New and Overlooked Syntaxa of European Vegetation and Their Accumulation Over Time

Концепция классификации растительности России как отражение современных задач фитоценологии

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 aim of the work is to revise the prodrome and diagnostic species of the classes of natural dry grassland and phrygana vegetation of the Southern Crimea based on own field studies and modern literature data. Methods. The work is based on the Braun-Blanquet approach to classification of vegetation communities. Higher syntaxonomy units and lists of diagnostic species are given in accordance with “Vegetation of Europe ...” (EuroVegChecklist), nomenclature of syntaxon according to the requirements of the “International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature”, nomenclature of taxon according to the Catalogue of Life and Euro + Med PlantBase international databases. Results. A preliminary version of the prodrome of natural dry grassland and phrygana vegetation of the Southern Crimea has been compiled. It was established that this vegetation type includes communities of 12 classes: Sedo-Scleranthetea , Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei , Festuco-Brometea , Festuco-Puccinellietea , Kalidietea foliati , Ononido-Rosmarinetea , Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis , Helianthemetea guttati , Stipo-Trachynietea distachyae , Saginetea maritimae , Asplenietea trichomanis , Drypidetea spinosae. There are 14 orders, 14 alliances and 30 associations, three of which need to be validated. The classes of rock and scree vegetation ( Asplenietea trichomanis , Drypidetea spinosae ) are described in most detail. For most classes, a significant part of the classification units has not yet been established. Conclusion. The preliminary prodrome of the natural dry grassland and phrygana vegetation of the Southern Crimea includes 12 classes, 14 orders, 14 alliances and 30 associations. A great part of syntaxa has not yet been established. The composition of the diagnostic species indicates a significant floristic proximity of the classes Sedo-Scleranthetea - Helianthemetea guttati - Stipo-Trachynietea distachyae , Festuco-Puccinellietea - Kalidietea foliati , Ononido-Rosmarinetea - Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis .

The article presents information about new syntaxa of anthropogenic vegetation in the Kursk Region. We have been conducting research on this type of vegetation since 2003. As a result, a syntaxonomy of synanthropic vegetation of Kursk was elaborated (Arepieva, 2015) and a number of papers were published, describing the diversity of phytocenoses of anthropogenic ecotopes of the region. In this paper, 24 associations and 1 derivative community from 4 classes of anthropogenic vegetation are characterized. 210 complete relevés made by the author in 2003–2022 on the territory of Kursk and the regional centers of the Kursk Region were used in the work. Some information about the natural conditions of the region is given in Table 1. Classification is carried out according to Braun-Blanquet approach (Westhoff, Maarel, 1978). The data were treated by IBIS 7.2 software package (Zverev, 2007). The identification of new syntaxa was carried out in accordance with the “International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 4th edition” (Theurillat et al., 2021).The names of the higher syntaxa follow «Vegetation of Europe…» (Mucina et al., 2016). Synoptic tables include only species with constancy above I. Cluster analysis of relevés by the Ward binding method and DCA ordination based on the complete matrix “species composition × relevé” were carried out by PAST 2.17 software package (Hammer et al., 2001). Ecological conditions were assessed with the use of average values by H. Ellenberg et al. (1992) ecological scales and processed by IBIS software (Zverev, 2007). In the class Sisymbrietea, the ass. Hordeetum murini Libbert 1932 was identified (Table 2, Fig. 1). It belongs to the alliance Sisymbrion officinalis and the order Sisymbrietalia sophiae. These communities are found in courtyards, on ruderalized lawns, along sidewalks and highways. Ass. Setarietum verticillatae Méndez 1984 (Table 2, Fig. 2) was assigned to the class Digitario sanguinalis–Eragrostietea minoris, the order Eragrostietalia, the alliance Spergulo arvensis–Erodion cicutariae. These stands grow on ruderalized lawns, along sidewalks, on abandoned flower beds, near buildings. In the class Artemisietea vulgaris and the order Onopordetalia acanthii, 4 associations were identified, they occur near railway embankments and highways, in wastelands. Two associations (Carduo acanthoidis–Onopordetum acanthii Soó ex Jarolímek et al. 1997 and Carduetum acanthoidis Felföldy 1942) were assigned to the alliance Onopordion acanthii (Table 3, Figures 3 and 4). Two associations (Artemisio vulgaris–Echinopsietum sphaerocephali Eliáš 1979 and Artemisio–Oenotheretum rubricaulis Passarge 1977) were assigned to the alliance Dauco-Melilotion (Table 4, Fig. 5). The order Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis and the alliance Convolvulo arvensis–Agropyrion repentis unite communities of the late successional stages. They include 4 associations (Table 5, Fig. 6): Saponario officinalis–Petasitetum spurii Passarge 1964, Anisantho–Artemisietum austriacae Kostylev 1985, Elytrigio repentis–Cirsietum arvensis Prunier et Guenat in Prunier et al. 2018, Dactylido glomeratae–Lupinetum polyphyllis Bulokhov et al. 2020. These communities are common in wastelands, along roads. A derivative community Phalacroloma annuum we also assigned to the class Artemisietea vulgaris (Table 5, Fig. 7). The class Epilobietea angustifolii includes 4 orders and 4 alliances. 4 associations were identified in the order Arctio lappae–Artemisietalia vulgaris and the alliance Arction lappae (Table 6 and 7, Figures 8 and 9): Hyoscyamo nigri–Conietum maculati Slavnić 1951, Helianthetum tuberosi (Moor 1958) Oberdorfer 1967, Geranio sibirici–Arctietum tomentosi Bulokhov et al. 2020 and a new ass. Geranio sibirici–Festucetum giganteae ass. nov. hoc loco. Holotypus: Table 7, relevé 25, Kursk Region, Kursk, courtyard of the house No. 20 on Stepan Razin Street (51.743497° N, 36.190895° E), 22.08.2020, author – L. A. Arepieva. Diagnostic species: Festuca gigantea and Geranium sibiricum. It unites stands with a predominance of Festuca gigantea and Geranium sibiricum. They are common in shaded, infrequently disturbed habitats near the walls of buildings, in parks and squares. There are 4 associations in the order Circaeo lutetianae–Stachyetalia sylvaticae and the alliance Aegopodion podagrariae (Table 10, Fig. 12): Symphyto officinalis–Anthriscetum sylvestris Passarge 1975, Arctio tomentosi–Rumicetum obtusifolii Passarge 1959, Chaerophylletum bulbosi Tüxen 1937, Urtico dioicae–Rubetum caesii Golovanov 2017. They are often found in shaded areas (near the walls of buildings, in gardens and parks). In the order Galio-Alliarietalia and the alliance Geo urbani–Alliarion petiolatae, 3 associations were identified (Table 12, Figure 13): Geo urbani–Chelidonietum majoris Jarolímek et al. 1997, Parthenocissetum insertae Bulokhov et al. 2020, Torilidetum japonicae Lohmeyer ex Görs et Müller 1969. They are common in open and shaded disturbed habitats. Three associations were assigned to the order Convolvuletalia sepium and the alliance Senecionion fluviatilis (Table 13): Calystegio–Angelicetum archangelicae Passarge 1959, Calystegio sepium–Epilobietum hirsuti Hilbig et al. 1972 and Urtico dioicae–Echinocystietum lobatae Bulokhov et Kharin 2008. The latter association includes 2 variants: typica and Arctium tomentosum. Communities of the variant Arctium tomentosum occur in less humid and eutrophic habitats. Whereas other associations are common in wetter habitats.

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 European Vegetation Classification Committee (EVCC) was established in 2017 by the European Vegetation Survey to maintain and update a standard phytosociological classification of European vegetation. Vegetation scientists can send proposals for modification of specific parts of the EuroVegChecklist, which is used as a baseline. The proposals are accepted or rejected based on recommendations issued by a specialist group and after voting by EVCC members. Here we report the results of the first voting, which took place from 4 June to 4 July 2020. EVCC members voted on the recommendations issued for three proposals of change concerning spring and dune vegetation, and mediterranean grasslands. As a result, EVCC accepted to modify the classes Ammophiletea and Helichryso-Crucianelletea, but rejected to include the alliance Philonotidion seriatae and the class Charybdido pancratii-Asphodeletea ramosi. These rejections are not final, and similar proposals can be submitted again with new data supporting the proposed changes. Abbreviations: EVCC = European Vegetation Classification Committee; SG = Specialist Group.

The article presents the typification and correction of the syntaxa of grass vegetation, established at different times for the Southern Nechernozemye of Russia. 3 associations and 5 subassociations are validated according to the requirements of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al., 2021). The description of syntaxa is given according to the plan: name, synonyms, nomenclature type (holotype or lectotype), diagnostic species (their single blocks were used without dividing into characteristic, differential and constant), definition (verbal diagnosis). The belonging of associations and subassociations to the highest classification units is indicated in accordance with the modern hierarchical system of floristic classification of vegetation in Europe (Mucina et al., 2016). All of these units belong to the group of Intrazonal boreo-temperate grasslands and heath.

FOREWORD TO THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE 'EUROPEAN VEGETATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY' The conference 'European vegetation in the 21st century' was held in theNational University of Ireland, Galway, in June 2005 and was succeeded by a week-long excursion to some of themost important sites for Irishvegetation. The three-day conference was attended by over 130 delegates from 21 countries from as far afield asRussia and Georgia in the east, Sweden in the north,Malta in the south and Ireland in thewest. Itwas the fourthmajor meeting of European vegetation scientists in Irelandwithin the last 100 years. The firstof these, the International Phyto geographical Excursion, was held in 1911 and was organised by the illustrious Irish botanist Robert Lloyd Praeger. Among the participants was the eminent British botanist Arthur Tansley, who subsequently described aspects of Irish vegetation in his seminal book The British Islands and their vegetation(Tansley 1939). The second International Phytogeographical Excursion, held in 1949, was organised by the late Professor David Webb. The star attractions on that occasion were none other thanBraun-Blanquet and T?xen themselves,who compiled thefirstaccounts of Irishvegetation using the continental phytosociological methodology. Their account, published in Irische Pflanze ngesellschaften(Braun-Blanquet and T?xen 1952) has since become a standard reference for all aspiring Irish vegetation scientists. The third meeting, held by the International Society for Vegetation Science, took place in 1980 and was organised byDr Austin O'Sullivan, Dr Jim White and the late Professor Webb. The Galway conference provided an oppor tunity to take stock of developments in Irish vegetation studies over the last 25 years. In addition, with our closer integration into the European Community and its recent expansion eastward, itwas also an opportunity to take a broader look at developments invegetation science. It also coincided with the centenary of the publication of the firstdetailed vegetation map of Irishvegetation, thatof the 'districtlying south of Dublin' by Pethybridge and Praeger (1905). In contrast to other countries, studies of Irish vegetation have, until relativelyrecently,been fitful. After the map produced by Pethybridge and Praeger in 1905 little furtherwas done by Irish scientists until the 1960s and 1970s, when Professor J.J. Moore and Dr Austin O'Sullivan enthusiastically embraced the continental approach to phyto sociology. Detailed studies of grasslands and peatlands were undertaken and preliminarymaps were produced (seeWhite 1982). Initial studies of Irish woodlands were begun (e.g. Kelly 1975). Following the enactment of the 1976Wildlife Act the pace of surveying and classifying vegetation intensifiedwith systematic coverage of numerous habitat types, such as raised bogs (e.g.Douglas and Grogan 1985; Cross 1990),machair (Crawford etal. 1996), saltmarshes (Curtis and Sheehy Skeffington 1998). The informationgathered fromthese surveys provided a basis for the first steps towards the conservation of Irish flora and habitats under the Wildlife Act. Much of this information was also incorporated into the recently published Map of the Natural Vegetation of Europe (Bohn et al. 2003; 2004), one of the principal stimuli for the conference. This map is the result ofmore than 25 years of international cooperation between vegetation scientists from nearly all countries of Europe, and it is the firstof itskind for an entire continent. The map alone, with nearly 700 units, is a work of art, and while some botanists have reservations regarding the concept of potential natural vegetation, it has already been widely accepted as a useful tool in termsof planning and management. The second stimulus for the conference, the EU Habitats Directive, has become the principal tool for nature conservation, not only within Ireland but also throughout theEU and applicant states.All 25 member statesare obliged to identify, protect, monitor and manage a network of areas or Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), known as Natura 2000 sites, and vegetation scientists have played an important role in defining and implementing this directive. Europe has a long history of landuse andmanagement, with the result that very little undisturbed natural vegetation remains. There are, however, extensive areas of managed natural and semi-natural vegetation and 'cultural landscapes' of high conservation value. In recent decades increased urbanisation and the intensificationof agriculture and forestryhave led Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. 106B, No. 3, 163-165...

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.

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.

In this Editorial, the Chief Editors examine how vegetation science addresses emerging global issues

This article describes FloraVeg.EU, a new online database with open‐access information on European vegetation units (phytosociological syntaxa), vegetated habitats, and plant taxa. It consists of three modules. (1) The Vegetation module includes 149 phytosociological classes, 378 orders and 1305 alliances of an updated version of the EuroVegChecklist modified based on the decisions of the European Vegetation Classification Committee. Vegetation units dominated by vascular plants are characterized by country‐based distribution maps and data on the dominant life forms, phenology, soil properties, relationships to vegetation regions, elevational vegetation belts and azonal habitats, successional status, and degree of naturalness. A list of diagnostic taxa is also provided for each class. (2) The Habitats module includes vascular‐plant‐dominated terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitat types from the first to the third or fourth highest hierarchical levels of the EUNIS classification. Of these, 249 vegetated habitats are characterized by a brief description, a point‐based distribution map, diagnostic, constant, and dominant taxa, and a list of the corresponding alliances. (3) The Species module provides information on 37 characteristics of European vascular plant species and some infrageneric or infraspecific taxa, including functional traits (habitus and growth type, leaf, flower, fruit and seed traits, and trophic mode), taxon origin (native vs alien), and ecological information (environmental relationships, Ellenberg‐type indicator values, disturbance indicator values, and relationships to vegetation units and habitat types). Values for at least three variables are available for 36,404 species. Individual taxa, vegetation units, and habitats in these three modules are illustrated by more than 34,000 photographs. The Download section of FloraVeg.EU provides open‐access data sets in a spreadsheet format that can be used for analyses. FloraVeg.EU is a new resource with easily accessible data that can be used for research in vegetation science, ecology, and biogeography, as well as for education and conservation applications.

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.

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.

The EuroVegChecklist (EVC) is currently considered to be the basis for the phytosociological classification of the European vegetation, and it is therefore important that it is continually updated, improved and refined. This article revises the nomenclature of three Mediterranean grassland-related classes and some of their contents down to the rank of association, namely Helianthemetea guttati, Poetea bulbosae and Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae, on the basis of the fourth edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The results show that the correct author citations for the first two classes are as follows: Tuberarietea guttatae Braun-Blanquet 1973, and Poetea bulbosae Rivas Goday et Rivas-Martínez ex Navarro Andrés et Valle Gutiérrez 1984. Instead, the name Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae is invalid and it is replaced by the new class name Agrostietea castellanae. In addition, we designate the neotype of the association Corynephoro articulati-Helianthemetum guttati (Corynephoro divaricati-Tuberarietum guttatae nom. corr. nov. et mut. nov.), the lectotype of the Poo bulbosae-Trifolietum subterranei, and mutate the names Helianthemetalia guttati and Helianthemion guttati to Tuberarietalia guttatae and Tuberarion guttatae, respectively, as well as two names of associations with a name-giving taxon belonging to the genus Tuberaria.