7 research outputs found
Twin plots – appropriate method to assess the impact of alien tree on understory?
Replacing native forests by alien tree plantations can lead to changes in the species composition of the understory. However, differences in the understory species spectrum can also be a part of the natural variability of forest stands. We have tested the suitability of the twin plots method for an evaluation of the impact of alien trees on the species composition of the understory. This research was conducted on an alluvial plain (SW Slovakia) that was originally covered by a hardwood floodplain forest. The study was based on 7 twin plots of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and native forest plots, with a maximum distance of 100 meters between the members of the twins. The dissimilarity of the plots within the black locust forest was significantly lower than the dissimilarity between the twin plots. In addition, the dissimilarity of the plots within the hardwood floodplain forest was also significantly lower than the dissimilarity between the twin plots. Under the same environmental conditions, the higher dissimilarity of the twin plots was caused by major edificators and their impact on the understory vegetation. The twin plots method proved to be a suitable tool for analyses of the impact of alien trees on understory vegetation
Riparian Zones—From Policy Neglected to Policy Integrated
1. Riparian zones are vital areas of interaction between land and rivers and are often
degraded by several pressures such as urbanisation, intensive agriculture and river
engineering works. 2. This policy brief provides five key policy messages and
recommendations to be considered by policy-makers, scientists, managers, and
stakeholders to enhance riparian zone management. 3. Adopting an integrated socioeconomic
and environmentally dynamic view will ensure the sustainable management of
riparian zones. 4. In light of climate change, it is critically important to conserve and/or
restore the ecological integrity of riparian zones. 5. European Union Directives and
national-scale legislation and regulations need updating to ensure coordinated
implementation of riparian zone-related policies. 6. Stakeholder knowledge exchange,
policy co-creation and adaptive management are key to enhancing riparian zone functions
Long-Term Changes of Softwood Floodplain Forests—Did the Disappearance of Wet Vegetation Accelerate the Invasion Process?
Objectives: We followed the long-term changes of softwood floodplain forests strongly altered by water regime changes and examine the behaviour of neophytes in this environment. Here we ask: (1) How did the composition of neophyte and native species change? (2) How did the presence of species that prefer wetter conditions change? (3) What traditionally distinguished type of softwood floodplain forests (a wetter one or a more mesophilous one) do neophytes prefer? (4) What environmental factors affect the native species richness and the occurrence and cover of neophytes? Materials and Methods: Historical and recent phytosociological relevés of the association Salicetum albae of the Slovak part of the inland delta of the Danube River were used (177 plots together). For each plot, the number and cover of neophytes and number of native species were measured, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, the stand structure (cover of tree, shrub and herb layer) and the mean of Ellenberg indicator values were calculated and compared among time periods. Temporal trends of the soil moisture characterized by indicator values calculated for each plot were determined using a Linear Model. The synoptic table of traditional vegetation types was done to show preferences of neophytes for particular softwood forest types. The effect of site conditions on native species richness and occurrence of neophytes was determined using the Generalized Linear Model. Results: The relative number and cover of neophyte species increased and the absolute number of native species decreased over time; the vegetation of the area has changed from variable hygrophilous and mesophilous to homogenised mesophilous; most non-native species prefer the mesophilous vegetation of the floodplain forests; the wetter parts of the floodplain more successfully resisted invasions. Conclusions: The vegetation of the researched area has considerably changed over time to become less diverse and less hygrophilous, and has more invasive species. To preserve floodplain forests, natural hydrological and connectivity patterns should be adequately protected
Editorial for Special Issue: “New Insights into Ecosystem Monitoring Using Geospatial Techniques”
International audienceRecent global-scale environmental issues from climate change to biodiversity loss are generating an intense social pressure on the scientific community [...
ConservePlants : an integrated approach to conservation of threatened plants for the 21st century
Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational,
supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and
most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid
changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their
fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had
been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants
from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened
species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of
this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a
network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant
conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to protected area's managers, not forgetting social
scientists, who are crucial when dealing with the general public.peer-reviewe