New national and regional bryophyte records, 49

Peer reviewe

Habitat diversity of the grey alder bog forest Caltho laetae-Alnetum (Zarz. 1963) Stuchlik 1968 in the Babia Gora National Park

The grey alder bog forest Caltho laetae−Alnetum occurs in the Babia Góra region in two variants differing in the composition of the tree stand, ground cover and habitat conditions. The variant with Alnus incana is similar to universally met in the Polish Carpathians. In turn, variant with Alnus glutinosa is characterized by a bigger participation of Aconitum variegatum and the presence of plants typical for fens and willow brushwood from the range adler carr

Secondary succession towards grey alder bog forest Caltho laetae-Alnetum (Zarz. 1963) Stuchlik on the abandoned meadows in the Beskid Niski Mts. (Western Carpathians)

On the abandoned wet meadows in the Beskid Niski Mts. secondary succession to the community Caltho laetae−Alnetum proceeds. In the initial phases of succession significant similarity between patches of meadows communities and grey alder bog forest in floristic composition and structure of vegetation is observed. Particular stages of succession (non−forest and forest) are characterized by occurrence of big group (43.5%) of shared species

Newly discovered relic population of Rubus chamaemorus L. in the Western Carpathians

In the territory of Poland, Rubus chamaemorus is a rare glacial relict. Its localities known to date were in the northern part of the country and in the Sudeten Mountains. In 2002, a new locality of this species was discovered in the Orawa-Nowy Targ basin in the Carpathians. It is the southernmost locality in the European distribution area of this species. Rubus chamaemorus grows there on a raised bog in communities of the Oxycocco-Sphagnetea class. The spatial structure of the population depends on microhabitats reflecting the hummock-hollow structure of the peatbog

Spring fen Scheuchzerio-Caricetea nigrae in the Polish Western Carpathians - vegetation diversity in relation to soil and feeding waters

The species composition of vegetation associated with the Carpathian fens primarily depends on the type of water present and the hydrological feeding of the soils that occur there. These, in turn, shape the fertility of the fens. Those with typically formed Carici-Agrostietum caninae and Valeriano-Caricetum flavae fundamentally differ in the properties of their soils and feeding waters. These include differences in mineral content, pH, CaCO3 levels, degree of peat decomposition, electrical conductivity and oxygenation of the waters that feed the fens. Carici-Agrostietum caninae is a homogenous plant association adapted to extreme habitat conditions. It is characterized by a very narrow range of essential soil and feeding water parameters. Valeriano-Caricetum flavae is a highly diverse association. Considerable diversity both in terms of plant species and vegetation structure reflects very wide ranges in the properties of soil and feeding water. Vegetation patches of transitory character were also identified. These contained plant species characteristic of both associations. The character of the vegetation depends mainly on fen soil pH and the degree of mineralization of the feeding waters. It is only these parameters that allow intermediate patches to be clearly distinguished. The degree of peat decomposition, mineral content and water oxygenation all differ for Carici-Agrostietum caninae and Valeriano-Caricetum flavae, whereas the values for intermediate patches display a range of parameters typical of both investigated associations. Consequently, vegetation present in these patches reflects to a greater or lesser extent one of the two analyzed plant associations