Response of dry grassland vegetation to fluctuations in weather conditions: a 9-year case study in Prague (Czech Republic)

Biologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Dostálek ◽  
Tomáš Frantík

AbstractThe extreme habitats of dry grasslands are suitable for investigations of the response of vegetation to local climate changes. The impact of weather variability on the dynamics of a plant community in a dry grassland was studied. Correlations were found between different functional groups of species and individual species and weather variability. During a 9-year study in five nature reserves in Prague (Czech Republic), the following responses of dry grassland vegetation to weather conditions were observed: (i) wetter conditions, especially in the winter, affected the dominance and species richness of perennial grass species and the decline of rosette plants; (ii) the year-to-year higher temperatures in the winter produced a decline in the dominance of short graminoids and creeping forbs; (iii) spring drought adversely impacted the overall abundance, especially the abundance of dicotyledonous species, and the species richness. However, these relationships may be manifested in different ways in different locations, and in some cases the vegetation of different locations may respond to weather conditions in opposite manners.

Hacquetia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-224
Author(s):  
Károly Penksza ◽  
Péter Csontos ◽  
Gergely Pápay

Abstract Festucetum vaginatae Rapaics ex Soó 1929 em. Borhidi 1996 is a characteristic association of the calcareous sandy areas of the Pannonian basin; its dominant grass species is Festuca vaginata. Another typical species of these sandy areas is the newly discovered F. pseudovaginata. The question is whether F. pseudovaginata forms an independent coenotaxa? Our study proved that F. vaginata and F. pseudovaginata populations grow separately and compose different associations. Stands dominated by F. pseudovaginata had a higher species richness and harboured twice as many Festuco-Brometea species compared to the Festucetum vaginatae stands. Diagnostic species of the Festucetum pseudovaginatae association are Festuca pseudovaginata, Colchicum arenarium, Ephedra distachya, Koeleria majoriflora, and Astragalus onobrychis. The number of species, the density of the individuals, and the variability and diversity of the vegetation separated it from the Festucetum vaginatae association; thus, it can be considered an independent endemic association. Festucetum pseudovaginatae has its own differentiating and dominant species: Carex stenophylla, Cynodon dactylon, Eryngium campestre, Kochia laniflora.


1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Keough ◽  
GP Quinn

The choice of biological indicator variables to be measured in detecting human impacts on the environment is a critical one. The usual community-level measures (species richness, diversity) generally have questionable theoretical justification, have no demonstrable causal links to the impact, and are dependent on the taxonomic expertise available. Results from trampling experiments on an intertidal rocky shore demonstrate that these measures are also insensitive in detecting impacts that clearly affected populations of individual species. The need for experimental work that identifies which indicator variables are causally linked to human impacts and therefore which will be useful in monitoring is emphasized.


2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Ballantyne ◽  
Catherine M. Pickering ◽  
Keith L. McDougall ◽  
Genevieve T. Wright

Damage to vegetation from tourism and recreation includes the impacts of hiking trails, which may favour trampling-tolerant plants over those that are more sensitive to this type of disturbance. To assess how continued use of a hiking trail coupled with changes in local climate affect a rare Australian alpine plant community, we compared plant composition at different distances from a trail in 2013 during wetter conditions with that 10 years prior during a drought in 2003. In both years, only a few trampling-tolerant graminoids and cushion plants were found on the trail surface, which runs along the ridgeline. Species richness and cover in both surveys generally increased with distance from the trail, but there were differences between the windward and leeward sides of the trail. This included increased abundance of some species but continued disruption of shrub succession on the leeward side of the trail. There was an overall increase in species richness between the two surveys, and changes in the abundance of many species independent of trampling effects, possibly reflecting the more favourable/wetter conditions for plant growth in 2013. These results suggest that changes in climatic conditions can affect community composition, but that this has not negated the impact of the hiking trail on this rare community. With average temperatures increasing, and snow cover declining in the Australian Alps, it is likely that there will be even more changes in the Windswept Feldmark, including the potential colonisation of these ridges by more competitive species, such as graminoids, at the expense of the dominant shrub and some herbs that are already adversely affected by trampling. Longer term monitoring of this rare community is imperative to better understand community processes in relation to the impacts of trail use and climate change. Management options to reduce these impacts are discussed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Valery Genadievich Popov ◽  
Andrey Vladimirovich Panfilov ◽  
Yuriy Vyacheslavovich Bondarenko ◽  
Konstantin Mikhailovich Doronin ◽  
Evgeny Nikolaevih Martynov ◽  
...  

The article analyzes the experience of the impact of the system of forest belts and mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat, including on irrigated lands. Vegetation irrigation is designed to maintain the humidity of the active soil layer from germination to maturation at the lower level of the optimum-70-75%, and in the phases of tubulation-earing - flowering - 75-80% NV. However, due to the large differences in zones and microzones of soil and climate conditions and due to the weather conditions of individual years, wheat irrigation regimes require a clear differentiation. In the Volga region in the dry autumn rainfalls give the norm of 800-1000 m3/ha, and in saline soils – 1000-1300 and 3-4 vegetation irrigation at tillering, phases of booting, earing and grain formation the norm 600-650 m3/ha. the impact of the system of forest belts, mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat is closely tied to the formation of microclimate at different distances from forest edges.


Author(s):  
И.А. Уткина ◽  
В.В. Рубцов

Ранняя (Quercus robur var. praecox Czern.) и поздняя (Q. robur var. tardiflora Czern.) фенологические формы дуба черешчатого, выделенные в самостоятельные таксоны в середине XIX в., неоднократно становились объектами исследований для специалистов разного профиля. Собрано немало данных о различиях в их росте, требованиях к условиям местообитания, устойчивости к неблагоприятным внешним факторам. Иногда кроме ранней и поздней феноформ выделяют еще и промежуточные между ними. Наиболее отчетливо различия между феноформами, обусловленные разными сроками листораспускания, проявляются в реакции на поздние весенние заморозки и повреждение листвы насекомыми-филлофагами. Так как на деревьях поздней формы листовые и цветочные почки раскрываются намного позже, чем на ранней, поздняя форма избегает повреждения весенними заморозками. Кроме того, обладая меньшей способностью к формированию летних побегов, она меньше повреждается и ранними осенними заморозками, а также зимними морозами, что способствует образованию у нее более прямых и полнодревесных стволов, по сравнению с ранней формой. Ранняя форма чаще и сильнее повреждается филлофагами ранневесеннего комплекса, у которых отрождение гусениц из яиц синхронизировано с раскрытием почек и распусканием листьев. Есть данные, что видовой состав вредителей листвы на деревьях ранней и поздней форм дуба при их совместном произрастании примерно одинаков, зато численность отдельных видов филлофагов и их соотношение различны. На деревьях ранней формы их больше в несколько раз, что объясняется совпадением фаз развития большинства ранневесенних видов филлофагов и листвы этой формы дуба. Согласно результатам проведенных исследований, поздняя форма предпочтительнее для создания лесных культур дуба как более устойчивая к неблагоприятным погодным условиям и насекомым-вредителям. Early (Quercus robur var. praecox Czern.) and late (Q. robur var. tardiflora Czern.) phenological forms of the common oak, recognized as independent taxa in the mid-nineteenth century, have been subjects of multiple studies by specialists of different fields. Abundant data on the differences in their growth requirements, habitat conditions, and resistance to unfavorable external factors have been collected. Some specialists in addition to early and late phenoforms distinguish intermediate forms. Most clearly the differences between these forms appear in response to late spring frosts and damage of leaves by phyllophagous insects due to different timing of the forms' leafing. As leaf and flower buds in late oaks are revealed much later than in early oaks, late form avoids damage by spring frosts. In addition, due to lower ability to form summer shoots, late oaks are less damaged by early autumn frosts and winter freeze, which contributes to the formation of more straight and full trunks comparing to early oaks. Early oaks are damaged more severely by phyllophagous insects of spring complex, in which hatching of caterpillars from eggs is synchronized with opening buds and unfolding of leaves. There is evidence that species composition of foliage pests on co-occurant early and late forms of oak is nearly the same, but the number of individual species of phyllophagous insects and their ratio are different. In the early form the number of phyllophagous insects is greater by several fold due to concurrence of developmental phases in most early spring phyllophagous species and foliage of this oak form. The obtained results show that the late form of common oak is preferable for forest plantations as more resistant to unfavorable weather conditions and insect pests.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1241
Author(s):  
Stanko Vršič ◽  
Marko Breznik ◽  
Borut Pulko ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino

Earthworms are key indicators of soil quality and health in vineyards, but research that considers different soil management systems, especially in Slovenian viticultural areas is scarce. In this investigation, the impact of different soil management practices such as permanent green cover, the use of herbicides in row and inter-row areas, use of straw mulch, and shallow soil tillage compared to meadow control for earthworm abundance, were assessed. The biomass and abundance of earthworms (m2) and distribution in various soil layers were quantified for three years. Monitoring and a survey covering 22 May 2014 to 5 October 2016 in seven different sampling dates, along with a soil profile at the depth from 0 to 60 cm, were carried out. Our results showed that the lowest mean abundance and biomass of earthworms in all sampling periods were registered along the herbicide strip (within the rows). The highest abundance was found in the straw mulch and permanent green cover treatments (higher than in the control). On the plots where the herbicide was applied to the complete inter-row area, the abundance of the earthworm community decreased from the beginning to the end of the monitoring period. In contrast, shallow tillage showed a similar trend of declining earthworm abundance, which could indicate a deterioration of soil biodiversity conditions. We concluded that different soil management practices greatly affect the soil’s environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), especially in the upper soil layer (up to 15 cm deep), which affects the abundance of the earthworm community. Our results demonstrated that these practices need to be adapted to the climate and weather conditions, and also to human impacts.


The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362110116
Author(s):  
Lucie Juřičková ◽  
Jakub Menšík ◽  
Jitka Horáčková ◽  
Vojen Ložek

The Alps are an important hotspot of species diversity and endemism, as well as a presumed glacial refugium of several species’ groups including land snails. The recent ranges of Alpine endemics are well known, but their fluctuations during the postglacial period mirroring local climate changes are understudied. By analysing five Late Glacial and Holocene mollusc successions from two areas in the southernmost part of the Bohemian Massif (Czech Republic) situated about 100 km north of the Alps, we reveal details of these fluctuations. The Alpine endemic rocky dweller Chilostoma achates had reached the southern part of the Bohemian Massif already in the Late Glacial and disappeared in the Mid-Holocene canopy forest optimum. On the contrary, the northern boundaries of Alpine canopy forest epigeic snails extended further north than today at the turn of the Middle and Late-Holocene, pointing to a more favourable forest microclimate. The earliest known occurrences of several temperate canopy forest central European species, especially Causa holosericea and Discus perspectivus, imply the role of different areas in the Alps as their glacial refugia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5355
Author(s):  
Vilém Pechanec ◽  
Ondřej Cudlín ◽  
Miloš Zapletal ◽  
Jan Purkyt ◽  
Lenka Štěrbová ◽  
...  

Global and regional biodiversity loss is caused by several drivers including urban development, land use intensification, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and climate change. The main aim of our study was to adapt the GLOBIO3 model to the conditions of the Czech Republic (CR) to assess loss of naturalness and biodiversity vulnerability at the habitat level on a detailed scale across the entire CR. An additional aim was to assess the main drivers affecting the biodiversity of habitat types. The GLOBIO3 model was adapted to CZ-GLOBIO by adapting global to local scales and using habitat quality and naturalness data instead of species occurrence data. The total mean species abundance (MSA) index of habitat quality, calculated from the spatial overlay of the four MSA indicators by our new equation, reached the value 0.62. The total value of MSA for natural and near-natural habitats was found to be affected mainly by infrastructure development and fragmentation. Simultaneously, intensity of land use change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition contributed primarily to the low total value of MSA for distant natural habitats. The CZ-GLOBIO model can be an important tool in political decision making to reduce the impact of the main drivers on habitat biodiversity in the CR.


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