Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati, a new plant community in Slovakia

Vegetation with high coverage by the alien species Mimulus guttatus was studied in the hilly regions of central Slovakia in 2015 and 2016. The floristic composition of these stands was recorded in ten phytosociological relevés corresponding to the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati (alliance Glycerio-Sparganion) association. This association was reported for the first time in Slovakia in this study. This association was found to be closed or almost closed (mean coverage value of herb layer = 92%) and formed relatively species-rich stands (15 species per relevé), usually in narrow and small patches along the upper parts of streams and their spring areas in uplands at altitudes from 561 to 1,048 m. Localities with the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati association were characterized by typical mountain climates, with both relatively low mean annual air temperature (5.5°C) and high mean annual precipitation (885 mm). While water temperature (~13°C) of these habitats varied considerably among streams (7.4–19.9°C), their herbaceous vegetation preferred neutral to slightly alkaline water (pH = 6.1–7.5) with low amounts of soluble mineral matter (~72.6 μS cm−1). This kind of vegetation was most often developed on sites with coarser sediments (stone, gravel, and sand) formed from crystalline bedrock. A comparison of vegetation data of the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati association across Central Europe demonstrated considerable floristic variability among regions

New floristic records from Central Europe 6 (reports 81-98)

The presented sixth part of the series includes 18 new chorological records of vascular plants, five from Poland and thirteen from Slovakia. In Poland, the first spontaneous occurrence of Clinopodium nepeta subsp. nepeta outside cultivation is reported from Kraków. Also new localities of Euphorbia maculata, Panicum capillare, Plantago coronopus and Symphyotrichum ciliatum from southern Poland were found. In Slovakia, new records of alien Cardamine occulta, Lindernia dubia, Nigella damascena, Pistia stratiotes (with map of known records), Sagittaria latifolia, Senecio inaequidens, Silybum marianum and Vinca major were done as well as autochthonous Cotoneaster melanocarpus, Herniaria hirsuta, Verbascum speciosum and Xeranthemum annuum. URL: https://www.bz.upjs/thaiszi

A new marsh plant community of Eleocharito palustris-Alismatetum lanceolati (Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae alliance) in Slovakia

Open and species-poor stands with a dominance of Alisma lanceolatum were recorded in periodically flooded habitats of the southern part of central Slovakia (Ipeľ River catchment area) during the summer of 2013. Phytosociological relevés correspond to the association Eleocharito palustris-Alismatetum lanceolati (alliance Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae), which is reported and documented here for the first time from the territory of Slovakia. It inhabits predominantly temporarily flooded depressions on agricultural land – wet arable fields and extensively used pastures. Detrended correspondence analysis showed that the variability in species composition was most significantly influenced by water depth, the presence of arable fields in the contact area and water conductivity. Special attention was paid to a detailed description of the floristic composition, habitat requirements, distribution patterns and nomenclature of the community

Variability of alder-dominated forest vegetation along a latitudinal gradient in Slovakia

Syntaxonmical revision of azonal forest vegetation with dominance of Alnus glutinosa and A. incana was done along a latitudinal transect of Slovakia. A data matrix consisting of 240 phytosociological relevés was obtained in accordance with the standard Zürich-Montpellier approach. Detrended correspondence analysis was used to clarify the relationships between the vegetation composition and environmental variables, whereas one-way ANOVA was applied to quantify the differences in site requirements of particular vegetation types. The unsupervised numerical classification resulted in identification of five clusters corresponding to the traditionally described and ecologically interpretable associations within the Euro-Siberian alder carr forests of Alnion glutinosae and the European broad-leaved floodplain forests of Alnion incanae: Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae Schwickerath 1933 (alder carr forests on permanently waterlogged soils), Stellario-Alnetum glutinosae Lohmeyer 1957 (riparian alder vegetation on mesic to humid sites along small brooks), Piceo-Alnetum Mráz 1959 (submontane and montane oligotrophic spruce-alder forests on waterlogged habitats), Cardamino amarae-Alnetum incanae Šomšák 1961 (grey alder vegetation in spring fed areas) and Alnetum incanae Lüdi 1921 (submontane and montane streamside grey alder forests on mesic sites). They significantly (P < 0.05) differed in the Ellenberg's indicator values for nutrients, moisture, temperature and altitude. These environmental variables were also established by DCA analysis as underlying sources of variation in alder-dominated forest composition. Special attention was given to discussion of their syntaxonomy, nomenclature, floristic structure, ecological features and distribution

Artificial ponds in Central Europe do not fall behind the natural ponds in terms of macrophyte diversity

We studied macrophyte composition and 24 environmental variables in 69 ponds of both natural and artificial origin in Slovakia. We tested differences in α and γ diversity and β similarity between natural and artificial ponds for helophytes, hydrophytes, red list species and all species. We also assessed effects of environmental variables on species richness of studied ponds by generalised linear models (GLM). For local diversity, the significant difference was obtained only in case of helophytes. Beta similarity significantly differed for all the species groups. Total species numbers (gamma diversity) of all the groups were higher in natural ponds with the exception of hydrophytes. A randomization test of γ diversity yielded significant differences for helophytes and all species groups; richness and diversity of hydrophytes and red list species were not significantly different. Thus, we can conclude that even though natural ponds have a significantly higher regional diversity, local diversity is comparable not only for common species but also endangered red-listed macrophytes and thus artificial ponds could serve as proper secondary habitats for macrophytes. GLM showed different effect of environmental predictors on richness of studied species and pond groups and a slightly higher explained variability in natural (40%) compared to artificial (37%) ponds

Makrofitska vegetacija umetnih vodnih zbiralnikov v hribovju Krupinská planina in prvič ugotovljeno pojavljanje asociacije Potametum acutifolii na Slovaškem

Research of macrophyte vegetation of the artificial water reservoirs was carried out during the vegetation season of 2008 in the Krupinská planina Mts. (southern part of central Slovakia). Twenty-one reservoirs were studied and twenty plant communities from the Lemnetea, Potametea and Phragmito-Magnocaricetea classes were found. Potametum acutifolii is a new aquatic community for the territory of Slovakia that was found in the reservoir near Hrušov village in intermediately deep, slightly alkaline water with a relatively low content of soluble mineral matters, a high water transparency and a silt-clay sediment on the bottom. Moisture was the main environmental gradient of the studied vegetation explained by Ellenberg′s indicator values. Species richness was significantly negatively correlated with water depth. The correlation between the area of reservoirs and the number of detected plant communities was weak and non-significant. Changes of macrophyte vegetation were studied on the case of three reservoirs. Detected changes were caused mainly by human activities or water level fluctuations within the studied period.Raziskave makrofitske vegetacije umetnih vodnih smo izvedli v vegetacijski sezoni leta 2008 v hribovju Krupinská planina (južni del osrednje Slovaške). Raziskali smo enaindvajset vodnih teles in našli dvaindvajset rastlinskih združb iz razredov Lemnetea, Potametea in Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Asociacija Potametum acutifolii je nova vodna rastlinska združba, najdena na ozemlju Slovaške. Našli smo jo v vodnem telesu blizu vasi Hrušov v srednjegloboki, rahlo alkalni vodi z razmeroma nizko vsebnostjo raztopljenih mineralnih snovi, z visoko vodno prepustnostjo in muljasto-glineno usedlino na dnu. Glavni okoljski gradient obravnavane vegetacije, kot kažejo Ellenbergove indikacijske vrednosti, je vlažnost. Število vrste je v negativni odvisnosti z globino vode. Korelacija med površino vodnega telesa in številom najdenih rastlinskih združb je bila nizka in ni bila značilna. Spremembe makrofitske vegetacije smo proučevali v treh vodnih zbiralnikih. Opažene spremembe so posledica predvsem človeških dejavnosti ali nihanja vodnega nivoja v obravnavanem obdobju

Native and Alien Plant Species Richness Response to Soil Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Temperate Floodplain and Swamp Forests

Soil nitrogen and phosphorus are commonly limiting elements affecting plant species richness in temperate zones. Our species richness-ecological study was performed in alder-dominated forests representing temperate floodplains (streamside alder forests of Alnion incanae alliance) and swamp forests (alder carrs of Alnion glutinosae alliance) in the Western Carpathians. Species richness (i.e., the number of vascular plants in a vegetation plot) was analyzed separately for native and alien vascular plants in 240 vegetation plots across the study area covering Slovakia, northern Hungary and southern Poland. The relationship between the species richness of each plant group and total soil nitrogen content, plant-available phosphorus and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio was analyzed by generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with Poisson error distribution and log-link function. The number of recorded native and alien species was 17–84 (average 45.4) and 0–9 (average 1.5) species per plot, respectively. The GLMMs were statistically significant (p ˂ 0.001) for both plant groups, but the total explained variation was higher for native (14%) than alien plants (9%). The richness of native species was negatively affected by the total soil nitrogen content and plant-available phosphorus, whereas the C/N ratio showed a positive impact. The alien richness was predicted only by the total soil nitrogen content showing a negative effect

Relationships of macrophyte species richness and environment in different water body types in the Central European region

Individual types of waterbodies are characterised by their specific environmental conditions controlling growth of aquatic macrophytes. We focused on effects of environmental factors on macrophyte species richness in canals, ponds, rivers and streams within Central European region. We employed generalised linear models (GLM) to assess separately overall macrophyte species data and data on wetland species (true aquatic plants and helophytes). No significant difference was revealed by comparing species richness among water body types, though canals were the richest water bodies and streams supported the lowest diversity of macrophytes. The models for all the waterbodies, except streams, contained at least two variables and the explained variability ranged from 37% to 77%. The most recurring variables were the coverage of fine substrate, turbidity, shading by bank and shore trees and shrubs, and altitude. Nevertheless, no obvious pattern of factors was observed for particular water body types. Our study confirmed that aquatic macrophyte species richness is shaped by a complexity of factors and necessity of targeting survey and further generalisation of results not only on one specific water body.We focused on effects of environmental factors on macrophyte species richness using generalized linear models. No obvious pattern of factors was observed for particular water body types. Our study showed that macrophyte species richness is shaped by complexity of factors and necessity of targeting survey and further generalisation of results not only on one specific water body

Artificial ponds in Central Europe do not fall behind the natural ponds in terms of macrophyte diversity

We studied macrophyte composition and 24 environmental variables in 69 ponds of both natural and artificial origin in Slovakia. We tested differences in α and γ diversity and β similarity between natural and artificial ponds for helophytes, hydrophytes, red list species and all species. We also assessed effects of environmental variables on species richness of studied ponds by generalised linear models (GLM). For local diversity, the significant difference was obtained only in case of helophytes. Beta similarity significantly differed for all the species groups. Total species numbers (gamma diversity) of all the groups were higher in natural ponds with the exception of hydrophytes. A randomization test of γ diversity yielded significant differences for helophytes and all species groups; richness and diversity of hydrophytes and red list species were not significantly different. Thus, we can conclude that even though natural ponds have a significantly higher regional diversity, local diversity is comparable not only for common species but also endangered red-listed macrophytes and thus artificial ponds could serve as proper secondary habitats for macrophytes. GLM showed different effect of environmental predictors on richness of studied species and pond groups and a slightly higher explained variability in natural (40%) compared to artificial (37%) ponds