Classification of the Mediterranean lowland to submontane pine forest vegetation

Vegetation SurveyAim: Vegetation types of Mediterranean thermophilous pine forests dominated by Pinus brutia, Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea were studied in various areas. However, a comprehensive formal vegetation classification of these forests based on a detailed data analysis has never been developed. Our aim is to provide the first broad-scale classification of these pine forests based on a large data set of vegetation plots. Location: Southern Europe, North Africa, Levant, Anatolia, Crimea and the Caucasus. Methods: We prepared a data set of European and Mediterranean pine forest vegetation plots. We selected 7,277 plots dominated by the cold-sensitive Mediterranean pine species Pinus brutia, Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea. We classified these plots using TWINSPAN, interpreted the ecologically and biogeographically homogeneous TWINSPAN clusters as alliances, and developed an expert system for automatic vegetation classification at the class, order and alliance levels. Results: We described Pinetea halepensis as a new class for the Mediterranean lowland to submontane pine forests, included in the existing Pinetalia halepensis order, and distinguished 12 alliances of native thermophilous pine forests, including four newly described and three informal groups merging supposedly native stands and old-established plantations. The main gradients in species composition reflect elevational vegetation belts and the west–east, and partly north–south, biogeographical differences. Both temperature and precipitation seasonality co-vary with these gradients. Conclusions: We provide the first formal classification at the order and alliance levels for all the Mediterranean thermophilous pine forests based on vegetation-plot data. This classification includes traditional syntaxa, which have been critically revised, and a new class and four new alliances. We also outline a methodological workflow that might be useful for other vegetation classification syntheses. The expert system, which is jointly based on pine dominance and species composition, is a tool for applying this classification in research and nature conservation survey, monitoring and managementinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Classification of mesic grasslands and their transitions of South Transdanubia (Hungary)

Relevés from meadows and pastures of South Transdanubia (Hungary) are evaluated by clustering and ordination methods. The relevé selection focused on the Arrhenatheretalia order but its transitions towards other types were also included. The groups of relevés are delimited and described according to differential, dominant and constant species. Ecological conditions of the groups were compared using indicator values. Nine groups were distinguished, four of them belonging strictly to the order Arrhenatheretalia. Each alliance of Arrhenatheretalia presented in the study area (Cynosurion, Arrhenatherion) was represented by two groups. Groups from these two alliances are separated along a light gradient, while groups of the same alliance differ in nutrient values. Within Cynosurion, the nutrient-poor group cannot be identified unambiguously as any syntaxa previously known from Hungary. The nutrient-rich Cynosurion meadows are similar to Lolio–Cynosuretum, however, they show a stronger relationship with wet meadows. Within Arrhenatherion, Pastinaco–Arrhenatheretum is recognised as a hay meadow of nutrient-rich soils. The other meadow type is similar to Filipendulo–Arrhenatheretum, thus raising syntaxonomical problems. There are transitional groups towards semi-dry and wet meadows, one dynamic phase and one outlier group among the other five clusters

A test on Ellenberg indicator values in the Mediterranean evergreen woods (Quercetea ilicis)

The consistency and reliability of Ellenberg’s indicator values (Eiv) as ecological descriptors of the Mediterranean evergreen vegetation ascribed to the phytosociological class Quercetea ilicis have been checked on a set of 859 phytosociological relevés × 699 species. Diagnostic species were identified through a Twinspan analysis and their Eiv analyzed and related to the following independent variables: (1) annual mean temperatures, (2) annual rainfall. The results provided interesting insights to disentangle the current syntaxonomical framework at the alliance level demonstrating the usefulness of ecological indicator values to test the efficiency and predictivity of the phytosociological classification

EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

Aim: The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation‐plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation‐plot database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location: Europe. Methods: We developed the classification expert system EUNIS‐ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set‐theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species‐to‐habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results: Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man‐made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions: EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS‐ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment

European Vegetation Archive (EVA): An integrated database of European vegetation plots

© 2016 International Association for Vegetation Science. The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation- plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database

European weed vegetation database – A gap-focused vegetation-plot database

This report presents the European Weed Vegetation Database, a new database of vegetation plots documenting short-lived vegetation of arable and ruderal habitats from Europe and Macaronesia. The database comprises the phytosociological classes Papaveretea rhoeadis, Sisymbrietea, Chenopodietea and Digitario sanguinalis-Eragrostietea minoris. It is a gap-focused database containing mainly plots of this vegetation from the areas not yet represented in the European Vegetation Archive (EVA), to facilitate its accessibility for researchers to answer various questions. As of the end of 2018, it contained 24,734 plots, predominantly from Southern Europe. The data can be used for phytosociological studies, various kinds of interdisciplinary research as well as for studies for agronomy, nature management and biodiversity conservation. Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016) Abbreviations: EVA = European Vegetation Archive; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases

Alpha diversity of vascular plants in European forests

Aim The former continental‐scale studies modelled coarse‐grained plant species‐richness patterns (gamma diversity). Here we aim to refine this information for European forests by (a) modelling the number of vascular plant species that co‐occur in local communities (alpha diversity) within spatial units of 400 m2; and (b) assessing the factors likely determining the observed spatial patterns in alpha diversity. Location Europe roughly within 12°W–30°E and 35–60°N. Taxon Vascular plants. Methods The numbers of co‐occurring vascular plant species were counted in 73,134 georeferenced vegetation plots. Each plot was classified by an expert system into deciduous broadleaf, coniferous or sclerophyllous forest. Random Forest models were used to map and explain spatial patterns in alpha diversity for each forest type separately using 19 environmental, land‐use and historical variables. Results Our models explained from 51.0% to 70.9% of the variation in forest alpha diversity. The modelled alpha‐diversity pattern was dominated by a marked gradient from species‐poor north‐western to species‐rich south‐eastern Europe. The most prominent richness hotspots were identified in the Calcareous Alps and adjacent north‐western Dinarides, the Carpathian foothills in Romania and the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. Energy‐related factors, bedrock types and terrain ruggedness were identified as the main variables underlying the observed richness patterns. Alpha diversity increases especially with temperature seasonality in deciduous broadleaf forests, on limestone bedrock in coniferous forests and in areas with low annual actual evapotranspiration in sclerophyllous forests. Main conclusions We provide the first predictive maps and analyses of environmental factors driving the alpha diversity of vascular plants across European forests. Such information is important for the general understanding of European biodiversity. This study also demonstrates a high potential of vegetation‐plot databases as sources for robust estimation of the number of vascular plant species that co‐occur at fine spatial grains across large areas.M.V., J.D., I.K., M.Ř. and M.C. were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence Pladias; project no. 14–36079G). I.B. and J.A.C. were supported by the Basque Government (IT936‐16). B.J.‐A. was supported by the Marie Curie Clarín‐COFUND program of the Principate of Asturias and the European Union (ACB17‐26). J.‐C.S. considers this work a contribution to his VILLUM Investigator project “Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World” funded by VILLUM FONDEN (grant 16549) and his Danish Council for Independent Research | Natural Sciences TREECHANGE project (grant 6108‐00078B)

The Romanian Grassland Database (RGD): historical background, current status and future perspectives

This report describes the Romanian Grassland Database (RGD), registered under EU-RO-008 in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD). This collaborative initiative aims at collecting all available vegetation-plot data (relevés) of grasslands and other open habitats from the territory of Romania and providing them for science, nationally and internationally, e.g. via the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database “sPlot”. It mainly contains data from wet, mesic, dry, saline, alpine and rocky grasslands, but also some other vegetation types like heathlands, mires, ruderal, segetal, aquatic and cryptogam-dominated vegetation. The currently 21,685 relevés have mainly been digitised from literature sources (90%), while the rest comes from individual unpublished sources (10%). We report on the background and history of RGD, explain its “Data Property and Governance Rules” under which data are contributed and retrieved and outline how RGD can contribute to research in the fields of vegetation ecology, macroecology and conservation