On the trails of Josias Braun-Blanquet : changes in the grasslands of the inneralpine dry valleys during the last 70 years. First results from the 11th EDGG Field Workshop in Austria

The 11th EDGG Field Workshop was held from 6 to 13 July 2018 in Austria. Its aim was to revisit dry grasslands in the inneralpine dry valleys of Austria that were investigated in the late 1950s by Braun-Blanquet and to collect high-quality biodiversity data from these. Sampling was carried out in the Styrian Mur Valley, the Virgen Valley in East Tyrol, the Upper Inn Valley in the Austrian Eastern Alps, and Griffen in Carinthia. In total, we sampled 15 EDGG biodiversity plots and 37 additional 10 m2 plots. Butterfly data were record-ed in four biodiversity plots and two additional plots. We found maximum richness values of 49, 68 and 95 vascular plant species on 1, 10 and 100 m², while the corresponding values for the complete terrestrial vegetation were 56, 73 and 106 species. Maximum butterfly richness was 19, but it was in general quite low, and generalists dominated. Some of the areas originally studied by Braun-Blanquet were no longer dry grasslands and only a few sites remained largely unchanged. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) showed profound changes between the old (1950s and 1980s) and our current plots. Without grazing or other human land management activities, only very small cores of rocky dry grassland could survive in the comparatively humid Austrian inneralpine valleys. Finally, the sampled data raise questions about the syntaxonomic position of some of the grasslands, which needs to be addressed in a more comprehensive study, which is planned as the next step

Standardised EDGG methodology for sampling grassland diversity : second amendment

The EDGG methodology of sampling multi-scale biodiversity in grasslands and other open habitats is widely applied and has proven to be a highly informative and effective way of recording high-quality data allowing for a multitude of different analyses. Based on our experiences with sampling, storing and analysing such data, here we propose three additions to the protocol: (1) We recommend to record also 1000-m² plots in addition to the hitherto seven standard grain sizes of 0.0001–100 m², as 1000 m² is a standard grain size in many international studies. (2) Recording species cover also for grain sizes larger than 10 m² (where hitherto only presence-absence was recorded) can be done efficiently by noting these values only for the additional species in the larger plot and for those that show a strong deviation from the average of the two 10-m² plots. (3) Finally, sampling biomass is valuable for analyses of the productivity/disturbance and of nutrient limitations. Both aspects can be covered by harvesting aboveground biomass in two random subplots of 20 cm x 20 cm (0.08 m² in total) and fractioning the material into necromass, living bryophytes and lichens, living herbs and living woody species. While Addition 2 hardly requires any additional time and thus should be implemented always, Additions 1 and 3 come with significant addition-al effort, which normally pays off, but suggests that in case of time limitations they might be restricted to a representative subset of plots in a study

Species–area relationships in continuous vegetation : evidence from Palaearctic grasslands

Aim: Species-area relationships (SARs) are fundamental scaling laws in ecology although their shape is still disputed. At larger areas power laws best represent SARs. Yet, it remains unclear whether SARs follow other shapes at finer spatial grains in continuous vegetation. We asked which function describes SARs best at small grains and explored how sampling methodology or the environment influence SAR shape. Location: Palaearctic grasslands and other non-forested habitats. Taxa: Vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. Methods: We used the GrassPlot database, containing standardised vegetation-plot data from vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens spanning a wide range of grassland types throughout the Palaearctic and including 2057 nested-plot series with at least seven grain sizes ranging from 1 cm2 to 1024 m². Using non-linear regression, we assessed the appropriateness of different SAR functions (power, power quadratic, power breakpoint, logarithmic, Michaelis-Menten). Based on AICc, we tested whether the ranking of functions differed among taxa, methodological settings, biomes or vegetation types. Results: The power function was the most suitable function across the studied taxonomic groups. The superiority of this function increased from lichens to bryophytes to vascular plants to all three taxonomic groups together. The sampling method was highly influential as rooted-presence sampling decreased the performance of the power function. By contrast, biome and vegetation type had practically no influence on the superiority of the power law. Main conclusions: We conclude that SARs of sessile organisms at smaller spatial grains are best approximated by a power function. This coincides with several other comprehensive studies of SARs at different grain sizes and for different taxa, thus supporting the general appropriateness of the power function for modelling species diversity over a wide range of grain sizes. The poor performance of the Michaelis-Menten function demonstrates that richness within plant communities generally does not approach any saturation, thus calling into question the concept of minimal area

Traditionally managed patch of Cladonia-Scots pine forest in the Biebrza valley – specifity of the protected forest community shaped by human activity

The path of Cladonia-Scots pine forest located on dune in Biebrza valley (NE Poland) was carefully studied in order to assess the influence of recently obsolescent selection cutting management on terrestrial lichen biota. Transect was located along the dune ridge crossing both lichen rich pine forests and other adjacent communities. Distinctive habitat patches were characterized by relevé. Within the relevé area measurements of cutting intensity and soil properties were carried out and soil samples were collected for laboratory analyses. It was found, that subsoil properties are rather similar on the whole dune, which indicates the main influence of management intensity on plant communities studied. All known development stages of Cladonio-Pinetum were observed. The characteristic lichen species preferred low organic horizon depth and low canopy closure. These factors are positively correlated with cutting intensity. The studied path was compared with other described patches of Cladonia-Scots pine in Poland and additional proposals of practices urgently needed to conserve these endangered habitat were given. In spite of already practiced slash removal, there are litter raking and complete cessation of clearcuts in favour of the selection cutting management are necessary for Cladonia-Scots pine forest conservation

Current state, habitat and potential invasiveness of Montia linearis (Douglas ex Hook.) Greene in Poland

Montia linearis is a vascular plant originating from western North America. The expansion of this species has been observed for several decades. For the first time M. linearis was found in Europe in 1989. Further six populations were documented by 2004 within the continent: three in Poland, two in Denmark and one in Hungary.Apart from discovering a new population of M. linearis, we confirmed two out of the three previously known localities of the species in Poland. All the currently known populations of M. linearis occupied predominantly meadow habitats, especially intensively managed sites. Some individuals were also found in disturbed sites with bare soil. The studied species inhabited soils of various types with broad range of fertility as well as humidity. Montia linearis populations reached densities up to 87 individuals per 0.04 m2. The number of seeds produced by an individual was between 10 and 55 in 90% of the studied specimens, however much more fertile specimens were also observed.As the previously presented hypothesis of M. linearis dispersal with rail transport seemed not to be well supported, the connection between the M. linearis presence and cattle husbandry is considered. It is possible that the species can be transferred with living animals or manure.The species was able to survive for at least 26 years within once inhabited site. Further spread of M. linearis within Europe is highly probable. The aim of the study is to: (i) describe the current state of populations of M. linearis in Poland, (ii) provide information on habitat preferences and biology of the species, (iii) assess the invasiveness potential of M. linearis in Poland

GrassPlot v. 2.00 : first update on the database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands

GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). Following a previous Long Database Report (Dengler et al. 2018, Phyto-coenologia 48, 331–347), we provide here the first update on content and functionality of GrassPlot. The current version (GrassPlot v. 2.00) contains a total of 190,673 plots of different grain sizes across 28,171 independent plots, with 4,654 nested-plot series including at least four grain sizes. The database has improved its content as well as its functionality, including addition and harmonization of header data (land use, information on nestedness, structure and ecology) and preparation of species composition data. Currently, GrassPlot data are intensively used for broad-scale analyses of different aspects of alpha and beta diversity in grassland ecosystems