Search

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf of Naples is an important centre of endemism, well known from the floristic point of view, but much less from the phytosociological one. In this paper we investigated the non-forest vegetation focusing on communities rich in endemics. We described two communities as new: Eryngio amethystini-Santolinetum neapolitanae for the garrigues on limestone, Globulario neapolitanae-Loniceretum stabianae for the vegetation on dolomitic rocks, both from the Lattari mountains, and we extend the area of Crithmo maritimi-Limonietum cumani for the vegetation on volcanic rocks and rarely on limestones along the coast, which was known for a few localities. The syntaxonomical position and the phytogeographical context of these communities are discussed. A few taxonomic notes are added on rare or interesting species retrieved in the course of the enquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the mesophilous forests of Albania including Fagus sylvatica and submontane Corylus avellana forests. Mesophilous Albanian forests are poorly known and were not included in the recent syntaxonomic revisions at the European scale. Study area: Albania. Methods: We used a dataset of 284 published and unpublished relevés. They were classified using the Ward's minimum variance. NMDS ordination was conducted, with over-laying of climatic and geological variables, to analyze the ecological gradients along which these forests develop and segregate. Random Forest was used to define the potential distribution of the identified forest groups in Albania. Results: The study identified seven groups of forests in Albania: Corylus avellana forests, Ostrya carpinifolia-Fagus sylvatica forests, lower montane mesophytic Fagus sylvatica forests, middle montane mesophytic Fagus sylvatica forests, middle montane basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forests, upper montane basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forests, upper montane acidophytic Fagus sylvatica forests. These can be grouped into four main types: Corylus avellana and Ostrya carpinifolia-Fagus sylvatica forests, thermo-basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forest, meso-basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forest and acidophytic Fagus sylvatica forests. This scheme corresponds to the ecological classification recently proposed in a European revision for Fagus sylvatica forests Conclusion: Our study supports an ecological classification of mesophilous forests of Albania at the level of suballiance. Analysis is still preliminary at the level of association, but it shows a high diversity of forest types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A historical overview of the phytosociological method in Europe is presented. Some methodological and procedural differences in the application of the Braun-Blanquet approach, from the selection of the sampling plots to the assignment of relevés to existing or newly described units, are briefly compared. The main advantages and limitations of the phytosociological vegetation classification are reviewed and discussed, also in light of their applications for vegetation mapping and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Albania is one of the most diverse countries in Europe (over 4560 plant taxa in 28,748 km²), but is still poorly known. We present here the phytosociological analysis of the forest communities of a mountain area in Central Albania. Study area: The Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park (SJNP; 34,000 ha), located along the border with Macedonia. Methods: 84 relevés have been carried out in the years 2012-2013 and subsequently 63 of these relevés were selected and classified by the Ward's minimum variance Clustering, using package cluster of R software, to identify the forest communities of the park. Their diagnostic species have been selected using the fidelity coefficient in Juice software and for the ecological interpretation of vegetation differentiation we performed a non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis, using the vegan package of R. Results: The main vegetation belts in an altitudinal gradient are Quercus cerris-Quercus frainetto woodlands, Carpinus orientalis secondary formations, and forest dominated respectively by Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica and Pinus peuce. The vegetation is strikingly diverse, with 9 well characterized forest communities well segregated according to the large altitudinal gradient and the diverse geology (limestone and alluvial vs ophiolite and flysch). Conclusion: The forests of SJNP are characterized by striking β-diversity in a small area. The forests are often heavily exploited at lower altitude and the road network recently developed is causing new pressures and threats. The old growth beech forest (UNESCO World heritage site), the Balkan Pinus peuce forests and the marginal population of Pinus heldreichii deserve a careful monitoring and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Classification of vegetation is an essential tool to describe, understand, predict and manage biodiversity. Given the multiplicity of approaches to classify vegetation, it is important to develop international consensus around a set of general guidelines and purpose-specific standard protocols. Before these goals can be achieved, however, it is necessary to identify and understand the different choices that are made during the process of classifying vegetation. This paper presents a framework to facilitate comparisons between broad-scale plot-based classification approaches. Results Our framework is based on the distinction of four structural elements (plot record, vegetation type, consistent classification section and classification system) and two procedural elements (classification protocol and classification approach). For each element we describe essential properties that can be used for comparisons. We also review alternative choices regarding critical decisions of classification approaches; with a special focus on the procedures used to define vegetation types from plot records. We illustrate our comparative framework by applying it to different broad-scale classification approaches. Conclusions Our framework will be useful for understanding and comparing plot-based vegetation classification approaches, as well as for integrating classification systems and their sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question What are the main plant communities and vegetation zones on Socotra Island in relation to climatic, geological and topographic factors? Location Socotra Island ( Yemen). Methods A total of 318 relevés were sampled along an altitudinal gradient. Floristic and environmental (topographic, geological and climatic) data were collected and analysed using numerical classification and NDMS ordination; an analysis of the correlation between plant communities and environmental factors was also performed. Results Eight types of woody vegetation, seven of shrubs, six of herbaceous and seven of halophytic vegetation were identified. Ordination revealed the importance of altitudinal and climatic gradients, as well as of geological substrata. Conclusions Four vegetation zones were identified. The first three are located in the arid region with altitude ranging from 0 to 1000 m and the fourth in the semi-arid region from 1000 to 1500 m a.s.l. Specifically they are: (1) an arid coastal plain mainly located on an alluvial substratum between 0 and 200 m, characterized by shrubland and grassland communities; (2) a transition zone from 200 to 400 m, between the alluvial substratum and the upper limestone area; (3) an arid limestone zone between 400 and 1000 m, interspersed with hills and plateaus; and (4) a semi-arid upper zone of the Haghier Mountains from 1000 to 1500 m on a granitic substratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]