Abstract
This paper reports a floristic and phytocenologic review of the mesic and dry grasslands of the southern Iberian System based on numerical and indicator species analysis. The crispness of classification was checked resulting in four main groups that classify grasslands in mesic ( Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Nardetea ), semi-dry calcareous ( Festuco-Brometea ), dry calcareous ( Sideritido fontquerianae-Arenarion aggregatae ), and dry siliceous grasslands ( Hieracio castellani-Plantaginion radicatae ). DCA and CCA were performed on topographic parameters as explanatory variables of the community diversity and differences in variability between communities were also tested with ANOVA. Rock cover and slope best explained the differences in the floristic composition between the main vegetation groups, and for the discrimination of the dry cryoturbated grasslands ( Sideritido-Arenarion aggregatae ) from other types of grasslands, while altitude best discriminated some associations belonging to the same main vegetation group, such as the semi-dry grasslands ( Cirsio microcephalae-Onobrychidetum hispanicae and Festuco andresmolinae-Brachypodietum phoenicoidis ) and dry grasslands of upfrozen soils ( Festucetum hystricis and Paronychio capitatae-Artemisietum lanatae ) . The exploration of the diagnostic species in combination with the topographic patterns of the community diversity brought out the phytosociological interpretation of transitional communities, like the case of Festucetum hystricis variant of Plantago maritima subsp. serpentina.
Highlights
Plant diversity patterns in grasslands have been for a long time a question of attention for management and conservation purposes
Several studies have dealt with the soil pH, altitude, topography, and grazing intensity, as the main local abiotic factors influencing the variation of the plant species composition and species richness (CRICHTLEy & al., 2002; AMEzAGA & al., 2004; BENNIE & al., 2006; KLIMEK & al., 2007; MARINI & al., 2007; JIMéNEz-ALFARO & al., 2013)
Our study develops an application of numerical and indicator species analyses on dry and mesic grasslands in the southwestern Iberian System in order to give responses to the following issues: (1) to determine the main vegetation types of these grasslands, (2) to compare the resulting classification with that used traditionally by previous authors, (3) to determine the diagnostic species of each vegetation type, and (4) to assess how far topographical and lithological factors may discriminate the community diversity and the patterns of species richness in these grasslands
Summary
Plant diversity patterns in grasslands have been for a long time a question of attention for management and conservation purposes. Several studies have dealt with the soil pH, altitude, topography (aspect and slope), and grazing intensity, as the main local abiotic factors influencing the variation of the plant species composition and species richness (CRICHTLEy & al., 2002; AMEzAGA & al., 2004; BENNIE & al., 2006; KLIMEK & al., 2007; MARINI & al., 2007; JIMéNEz-ALFARO & al., 2013). Mechanisms controlling plant species richness in grasslands in Europe have been explained by the positive effect of slope angle (MAURER & al., 2006; KLIMEK & al., 2007; MARINI & al., 2007), and the negative effect of soil acidification and altitude (PIqUERAy & al., 2007; KOPéC & al., 2010). In Europe, it may be considered that the higher contemporary calciphile to acidiphile richness ratio corresponds to a disproportionate decline of acidic habitats and their flora during the ice age times (EwALD, 2003), which would explain that the majority of the central European flora is restricted to base rich, calcareous soils
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