Vegetation of the Dolines in Mecsek Mountains (South Hungary) in relation to the Local Plant Communities

This paper deals with the forest vegetation of the lower part of the dolines in Mecsek Mts. (South Hungary). In order to char-acterize this vegetation type, samples were compared to the 6 plant communities occurring in the neighbourhood of the dolines. Considering the vegetation texture and species com-position, the vegetation of the dolines resembles mainly the extrazonal beechwoods (Helleboro odori-fagetum) and local ravine forests (Scutellario altissimae-Aceretum) that preserve several mountain, subatlantic relict species in this area. Our study revealed that the plant communities characteristic of the karst surface of Western Mecsek are arranged along a moisture and nutrient gradient. In this system, the habitat conditions of the dolines are similar to those of the beech forests and the lo-cal ravine forests, fresh and relatively rich in nutrients. In the karst, dominated by oak-hornbeam and beech forests, effects of the thermal inversion are the most spectacular where beech forests follow turkey oak-sessile oak forests and oak-hornbeam forests on the lower part of the doline slopes. The described vegetation type of these depressions is developed by edafic fac-tors; its identification as a separate association is not supported by the analyses

Robust Reconfigurable Erlang Component System

In this paper a new robust reconfigurable component system is described which is based on the innovative combination of Erlang/OTP and the concepts of reflective interacting concurrent components. 1

The edge of two worlds: A new review and synthesis on Eurasian forest-steppes

Peter, Torok/0000-0002-4428-3327; Anenkhonov, Oleg/0000-0001-8633-7154; Batori, Zoltan/0000-0001-9915-5309; Magnes, Martin/0000-0002-5453-5735WOS: 000442660900001AimsEurasian forest-steppes are among the most complex non-tropical terrestrial ecosystems. Despite their considerable scientific, ecological and economic importance, knowledge of forest-steppes is limited, particularly at the continental scale. Here we provide an overview of Eurasian forest-steppes across the entire zone: (a) we propose an up-to-date definition of forest-steppes, (b) give a short physiogeographic outline, (c) delineate and briefly characterize the main forest-steppe regions, (d) explore forest-steppe biodiversity and conservation status, and (e) outline forest-steppe prospects under predicted climate change. LocationEurasia (29 degrees-56 degrees N, 16 degrees-139 degrees E). Results and ConclusionsForest-steppes are natural or near-natural vegetation complexes of arboreal and herbaceous components (typically distributed in a mosaic pattern) in the temperate zone, where the co-existence of forest and grassland is enabled primarily by the semi-humid to semi-arid climate, complemented by complex interactions of biotic and abiotic factors operating at multiple scales. This new definition includes lowland forest-grassland macromosaics (e.g. in Eastern Europe), exposure-related mountain forest-steppes (e.g. in Inner Asia), fine-scale forest-grassland mosaics (e.g. in the Carpathian Basin) and open woodlands (e.g. in the Middle East). Using criteria of flora, physiognomy, relief and climate, nine main forest-steppe regions are identified and characterized. Forest-steppes are not simple two-phase systems, as they show a high level of habitat diversity, with forest and grassland patches of varying types and sizes, connected by a network of differently oriented edges. Species diversity and functional diversity may also be exceptionally high in forest-steppes. Regarding conservation, we conclude that major knowledge gaps exist in determining priorities at the continental, regional, national and local levels, and in identifying clear target states and optimal management strategies. When combined with other threats, climate change may be particularly dangerous to forest-steppe survival, possibly resulting in compositional changes, rearrangement of the landscape mosaic or even the latitudinal or altitudinal shift of forest-steppes.Orszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi AlapprogramokOrszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok (OTKA) [K 119 225, PD 116114]; Hungarian Government [EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00014]; National Youth Excellence Scholarship [NTP-NFTO-16-0623]; NKFIH [K 124796, K 119225]; Russian Federal Budget [AAAA-A17-117011810036-3]Orszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok, Grant/Award Number: K 119 225 and PD 116114; Hungarian Government, Grant/Award Number: EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00014; National Youth Excellence Scholarship, Grant/Award Number: NTP-NFTO-16-0623; NKFIH, Grant/Award Number: K 124796 and K 119225; Russian Federal Budget, Grant/Award Number: AAAA-A17-117011810036-

Benchmarking plant diversity of Palaearctic grasslands and other open habitats

Abstract Aims: Understanding fine-grain diversity patterns across large spatial extents is fundamental for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. Using the GrassPlot database, we provide benchmarks of fine-grain richness values of Palaearctic open habitats for vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and complete vegetation (i.e., the sum of the former three groups). Location: Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods: We used 126,524 plots of eight standard grain sizes from the GrassPlot database: 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 m² and calculated the mean richness and standard deviations, as well as maximum, minimum, median, and first and third quartiles for each combination of grain size, taxonomic group, biome, region, vegetation type and phytosociological class. Results: Patterns of plant diversity in vegetation types and biomes differ across grain sizes and taxonomic groups. Overall, secondary (mostly semi-natural) grasslands and natural grasslands are the richest vegetation type. The open-access file ”GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks” and the web tool “GrassPlot Diversity Explorer” are now available online (https://edgg.org/databases/GrasslandDiversityExplorer) and provide more insights into species richness patterns in the Palaearctic open habitats. Conclusions: The GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks provide high-quality data on species richness in open habitat types across the Palaearctic. These benchmark data can be used in vegetation ecology, macroecology, biodiversity conservation and data quality checking. While the amount of data in the underlying GrassPlot database and their spatial coverage are smaller than in other extensive vegetation-plot databases, species recordings in GrassPlot are on average more complete, making it a valuable complementary data source in macroecology