Distribution of Vascular Plant Communities in Slovenian Watercourses

Igor Zelnik,Urška Kuhar,Mateja Germ,Alenka Gaberščik,Matej Holcar

doi:10.3390/w13081071

Abstract

Rivers and streams are heterogenous ecosystems that host a great number of vascular plant communities. The territory of Slovenia is highly diverse regarding geomorphologic, geologic, climatic, and edaphic conditions. We presumed that environmental variability will also affect the distribution of hygrophilous vascular plants in running waters and consequently the structure of plant communities they form. We analyzed macrophyte, spatial, and environmental parameters in 906 stretches of the watercourses occurring in the Dinaric, Pannonian, and Po lowland hydro-ecoregions. We determined 87 vascular plant taxa. The most abundant were Myriophyllum spicatum, Phalaris arundinacea, and Potamogeton nodosus. Submerged macrophytes presented about one third of total species abundance, while amphiphytes were somewhat less abundant. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that distance from the source explained 15.1% of the growth form type variability, and current velocity and latitude explained 4.1% each. With the assessed parameters, we explained 31.6% of the variability. When CCA was run with taxa, only 20.9% of their variability was explained with statistically significant parameters. We distinguished 25 different plant associations belonging to five classes and nine alliances. The majority of defined plant communities were distributed in different watercourses belonging to different hydro-ecoregions. Only seven communities had a narrower distribution range, three of them on karst poljes. Among them, the new association Mentho aquaticae-Oenanthetum fistulosae from the river Mali Obrh on the Loško polje was described in this contribution.

Highlights

Rivers, as well as streams, exhibit high spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which is a consequence of their interactions across four dimensions: longitudinal, lateral and vertical, and temporal [1]
Species abundance values were log(x + 1)-transformed. Results of these analyses enabled the assessment of the relationships between environmental parameters and distribution and abundance of macrophytes and their growth forms
High heterogeneity of the surveyed watercourses, their catchments, and environmental parameters resulted in high diversity of vascular plants and in high diversity of plant communities they form

Summary

Introduction

As well as streams, exhibit high spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which is a consequence of their interactions across four dimensions: longitudinal, lateral and vertical, and temporal [1]. These interactions enable the exchange of energy, matter, and organisms [2]. The strength of spatial interactions is changing along the river flow and due to human influences on water flow, riverbed shape, and its connection to the floodplains in catchments [3]. The extent of the pressures exerted on the rivers depends on the properties of the catchment, namely slope, geology, land cover parameters, and human impact on river morphology. All these parameters may significantly alter riverine communities, including macrophytes [6,7,8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion