What factors influence colonization of lichens, liverworts, mosses and vascular plants on snags?

The dead standing trees i.e. snags are known as habitat for epiphytic and epixylic species including first of all lichens and bryophytes. The vascular plants are much rarer on this type of coarse woody debris (CWD). The eighty snags (CWD elements higher than 1.5 m) of Norway spruce Picea abies and beech Fagus sylvatica in the Karkonosze Mts. were examined for the presence of lichens, liverworts, mosses and vascular plants. The height of snags, their decomposition stage, cover of bark, diameter at breast height (DBH) as well as site conditions (elevation, slope and aspect, presence in forest community) were measured and noted. The percent cover of plants and lichens were estimated on each snag. Totally 99 taxa were recorded. There lichen species were dominant (44), followed by mosses (34), liverworts (13) and there were only 8 vascular plants. The total species richness varied from 1 to 22 taxa. The species composition growing on snags was subjected to canonical correspondence analysis and statistical analyses. They revealed that the species identity of snag is one of the most important factors influencing species composition. The number of species is positively correlated with DBH whereas decomposition stage, presence of bark, snag height are not significant factors. The species richness increases also with altitude what is connected with higher abundance of spruce snags. The occurrence of snags in this area is mainly associated with forest management practices in the past. Despite of some observed patterns in colonization of snags they are important habitat especially for lichens

An unusual epiphytic habitat for hedwigia ciliata (Bryophyta: Hedwigiaceae) in Poland (central Europe)

In Poland, Hedwigia ciliata (Hedw.) P. Beauv., an obligatory epilithic moss species, has in recent years also been observed on the bark of trees. In this paper, we describe 25 recently identified sites in which epiphytic H. ciliata has been observed, and provide a plausible explanation to account for this phenomenon

A global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining biodiversity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space; “CESTES”. Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the sampling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the diversity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology

GrassPlot - a 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). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board

Bryophytes of the historic cemetery in Plawno in the Lodz Voivodeship (Central Poland)

This paper contains a list of 46 species collected in the historic Roman Catholic cemetery in Pławno (Łódź Province, Central Poland). Of these, one species (Syntrichia virescens) is threatened and partly protected and nine species are considered rare in Central Poland (Bryum rubens, B. bicolor, Campylidium calcareum, Dicranoweissia cirrata, Orthotheciella varia, Orthotrichum obtusifolium, Pterigynandrum filiforme, Pylaisia polyantha and Sciuro-hypnum populeum). Saxicolous bryophytes constitute the largest ecological group in the bryophyte flora, consisting 31 species (67% of total flora). Follow by epiphytes mosses which are represented by 28 species (61%). The occurrence of mountain species is visibly manifested in the cemetery

PROTECTED SPECIES OF MOSSES IN THE URBAN AREA OF ŁÓDŹ

The paper presents of protected moss species which occur within the administrative boundaries of the city of Łódź. Łódź is the second largest city of Poland with regard to population. It is located close to the geographical centre of the country. Distribution of 27 species has been presented in the aspect of their occurrence in four structural-functional zones. The most frequent species in the study area are: Dicranum scoparium, Pleurozium schreberi, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus. The large number of protected mosses were noted in suburbs on lowered urbanization pressure area

Uprawa mchów w formie mat - MINIATURA nr DEC-2022/06/X/NZ8/01238 (dataset)

Celem projektu było opracowanie powtarzalnej metody uprawy mchów w formie mat oraz określenie wpływu częstości zraszania na powodzenie uprawy. Do doświadczenia posłużono się dwoma rodzimymi gatunkami mchów tj. Syntrichia ruralis oraz Hypnum cupressiforme. Uprawy prowadzono w skrzyniach, wyłożonych folią i grubym filcem stanowiącym podłoże. Z wysuszonych darni mchów, deszczówki, piwa oraz hydrożelu przygotowano zawiesinę propagacyjną, którą rozprowadzano na podłożu w skrzyniach. Skrzynie zraszano z różną częstotliwością tzn. 10 skrzyń codziennie, 10 – co drugi dzień, 10 – co trzeci dzień, 10 – co czwarty i 10 – raz w tygodniu. Doświadczenie przeprowadzono dwukrotnie w pomieszczeniu i raz środowisku naturalnym. Po pięciu tygodniach obserwacji nie udało się wyhodować darni obu gatunkach w skrzyniach ustawionych w budynku, natomiast w skrzyniach ustawionych w środowisku naturalnym, zraszanych codziennie i co drugi dzień uzyskano trwałe uprawy Syntrichia ruralis. Drugi z gatunków – Hypnum cupressiforme nie rozwinął się na żadnej z mat.The aim of the project was to develop a repeatable method of cultivating moss in the form of mats and to determine the influence of sprinkling frequency on the success of cultivation. Two native moss species were used for the experiment, i.e. Syntrichia ruralis and Hypnum cupressiforme. Cultivation was carried out in boxes lined with foil and thick felt as the substrate. A propagation suspension was prepared from dried moss turf, rainwater, beer and hydrogel and spread on the substrate in boxes. The boxes were sprinkled with different frequencies, i.e. 10 boxes every day, 10 - every other day, 10 - every third day, 10 - every fourth and 10 - once a week. The experiment was conducted twice indoors and once in a natural environment. After five weeks of observation, it was not possible to grow turf for both species in boxes placed in the building, but in boxes placed in a natural environment, sprinkled with water every day and every other day, permanent crops of Syntrichia ruralis were obtained. The second species, Hypnum cupressiforme, did not develop on any of the mats.Projekt badawczy realizowany w ramach konkursu Miniatura 6; DEC-2022/06/X/NZ8/01238. Kod projektu: B2211000001265100