Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1994

Following the "Index of new names” (Theurillat & Moravec 1998), the present work collects the names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of phytosociological nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1994. The list comprises 101 names of syntaxa; three names are added to the Index 1992 (Theurillat & Moravec 1995

Index of new names of syntaxa published in 1994

The present work collects the new names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of phytosociological nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank found in the literature received by the Library of the Conservatoire Botanique in Geneva. For the year 1994 851 names were listed corresponding to 34 classes, 55 orders, 2 suborders, 128 alliances, 29 suballiances, and 603 associations. For each of them, an assessment of its validity is given relating to the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 72 names are given to add to the Indices 1991, 1992, 1993 (Theurillat & Moravec 1994, 1995, 1996

Nomenclature and syntaxonomic notes on some high-rank syntaxa of the European grassland vegetation

We present descriptions of a new order (Ranunculo cortusifolii-Geranietalia reuteri) and of a new alliance (Stachyo lusitanicae-Cheirolophion sempervirentis) for the herbaceous fringe communities of Macaronesia and of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, respectively. A new alliance, the Polygalo mediterraneae-Bromion erecti (mesophilous post-cultural grasslands), was introduced for the Peninsular Italy. We further validate and typify the Armerietalia rumelicae (perennial grasslands supported by nutrient-poor soils on siliceous bedrocks at elevations characterized by the submediterranean climate of south-central Balkan Peninsula), the Securigero-Dasypyrion villosae (lawn and fallow-land tall-grass annual vegetation of Italy), and the Cirsio vallis-demoni-Nardion (acidophilus grasslands on siliceous substrates of the Southern Italy). Nomenclatural issues (validity, legitimacy, synonymy, formal corrections) have been discussed and clarified for the following names: Brachypodio-Brometalia, Bromo pannonici-Festucion csikhegyensis, Corynephoro-Plantaginion radicatae, Heleochloion, Hieracio-Plantaginion radicatae, Nardetea strictae, Nardetalia strictae, Nardo-Callunetea, Nardo-Galion saxatilis, Oligo-Bromion, Paspalo-Heleochloetalia, Plantagini-Corynephorion and Scorzoneret alia villosae

Proposals (33–34) to conserve the name Poo-Astragalion and to conserve the name Poo-Astragaletum sesamei with a conserved type, and requests (5–7) for a binding decision on the name-giving taxa in the same names and the inversion of the name Poo-Astragaletum sesamei

The alliance name Poo-Astragalion has been widely used by Iberian phytosociologists for nearly fifty years to indicate a type of sheep pastures thriving on base-rich substrates. This alliance is currently classified in the order Poetalia bulbosae and class Poetea bulbosae. However, the revision of its original diagnosis highlights that this alliance name must be considered as an alternative name to the largely disused name Medicagini-Brachypodion distachyi. In order to stabilize the nomenclature, we propose the conservation of the traditionally used name Poo-Astragalion. On the other hand, the type association of the alliance (Poo-Astragaletum sesamei) turns out to be a superfluous name for another association neglected in the syntaxonomical literature, the Astragalo scorpioidis-Medicaginetum truncatulae. Hence, with the same objective of stabilizing the nomenclature, we propose the designation of a conserved neotype for the Poo-Astragaletum sesamei and the conservation of this name against the earlier heterotypic synonym in case of union of both associations. At the same time, we propose to complete the two names Poo-Astragalion and Poo-Astragaletum sesamei by selecting Poa bulbosa and Astragalus sesameus as the name-giving taxa, and to invert the name Poo-Astragaletum in accordance with its neotype (Astragalo sesamei-Poetum bulbosae). (33) Poo-Astragalion Rivas Goday et Ladero 1970: 165–169, nom. cons. propos. Typus: Poo-Astragaletum sesamei Rivas-Goday et Ladero 1970: 166–170 (holotypus). (≡) Medicagini-Brachypodion distachyi Rivas-Goday et Rivas-Martínez in Rivas Goday et Ladero 1970: 165–166 (alternative name) [original form: "Medicago-Brachypodion"] (34) Poo-Astragaletum sesamei Rivas-Goday et Ladero 1970: 166–170, nom. cons. et typus cons. propos. [original forms: "Poo-Astragaletum", "Poeto-Astragaletum sesamei"] Typus cons. propos.: neotypus hoc loco (see below). (=) Astragalo scorpioidis-Medicaginetum truncatulae Rivas Goday et Borja 1959 nom. corr. [original form: Astragalo scorpioidis-Medicaginetum tribuloidis nom. inept. (Rivas Goday and Borja 1959: 475, table 2)] Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med (2023). Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: EVC = EuroVegChecklist (Mucina et al. 2016); ICPN = 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al. 2021)

INVESTIGANDO A HISTÓRIA DA VEGETAÇÃO (LINHAS DE ÁRVORES) NOS ALPES CENTRAIS: CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA ANÁLISE DE FITÓLITOS

As variações de altitude na linha de árvores nos Alpes durante o Holoceno foram investigadas principalmente por meio de análises de grãos de pólen e de macrofósseis de plantas. Atualmente é consenso que a floresta atingiu altitudes entre 2.400 e 3.000 metros (acima do nível do mar) durante o Ótimo Climático Atlântico (100 a 300metros acima da altitude atual). Essa ideia tem sido discutida há alguns anos e agora novas técnicas são necessárias para resolver este debate. Os solos alpinos podem atuar como arquivos de informações consideradas adequadas para a reconstrução da história da vegetação. Neste trabalho discute-se o potencial dos 5 fitólitos preservados no solo como marcador da história da vegetação alpina em ambientes terrestres secos. O conteúdo de saílica biogênica no perfil de solo estudado mostrou-se baixo no horizonte eluvial e maior em profundidade. A concentração de células curtas de gramíneas apresentou pico na parte superior do perfil e drástica diminuição em direção à base do horizonte eluvial. Morfotipos poliédricos de fitólitos foram os mais comuns na base do perfil de solo. Esta abundância pode ser explicada pela dissolução da opala mais solúvel das monocotiledôneas, ou pode ser uma genuína assinatura da presença de espécies arbóreas. Esta segunda hipótese foi confirmada por meio das análises de EDX que demonstrou ser uma poderosa ferramenta para distinguir morfotipos não idiomórfico (not –idiomorfic)

Subalpine-nival gradient of species richness for vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens in the Swiss Inner Alps

In the European GLORIA project, 12 summits (treeline to nival belt) were inventoried in three regions of Switzerland: two in the Swiss National Park Graubünden and one in Valais. Vascular plants were recorded in all three regions and bryophytes and lichens were recorded only in Valais. On each summit, vegetation and temperature data were sampled using sampling protocols for the GLORIA project (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environment) on large summit sections and in clusters of four 1×1-m quadrats. We observed a general decrease of species richness for all three systematic groups with increasing elevation in the summit sections, but only for vascular plants in the quadrats. In Valais, there was higher species richness for vascular plants than for bryophytes and lichens on the lower summits, but as the decrease in species richness was less pronounced for cryptogams, the latter were more numerous than vascular plants on the highest summit. Vascular species showed a clear shift of the dominant life form with elevation, with chamaephytes replacing hemicryptophytes. Bryophytes and lichens showed a weak trend among the life forms at the summit section scale, but a stronger shift of the dominant forms was seen in the quadrats, with cushion replacing turf bryophytes and crustaceous replacing fruticose lichens. Altogether, these results sustain the temperature-physiographic hypothesis to explain the species richness decrease along the altitudinal gradient: the harsh climatic conditions of the alpine-nival belts act as a filter for species, but the diminishing diversity of microhabitats is also an important factor. Because cryptogams depend more on humidity than temperature and more on smaller microhabitats than vascular plants, the decrease of species richness is more gradual with elevation for bryophytes and lichen

The Soil Microbiome of GLORIA Mountain Summits in the Swiss Alps

While vegetation has intensively been surveyed on mountain summits, limited knowledge exists about the diversity and community structure of soil biota. Here, we study how climatic variables, vegetation, parent material, soil properties, and slope aspect affect the soil microbiome on 10 GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments) mountain summits ranging from the lower alpine to the nival zone in Switzerland. At these summits we sampled soils from all four aspects and examined how the bacterial and fungal communities vary by using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We found that mountain summit soils contain highly diverse microbial communities with a total of 10,406 bacterial and 6,291 fungal taxa. Bacterial α-diversity increased with increasing soil pH and decreased with increasing elevation, whereas fungal α-diversity did not change significantly. Soil pH was the strongest predictor for microbial β-diversity. Bacterial and fungal community structures exhibited a significant positive relationship with plant communities, indicating that summits with a more distinct plant composition also revealed more distinct microbial communities. The influence of elevation was stronger than aspect on the soil microbiome. Several microbial taxa responded to elevation and soil pH. Chloroflexi and Mucoromycota were significantly more abundant on summits at higher elevations, whereas the relative abundance of Basidiomycota and Agaricomycetes decreased with elevation. Most bacterial OTUs belonging to the phylum Acidobacteria were indicators for siliceous parent material and several OTUs belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes were associated with calcareous soils. The trends for fungi were less clear. Indicator OTUs belonging to the genera Mortierella and Naganishia showed a mixed response to parent material, demonstrating their ubiquitous and opportunistic behaviour in soils. Overall, fungal communities responded weakly to abiotic and biotic factors. In contrast, bacterial communities were strongly influenced by environmental changes suggesting they will be strongly affected by future climate change and associated temperature increase and an upward migration of vegetation. Our results provide the first insights into the soil microbiome of mountain summits in the European Alps that are shaped as a result of highly variable local environmental conditions and may help to predict responses of the soil biota to global climate change