New cognitions on the flora and vegetation of rock faces in the eastern part of the pre-alpine phytogeographical region of Slovenia

The article presents the results of floristic and vegetation observations in fifteen rock faces of the eastern half of the pre-Alpine phytogeographical region of Slovenia (9755/ 4; 9756/3,4; 9757/ 3; 9855/ 4; 9857/1; 9955/2, 4). It was ascertained that practically each of the ten rock faces had its own floristic curiosities in addition to numerous common plant species. New localities of the following rare plant species have been found: Carex sempervirens, Carduus crassifolius ssp. glaucus, Campanula thyrsoides ssp. carniolica, Saxifraga petraea, S. crustata, Hieracium villosum, Rhododendron hirsutum. For the first time, phytocoenoses of the associations Arabido alpinae-Saxifragetum petraeae, Jovibarbo hirtae-Saxifragetum crustatae and Campanulo cespitosae-Globularietum cordifoliae are described. It was noticed that the plant taxa found in the rock faces would also be useful as naturally suitable species for the revegetation of rocky roadside slopes on warm sides of the pre-Alpine region of Slovenia

New cognitions on the flora and vegetation of rock faces in the eastern part of the pre-alpine phytogeographical region of Slovenia

V prispevku so prikazani izsledki opazovanj rastlinstva in rastja v petnajstihostenjih vzhodne polovice predalpskega sveta Slovenije (9755/ 49756/3,49757/ 39855/ 49857/19955/2, 4). Ugotovljeno je, da ima skoraj vsako ostenje svoje floristične posebnosti in številne skupne rastlinske vrste. Med njimi imajo nova nahajališča redke rastlinske vrste Carex sempervirens, Carduus crassifolius ssp. glaucus, Campanula thyrsoides ssp. carniolica, Saxifraga petraea, S. crustata, Hieracium villosum, Rhododendron hirsutum. Prvič smo opisali fitocenoze asociacij Arabido alpinae-Saxifragetum petraeae, Jovibarbo hirtae-Saxifragetum crustatae in Campanulo cespitosae-Globularietum cordifoliae. Seznam opaženih rastlinskih vrst v ostenjih je hkrati širok naravni izbor taksonov za ozelenjevanje skalnatih cestnih brežin v toplejših legah predalpskega sveta.The article presents the results of floristic and vegetation observations in fifteen rock faces of the eastern half of the pre-Alpine phytogeographical region of Slovenia (9755/ 49756/3,49757/ 39855/ 49857/19955/2, 4). It was ascertained that practically each of the ten rock faces had its own floristic curiosities in addition to numerous common plant species. New localities of the following rare plant species have been found: Carex sempervirens, Carduus crassifolius ssp. glaucus, Campanula thyrsoides ssp. carniolica, Saxifraga petraea, S. crustata, Hieracium villosum, Rhododendron hirsutum. For the first time, phytocoenoses of the associations Arabido alpinae-Saxifragetum petraeae, Jovibarbo hirtae-Saxifragetum crustatae and Campanulo cespitosae-Globularietum cordifoliae are described. It was noticed that the plant taxa found in the rock faces would also be useful as naturally suitable species for the revegetation of rocky roadside slopes on warm sides of the pre-Alpine region of Slovenia

Flora and partly vegetation of the Zala gorge in the upper Iška river basin

Between 2005 and 2009 and especially in 2011 and 2012, we studied the flora and partly vegetation of the Zala Gorge (Dinaric phytogeographical region, research area 403.2 ha). We divided the area under discussion into 40 units. We recorded all present taxa in each of them during different seasons. The results of floristic observations are shown by units, altitudinal belts and stream banks. We tested both floristic and ecological similarities between units by mathematicalstatistical methods. After analysis of groups of phytosociologic, chorological and plant life forms, we tested their density statistically by altitudinal belts and stream banks. Altogether, we recorded 503 taxa, 122 (24 %) of which were observed for the first time. The particularities of the Zala Gorge\u27s flora are three endemic taxa, the long-known endemic species Primula carniolica now listed in Annexes II and IV of the EU FFH Directive, rare endemic species Scabiosa hladnikiana and recently described stenoendemic taxon Heliosperma veselskyi subsp. iskense, numerous Alpine, southeast-Alpine-Illyrian, southeast-European and other protected and threatened taxa. The results of the floristic and partly vegetation investigations show unique floristic and vegetational diversity of the Zala Gorge, which is distinguished floristically and ecologically from the recently described Iški vintgar. The new described syntaxa are: Scabioso hladnikianae Caricetum sempervirentis, Valeriano saxatilis-Molinietum arundinaceae, Omphalodo-Fagetum aretosum maculatae, -luzuletosum luzuloidis, -mercurialetosum perennis with variants Festuca altissima, Hordelymus europaeus and Ctenidium molluscum, -homogynetosum sylvestris, -cardaminetosum pentaphylli with variants Fraxinus excelsior and Geranium nodosum, Ostryo carpinifoliae-Piceetum and Bazzanio-Abietetum huperzietosum selaginis.V soteski Zale v zgornjem porečju Iške (dinarsko fitogeografsko območje, površina raziskovanega območja 403,2 ha) smo med letoma 2005 in 2009 ter še posebej v letih 2011 in 2012 preučevali rastlinstvo in deloma rastje. Območje smo razdelili na manjše enote (40), v vsaki izmed njih pa v različnih letnih časih popisali vse taksone, ki smo jih opazili. Rezultate popisovanja prikazujemo po enotah, višinskih pasovih in bregovih. Floristično in hkrati ekološko podobnost med enotami smo preverili z matematično-statističnimi metodami. Po opravljenih fitosocioloških in horoloških analizah ter analizah življenjskih oblik rastlin smo gostoto le-teh po nadmorskih višinah in legah statistično preverili. Evidentirali smo 503 taksone, 122 (24 %) smo jih v soteski Zale opazili prvič. Posebnosti njene flore so endemični taksoni, že dolgo poznana endemična in hkrati evropsko varstveno pomembna vrsta Primula carniolica, redka Scabiosa hladnikiana, nedavno opisani ozko endemični takson Heliosperma veselskyi subsp. iskense ter številni alpski, jugovzhodno alpsko-ilirski, jugovzhodnoevropski ter drugi redki, zavarovani in ogroženi taksoni. Rezultati florističnih in vegetacijskih analiz kažejo na samosvojo floristično in vegetacijsko pisanost soteske Zale, ki se razlikuje od nedavno floristično opisanega sosednjega Iškega vintgarja. Novo opisani sintaksoni so: Scabioso hladnikianae-Caricetum sempervirentis, Valeriano saxatilis-Molinietum arundinaceae, Omphalodo-Fagetum aretosum maculatae, -luzuletosum luzuloidis, -mercurialetosum perennis z variantami Festuca altissima, Hordelymus europaeus in Ctenidium molluscum, -homogynetosum sylvestris, -cardaminetosum pentaphylli z variantama Fraxinus excelsior in Geranium nodosum, Ostryo carpinifoliae-Piceetum in Bazzanio-Abietetum huperzietosum selaginis

Forest and other plant communities on the Iški vintgar left bank

V srednjem porečju Iške, to je na levem bregu Iškega vintgarja (dinarsko fitogeografsko območje, površina raziskanega območja 170,3 ha), smo med letoma 2008 in 2013 po standardni srednjeevropski fitocenološki metodi preučevali in v letu 2013 kartirali gozdno vegetacijo, ki je dotlej podrobno še niso ne preučili ne kartirali. Na osnovi analiz in primerjav številnih analitičnih in sinteznih preglednic vegetacije [tudi s pomočjo matematično-statističnih metod (Podani, 2001)], smo določili naslednje sintaksone: Primulo carniolicae-Pinetum nigrae, Fraxino orni-Pinetum nigrae var. geogr. Primula carniolica rhododendretosum hirsuti var. Laserpitium krapfii, Thymo praecocis-Pinetum nigrae s. lat., Querco-Ostryetum carpinifoliae s. lat., Carici sempervirentis-Ostryetum carpinifoliae, Omphalodo-Fagetum s. lat., Rhododendro hirsuti-Fagetum s. lat., Rhododendro hirsuti-Ostryetum s. lat., Hacquetio epipactis-Fagetum, Arunco-Fagetum s. lat., Lamio orvalae-Fagetum s. lat., Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum s. lat., Ostryo carpinifoliae-Fagetum s. lat, Ostryo carpinifoliae-Piceetum in druge negozdne fitocenoze. Večino navedenih sintaksonov smo členili še na nižje sintaksonomske enote. Izsledki vegetacijskih preučevanj kažejo na izredno vegetacijsko in ekološko pisanost levega brega Iškega vintgarja, ki mu v bližnji in daljni okolici ne najdemo primerjave.Between 2004 and 2013, we studied and in 2013 also mapped the vegetation (applying the standard Central-European phytocoenological method) on the left bank of the Iški vintgar gorge (the central river basin of the Iška River, Dinaric phytogeographical region, research area 170,3 ha), which had never been studied in detail till then. On the basis of analysis of numerous analytic and synoptic tables (analyzed also by mathematical and statistical methods (Podani, 2001), the following syntaxa were identified: Primulo carniolicae-Pinetum nigrae, Fraxino orni-Pinetum nigrae var. geogr. Primula carniolica rhododendretosum hirsuti var. Laserpitium krapfii, Thymopraecocis-Pinetum nigrae s. lat., Querco-Ostryetum carpinifoliae s. lat., Carici sempervirentis-Ostryetum carpinifoliae, Omphalodo-Fagetum s. lat., Rhododendro hirsuti-Fagetum s. lat., Rhododendro hirsuti-Ostryetum s. lat., Hacquetio epipactis-Fagetum s. lat., Arunco-Fagetum s. lat., Lamio orvalae-Fagetum s. lat., Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum s. lat., Ostryo carpinifoliae-Fagetum s. lat., Ostryo carpinifoliae-Piceetum and other nonforest communities. The majority of these syntaxa were identified even down to the lower syntaxonomic units. The results of our vegetation investigations highlight extraordinary vegetational and ecological diversity of the Iški vintgar left bank, which is without comparison in its immediate and wider vicinity

Myosotis refracta Boiss. (Boraginaceae), an unexpected forget-me-not in the Slovene flora

Myosotis refracta Boiss. is reported as a new and unexpected finding for the Slovene flora. The species was found in three collections stored in the Herbarium LJU from south-east Slovenia, in the Kolpa river valley bordering Croatia. All plants thrived under overhanging dolomite rocks. On account of an earlier misidentification, the respective plant community had been described as the association Arabido alpinae- Myosotidetum strictae Accetto 2008, which is here corrected to Arabido alpinae-Myosotidetum refractae Accetto 2008 corr. Strgulc Krajšek, Accetto & Jogan 2016. Myosotis refracta has a disjunct Mediterranean southwest Asian distribution. The reported new localities extend its known range more than 500 km in north-west direction, from its nearest known occurrences on the southern Balkan peninsula

How Can We Advance Integrative Biology Research in Animal Science in 21st Century?:Experience at University of Ljubljana from 2002 to 2022

In this perspective analysis, we strive to answer the following question: how can we advance integrative biology research in the 21st century with lessons from animal science? At the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Animal Science, we share here our three lessons learned in the two decades from 2002 to 2022 that we believe could inform integrative biology, systems science, and animal science scholarship in other countries and geographies. Cultivating multiomics knowledge through a conceptual lens of integrative biology is crucial for life sciences research that can stand the test of diverse biological, clinical, and ecological contexts. Moreover, in an era of the current COVID-19 pandemic, animal nutrition and animal science, and the study of their interactions with human health (and vice versa) through integrative biology approaches hold enormous prospects and significance for systems medicine and ecosystem health

New findings about the distribution and sites of Pulmonaria stiriaca Kerner in the Bela krajina region (Slovenia)

In this paper the author informs us about the distribution and new sites of Pulmonaria stiriaca Kerner in the Bela krajina region. These are the southernmost sites in Slovenia and at the same time southernmost within the boundaries of its total distribution. In Bela krajina this species grows on the following association sites: Aconito variegati-Quercetum roboris, Epimedioalpini-Quercetum roboris, Querco-Carpinetum var. geogr. Epimedium alpinum, Hedero-Fagetum var. geogr. Epimedium alpinum and Pseudostellario-Carpinetum, where it builds subassociations - pulmonarietosum stiriacae. It is most abundant in the central forested areas of Bela krajina on Quaternary and Pleistocene deposits, where it indicates moderately acid to very acid and at the same time fresh to humid soil. Outside the above-mentioned area Pulmonaria officinalis predominates

The association Carici sempervirentis - Pinetum nigrae (Accetto 1996) Accetto 1999 nom. nov. in Slovenia (at the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the first Slovenian phytosociologist prof. Gabrijel Tomažič)

V prispevku je avtor opisal asociacijo Carici sempervirentis-Pinetum nigrae, ki uspeva v strmih osojnih legah gorskega sveta nad dolino zgornje Kolpe na Kočevskem (S Slovenija). Njene značilnice in razlikovalnice so Carex sempervirens, Globularia nudicaulis, Aquilegia nigricans, Adenophora liliifolia in Sesleria kalnikensis. Asociacijo ~leni v dve subasociaciji: -salicetosum appendiculatae subass. nova in -gentianetosum symphyandrae subass. nova. Primerjava našega črnega borovja z drugimi črnimi borovji v jugovzhodnoalpskem in dinarskem gorskem svetu z analizo podrobnejše floristične, fitosociološke in geoelementne sestave ter analizo spektra bioloških oblik je pokazala, da se, kljub nekaterim podobnostim, od njih floristično in ekološko dobro loči. Asociacija je dolgotrajna, prehodna razvojna stopnja progresivnega sukcesijskega niza. Med seboj se floristično in ekološko dobro ločijo tudi druga primerjana črna borovja, najbolj črna borovja z južnih Dinaridov, ki jih uvrščamo v podzvezo Sorbo umbellatae-Ostryenion carpinifoliae (Fukarek 1969) Accetto 1999.The article gives a description of the Carici sempervirentis - Pinetum nigrae association, which grows in steep shady locations in mountainous region of theUpper Kolpa Valley in the Ko~evsko Region (Slovenia). Its character and differencial species are Carex sempervirens, Globularia nudicaulis, Aquilegia nigricans, Adenophora liliifolia and Sesleria kalnikensis. The association is divided into two sub-associations: -salicetosum appendiculatae subass. nova and -gentianetosum symphyandrae subass. nova. A comparison of Slovenian Pinus nigra syntaxa with others in south-eastern Alpine and Dinaric mountain regionswith the analysis of a detailed floristic, phyto-coenological and geo-elemental composition and the analysis of the spectrum of biological formshas shown that despite some similarities it distinctly differs from them floristically and ecologically. The association is a long lasting transition developmental stage of a progressive succession sequence. From floristic and ecological point of view, other compared Pinus nigra syntaxa also differ well from each other, those of the south Dinaric Mountains, which are ranked into the Sorbo umbellatae-Ostryenion carpinifoliae (Fukarek 1969) Accetto 1999 suballiance, at the most