Phytoindication Method Research Articles

Beneficios de la visualización de gradientes de factores ambientales: un caso de estudio en un área protegida en Rusia central

Introduction: Ecological scales include plant species, which are responsive to changes in habitat conditions. Such plants act as phytoindicators that integrate many environmental factors. Objective: To identify suitable habitats for searched-for plant species based on phytoindication data. Materials and methods: Altogether, 47 square plots (100 m2) were established within a selected forest area of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve. In each plot, species composition was recorded for further analysis, and the mean values of four environmental factors (shading, soil moisture, soil nitrogen, and soil pH) were calculated using the Tsyganov ecological scale. To visualize changes in factor values, contour maps were created for each factor. To reveal differences between species composition in study plots, Jaccard’s similarity index was calculated. Results and discussion: All study plots have been arranged mainly along gradients of three soil parameters, namely pH, nitrogen availability and moisture, while habitat shading has not acted as strongly. Gradient maps obtained of four selected environmental factors demonstrated remarkable similarity. This suggestion is confirmed by the distinguishing of three areas because of overlapping of these maps. Similarity between values of environmental factors and plant distribution was determined. The use of phytoindication methods allows showing changes in the values of environmental factors in a forest area, and being combined with a species similarity index, it is possible to predict habitat suitability for threatened plants. Conclusions: The possibility of indicating and finding an area suitable for inhabitation of plants based on the phytoindication ecological scale approach was determined. As threatened plants have a narrower range of environmental conditions, this method is especially suitable for these investigations.

Comparison of commonly used ecological scales with the Belgard Plant Ecomorph System

There are several ecological scales developed both for phytoindication of ecological factors and plant ecomorphs. Among them, the scales of Ellenberg and Tsyganov are the most commonly used. L. G. Ramensky and P. S. Pogrebnyak had developed a phytoindication method; they also were founders of first ecological scale of plant species in relation to various environmental factors. One of first ecomorph systems was developed by Alexander Lyutsianovich Belgard. In 1947, Belgard presented a tabular ecomorph system in his doctoral dissertation, and later in monograph “Forest vegetation of the South-East of Ukraine”. In the system he used abbreviated Latin names applying terminology proposed in the late 19th century by Dekandol, Warmin and other authors. He considered ecomorphs as adaptations of plants to environmental conditions in forests of the steppe zone of Ukraine where forest cenoses are exposed to processes of steppization, prairification, swamping, salinization, and thus clarification of relationships between forest, meadow, steppe, marsh and weed plant species was essential. Therefore, development and introduction of cenomorph terms as “adaptation of plant species to phytocenosis as a whole” were an absolutely new contribution to the concept of ecomorph system. In environmental factor scales of Ellenberg and other authors, environment characteristics based on phytoindication were underlined; in the Belgard Plant Ecomorph System, ecomorphs reflect ability of plant species to grow within certain ranges of a given factor. These approaches are quite comparable, and ecomorphs of the Belgard system correspond to certain grades of the Ellenberg and Tsyganov scales. The Belgard ecomorph system has been applied in a number of fundamental and applied works on plant ecology and phytocenology. It is convenient for characterizing ecological features of plant species growing in the steppe zone with a wide range of environment factors such as lighting, humidity, and soil richness. Other authors have expanded and supplemented the Belgard Plant Ecomorph System based on its strategy. A number of ecomorphs was introduced; they reflect intermediate or extreme gradations of factors. A new cenomorph – silvomargoant – has been proposed by the authors of this paper.

Phytoindicators of ecosystem dynamics in ring-bank ukrainian polissia

The publication discusses the study results of energy dynamics in ecosystems. The goal of the study is to search for objective parameters to determine the indicator of the ecosystem dynamics and basing on the above-ground phytomass quantitative indices, its age and changes of floristic composition we demonstrate the possibility of the accurate phytoindication assessment of ecosystems dynamics. It is determined that the indicators of above-ground phytomass naturally increase during self-development of natural ecosystems (autogenic succession).Materials and methods. The above-ground phytomass is measured in ecosystems that are at different stages of autogenic succession. In order to balance the fluctuation of the indicators, that was caused by the domination of species with different types of photosynthesis, the correction for the age of the above-ground phytomass was used.Results. The dynamics indicator increases during the autogenic succession. External influences deflect it from the main trend. The anthropogenic influence often displaces succession in the opposite direction. The method was tested on the territory of Right-Bank Ukrainian Polissia. Expansion of the database of results of dynamic indicator determination allows to calculate this indicator with accuracy sufficient for practical and theoretical purposes. Such methods allow studying ecosystem thermodynamics (entropy and energy stocks) and ecosystem dynamics in noninvasive and non-contact way without affecting of plant biodiversity. Such approaches could be the most suitable for conducting studies on natural protected areas. Within such objects, it is not allowed to remove the above-ground phytomass, to determine the energy and dynamic indicators.Conclusion. The unit that will correspond the self-development stage, is an index that is directly proportional to the aboveground phytomass quantity and its age. The ecosystem entropy value will be inversely proportional to the self-development stage index. This index can be determined by classical phytoindication methods upon detailed database availability. Measurement errors, associated with phytoindication method range from 3 % to 10 % comparing to 5-10 % for direct method, are commensurate. The phytoindication approach allows application of this methodology on the protected areas. The index of the ecosystems self-development stage can be used to predict the development of specific studied plots and for the needs of ecosystem classification

The floristic lists as a source to characterize environment conditions of habitats using phytoindication methods: A case study for Iris aphylla (Iridaceae) and Lilium martagon (Liliaceae) in central Russia

The floristic lists as a source to characterize environment conditions of habitats using phytoindication methods: A case study for Iris aphylla (Iridaceae) and Lilium martagon (Liliaceae) in central Russia

Cypripedium calceolus (Orchidaceae) in Central Russia: a case study for its populations in two protected areas in the Republic of Mordovia (Russia)

Cypripedium calceolus is considered as one of the flagship plant species of nature conservation. It is legally protected throughout Eurasia. Due to its wide distribution range, this Eurasian species could be considered as Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered taxon. We performed an analysis of the status for some C. calceolus populations in Central Russia located in the Republic of Mordovia, with emphasis on populations situated in the federal protected areas. The aim of our study was to asses the modern state and the endangerment of C. calceolus populations. The environment conditions and species composition in five habitats with rare species in Mordovia were compared using phytoindication methods. Changes in stage spectrum and total abundance dynamics in C. calceolus populations over 2011–2016 were estimated and compared with available data from other locations within species’ range. Reproductive ability of populations from the federal protected area, Mordovia State Nature Reserve, were studied. The results showed that C. calceolus grows in three habitat types that differed in environment conditions and floristic composition. Convallaria majalis was the only species registered in all studied locations, together with C. calceolus. In Central Russia this species occurs in broad-leaved, coniferous and mixed forests. The three populations of C. calceolus within the Mordovia State Nature Reserve and National Park “Smolny” were characterized by the dominance of vegetative individuals in stage spectrum, while generative plants predominated in two other populations located in mixed forests. No correlation between total abundance of individuals and stage spectrum in populations of threatened species has been found over the study period. The population in Mordovia Reserve showed a higher fruit set (36.7% as a mean) than others reported within its range. Continued population monitoring of C. calceolus in Central Russia from different habitat types is suggested. Generalization of jointly obtained demographic, ecological, phytocoenological data will be appropriate in order to develop measures for conservation and management of C. calceolus habitats.

Ecological Spectra of the Most Abundant Lumbricid (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) Species of the Central Ukrainian (Polissia)

Abstract Distribution of species in earthworm communities under the influence of basic environmental factors was established using phytoindication methods. We described the environmental spectrum for lumbricid certain species. A. roseа and A. сaliginosа are identified as everytopic species, E. tetraedrais is rather everytopic than stenotopic. D. octaedra and De. rubidus are stenotopic.

Syntaxonomy, synphytoindication analysis and anthropogenic transformation of forest vegetation in Kyiv city

The aim of this work was to determine the floristic composition, phytocoenotic diversity of woody vegetation, degree of anthropogenic transformation and ecological analysis using the synphytoindication method. The objects of our study were forest communities, forest-parks and green area of Kyiv. In 2015–2015, we fulfilled 323 relevés that were made by the standard procedure. All plant species were recorded. For each relevés geographic coordinates are indicated. The floristic analysis of the woody vegetation of Kyiv was conducted using the Braun-Blanquet approach and the phytosociological table was constructed with non-hierarchical clustering algorithm for vegetation classification so called DRSA («distance-ranked sorting assembling»). Phytoindication method was used for environmental analysis. We assessed amplitudes of syntaxa by phytoindication method for moisture (Hd), acidity (Rc), soil nitrogen content (Nt), total salt regime (Tr), light in community (Lc) and we calculated hemeroby index. Synecological amplitudes are characterized by the values of the minimum, maximum and average values ecofactors of the aggregate description of each community. Systematic, biomorphological, geographical structures were analyzed as well. We used hierarchical agglomeration cluster analysis of syntaxons to estimate the similarity of the species composition of the cenoflor. We identified that woody vegetation is divided into two classes Querco-Fagetea and Robinietea which include 11 communities types of rank association-variant. A total number consist of 169 species 133 genera 59 families. Species of alien origin constituted 20-40% of the cenofloras, which indicate increasing anthropogenic impact. Recreational load is a leading factor in anthropogenic impact. Biomorphological analysis indicates the predominance of herbal perennial plants – hemicryptophytes in the species composition of plants. And we determined that the nitrogen content in soil, acidity and moisture are the environmental factors leading to differentiation of vegetation. For assessment of anthropogenic transformation we used hemeroby index. Main purpose of the hemeroby index is to determine the degree and dynamics of human impact on plant communities. Hemeroby index is ecologically well founded, plausible and easy to interpret. The lowest level is represented in phytocoenoses order Fagetalia, followed by the communities of order Quercetalia and Chelidonio-Robinietalia from class Robinietea. Robinia pseudoacacia + Chaerophyllum temulum communities were most disordered. To determine the degree of anthropogenic transformation of vegetation under the influence of recreational activity we used eco-cenological spectrum changing analysis. It was found that increasing homogenization of the vegetation and the occurrence of ruderal communities dominated by alien invasive species are symptomatic of the synanthropization process. The proportion of terophytes, the ratio of the proportion of adventitious species to aboriginal, and apophytes to the natural species in disturbed and homogenized forests are increasing.

Ecological Safety as a Forming Factor of the Public Quality of Life

Objectives: This article is aimed at a cross-spectrum analysis of satisfaction with the quality of life in the high school students of Ishim town (Tyumen region, Russia), and the actual environmental issues. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Phyto-indication and zoo-indication methods adapted in article to study the water quality in economically significant reservoirs of Ishim. Representatives of various trophic levels were used as bioindication objects: aquatic macrophytes and bony fish: golden carp, roach, ruff. Sociological survey covered 709 senior high school students of Ishim town. The questionnaire included the indicators of the measured quality of life by 10 conditional spheres of social life. Findings: According to the results of a sociological survey, an integral evaluation of the quality of children`s life in of Ishim town corresponds to an average level. The most vulnerable spheres of children`s life in the small city of Ishim are environment and ecology, inclusion of disabled children and safe traffic. The participants of the city marked the lack of green zones in the city suitable and available for children to use them (0,88), they valued ecological conditions as an average one (2,0), gave a low integral evaluation of the state of environment - 1,46. The results of phyto-indication and zoo-indication researches showed the low quality of the surface natural water of the water basins having been researched. An empirical evaluation of the quality of natural environment by high school students generally corresponds to existing ecological risks resulted from the low quality of water in economically significant water basins of the Tyumen Region. Application/Improvements: The research indicates the need to optimize the state of natural objects in Ishim and the need to improve the management process for urban area content and development of public environmental culture.

Application of phyto-indication and radiocesium indicative methods for microrelief mapping

Remote sensing technologies are widely used for production of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and geomorphometry techniques are valuable tools for DEM analysis. One of the broadly used applications of these technologies and techniques is relief mapping. In the simplest case, we can identify relief structures using DEM analysis, and produce a map or map series to show the relief condition. However, traditional techniques might fail when used for mapping microrelief structures (structures below ten meters in size). In this case high microrelief dynamics lead to technological and conceptual difficulties. Moreover, erosion of microrelief structures cannot be detected at the initial evolution stage using DEM modelling and analysis only.In our study, we investigate the possibilities and specific techniques for allocation of erosion microrelief structures, and mapping techniques for the microrelief derivatives (e.g. quantitative parameters of microrelief). Our toolset includes the analysis of spatial redistribution of the soil pollutants and phyto-indication analysis, which complement the common DEM modelling and geomorphometric analysis. We use field surveys produced at the test area, which is arable territory with high erosion risks. Our main conclusion at the current stage is that the indicative methods (i.e. radiocesium and phyto-indication methods) are effective for allocation of the erosion microrelief structures. Also, these methods need to be formalized for convenient use.

Phytoindicative evaluation of habitat conditions of soilless formations reclaimed with flotation sludge, sewage sludge and used mineral wool under the influence of the Jeziórko Sulphur Mine

The floristic observations presented below were carried out in 2011, on 5-acre plots delineated on an area of degraded soil. The soil-reclamation experiment, which began in June 2004, was set up on devastated soilless formation affected by the Jeziorko Sulfur Mine. In the experiment, the impact of different (200, 400, 800 m 3 ha -1 ) doses of mineral wool and sewage sludge on characteristcis of the soilless formation was analyzed. The strongly acidic soilless formation (weak loamy sand) was reclaimed using flotation sludge in a dose of 100 t ha -1 for de-acidification, and various combinations of mineral wool and sewage sludge. The sward sown on plots pretreated as above consisted of a clover reclamation mixture with the following composition: Festuca pratensis – 41.2%, Festuca rubra – 19.2%, Lolium perenne – 14.7%, Lolium multiflorum – 12.4%, Dactylis glomerata – 6.5%, Trifolium pratense – 6%. A phytoindication method was employed to assess the impact of different reclamation methods of soilless formation on shaping the habitat conditions. This assessment took into account the following indicators: soil moisture, trophism, pH, organic matter content, resistance to salinity and to an increased content of heavy metals. The method for soilless formation reclamation was found to produce an effect on the analyzed ecological factors. The most favorable habitat conditions were recorded in soil reclaimed with mineral wool; they were worse in soil reclaimed with mineral wool and treated with NPK, but the worst parameters occurred in soil with the addition of sewage sludge and mineral wool.

Kyiv park "Nivki" and "Teremki" forests and ecological analysis of their habitats

Cenotic diversity and leading ecological factors of its floristic differentiation were studied on an example of two areas – Kyiv parks "Nivki" and "Teremki". It is shown that in megalopolis the Galeobdoloni-Carpinetum impatientosum parviflorae subassociation is formed under anthropogenic pressure on the typical ecotope of near-Dnieper hornbeam oak forests on fresh gray-forest soils. The degree of anthropogenic transformation of cenofloras can be estimated by the number of species of Robinietea and Galio-Urticetea classes, as well as neophytes and cultivars. Phytoindication for hemeroby index may be also used in calculation. We propose the modified index of biotic dispersion (normalized by alpha-diversity) for the estimation of ecophytocenotic range (beta-diversity) of releves series. We found that alpha-diversity initially increases (due to the invasion of antropophytes) at low level of antropogenic pressure, then it decreases (due to the loss of aboriginal species) secondarily with increasing of human impact. Also we found that beta-diversity (differential diversity) decreases, increasing homogeneity of plant cover, under the influence of anthropogenic factor. Vegetation classification was completed by a new original method of cluster analysis, designated as DRSA («distance-ranked sorting assembling»). The classification quality is suggested to be validated on the "seriation" diagram, which is а distance matrix between objects with gradient filling. Dark diagonal blocks confirm clusters’ density (intracluster compactness), uncolored off-diagonal blocks are evidence in favor of clusters’ isolation (intercluster distinctness). In addition, distinction of clusters (syntaxa) in ordination area suggests their independence. For phytoindication we propose to include only species with more than 10% constancy. Furthermore, for the description of syntaxonomic amplitude we suggest to use 25%-75% interquartile scope instead of mean and standard deviation. It is shown that comparative analysis of syntaxa for each ecofactor is convenient to carry out by using violin (bulb) plots. A new approach to the phytoindication of syntaxa, designated as R-phytoindication, was proposed for our study. In this case, the ecofactor values, calculated for individual releves, are not taken into account, however, the composition of cenoflora with species constancies is used that helps us to minimize for phytoindication the influence of non-typical species. We suggested a syntaxon’s amplitude to be described by more robust statistics: for the optimum of amplitude (central tendency) – by a median (instead of arithmetic mean), and for the range of tolerance – by an interquartile scope (instead of standard deviation). We assesses amplitudes of syntaxa by phytoindication method for moisture (Hd), acidity (Rc), soil nitrogen content (Nt), wetting variability (vHd), light regime (Lc), salt regime (Sl). We revealed no significant differences on these ecofactors among ecotopes of our syntaxa, that proved the variant syntaxonomic rank for all syntaxa. We found that the core of species composition of our phytocenoses consists of plants with moderate requirements for moisture, soil nitrogen, light and salt regime. We prove that the leading factor of syntaxonomic differentiation is hidden anthropogenic, which is not subject to direct measurement. But we detect that hidden factor of "human pressure" was correlated with phytoindication parameters (variables) that can be measured "directly" by species composition of plant communities. The most correlated factors were ecofactors of soil nitrogen, wetting variability, light regime and hemeroby. The last one is the most indicative empirically for the assessment of "human impact". We establish that there is a concept of «hemeroby of phytocenosis» (tolerance to human impact), which can be calculated approximately as the mean or the median of hemeroby scores of individual species which are present in it.

Fitoindicação como método comparado de avaliação de mudanças ambientais em remanescentes florestais e áreas urbanas de Sergipe

Este trabalho tem como objetivo o uso de indicadores vegetais de mudanças ambientais rápidas tanto em ambiente urbano como em ambiente de mata atlântica, visando o monitoramento dos sistemas ambientais por meio do método de fitoindicação que, neste trabalho, concerne na comparação da atividade fenológica da espécie Clitoria fairchildiana na Mata do Junco e áreas urbanas da cidade de Aracaju, tendo como base de análise também testes estatísticos como o Qui-quadrado e a correlação de Spearman. As correlações mais acentuadas em relação à pluviosidade foram encontradas nos índices de atividade e intensidade da fenofase de floração para a espécie na Mata do Junco. Houve diferenças significativas entre as atividades fenológicas das populações nos diferentes ambientes, com exceção do índice de atividade da frutificação, sendo assim a floração a fenofase mais indicada para estudos de fitoindicação.

The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in the taiga zone of the West‐Siberian Plain

Studying mires in the taiga zone of West Siberia is complicated because they are large and difficult to access. We have used a method of mapping mires using satellite images and indication characteristics of the vegetation. To map the mires the classification of plant communities has been worked out. This classification takes into account the life‐forms and growth forms of the plant communities. To map the mires of the territory we used the data of polyzonal space survey by the artificial Earth satellite Landsat 7. The ENVI system decoded the satellite images. Mapping was done with the Geographical Informational System (GIS) ArcView. The method of phytoindication can be used to map mires covering large territories. Now we are designing the map of the Great Vasyugan bog (scale 1:200,000). From this perspective it is possible to map the bog cover of the whole territory of Western Siberia.

Phytosociological and ecological relations in the communities with the share of Carex chordorrhiza L. f. inside and outside the dense geographical species range

The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate the sociological relations of communities with the share of C. chordorrhiza L. f. in the area inside the dense geographical range (IGR), and to compare the data with records from outside the dense geographical range OGR). We also described the environmental conditions with the use of the phytoindication method, and indicated phytocoenotic factors affecting the protection of the population of this threatened species.String sedge was most frequently noted in the Sphagno-Caricetum rostratae association. The OGR communities contain a smaller number of species, and especially of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Eriophorum vaginatum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Lysimachia vulgaris, Scheuchzeria palustris, Polytrichum strictum, or Straminergon stramineum, i.e., species whose frequency and coverage is high in the IGR communities, were not observed here. The IGR communities are found in relatively poor and highly acidified habitats, whereas the OGR communities occur in various habitats and are more diverse floristically. The present results demonstrate that large threat for C. chordorrhiza is posed by tree and shrub expansion (Betula pubescens, B. pendula and Salix cinerea), which has been reported for many years and is often caused by drainage.

Prediction of changes in the vegetation cover in the zone of influence of reservoirs

The data of the investigations show that the use of the phytoindication method for predicting changes in ecological conditions and vegetation cover under the effect of reservoirs is completely valid. It makes it possible to obtain reliable results more detailed than by traditional methods rather rapidly and with minimum expenditures.