scholarly journals Classification of tall-forb vegetation in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia)

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 191-217
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Nowak ◽  
Sebastian Świerszcz ◽  
Sylwia Nowak ◽  
Marcin Nobis

Aims: To complete the syntaxonomic scheme for tall-forb vegetation of the montane and alpine belts in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with some remarks on its environmental predictors. Study area: Middle Asia: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Methods: A total of 244 relevés were sampled in 2013–2019 using the seven-degree cover-abundance scale of the Braun-Blanquet approach. These were classified with a modified TWINSPAN algorithm with pseudospecies cut-levels 0%, 5% and 25%, and total inertia as a measure of cluster heterogeneity. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. NMDS was used to explore the relationships between the distinguished groups. Results: Our classification revealed 19 clusters of tall-forb vegetation in Middle Asia. Among others we found forb communities typical for Tian Shan, western Pamir-Alai, forb-scree vegetation of Pamir-Alai, dry tall-forbs and typical forbs of the alpine belt. A total of eight new tall-forb associations and five communities were distinguished. The forb vegetation of Middle Asia has been assigned to the class Prangetea ulopterae Klein. The main factors differentiating the species composition of the researched vegetation are elevation, mean annual temperature, sum of annual precipitation and inclination of the slope. Conclusions: The paper presents the first insight into the comprehensive classification of the alpine forb vegetation in Middle Asia and fosters progress in explaining the relationship of boreo-temperate and Mediterranean-like (Irano-Turanian) vegetation in western Asian and central Asian subregions of the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. Taxonomic references: The nomenclature of the vascular plants follows generally Cherepanov (1995) and for Bromus spp. The Plant List (2020) Version 1.1. http://www.theplantlist.org/. Syntaxonomic references: The names of syntaxa are used in accordance with Ermakov (2012), Gadghiev et al. (2002) and Nowak et al. (2018). Abbreviation: NMDS = Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling.

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 464 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-158
Author(s):  
KOMILJON SH. TOJIBAEV ◽  
CHANG GEE JANG ◽  
GEORGII A. Lazkov ◽  
KAE SUN CHANG ◽  
GULNARA T. SITPAYEVA ◽  
...  

A check-list of endemic vascular plants of the Tian-Shan Mountains, including plant distribution along mountain ranges and in Central Asian countries, has been compiled for the first time in this study. The list of Tian-Shan flora consists of 871 endemic species and subspecies. One subspecies belongs to Pinaceae (Pinopsida) and 870 taxa belong to Magnoliidae (dicots, 732 taxa, and monocots, 138 taxa). The endemic flora belongs to 39 families and 187 genera. The largest number of endemics is concentrated in the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan (225 national endemics, 507 taxa in total) and Kazakhstan (205 national endemics, 485 taxa in total). Uzbekistan occupies the third position (69 national endemics, 320 taxa in total). Tajikistan has fewer endemics: 82 taxa, of which only 16 taxa are national endemics. The most represented families and genera are: Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Amaryllidaceae; and Astragalus, Allium, Cousinia, Oxytropis, and Gagea, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Nowak ◽  
Agnieszka Nobis ◽  
Sylwia Nowak ◽  
Marcin Nobis

2013 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Košir ◽  
Andraž Čarni ◽  
Aleksander Marinšek ◽  
Urban Šilc

Abstract Ecological gradients along river banks of the Mura River influence forest species composition. On the basis of 58 relevés of floodplain forests along theMura River, the classification of vegetation plots was performed with the Pc-Ord program. The diagnostic species combination for three clusters revealed after classification was calculated by fidelity measure (phi-coefficient) and presented in an analytic table. Average Ellenberg inidicator values, stream distances and relative elevations of the relevés were passively projected onto PCA to show ecological relationships among them. Correlations of plant functional type and stream distance gradients were calculated with regression analysis. For themain edifiers response curves to the stream distance gradients weremade. The classification of the Mura floodplain forests has revealed three ecologically interpretable vegetation types: Salicetum albae (most humid and nutrient-rich sites), Fraxino- -Ulmetum allietosum ursini (ecologically intermediate sites), F.-U. quercetosum robori (the driest and the least nutrient-rich sites). Zonation of vegetation is connected to distance from the closest stream which influences species distribution through ecological gradients of moisture and nutrient. The proportion of therophytes is significantly negatively correlated with the distance from the closest stream and the proportion of neophytes is significantly negatively correlated with distance from the main stream.


2009 ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
V. B. Golub ◽  
N. A. Grechushkina ◽  
A. N. Sorokin ◽  
L. F. Nikolaychuk

The classification of petrophytic vegetation of coastal steeps was proposed for the Northwest Cauca­sian coast of the Black Sea using the Braun-Blanquet approach. The main factors that influence the deve­lopment of vegetation in question are abrasion and denudation sea coast processes. The coastal steeps in study area are formed by carbonate flysch. The plant communities occur on rocky slopes with poorly deve­loped soil cover, fine stone chips as well as rock crevices. Nine associations and four communities without syntaxonomic rank were documented in the table and described with respect to their phyto­socio­logical affinities, ecology, and geographical location. Diagnostic species of syntaxa were established using phi-coefficient calculations of fidelity and Fisher’s exact test. In addition, the results of relevé ordination were given using the algorithm of non-metric multi­dimensional scaling (NMS) that is embedded in PC-ORD 5.0 software package.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Nowak ◽  
Sebastian Świerszcz ◽  
Sylwia Nowak ◽  
Marcin Nobis

AbstractThis paper presents the results of phytosociological research on scree vegetation of the Pamir and south-western Tian Shan. We collected 222 phytosociological relevés during field studies conducted in 2015–2019, applying the Braun-Blanquet approach. We identified 21 plant communities on mobile and stabilized screes of colluvial cones, aprons and fans, inhabiting mainly the montane and alpine belts in several ranges (e.g. Peter the First, Alichur, Shugnan, Shachdarian, Darvaz, Rushan, Vanch, Fergana, Kyrgyz and Terskey ranges). As a result we provide the first comprehensive hierarchical syntaxonomic synopsis of scree communities at montane and alpine elevations in the eastern Middle Asia. The collected vegetation relevés represent the majority of the variation among the phytocoenoses of gravel, pebble, cobble and rock block slides and screes in the montane and alpine belts. As a result of field studies and Twinspan analyses, nine associations were identified on screes of the Pamir and western Tian Shan. All these communities were assigned to the Sileno brahuicae-Lactucetalia orientalis Nowak et al. 2021. Additionally, within the nitrophilous compact gravel screes one subassociation of Corydalidetum kashgaricae trigonelletosum gontscharovii was distinguished. In the most arid zone two additional plant associations and one subassociation were identified in gravelly semi-deserts zone. The main factors determining the species composition of the studied associations are scree mobility, rock particle size, elevation above sea level and slope inclination. Our research revealed considerable diversity of scree habitats of montane and alpine belts what might be astonishing regarding harsh environment of this mountainous territory. However, a great number of lineages that evolved here and particularly rich species pool of this habitat in Middle Asia facilitate remarkable diversity among vegetation of taluses and screes. The distinctiveness of species composition is additionally enhanced by high degree of endemism of chasmophytic habitats in the eastern part of Middle Asia. Despite recent developments, the prominent chasmophytic vegetation of Middle Asia still needs thorough studies focused on its relationship to semi-desert, tall-forb and petrophytic communities of high mountains of the Pamir, Hindu-Kush, Kunlun and Central Tian Shan.


1985 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 411-413
Author(s):  
Janet Rountree ◽  
George Sonneborn ◽  
Robert J. Panek

Previous studies of ultraviolet spectral classification have been insufficient to establish a comprehensive classification system for ultraviolet spectra of early-type stars because of inadequate spectral resolution. We have initiated a new study of ultraviolet spectral classification of B stars using high-dispersion IUE archival data. High-dispersion SWP spectra of MK standards and other B stars are retrieved from the IUE archives and numerically degraded to a uniform resolution of 0.25 or 0.50 Å. The spectra (in the form of plots or photowrites) are then visually examined with the aim of setting up a two-dimensional classification matrix. We follow the method used to create the MK classification system for visual spectra. The purpose of this work is to examine the applicability of the MK system (and in particular, the set of standard stars) in the ultraviolet, and to establish classification criteria in this spectral region.


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