A new phytosociological system of the class Ranunculo japonici-Betuletea ermanii Ohba ex Ohba 1973 nom. invers. et corr.: zonal and subalpine forests, woodlands, shrubs, and krummholz communities of Northeast Asia

The fourth edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN) was prepared by the Steering Committee of the IAVS Working Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature (GPN). The edition consists of 14 Definitions, 7 Principles, 53 Articles, and 7 Appendices. When compared with the previous edition, the main amendments are: (a) the acceptance of electronic publications (Art. 1); (b) the introduction of binding decisions (Definition XIV, Principle II, Articles 1, 2b, 3c, 29b, 40, 42, 44, Appendices 6 and 7); (c) the mandatory use of the English or Latin terminology for syntaxonomic novelties (Definition II, Principle II, Articles 3d and 3i); (d) the introduction of autonyms for the main ranks when the corresponding secondary ranks are created (Articles 13b and 24); (e) the automatic correction of the taxon names (name‐giving taxa) used in the names of syntaxa in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) (Article 44); (f) the possibility to mutate the name of a syntaxon in using other correct, alternative names for the name‐giving taxa (Article 45); (g) the introduction of inadequate names, a new category of rejected names (Definition V, Articles 43 through 45); and (h) the introduction of a conserved type (Definition XIII, Article 53). The fourth edition of ICPN was approved by the GPN on 25 May 2019 and becomes effectively binding on 1 January 2021.

The scientific discussion concerning the development of the promising approaches for phyto-diversity conservation and the rational use of plant resources in Russian Federation was held at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences in December 2019. After the reports of leading scientists from biological institutes, a resolution No. 195 dated December 10, 2019 «Global changes in terrestrial ecosystems of Russia in the 21st century: challenges and opportunities» was adopted. The resolution includes a set of priority scientific aims including the development and application of modern technologies for inventory of the plant communities and the development of vegetation classification in Russia. As a result of the opinion exchange between phytocoenologists from different regions, the Concept of Russian Vegetation Classification was proposed. It is based on the following principles. 1. The use of the ecological-floristic approach and the hierarchy of the main syntaxonomic categories applied for the Classification of Vegetation of Europe. 2. Development of the Russian archive of geobotanical relevés and syntaxa in accordance with international standards and with the remote access functions. 3. Application of strict rules for syntaxon names formulated in the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. The Concept assumes the development of a special program «Russian Vegetation Classification» with the justification of the necessity for targeted funding of the program in Research Institutions and Universities involved for solving this scientific problem on the principle of network collaboration. The final results of this program will be represented in the multi-volume publication «Vegetation of Russia». A shortened version of the Concept (English version was kindly revised by Dr. Andrew Gillison, Center for Biodiversity Management, Cairns, Queensand, Australia) is below. Vegetation classification of Russia Research Program Concept Systematic classification and inventory of plant communities (phytocoenoses) is fundamental to the study and forecasting of contemporary complex processes in the biosphere, controlled among other factors, by global climate change. Vegetation classification serves as a common language that enables professionals in various fields of science to communicate and interact with each other in the process of studying and formulating practical ecosystem-related management decisions. Because plant community types can carry a great deal of information about the environment, nearly all approaches to simulation of changes in global biota are based inevitably on vegetation categories. Phytocoenosis is a keystone element when assessing the biodiversity genetic potential, formulating decisions in biological resource management and in sustaining development across Russian territories. Among the world’s vegetation classification systems, phytosociology is a system in which the concept of plant association (basic syntaxon) is the basic element in the classification of phytocoenoses. The phytosociological approach as applied in this concept proposal, has its origins in the Brussels Botanical Congress in 1910. However, despite the broad acceptance of phytocoenotic diversity as a fundamental methodological tool for understanding biosphere processes and managing biological resources nowadays, we still lack a unified approach as to its systematization at both global and country levels with the consequence that, there is no a single classification system. The results obtained by vegetation scientists working under European Vegetation Survey led by L. Mucina became the effective reference for international cooperation in vegetation classification. In the last 17 years they have produced a system of vegetation classification of Europe, including the European part of Russia (Mucina et al., 2016. «Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities»). Despite the fact that «Vegetation of Europe» is based on ecological and floristic principles, it nevertheless represents an example of the synthesis of one of the most effective approaches to systematizing vegetation diversity by different vegetation science schools. The synthetic approach implemented in this study assumes full accounting of the ecological indicative significance of the floristic composition and structure of plant community and habitat attributes. The approach has already demonstrated its high efficiency for understanding and forecast modeling both natural and anthropogenic processes in the biosphere, as well as in assessment of the environmental and resource significance of vegetation (ref). The demand for this approach is supported by its implementation in a number of pan-European and national projects: NATURE 2000, CORINE, CarHAB, funded at the state and pan-European levels. Currently, one of the main systems for the study and protection of habitats within the framework of environmental programs of the European Union (Davies, Moss, 1999; Rodwell et al., 2002; Moss, 2008; Linking..., 2015; Evans et al., 2018) is EUNIS (European Nature Information System), the framework of which is a multilevel classification of habitats in Europe has been established. EUNIS was used as the basis for the preparation and establishment of the Red List of European Habitats (Rodwell et al., 2013). It is approved by the Commission of the European Union (EU) (Habitats Directive 92/43 / EEC, Commission of the European Communities) for use in environmental activities of EU countries. In its Resolution of 10.12.2019, the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) expressed the need in a modern vegetation classification for the assessment of the ecosystem transformations under current climate changes and increasing anthropogenic impacts, as well as in development of effective measures for the conservation and rational use of plant resources of Russia. The resolution recommended the development of the Concept of Vegetation Classification of Russia to the Science Council for biodiversity and biological resources (at RAS Department of biological sciences — Section of Botany). As a consequence, a group of Russian vegetation researchers has developed the Concept for Vegetation Classification of Russia and proposed principles and a plan for its implementation. Aim Elaboration of a system of vegetation classification of Russia reflecting the natural patterns of plant communities formation at different spatial and geographical levels and serving as the fundamental basis for predicting biosphere processes, science-based management of bioresources, conservation of biodiversity and, ultimately, rational nature management for planning sustainable development of its territories. Research goals 1. Development of fundamental principles for the classification of vegetation by synthesis of the achievements of Russian and world’s vegetation science. 2. Inventory of plant community diversity in Russia and their systematization at different hierarchical levels. Elaboration and publication of a Prodromus of vegetation of Russia (syntaxon checklist) with an assessment of the correctness of syntaxa, their Nomenclatural validization and bibliography. Preparation and publication of a book series «Vegetation of Russia» with the entire classification system and comprehensive description of all syntaxonomic units. 3. The study of bioclimatic patterns of the phytocoenotic diversity in Russia for predictive modeling of biosphere processes. Assessment of qualitative changes in plant cover under global climate change and increasing anthropogenic impact in its various forms. 4. Assessment of the conservation value of plant communities and ecosystems. Habitat classification within Russia on the basis of the vegetation classification with a reference to world experience. 5. Demonstration of the opportunities of the vegetation classification for the assessment of actual plant resources, their future prognoses under climate and resource use change, optimization of nature management, environmental engineering and planning of projects for sustainable development. Basic principles underlying the vegetation classification of Russia I. Here we address the synthesis of accumulated theoretical ideas about the patterns of vegetation diversity and the significant features of phytocoenoses. The main goal is to identify the most significant attributes of the plant cover at different hierarchical levels of classification: floristic, structural-phytocoenotic, ecotopic and geographical.We propose the following hierarchy of the main syntaxonomical categories used in the classification of European vegetation (Mucina et al., 2016) by the ecological-floristic approach (Braun-Blanquet): Type of vegetation, Class, Order, Alliance, Association. Applying the ecological-floristic approach to the vegetation classification of Russia will maximize the use of the indicative potential of the plant community species composition to help solve the complex tasks of modern ecology, notably plant resource management, biodiversity conservation, and the forecast of vegetation response to environmental change of environment changes. II. We plan to establish an all-Russian archive of geobotanical relevés in accordance with international standards and reference information system on the syntaxonomical diversity coupled with implemented remote access capabilities. At present, the archives in botanical, biological, environmental and geographical institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as those of universities, have accumulated a large mass of geobotanical relevés for most regions of Russia (according to preliminary estimates — more than 300,000). These documents, which are fundamental to solving the most important national tasks for the conservation and monitoring of the natural human environment, need to be declared a

Zonal light-coniferous forests are widespread on long-frozen soils in Southern Siberia. Their individuality was first recognised in 1982 by Guinochet, who proposed a new suballiance for them, Pino-Laricenion sibiricae, within the alliance Vaccinio-Piceion. Later, attempts were made to raise the suballiance to the rank of an alliance. However, they failed to publish the name Pino sibiricae-Laricion sibiricae validly according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). Therefore, the name is validated here after discussing the reasons for rejecting all previous proposals. The validity of the corrected and mutated syntaxon names Rhododendro tomentosi-Laricetalia gmelinii and Rhododendro tomentosi-Laricion gmelinii, which are related to the alliance Pino sibiricae-Laricion sibiricae, is confirmed. Corrections and mutations of two association names are also performed. Taxonomic reference: World Flora Online Plant List (WFO) (https://wfoplantlist.org/) [accessed 28 July 2024]. Abbreviations: ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al. 2021); WFO = World Flora Online Plant List.

The Kamchatka group of volcanoes constitutes a great and important link in the Pacific volcanic chain which, with Java as its first link, extends diagonally across the Pacific to Alaska, the intermediate links being the Philippine Islands, the Japanese archipelago, the Kurile Islands, Kamchatka, and the Aleutian Islands. There are 127 volcanoes known in Kamchatka, 19 of which are active or solfataric. This is the greatest active group of volcanoes on the Eurasian continent. English scientific literature contains little data about the volcanoes of Kamchatka, or, for that matter, about the peninsula of Kamchatka as a whole. It needed the tremendous eruption of Shtyubelya in southern Kamchatka in 1907, effects and phenomena of which were observed as far as western Europe, to bring to the world9s attention the existence of these powerful, although remote, volcanoes. The most important writings in English about explorations in Kamchatka and about its fundamental geography . . .

We validate eleven syntaxa (eight associations and three alliances) of tall-forb vegetation that were published earlier as nomina provisoria according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. The validation concerns syntaxa of tall-forb vegetation of the class Prangetea ulopterae Klein 1987 reported from Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan). Taxonomic reference: Cherepanov (1995). Abbreviations: ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature.

Новые ассоциации классов антропогенной растительности Sisymbrietea Gutte et Hilbig 1975 и Digitario sanguinalis–Eragrostietea minoris Mucina, Lososová et Šilc in Mucina et al. 2016 в Республике Башкортостан

The greater part of the Japanese peculiar Law System in the pre-historic era has not been made quite clear yet, because the scientific approach to the legal characters of Japanese ancient Empire, especially to the origin of her Royal Family, had been prohibited untill the end of the World War II, and besides, the feature of the Japanese peculiar law system, prior to the reception of Chinese Mother law, or Tang Empire's Law, was of no letter one.In this article, therefore the author intends to describe some of the characters of our pre-historic Legal System exactly, above all, those of the governmental administration.At first he explains some of the legal terms, peculiar to ancient tribes and states of Japan under the clan system, and secondly, the way of public notice of Territorial Domain and the mutual status of the ancient states. The article consists of 2 chapters.Chapter I: The author shows a general view, adding to the Sacred Fire Worship System, which had displayed a strong power of rule in our society, and shows especially, the cohesion of the ruling system of government, with Mountain Worship and other tribal one, and thirdly, he shows the way of indication by the governmental Authority in old era of unwritten laws.During this explanation, he tries to clarify especially significant features of the vestieges of ancient administration through pointing to the Miyo-ken Yama or Tomi-yama as the administrative and military Posts of Observation of borders on the ground of Divine Agreements between or among the parties concerned, accompanied with Ohira-yama, Divine Mountain of the proof of Peace Treaty, and moreover pointing to Kunimi-yama, Mikuni-yama. Takami-yama, Yahazu-yama and Oeboshi-yama etc.Chapter II: In accordance with the present institution of Japanese prefectures, the author analyzes and illustrates the mutual status of each of the local states for the neighbouring states. The order of the description of each prefecture is as follows:a) From Chishima, the kurile Islands, and Hokkaido, to the North-eastern Provinces ;b) From the Kanto districts, the main central part of the Japanese main island, Chubu districts, or the Central Japan, and Hokuriku districts, to the Kinki districts or the Osaka, kyoto area;c) The Chugoku and Shikoku districts;d) The Kyushu and Okinawa districts.Through these illustrations of every prefecture, the legal sense and terms of unwritten law system of our country in prehistoric era are explained partly, out of the remains of our past and native civilization nowadays disused.

The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extending over most of Europe and part of Asia. Many high-rank syntaxa regarding the central and southern Europe grasslands are currently classified under the Festuco-Brometea and several of these concern the Italian Peninsula. According to the most recent and influential checklist of the Italian vegetation, the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy by Biondi and colleagues, the Italian Festuco-Brometea grasslands are to be distributed within five orders, two suborders and eighteen alliances. The names of these syntaxa, however, are often cited incorrectly in the phytosociological literature, and some of these errors are to be found in the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy. Therefore, owing to the importance of using correct names for the stabilization of the syntaxonomic nomenclature, this paper aims to resolve these inconsistencies in following the rules of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). As a result, 15 names are corrected, a new suborder (Bromenalia erecti) is described and six names are typified (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Stipo capillatae-Poion xerophilae Braun-Blanquet & Richard 1950, Diplachnion serotinae Braun-Blanquet 1961, Mesobrometum erecti W. Koch 1926, Festuco-Bromion erecti Barbero & Loisel 1972, Xerobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954). In addition, it is proposed that three names are to be conserved (Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950, Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931, Mesobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954) and three to be rejected (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Festucetalia valesiacae Soó 1947, Bromion erecti W. Koch 1926). Due to the fact that the revised names are referred to in the literature with different authors’ citations, their revision is preceded by a discussion about divergent interpretations of what constitutes a ‘publication’ and the ‘date of a publication’ in the sense of article 1 of ICPN for works issued in several parts, often in relationship with a ‘sufficient diagnosis’ in the sense of article 2b. A proposal is made in this respect.

The northwestern North Pacific is considered to be one of the most productive areas in the global ocean. Although the marginal zones along the Japanese and Kuril islands, Kamchatka Peninsula, and Aleutian Islands are certainly productive, recent studies do not always show high primary production values in the western subarctic gyre (WSG). In addition, a recent analysis of the biological pump in the WSG showed that, in contrast to what was previously reported, the vertical change of the particulate organic carbon flux with depth is large. Nevertheless, the biological pump in the northwestern North Pacific may function to draw down the partial pressure of CO2 in the surface water because the ratio of the organic carbon flux to inorganic carbon flux (Corg/Cinorg), the export flux, and the export ratio from the surface water are higher than those in other oceans. This article also introduces recent research on changes to the biological pump that might have been caused by global warming.

A brief history of the syntaxonomic studies of floodplain vegetation of the Salicetea purpureae class in Ukraine is presented and the tasks of further research are established. Our study has shown that the vegetation of the class includes more than 30 associations, which belong to 6 alliances and 2 orders. According to the ecological peculiarities, they are divided into willow shrubs on the gravel banks of streams in the montane and subalpine belts of the temperate and boreal zones of Europe and the Caucasus (Salicion eleagno-daphnoidis), willow and poplar forests of lowland and foothill rivers formed on alluvium in the nemoral zone of Europe and at high altitudes in the Mediterranean region (Salicion albae), willow shrubs on the sandy-loamy soils of the river banks of lowlands and foothills of the nemoral zone of Europe (Salicion triandrae), willow shrubs on riverine dunes in central Ukraine (Artemisio dniproicae-Salicion acutifoliae), shrubs on temporarily flooded clay soils in central Ukraine (Rubo caesi-Amorphion fruticosae). The problems of using the phytosociological nomenclature during the analysis of the Salicetea purpureae vegetation on the territory of Ukraine are highlighted. It was found that half of the syntaxa listed in Ukrainian geobotanical literature are synonyms, published invalidly, or need typification. Every syntaxon is accompanied by explanations of its non-validity with citations of the relevant articles published in the 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. In addition to the incorrectly cited associations, two of the six alliances (Artemisio dniproicae-Salicion acutifoliae, Rubo caesii-Amorphion fruticosae) also require correction because their description was based on the invalid nomenclatural types formed by the selection of species which are invalid according to The Euro+Med PlantBase. In this paper, we aimed to analyze the studies on the vegetation of the Salicetea purpureae class on the territory of Ukraine using the Braun–Blanquet approach, determine the issues that require more detailed research in the future, and make some notes on nomenclature discordances. Such review makes it possible to determine all mismatches in phytosociological nomenclature.

Concentrations of the chemical elements were analyzed in the shells of a bivalve mollusk species (Beringiana beringiana), water, and bottom sediments from seven lakes located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kurile Islands, Sakhalin Island, and Primorsky Krai (Northeast Asia). A principal component analysis allowed to determine three factors those were related to environments in the waterbodies. We revealed two groups of samples corresponding to large geographical regions using the determined factors. Statistically significant differences were found between geographical groups of samples, and higher values of element distribution coefficients were determined for samples from lakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The highest concentrations of lithophilic elements were measured in the shells from Lake Kurazhechnoye (Kamchatka Peninsula). The highest concentrations of Al and Mg were detected in shells from Lake Peschanoye (Kunashir Island). In Lake Chernoye (Sakhalin Island), the highest concentrations of Sr and Sb in the shells were detected. Zn, Fe, Pb, and rare earth elements were present in large concentrations in the shells from Lake Vaskovskoye, Primorsky Krai. The shells of the Beringian freshwater mussel show large phenotypic plasticity, and their shape demonstrates significant relationships with various environmental parameters, that were assessed based on the geochemical indicators.

We report the decisions of the GPN assembly in 2025 regarding previous recommendations of the Committee for Change and Conservation of Names (CCCN) and we discuss three Requests for a binding decision and four nomenclatural Proposals. Recommendations on acceptance or rejection of these Proposals are provided. Taxonomic reference : Euro+Med PlantBase (https://europlusmed.org/) [accessed 14 Nov 2025] Abbreviations : CCCN = Committee for Change and Conservation of Names; GPN = Working Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature; IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science; ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature, ed. 4; VCS = Vegetation Classification and Survey.

We present a detailed nomenclatural analysis of the class names Carpino-Fagetea, Querco-Fagetea, Quercetea robori-sessiliflorae, Quercetea ilicis and Vaccinio-Piceetea. The current literature presents contradictory opinions about the legitimacy and correct author citation of these names, often motivated by deviating interpretations of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. This primarily concerns the provisions of Articles 2b, 3j, 3m and 35 which can be interpreted in quite different ways, leading to divergent conclusions on the validity and legitimacy of a name. Thus, the problems discussed in this paper are of general relevance for phytosociological nomenclature, highlighting the need for amendments and clarifications to be implemented in the next edition of the Code. Moreover, we suggest establishing a formal procedure to request a binding decision on specific cases to stabilise the interpretation of the Code.

In this Report, three previously published nomenclatural proposals are discussed, and recommendations on acceptance or rejection of these proposals are provided. The proposals concern the following syntaxa: Berberidion Braun-Blanquet 1950, Aceretalia pseudoplataniMoor 1976 and Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet et Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950. Abbreviations: CCCN = Committee for the Change and Conservation of Names; GPN = Working Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature; ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature.

We report the decisions made by the Assembly of the Group of Phytosociological Nomenclature (GPN) in 2023 on previous recommendations of the Committee for Change and Conservation of Names (CCCN). Further, we discuss eight Requests for a binding decision and nine nomenclatural Proposals. Recommendations on acceptance or rejection of these Proposals are provided. We recommend the conservation of the following names: Mesobromion erecti (Braun-Blanquet et Moor 1938) Zoller 1954, Galio sylvatici-Carpinetum betuliOberdorfer 1957, Lithospermo-Carpinetum betuliOberdorfer 1957, Nanocyperetalia Klika 1935, IsoetetaliaBraun-Blanquet 1936 and Molinio arundinaceae-Quercetum Neuhäusl et Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1967. Abbreviations: CCCN = Committee for Change and Conservation of Names; GPN = Working Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature; ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature; VCS = Vegetation Classification and Survey.