Changes in Snowbed Vegetation in the Western Carpathians Under Changing Climatic Conditions and Land Use in the Last Decades

Snowbed vegetation is one of the most sensitive alpine vegetation type to the climate change, because shortened period of snow cover has essential impact on the snowbed environment. We focus on its changes in the Western Tatras, which is a part of the Western Carpathians (Slovakia). The assessment of changes in snowbed vegetation is based on the method of pair comparison. In 2016–2018, we resampled 21 historical phytocoenological relevés of Festucion picturatae and Salicion herbaceae alliances from 1974 and 1976. Historical data include 45 species, while recent data include 50 species. We observed a decrease in the frequency of species characteristic for snowbeds and, on the other hand, an increase in that for strong competitors, especially grasses and small shrubs from adjacent habitats. According to Ellenberg’s ecological indices, there is some increase in temperature and decrease in light ecological factors in snowbed habitats. In S. herbaceae data, a statistically significant increase in the average species number was observed with new species that penetrated from the adjacent habitats. Changes in species composition between historical and recent data are confirmed by Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordination diagram. Linear mixed-effect models showed big variability in factors that have impact on phytodiversity; nevertheless, temperature is the most significant factor.

Snow-bed communities with dominant Salix herbacea in the Julian Alps

In the alpine belt of the Julian Alps (glacial cirque Na Jezerih under Mt. Veliki Rokav, Jarečica, the Mangart Saddle and Prodi under Mt. Mangart as well as Mt. Plešivec in the rock wall of Loška Stena) we studied the phytosociology and ecology of snow-bed vegetation with dominating flowering plants Salix herbacea, Luzula alpinopilosa, Gnaphalium supinum, Soldanella pusilla and Salix retusa, and numerous moss species. Based on the comparison with similar snow-bed communities in the Central, Eastern and Southern Alps we described a new association Salicetum retuso-herbaceae and classified it into the alliance Salicion herbaceae and class Salicetea herbaceae. We determined several successional stages of snow-bed vegetation on mixed calcareous-silicate bedrock that we treat as variants, in two relevés also the initial association Polytrichetum sexangularis.

The Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini plant association in the Western Carpathians (the Tatra Mts and the Babia Góra Massif)

<p>This article is the first published information on the occurrence of the snow-beds of Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini in the Western Carpathians. So far, localities of Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini phytocoenoses have been known exclusively from the Alps, the Black Forest, and the Eastern Carpathians. During this study, carried out in the Polish Carpathians, phytocoenoses of Nardo-Gnaphalietum were recorded in the two highest massifs - the Tatra Mountains and the Babia Góra Massif. They were closely related to anthropogenically-influenced sites with exposed and lumped ground located near tourist routes. Habitat characterization and spatial complexes of the patches of Nardo-Gnaphalietum in the investigated area are given herein.</p><p>Critical revision of phytosociological data from the Alps and the Eastern Carpathians revealed that the discussed phytocoenoses have been described within the communities of Luzuletum alpino-pilosae, Salicetum herbaceae or Nardetum strictae. In this study, all phytosociological data concerning the association were collected and the floristic distinction of the phytocoenoses of particular mountain massifs is discussed. A new subassociation Nardo-Gnaphalietum oligotrichetosum hercynici was distinguished on the basis of local habitat variability. Although Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini does not have characteristic species, it is a well-distinguished typological unit in the class Salicetea herbaceae Br.-Bl. 1948, and is a central association of the alliance Nardo-Salicion herbaceae Englisch 1999.</p>