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Butterflies are charismatic insects and have been well studied, particularly in Europe. They are disproportionately used in generating and testing hypotheses; on everything from general evolutionary processes, such as speciation or host association dynamics; to conservation‐related studies, such as climate change or habitat loss. Accurate lists of the larval foodplants for European butterflies are not readily available. Mistakes are propagated and information cannot be checked for accuracy. The level of evidence is unknown, and how usage varies between countries is poorly understood. The study consulted 1119 references to produce 19,488 records of larval foodplants for European butterflies. This resulted in 5589 larval host plant records for 464 European butterfly species, with multiple references, enabling information to be checked. Information was unavailable for 59 species. The level of evidence for each relationship shows the current state of knowledge. Significant issues were identified for 3.9% of records extracted from references due to mistakes, ambiguous or unknown plant names, distribution issues, resulting in information being lost. Plants with questionable distributions suggest either mis‐identification or species that have been split. Little is known about plant usage in Eastern Europe. The larval foodplants of many monophagous and Satyrinae butterflies are poorly studied. Only 63% of threatened 2010 Red Listed butterflies have reliable host plant records. The study has provided ecologists with a valuable resource, of a more accurate checklist of the larval foodplants for each European country. Why plant usage varies over a butterfly's distribution opens up some interesting research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent advancements of new quantitative tools compatible with plant macrofossil proxy data have revived its potential for paleoclimate research. Plant macrofossils are commonly used in so-called indicator-species approaches, using methodologies that are typically built on known observations linking modern plant distributions with climate. This allows complementary paleoclimate reconstructions using an approach that is not limited by the spatial availability of calibration samples obtained from surface sediments (e.g., pollen or chironomids). We aim to evaluate the impact that various methodological choices have on the plant-macrofossil based reconstructions of January and July temperature patterns for the Lateglacial (14–11 ka BP) period. We use a variety of classic and novel quantitative climate reconstruction algorithms with plant macrofossil assemblages from 13 sites of the Baltic States. We use unfiltered plant data to evaluate the ability of each method to also handle the presence of plants that might have a weak sensitivity to temperature. Additionally, we test the influence of another methodological choice – the choice of modern calibration region – on the reconstructed climate. Our findings indicate that, with no prior filtering of summer and winter-sensitive plants, temporal temperature variations can be reconstructed with methods that implement probability density functions. Although some disparities in reconstructions are seen between the tested algorithms, we note that the choice of calibration region bears a greater influence on the results. A calibration region that best represents the past environment should be chosen rather than one representing the same spatial extent as the fossil site(s). Moreover, for long-term reconstructions, a "dynamic calibration set" approach should be considered in future studies by using a range of calibration regions and mirroring the continuously changing broadscale environmental regime of the past. • Seasonal temperature reconstructions vary across climate reconstruction algorithms. • Calibration region impact is greater in January temperature reconstructions than July. • Proper calibration region evaluation is crucial before reconstructions. • Calibration regions should be based on environmental instead of geographical fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typha shuttleworthii (Shuttleworth's bulrush) is a rare species throughout its distribution range including Carpathians. However, a substantial increase in its finds has been noticed in the last twenty years. This study summarises the present knowledge and brings new data on vegetation with T. shuttleworthii occurrence from the western part of the Carpathians (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine) with the aims of evaluating the phytosociological affinity of this species and providing new information about the ecology of the relevant plant communities. We found that T. shuttleworthii mainly occurred in marsh vegetation (the Phragmito-Magnocaricetea class) including the Typhetum shuttleworthii association. Some plots also corresponded to transitional stands between marshes and wet meadows of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class (Molinietalia caeruleae order). Moisture and soil reaction were identified as principal factors responsible for variation in species composition of the vegetation. Typhetum shuttleworthii was recognised as new for the territory of Slovakia and confirmed in all other countries, Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine. Our results could contribute to better preservation of the species and its habitats and thus be very important for practical nature conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and land‐use change jointly affect the future of biodiversity. Yet, biodiversity scenarios have so far concentrated on climatic effects because forecasts of land use are rarely available at appropriate spatial and thematic scales. Agent‐based models (ABMs) represent a potentially powerful but little explored tool for establishing thematically and spatially fine‐grained land‐use scenarios. Here, we use an ABM parameterized for 1,329 agents, mostly farmers, in a Central European model region, and simulate the changes to land‐use patterns resulting from their response to three scenarios of changing socio‐economic conditions and three scenarios of climate change until the mid of the century. Subsequently, we use species distribution models to, first, analyse relationships between the realized niches of 832 plant species and climatic gradients or land‐use types, respectively, and, second, to project consequent changes in potential regional ranges of these species as triggered by changes in both the altered land‐use patterns and the changing climate. We find that both drivers determine the realized niches of the studied plants, with land use having a stronger effect than any single climatic variable in the model. Nevertheless, the plants' future distributions appear much more responsive to climate than to land‐use changes because alternative future socio‐economic backgrounds have only modest impact on land‐use decisions in the model region. However, relative effects of climate and land‐use changes on biodiversity may differ drastically in other regions, especially where landscapes are still dominated by natural or semi‐natural habitat. We conclude that agent‐based modelling of land use is able to provide scenarios at scales relevant to individual species distribution and suggest that coupling ABMs with models of species' range change should be intensified to provide more realistic biodiversity forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research palynology has been applied to the study of an adhesive beeswax compound found beneath one enamel of the medieval Evangelistary cover 'Pace di Chiavenna', ca 1000 years old and preserved for the last five centuries in the Treasury of the Collegiate Church of Chiavenna (Northern Italy). The purpose of this study was to test whether it is possible to determine the geographical area of wax collection and of the origin of the wooden support of the artefact, using the pollen imprint of plants and their related spatial ranges. Palynological analyses allowed the identification of 184 pollen grains belonging to 33 taxa. The reconstructed vegetation represents dry to humid meadows and pastures (e.g. Artemisia, Apiaceae, Campanula type, Poacaeae, Thalictrum, Asteroideae), wet areas (e.g. Alnus glutinosa type, Salix), woods or forests (e.g. Acer, Tilia, Picea, Castanea), shrublands (Ericaceae, Corylus) and arable fields or gardens (e.g. Cerealia type, Urtica, Plantago major). The Evangelistary cover has been attributed to the Ottonian art, developed especially in Germany, Eastern France and Northern Italy. On the basis of the palynological evidence from the beeswax, we can restrict the provenance area. A Northern Italian or Southern Prealpine origin seems likely since Castanea sativa was much more frequent south than north of the Alps. This geographic origin is corroborated by the material used for the support, made of Juglans regia (walnut), frequently planted in the region at that time. Moreover, the technique used to produce the wooden plate was widespread in Italy during the High Medieval period. The palynological evidence points to a very open, deeply human-affected environment, possibly around a city or a larger village in which the apiary was located. Inferences of this nature cannot be provided by other approaches such as wood or leather analyses; we thus conclude that palynology can provide unique insights into the origin of cultural treasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avena ventricosa Balansa ex Coss. is considered the C-genome donor of the cultivated hexaploid oat and is a ‘priority’ species for conservation, since it has limited geographic distribution and the only recorded populations in Europe are present in Cyprus. The current study attempts to characterize the genetic structure and fragmentation of the species via the application of genotypic markers. It was revealed that the genetic variety was mainly allocated among the populations collected, since clustering obtained was according to the geographic origin of the samples and the habitat. Species distribution modeling showed that the most important climatic variable defining A. ventricosa distribution is the mean diurnal temperature. Furthermore, significant association of the genetic structure to environmental variables was detected; overall, a negative association to precipitation was confirmed, while significant correlations of genetic structure and the temperature at the time of anthesis and germination were established. The safeguarding of this valuable genetic resource is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxalis pes-caprae L. is a South African geophyte that behaves as an invasive in the eurimediterranean area. According to a long-established hypothesis, O. pes-caprae may have invaded Europe and the Mediterranean area starting from a single plant introduced in the Botanical Garden of Malta at the beginning of the 19th century. The aim of this work was to test this hypothesis, to track the arrival of O. pes-caprae in different countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area and to understand the pathways of spreading and particularly its starting point(s). Historical data attesting the presence of the plant in the whole Euro-Mediterranean region were collected from different sources: herbarium specimens, Floras and other botanical papers, plant lists of gardens, catalogs of plant nurseries and plant dealers. First records of the plant (both cultivated and wild) for each Territorial Unit (3rd level of NUTS) were selected and used to draw up a diachronic map and an animated graphic. Both documents clearly show that oldest records are scattered throughout the whole area, proving that the plant arrived in Europe and in the Mediterranean region more times independently and that its spreading started in different times from several different centers of invasion. Botanical gardens and other public or private gardens, nurseries and plant dealers, and above all seaside towns and harbors seemingly played a strategic role as a source of either intentional and unintentional introduction or spread. A geographic profiling analysis was performed to analyse the data. We used also techniques (Silhouette, Kmeans and Voronoi tessellation) capable of verifying the presence of more than one independent clusters of data on the basis of their geographical distribution. Microsatellites were employed for a preliminary analysis of genetic variation in the Mediterranean. Even if the sampling was insufficient, particularly among the populations of the original area, our data supported three main groups of populations, one of them corresponding to the central group of populations identified by GP analysis, and the other two corresponding, respectively, to the western and the eastern cluster of data. The most probable areas of origin of the invasion in the three clusters of observations are characterized by the presence of localities where the invasive plant was cultivated, with the exception of the Iberian cluster of observation where the observations in the field predate the data about known cultivation localities. Alternative possible reasons are also suggested, to explain the current prevalence of pentaploid short-styled plants in the Euro-Mediterranean area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colletotrichum species associated with citrus fruits are fragmentarily known and it lacks accordingly accurate information on the diversity carried alongside the trade of these commodities from producer countries to Europe. In this study, we investigated the molecular phylogenetic diversity, colonisation, and prevalence of Colletotrichum isolated from asymptomatic and diseased tissues of nine citrus fruit species from 17 geographically diverse countries. Totally 454 isolates were morphoculturally characterised, and multilocus analyses (ACT, ApMat, CHS-1, GAPDH, ITS, TUB2) was performed on a subset of representative morphotype isolates. Results led to the identification of three previously known species ( Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , Colletotrichum karstii , Colletotrichum siamense ) and one novel lineage comprising endophytic isolates from Citrus maxima . Based on this lineage, Colletotrichum citri-maximae is described as a new species in the Colletotrichum gigasporum complex, and is characterised by a long deletion in the GAPDH sequence, a character shared with three of its phylogenetic sister taxa. Prevalence of Colletotrichum varied among citrus species and was greatest on Citrus sinensis fruits. C. gloeosporioides was the most common species followed by C. siamense . Except for the new species, all other isolated Colletotrichum spp. also colonise citrus leaves, but the overall diversity on fruits may be lower than that of leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New distributional data from France for two European endemic species, Seligeria carniolica and S. irrigata, are provided. The latter is new to France and this discovery significantly extends its current geographical range. The former is red-listed as an endangered endemic species in Europe and for a long time it was known only from some widely distributed isolated localities but nowadays it appears to be quite well represented in eastern France. The biogeography of these two species is discussed and S. carniolica, formerly considered as a boreal-montane suboceanic element, could be better designated as a Perialpine species with disjunct, highly isolated occurrences in northern Europe and in the Balkan Peninsula. Seligeria irrigata is primarily an Alpine species with some isolated localities in the Western Carpathians of Slovakia and in the Abruzzean Apennine Mountains in Italy. De nouvelles données chorologiques sont apportées pour la France au sujet de deux espèces endémiques européennes, Seligeria carniolica et S. irrigata. Cette dernière est nouvelle pour la France et sa découverte élargit considérablement sa distribution géographique connue. La première est listée pour l'Europe comme endémique «en danger»; pendant longtemps elle n'a été connue de quelques localités isolées dans une aire vaste, alors que maintenant il est montré qu'elle est bien représentée dans l'Est de la France. Les biogéographies de ces deux espèces sont discutées et S. carniolica, auparavant considérée comme un élément boréal-montagnard subocéanique, pourrait être mieux qualifiée comme une espèce périalpine avec des localités disjointes hautement isolées en Europe du nord et dans les Balkans. Seligeria irrigata est primairement une espèce alpine, avec des localités isolées dans les Carpates occidentales de Slovaquie et dans les Apennins abbruzes en Italie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National forest inventories are a primary source of data for the assessment of forest resources and lastly more often biodiversity at national scales. The diversity of adopted sampling designs and measurements reduces the prospect for a reliable comparison of generated estimates. The ICP Forest dataset represents a unique opportunity for a standardized approach of forest estimates through Europe. This work aims to provide a distribution map of the mean deadwood volume in European forest. A total of 3243 ICP Forests plots were analysed and presented. The study area extends over 3,664,576 km2interesting 19 countries. We observed that the highest percentage of plots show a deadwood volume lower than 50 m3 ha−1, with a few of forests attaining around the maximum of 300 m3 ha−1. Forests with more than 100 m3 ha−1are concentrated in mountainous regions, central Europe and other regions, linked to high-forest management types, while coppices-derived forest systems (part of the Great Britain, Mediterranean region) show lower deadwood content. The map of deadwood volume on European Forests is of interests for scientists, land planners, forest managers and decision-makers, as a reference for further evaluation of changes, stratified sampling, ground reference for model validation, restoration and conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Until now, little attention has been paid to the geographic distribution and evaluation of genetic diversity of durum wheat from the Central Fertile Crescent (modern-day Turkey and Syria). Turkey and Syria are considered as primary centers of wheat diversity, and thousands of locally adapted wheat landraces are still present in the farmers’ small fields. We planned this study to evaluate the genetic diversity of durum wheat landraces from the Central Fertile Crescent by genotyping based on DArTseq and SNP analysis. A total of 39,568 DArTseq and 20,661 SNP markers were used to characterize the genetic characteristic of 91 durum wheat land races. Clustering based on Neighbor joining analysis, principal coordinate as well as Bayesian model implemented in structure, clearly showed that the grouping pattern is not associated with the geographical distribution of the durum wheat due to the mixing of the Turkish and Syrian landraces. Significant correlation between DArTseq and SNP markers was observed in the Mantel test. However, we detected a non-significant relationship between geographical coordinates and DArTseq (r = -0.085) and SNP (r = -0.039) loci. These results showed that unconscious farmer selection and lack of the commercial varieties might have resulted in the exchange of genetic material and this was apparent in the genetic structure of durum wheat in Turkey and Syria. The genomic characterization presented here is an essential step towards a future exploitation of the available durum wheat genetic resources in genomic and breeding programs. The results of this study have also depicted a clear insight about the genetic diversity of wheat accessions from the Central Fertile Crescent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astomum japonicum G. Roth is a cleistocarpous moss species but its taxonomic placement remains uncertain because the type material has not been re-examined since being described in 1911. We have examined type specimens and selected the specimen in PC as the lectotype. Based on a morphological study of the type material, we also propose the transfer of the species to the genus Weissia Hedw.: W. japonica (G. Roth) Y. Inoue & H. Tsubota comb. nov. Taxonomic notes on W. japonica and a key to the cleistocarpous species of Weissia in Japan are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nearctic moth Acontia candefacta (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) is expanding its range in Europe. The species is considered a successful agent for biological control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asterales Asteraceae), a weed whose pollen causes allergies in humans. A few additional findings of the moth have been recorded at several new sites in southeastern Europe (Serbia) using light trapping. We here present and discuss the current distribution of the moth in Europe and the paths of its spreading on the basis of GIS data. GIS technology was used to map the distribution and quantify values of environmental variables within the range of the analysed moth species. Additionally, the potential colonization of the moth across Europe is modelled on the basis of its current distribution, environmental variables and the host plant's distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome numbers for 12 Hieracium s.str. species from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and Serbia are given and their metaphase plates are illustrated. Chromosome numbers are published for the first time for H. albinum Fries 2n=4x=36, H. bukovicae Rohlena & Zahn; 2n=3x=27, H. retyezatense subsp. subatratiforme Neičeff & Zahn 2n=4x=36, H. velenovskyi Freyn 2n=3x=27, as well as two undescribed species belonging to the H. bohatschianum agg. 2n=4x=36 and H. nigrescens agg. 2n=4x=36 and a hybrid between H. naegelianum Pančić and H. bifidum s.lat. 2n=4x=36. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic history of Lepidozia cupressina (Sw.) Lindenb. ( Jungermannia cupressina Sw.) is presented and its diagnostic characters and variability in sub-Saharan Africa are thoroughly discussed. Three subspecies are currently distinguished in this region, namely subsp. cupressina, subsp. africana (Steph.) Pócs, stat. et comb. nov., which occurs in the East African Indian Ocean islands and in the Eastern Arc of continental East Africa, as well as on the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, and subsp. natalensis (Steph.) Pócs which is restricted to southern Africa. The other two subspecies, subsp. pinnata (Hook.) Pócs and subsp. quinquefida (Steph.) Pócs, are merged with the type subspecies of L. cupressina. A key to the recognition of the subspecies of L. cupressina is provided. Lepidozia chordulifera Taylor, a temperate species widely distributed in southern South America, is taxonomically assessed and some of its diagnostic traits are illustrated. It is considered to be conspecific with L. cupressina subsp. cupressina. Thanks to this taxonomic conclusion the range extension of L. cupressina in southern South America, including the Falkland Islands, is sanctioned and, additionally, distribution of this species is extended to subantarctic South Georgia and the northern maritime Antarctic. The current geographical range of L. cupressina is reviewed and mapped and it may be designated as a bipolar temperate species with numerous transitional stations in the tropical mountains. In the Southern Hemisphere L. cupressina is a typical Afro-American oreophyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we provide a detailed map and a list of specimens we have examined of Eleocharis mamillata in North America. No chromosome counts have been published for North America under the name E. mamillata. However, the n = 16 chromosome number reported under E. macrostachya from the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia by Taylor and Mulligan (1968) applies to E. mamillata because the voucher specimens, originally labeled E. macrostachya, are actually E. mamillata. Eleocharis mamillata was confused until recently with E. palustris and E. macrostachya in North America and with E. palustris in Europe. It is readily distinguished from the similar E. palustris, especially by perianth bristle number, stomate morphology, and tubercle always sessile. Descriptions and images of micro-morphological characters of the epidermis of members of the E. palustris complex have been published for Europe but not for North America. We provide descriptions and images of fruits and epidermises of selected specimens of E. erythropoda, E. macrostachya, E. mamillata, and E. palustris from the central U.S. region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We compared the upper limits of 18 deciduous tree species with respect to elevation in Switzerland and latitude in Europe. We hypothesized that species would exhibit the same relative positions along elevation and latitude, which can be expected if species have reached their thermal cold limit along both gradients. Location Europe and Switzerland. Methods We developed a method to identify a least biased estimate of the elevational and latitudinal cold temperature limits of species and for comparing the relative rank positions with respect to these two limits. We applied an algorithm to calculate the elevation of the potential tree line for each point in the gridded landscape of Europe and Switzerland. For each occurrence of each species, the elevation was extracted from digital elevation models. The vertical distance between the elevation of the potential regional climatic tree line and the uppermost species occurrences was calculated and used for comparisons between elevation and latitude. Results We found a strong relationship between the thermal latitudinal and elevational distances of species' cold limits to the potential tree line, with only marginally significantly different rank positions ( P = 0.057) detected along elevational and latitudinal gradients. A first group of nine species showed very similar thermal distances to the potential tree lines along elevation and latitude. Among these species, eight showed a significant decrease in their elevational limit towards high latitudes across mountainous regions of Europe. A second group of seven species occupied a climatic niche closer to the tree line at the edge of their latitudinal range, and only two species did not fill their thermal niche. Main conclusions Our study provides support for the common concept of a species range-environment equilibrium. Notably, we did not detect a stronger deviation for the filling of thermal niches at latitudinal limits compared with elevational limits, although the former involves a species covering a much greater geographic distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim It is hypothesized that the ecological niches of polyploids should be both distinct and broader than those of diploids - characteristics that might have allowed the successful colonization of open habitats by polyploids during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. Here, we test these hypotheses by quantifying and comparing the ecological niches and niche breadths of a group of European primroses. Location Europe. Methods We gathered georeferenced data of four related species in Primula sect. Aleuritia at different ploidy levels (diploid, tetraploid, hexaploid and octoploid) and used seven bioclimatic variables to quantify niche overlap between species by applying a series of univariate and multivariate analyses combined with modelling techniques. We also employed permutation-based tests to evaluate niche similarity between the four species. Niche breadth for each species was evaluated both in the multivariate environmental space and in geographical space. Results The four species differed significantly from each other in mono-dimensional comparisons of climatological variables and occupied distinct habitats in the multi-dimensional environmental space. The majority of the permutation-based tests either indicated that the four species differed significantly in their habitat preferences and ecological niches or did not support significant niche similarity. Furthermore, our results revealed narrower niche breadths and geographical ranges in species of P. sect. Aleuritia at higher ploidy levels. Main conclusions The detected ecological differentiation between the four species of P. sect. Aleuritia at different ploidy levels is consistent with the hypothesis that polyploids occupy distinct ecological niches that differ from those of their diploid relative. Contrary to expectations, we find that polyploid species of P. sect. Aleuritia occupy narrower environmental and geographical spaces than their diploid relative. These results on the ecological niches of closely related polyploid and diploid species highlight factors that potentially contribute to the evolution and distribution of polyploid species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first of a new series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to both the Med-Checklist and the Euro+Med (or Sisyphus) projects are presented. This new series merges the well-known Med-Checklist Notulae and the Euro+Med Notulae into one. The first instalment deals with the families Amaranthaceae, Boraginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Compositae, Euphorbiaceae, Fagaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Rosaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Umbelliferae and Gramineae. It includes new country and area records, taxonomic and distributional considerations for taxa in Bromus, Buglossoides, Carduus, Centaurea, Cotoneaster, Daucus, Dianthus, Euphorbia, Hieracium, Melica, Onobrychis, Pilosella, Ptilotus, Silene, Stachys, Verbascum and Xanthium and the validation and typification of names in Helictotrichon, Hieracium, Pilosella and Quercus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Our aims were to test: (1) the extent to which vascular plant associations are related in space to mammalian associations, and (2) whether the plant associations are more closely related than the mammalian associations to climate and to a published environmental stratification of Europe. Location Europe, as defined by the following boundaries: 11° W, 32° E, 71° N and 35° N. Methods The analysis is based on presence/absence records of mammal species and plant species with a resolution of 50 km × 50 km. The similarity of the overall spatial structure was tested using a partial Mantel test while controlling for the effect of geographical proximity. To further identify the main spatial components in the datasets, we used k-means clustering and principal components analysis. The resulting geographical patterns were compared with one another, with climate variables and with the environmental stratification of Europe. Results The clustering of the plant data forms coherent areas that can be interpreted as reflections of floristic regions that are controlled to a large extent by climate and topography. In terms of the correlation between distance matrices, the relationship between plants and mammals is relatively strong. The relationships between mammals and climate, and between plants and climate, are more complex but always statistically significant. There is no evidence that the plant clusters are more closely related than the mammalian clusters to climate, although plant clusters are closer to environmental data than to climate. Main conclusions The clustering patterns of mammals and plants form groups that agree with one another in their spatial extent. The forcing of floristic patterns into coherent entities appears mainly to be caused by climatic variables (temperature, temperature range and rainfall), mediated by elevation differences. The formation of individual plant clusters is also related to species numbers and to local and regional floristic differences. The close correlation between the floristic and faunal patterns suggests that the mammal and plant distributions are controlled by the same environmental variables, although the extent to which the mammals are controlled directly by climate or through the influence of vegetation requires more detailed study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distribution map of Elatine hydropiper L. (Elatinaceae), which belongs to the Euro-Siberian phytogeographic element, has been prepared based on literature and web-based data. The distribution range of the taxon, comparison to previous maps and reliability of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candelaria paciica, Candelariella antennaria, C. boleana, C. granuliformis and C. xanthostigmoides are reported from Switzerland for the irst time. Candelariella xanthostigmoides is also new to Europe. Candelariella aggregata, C. elorescens, C. subdelexa and C. viae-lactea are conirmed to occur in Switzerland. Candelariella antennaria is also reported new to Austria. Brief notes on their identiication, ecology and distribution in Switzerland are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Understanding climate patterns, with their decisive influence on plant distribution and development, is crucial to understanding the history of vegetation patterns in Europe during the Miocene. This paper presents the detailed analyses of several precipitation parameters, including monthly precipitation of the wettest, driest and warmest months, for five Miocene stages. In conjunction with seasonality of temperature, those parameters provide a meaningful measure of continentality and can help to document Miocene climate changes and patterns and their possible influence on vegetation. Climate reconstructions provided here are entirely based on palaeobotanical material. In total, 169 Miocene floras were selected, including 14 Burdigalian, 41 Langhian, 40 Serravallian, 36 Tortonian, and 38 Messinian localities. All floras were analysed using the Coexistence Approach. The analysis of several precipitation parameters, the statistical inter-correlation of results, and the comparison with modern patterns provides a comprehensive account on Miocene precipitation. Miocene climatic changes after the Mid Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) are evidenced in our data set by three major factors, i.e. (1) increasing seasonality of temperature, (2) changes in the annual distribution of precipitation towards a precipitation peak in summer, and (3) a late increase of longitudinal gradients of precipitation parameters. Evidence of continental climate in Eastern Europe first appears during the Messinian. In addition to changes in temperature, shifts in the annual distribution of precipitation may have played a major role in post-Langhian climate changes. However, the most significant climatic transformations occurred later, from the end of Miocene through to the present. Several authors have described patterns of vegetation development in Europe that are in good agreement with our finding of the first evidence for continental climate in Eastern Europe during the Messinian. Our data do not support an onset of opening of vegetation during the Tortonian or even earlier, as has been described for some parts of Eastern and Southern Europe. Possibly either non climatic parameters influenced such an early development, or our data lack the required resolution and/or spatial coverage to fully decipher the influence of continentality on vegetation and to correlate climate and vegetation statistically. Nevertheless, climatic data that quantify continentality can provide a sound basis for explaining the expansion of grassland in Eurasia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The CARAIB (CARbon Assimilation In the Biosphere) model is used to study the vegetation distribution during the Late Miocene (Tortonian). In this version, the plant classification is specifically adapted to best represent Miocene European vegetation. Compared to other plant classifications used in global models, this adapted classification is more refined, since it is specifically developed for European vegetation and it includes various thermophylous tree types, which were present in Europe during the Miocene. The corresponding climatic tolerance parameters are based on the study of ) for the tree types currently present in Europe and on the distribution of analogue species in southeastern Asia and North/Central America for the thermophylous (sub-tropical) trees. The same classification is used to characterize the palaeoflora at the available Late Miocene localities, allowing a model–data comparison at the plant functional type level, rather than at the biome level. The climatic inputs to CARAIB are obtained from the COSMOS atmosphere–ocean general circulation model. The climatic anomalies (Tortonian minus Present) derived from COSMOS are interpolated to a higher spatial resolution before being used in the vegetation model. These anomalies are combined with a modern climatology to produce climatic fields with high spatial resolution (10′×10′). This procedure has the advantage of making apparent relief features smaller than the grid cells of the climate model and, hence, makes easier the comparison with local vegetation data, although it does not really improve the quality of the Tortonian climate reconstruction. The new version of CARAIB was run over Europe at this higher spatial resolution. It calculates the potential distribution of 13 different classes of trees (including cold/cool/warm-temperate, sub-tropical and tropical types), together with their cover fractions, net primary productivities and biomasses. The resulting model vegetation distribution reconstructed for the Tortonian is compared to available palaeovegetation and pollen data. Before performing this comparison, the tree taxa present at the various data sites are assigned to one or several model classes, depending on the identification level of the taxa. If several classes are possible for a taxon, only those that can co-exist with the other tree classes identified at the site are retained. This methodology is similar to the co-existence approach used in palaeoclimatic reconstructions based on vegetation data. It narrows the range of tree types present at the various sites, by suppressing in the data the extreme types, such as the cold boreal/temperate and tropical trees. The method allows a comparison with the model simulation on a presence/absence basis. This comparison provides an overall agreement of 53% between the model and the data, when all sites and tree types are considered. The agreement is high (>85%) for needle-leaved summergreen boreal/temperate cold trees (Larix sp.) and for tropical trees, intermediate (>40%) for other boreal/temperate cold trees and for needle-leaved evergreen temperate cool trees, broadleaved summergreen temperate cool trees and broadleaved evergreen warm-temperate trees, and poor (<40%) for most temperate perhumid warm trees. In many cases, the model is shown to be better at predicting the absence than the presence, as observed for tropical trees. The modelled distributions of cold boreal/temperate trees tend to extend too much towards the south compared to the data. By contrast, model sub-tropical trees (temperate perhumid warm and needle-leaf summergreen temperate warm trees) appear to be restricted to some limited areas in southern Europe, while they are present in the data from central Europe up to at least 50°N. Consequently, modelled Late Miocene climate appears to remain too cold to produce assemblages of trees consistent with the data. The predicted modelled trends from the past to the present are in the right direction, but the amplitude remains too small. For the simulations to be in a better agreement with the data, higher CO2 levels may be necessary in the climate simulations, or possibly other oceanic boundary conditions may be required, such as different bathymetry in the Panama seaway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Annual PAR (pollen accumulation rates; grains cm−2 year−1) were studied with modified Tauber traps situated in ten regions, in Poland (Roztocze), the Czech Republic (two regions in Krkonoše, two in Šumava), Switzerland (4 regions in the Alps), and Georgia (Lagodekhi). The time-series are 10–16 years long, all ending in 2007. We calculated correlations between pollen data and climate. Pollen data are PAR summarized per region (4–7 traps selected per region) for each pollen type (9–14 per region) using log-transformed, detrended medians. Climate data are monthly temperature and precipitation measured at nearby stations, and their averages over all possible 2- to 6-month windows falling within the 20-month window ending with August, just prior to the yearly pollen-trap collection. Most PAR/climate relationships were found to differ both among pollen types and among regions, the latter probably due to differences among the study regions in the habitats of plant populations. Results shared by a number of regions can be summarized as follows. Summer warmth was found to enhance the following year’s PAR of Picea, Pinus non- cembra, Larix and Fagus. Cool summers, in contrast, increase the PAR of Abies, Alnus viridis and Gramineae in the following year, while wet summers promote PAR of Quercus and Gramineae. Wetness and warmth in general were found to enhance PAR of Salix. Precipitation was found to be more important for PAR of Alnus glutinosa-type than temperature. Weather did not have an impact on the PAR of Gramineae, and possibly of Cyperaceae in the same year. Care is advised when extrapolating our results to PAR in pollen sequences, because there are large errors associated with PAR from sediments, due to the effects of taphonomy and sedimentation and high uncertainty in dating. In addition, in pollen sequences that have decadal to centennial rather than near-annual resolution, plant-interaction effects may easily out-weigh the weather signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an introduction to the special issue "Vegetation of Circumboreal Coniferous Forests", a brief history is provided of the development and present state of floristic vegetation surveys of the boreal and mountain coniferous forests of Europe, northern Asia and North America. The focus is on forests assigned to the phytosociological class Vaccinio-Piceetea and closely related vegetation types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European butterfly species have been classified, using four multivariate classification techniques, to faunal groups (a collection of species having similar distributions) each group having a unique geography (faunal element). Concordance occurs for 94% of species for at least three of the techniques. The faunal groups are biased in geography, endemicity and taxonomic affiliation, indicating that they have historical and evolutionary significance. The inference is that a species by belonging to one faunal group, rather than to another, has a higher probability of being an endemic, and if it is not an endemic, then of evolving into one. This probability is influenced by affiliationto higher taxa, such as butterfly families, and thus by phylogeneticconstraints. We argue that the fidelity of a species to a faunal element will affect its evolutionary pathway since, by belonging to a faunal element, a species is subject to the distinctive processes linked to a unique landscape and its environmental conditions. Species have the capacity of switching between faunal groups owing to environmental changes impinging on their geographical ranges and epigenotypes. However, transfer of species across different groups are not of equallikelihood, being greatest between contiguous land elements and least between those restricted to islands. We suggest that conservation biology gives more attention to faunal structures; faunal groups have unique geography, are vulnerable to different macroevolutionary pressures and effectively underpin community assemblages within specific biotopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic pathways are reported for 305 species of Chenopodiaceae from Africa, Asia and Europe. Ecological characteristics, phytogeography and life forms of all species are given, and their correlation with relevant CO2-fixation types are discussed. 205 species (67.2%) exhibit the C4-pathway and 100 species (32.8%) the C3-pathway of CO2-fixation. Most of the C4 species are of Irano-Turanian origin. The diversity of C4 species of the Irano-Turanian phytochoria, with very harsh winters, are interpreted by the active period of Chenopods in summer. There is a close relationship between some special morphotypes and respective photosynthetic type. Halophytes and xerophytes with articulated stems and stem succulents of Anabasis-type are exclusively C4. Leaf succulent halophytes and xerohalophytes are predominantly C4. Hygrohalophytes with leaf or stem succulence are often C3. Probably many C4 Salsoleae have been evolved in the Afroasiatic arid zone after the climatic changes of the Miocene. Among them there is a high proportion of annuals that have a younger origin. There is some evidence that the present Chenopods of the subfamily “ Salsoloideae” may have their ancient stock in NW Africa. We found close taxonomic relationships between photosynthetic pathways and infrageneric classification in genera with both types of C3 and C4, like Atriplex and Suaeda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]