, Gujtian et Zuccarello 1999, Isatido allioni-Thlaspietum stylosi Migliaccio 1970 corr. Feoli-Chiapella 1983, Isatido allioni-Thlaspietum stylosi Migliaccio 1970 corr. Feoli-Chiapella 1983 papaveretosum degenii Biondi, Allegrezza, Ballelli et Taffetani 2000, Galio magellensis-Festucetum dimor-phae Feoli-Chiapella 1983, Galio magellensis-Festucetum dimorphae Feoli-Chiapella 1983 gentianetosum luteae Di Pietro, Proietti, Fortini et Blasi 2004 belonging to the classes Elyno-Seslerietea, Nardetea strictae, Salicetea herbaceae and Thlaspietea rotundifolii.

The excursion will focus on Apennine subalpine plant landscape.


1) Effect of grazing pressure on mountain pasture (invasion of Brachypodium genuense)

2) Sesleria juncifolia subalpine grassland, belonging to Seslerietum apenninae of Seslerion apenninae alliance

3) The subalpine landscape of central Italy, geological and ecological features land use history

4) Nardus stricta subalpine grassland belonging to Luzulo italicae-Nardetum strictae association of Ranunculo pollinensis-Nardion strictae alliance

5) Vaccinium myrtillus plant communities: the subalpine landscape regeneration after the pasture aban-donment

6) The “Lago di Pilato”: history, nature and legend



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Authors index

Alegro A. 30, 48Alešković I. 38Allegrezza M. 12Anzellotti I. 16Ballelli S. 40Barczi A. 49Baričević D. 30Bartha S. 19, 25, 36Bianchelli M. 39Biondi E. 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 39, 41Blasi C. 16Bologna M. 31Burrascano S. 16Campetella G. 36Cancellieri L. 34Caneva G. 9Canullo R. 36Carli E. 16Čarni A. 17, 20, 24, 27, 41, 42Carotenuto L. 40Casavecchia S. 13, 14, 41Catorci A. 18, 29, 31, 34, 35, 40, 50Cento M. 31Cesaretti S. 18, 40Chelli S. 36Cianfaglione K. 37Colosi L. 15Cutini M. 34Czitrovszky B. 49Del Vico E. 16Estrelles E. 39Facioni L. 16Fascetti S. 34Franjić J. 38Galdenzi D. 15Galié M. 39Gashi B. 23Gatti R. 40Gigante D. 22Harcsa M. 49Házi J. 19, 25Hoti G. 43Hršak V. 29, 48Idžojtić M. 47Jogan N. 20Juvan N. 17, 20Košir P. 17, 41, 42Kostadinovski M. 17Krasniqi E. 23, 43Krstonošić D. 38Lancioni A. 21Landucci F. 22Luiselli L. 31Mala Xh. 23

Marekoviæ S. 48Marinšek A. 17, 42Matevski V. 17Millaku F. 23, 43Mitiæ B. 51Panli E. 22Paura B. 34Paušič A. 17, 24Pedrotti F. 10, 44, 45Peer T. 46Penksza K. 19, 25, 49Pesaresi S. 13, 14, 15Pinzi M. 14Poljak I. 47Pretto F. 16Redžić S. 26Rexhepi F. 23Ribeiro D. 27Rosati L. 34Šapić I. 30, 47Scapin W. 35Sedlar Z. 48Šegota V. 30, 48Sever K. 38Shala A. 43Šilc U. 17, 42Škvorc Ž. 38, 41Somodi I. 24, 27Soriano P. 39Spada F. 36Szentes S. 19, 25, 49Taffetani F. 21Tardella F.M. 29, 35, 50Terzi M. 28Tilia A. 16Tóth A. 25Ukaj Sh. 43Velasquez J.L. 18Venanzoni R. 22Vitanzi A. 29, 35Vitasović Kosić I. 50Vladoviæ D. 51Vukelić J. 30Wellstein C. 36Wichmann B. 19, 25Zapponi L. 31Zeballos H. 18Zebec M. 47Ževrnja N. 51Zivkovic L. 41



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34 international symposium - eadsve.org€¦ · 34th international symposium of the eastern alpine...

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