Composition Of Meadows Research Articles

Луга класса Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 в пойме р. Варзуга (Мурманская область)

In the Murmansk Region floodplain meadows of class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 being there on the northern limit of distribution in Europe, rarely occur along the large rivers. The research with purpose of classification was conducted in lower stream of the Varzuga River, which is one of the largest (254 km long) river on Kola Peninsula. Few large islands are disposed in the lower course of the river. Riverbanks are formed mainly by sandstones and moraine deposits which prevent the formation of a vast floodplain formation; its the largest area is situated downstream the Varzuga village, that is one of the oldest settlements of Kola Peninsula, arisen in 15 century. The agriculture period on floodplains around the village has about 500 years of regular mowing and grazing. The river basin is located in the taiga zone. Adjacent spruce and pine forests belong to associations Empetro–Piceetum obovatae (Sambuk 1932) Morozova 2008 and Cladonio arbusculae–Pinetum sylvestris (Cajander 1921) K.-Lund 1967, bogs — to ass. Empetro–Sphagnetum fusci (Du Rietz (1921) 1926) Dierssen 1982. Ferns and tall herbs dominated birch forests occur on Varzuga River islands. Sandy beach vegetation of Ammophiletea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Westhoff et al. 1946 and halophytic marshes of Junceteamaritimi Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952 were described in the river mouth (Koroleva, 1999; Koroleva et al., 2011). Floodplain meadows (Fig. 1) were studied on the river banks and on islands from the Varzuga village to river mouth, in July and August in 2013 and 2015. 46 relevés were performed on sample plots mainly 10×10 m on the base of Braun-Blanquet approach. The syntaxa of high level are in accordance with latest survey by L. Mucina et al. (2016). Floodplain meadows belong to the alliance Astragalo subpolaris–Festucion rubrae all. nov. hoc loco (holotypus — Anthoxantho alpini–Geranietum sylvatici ass. nov. hoc loco) (Table 1) with following diagnostic species: Sanguisorba polygama, Dianthus superbus, Astragalus subpolaris, Oxytropis sordida, Myosotis asiatica, Veratrum lobelianum, Hedysarum arcticum, Senecio nemorensis, Allium schoenoprasum, Potentilla crantzii. Plant communities include mesophytic herbs, diagnostic species of classes Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Mulgedio-Aconitetea Hadač et Klika in Klika et Hadač 1944, with group of species characteristic for tundra meadows (Dianthus superbus, Astragalus subpolaris, Oxytropis sordida, Bistorta vivipara and Potentilla crantzii). More than half of diagnostic species of alliance Astragalo subpolaris–Festucion rubrae have arctic, arctic-alpine and hypoarctic distribution. Two associations belong to this alliance: ass. Diantho superbi–Festucetum ovinae ass. nov. (Table 2; holotypus hoc loco — relevé 2 (186/13), Fig. 2) with diagnostic species Dianthus superbus, Thymus subarcticus, Campanula rotundifolia, Antennaria ­dioica, Calluna vulgaris, Festuca ovina, Nardus stricta, Viola canina, Potentilla crantzii, P. erecta, Sonchus arvensis, Pilosella laticeps. Low-herb meadows, being used as a pasture, occur mainly on higher and dryer habitats, than the next association. Ass. Antho­xantho alpini–Geranietum sylvatici ass. nov. (Table 3; holotypus hoc loco — relevé 17 (136/13), Fig. 3) includes regularly mowed tall-herb meadows formed after deforestation. Diagnostic taxa are Anthoxanthum alpinum, Geranium sylvaticum, Angelica sylvestris, Phleum pratense, Trollius europaeus, Anthriscus sylvestris, Cirsium heterophyllum, Vicia cracca. Ass. Filipendulo ulmariae–Deschampsietum cespitosae Shushpannikova et Yamalov 2013 of alliance Deschampsion cespitosae Horvatić 1930 (Table 4) was described in wet depressions near the village. Diagnostic taxa are Deschampsia cespitosa and Filipendula ulmaria. Community type Festuca rubra–Ligusticum scothicum of alliance Conioselinion tatarici Golub et al. 2003 (Table 5) occurs on the islands and in floodplain in the Varzuga river mouth. Diagnostic taxa are Ligusticum scothicum, Festuca rubra, Potentilla egedii, Primula finmarchica, Alopecurus arundinaceus, Calamagrostis neglecta, Lathyrus aleuticus, Carex lanceolata, Eleocharis palustris. Floodplain meadows of class Molinio-Arrhena­the­retea are rich of species, with about 140 vascular plants, 20 % of which occur with high constancy (more than 60 % of presence in at least one syntaxa), and 20 % with high cover (more than 5 % at least in one community). The composition of meadows reflects the habitats specific, with short spring flood, regular grazing and mowing, close neighboring of birch and pine forests, tundra zone and White Sea shore. These meadows are worth status of the special protected area «Floodplain meadows in the valley and islands of Varzuga River». If the idea of the National Park «Terskiy Bereg» is revived, the analyzed meadows are to be included in the protected area of natural and cultural heritage, with special regime of mowing and moderate grazing.

Лесные луга Западно-Сибирской равнины и новый взгляд на систему порядка Carici macrourae–Crepidetalia sibiricae

Forest meadows is a characteristic vegetation type of the forest landscapes fr om the Altai-Sayan mountains on the east to the Southern Urals on the west. Communities inhabit open sites that were formed during natural or anthropogenic dynamic of zonal forests. It is the main reason of the floristic origina­lity of the meadows, as reflected by the presence of numerous forest species. Our study is based on the analysis of 573 relevés from 27 associations represented in the previous publications. All forest meadows of the Southern Siberia and Southern Urals are included in the order Carici macrourae–Crepidetalia sibiricae Ermakov et al. 1999 (Ermakov et al., 1999). Among the differential species (d. s.) are common forest herbs: Aegopodium podagraria, Brachypodium pinnatum, Bupleurum aureum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Crepis sibirica, Dracocephalum ruyschiana, Geranium pseudosibiricum, Hieracium umbellatum, Lilium pilosiusculum, Lupinaster pentaphyllus, Pulmonaria mollis, Rubus saxatilis. CA-ordination shows that the moisture and geographical position are the most important factors influencing the differentiation of forest meadows. Strict dissimilarity in species composition is found between 3 regions — the Altai-Sayan mountains, West Siberian Plain and Southern Urals. The order Carici macrourae–Crepidetalia sibiricae includes three regional alliances. The alliance Crepidion sibiricae Mirkin ex Ermakov, Maltseva et Makunina 1999 (d. s.: Aegopodium podagraria, Brachypodium pinnatum, Bupleurum aureum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Crepis sibirica, Dracocephalum ruyschiana, Geranium pseudosibiricum, Hieracium umbellatum, Lilium pilosiusculum, Lupinaster pentaphyllus, Pulmonaria mollis, Rubus saxatilis) unites meadows of piedmonts and low mountains of the Altai, Kuznetsk Alatau and Salair. The alliance Heracleo sibirici–Geranion bifolii all. nov. (d.s.: Cirsium setosum, Geranium bifolium, Hera­cleum sibiricum, Poa palustris, Populus tremula, Veronica longifolia, Vicia megalotropis) occurs almost all over the southern part of the West Siberian Plain (Lashchinsky, Tishchenko, 2011; Tishchenko, 2015). The coenoses inhabit the edges of the deciduous ­forests. The alliance Polygonion krascheninnikovii Kashapov 1985 (d. s.: Bistorta major, Geum rivale, Hylotelephium triphyllum, Rumex acetosa, Stachys officinalis, Trifolium medium, Veronica chamaedrys, Viola tricolor) represents communities of the Southern Urals forest belt (Kashapov, 1985; Filinov et al., 2002; Yamalov et al., 2012). Three regional alliances of forest meadows well correspond to the syntaxonomy structure of the class Brachypodio pinnati–Betuletea pendulae Ermakov et al. 1991 with three orders — Carici macrourae–Pinetalia sylvestris Ermakov et al. 1991 (mostly Altai-Sayan mountains), Calamagrostio epigeii–Betuletalia pendulae Korolyuk ex Ermakov et al. 2000 (West Siberian Plain) and Chamaecytiso ruthenici–Pinetalia sylvestris Solomeshch et Ermakov in Ermakov et al. 2000 (Southern Ural). Ranges of this forest orders overlap the areas of corresponding meadow alliances in general. The coniferous and deciduous forests are replaced by grasslands in natural or anthropogenic chronosequences leading to a floristic similarity ­between forest and meadow communities. The moisture gradient is significant for the species composition of meadows. It determines the division of alliances into suballiances of moderately moist and dry forest meadows. Many of xeromesophytes of the class Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Klika et Hadać 1944 and the order Galietalia veri Mirkin et Naumova 1986 are used as differential species of dry forest meadow suballiances. In diagnosis of moderately moist communities we use forest ­hygromesophytes. The suballiance Crepidenion sibiricae suball. nov. unites moderately moist forest meadows of humid and subhumid regions of the Altai-Sayan mountains. The associations of Aconito barbati–Vicenion unijugae suball. nov. prefer drier habitats. The alliance Anthrisco sylvestris–Aconitenion volubilis suball. nov. is restricted to the Ob-Irtysh watershed (south-eastern regions of the West Siberian Plain). The communities are located at the edges of wet deciduous forests. The west siberian suballiance Heracleo sibirici–Artemisenion macranthae suball. nov. is widespread in southern part of forest zone and northern part of forest-steppe zone. The suballiance Polygonenion krasсheninnikovii Mukhamediarova ex Yamalov et Sultangareeva 2010 represents ­moderately moist meadows of the Southern Ural mountain forest belt. Communities are common both on gentle slopes and in river valleys wh ere they occupy edges and clearings in pine and pine-birch ­forests. Dry variants of forest meadows are included in the suballiance Amoriо montanae–Polygonenion krasсheninnikovii Yamalov suball. nov. These communities are common both on convex slopes and hilltops as well as in dry habitats of river valleys in forest belt along the Southern Urals and forest-steppe belt of the South-Eastern Urals. The analysis of moisture conditions using species indicator values (Korolyuk, 2006) shows similar borderlines between the moderately moist and dry forest meadows: near 61 grade in the Altai-Sajan and Ural mountains, 62 grade — for the West Siberian Plain with wide distribution of the waterlogged landscapes. The analysis of forest meadows demonstrates the necessity in the revision of some associations and subassociations. Formally defined differential species in many cases differ from ones proposed by authors of syntaxa. Some associations are represented by a few relevés and need an additional data. Ecological ranges of some syntaxa along the moisture gradient are overlapped that explains the importance of ecological and geographical analysis of associations and subassociations.

Effects of local factors on plant species richness and composition of Alpine meadows

The determinants of plant species richness and composition of meadows are often mutually related, showing joint effects on plant diversity. Thus, the specific objective of this paper was to evaluate the relative importance of soil, topography, and field management explanatory variables on plant species richness and composition of mown meadows in an area of the Southern Alps. The data consisted of 159 taxa sampled during the summer of 2003 in 56 10 × 10 m2 sampling plots. For each plot, 25 explanatory variables were recorded. The variation in species richness and composition was divided into the three sets of explanatory variables using a variation partitioning method. Species richness was mostly controlled both by the short-term effect of nitrogen fertilisation, and, as stressed by studies in other landscape contexts in Europe, by the long-term effect of soil phosphorus accumulation. The decrease of plant species number on the most fertile meadows was the consequence of the dominance of few competitors or ruderals, which prevented the establishment of small stress-tolerant species. In contrast to species richness, plant species composition presented an important pure effect of topography (altitude and slope). Species composition depended on several topography, soil, and field management factors. Thus, for both conservation and restoration of species-rich hay meadows, it is necessary to maintain a low level of soil P content, and to prevent the abandonment of parcels on steep slopes and in marginal areas, because these hosted the highest level of plant diversity.