Phytosociology, ecology and conservation status of Salvia brachyodon (Lamiaceae), a narrow endemic of Eastern Adriatic

We studied the site ecology of Salvia brachyodon (Lamiaceae), a narrow endemic of the eastern Adriatic, which is now restricted to only three sites, using the sigmatistic method and numerical analyses. Four floristically and ecologically well-defined groups of stands, representing different syntaxa, were identified, corresponding to the sampling sites. The majority of stands represent dry eastern (sub)Mediterranean rocky grasslands at different successional stages towards (sub)Mediterranean forest vegetation. Compared to the evolutionary and ecologically closely related and sympatric S. officinalis, the morphologically easily distinguishable S. brachyodon differs in its flowering phenology and prefers relatively cooler, wetter, deeper and nutrient richer soils, which are developed on dolomite or dolomitic limestone at higher elevated sites. Despite its ability to cope with interspecific competition by means of clonal reproduction better than its congener, the populations are severely threatened by abandonment of traditional land use and by fires, making the species endangered (EN) according to IUCN criteria.

Disentangling the effects of micro-site ecology on Fennoscandian tree growth

<p>The long tradition in dendroclimatological studies across Fennoscandia is mainly due to the exceptional strong temperature sensitivity of tree growth, as well as the existence of well-preserved subfossil wood in shallow lakes and extent peat bogs. Although some of the world’s advanced multi-millennial-long ring width and density based climate reconstructions have been developed in northern Fennoscandia, it is still unclear if differences in micro-site ecology have been considered sufficiently in previous studies. In order to assess the effects of moist lakeshores versus drier inlands on forest productivity, we present a Fennoscandia-wide network of 44 Scots pine ring width chronologies from 22 locations between 59°-70°N and 16°-31°E. Clustering into coastal settings in northern Norway, continental sites in the lee of the Scands north of the polar circle, and locations south of the polar circle, our network reveals a general dependency of pine growth rates on latitude and July temperature. Differences between moist and dry sites are likely caused by associated effects on soil temperature. While trees at moist micro-sites at western locations exhibit higher growth rates, this pattern inverses under the more continental conditions of the east, where increased ring widths are found at drier sites. In addition to the latitudinal increase in growth sensitivity to July temperature, pines at moist sites tend to show a higher dependency to summer warmth. The highest temperature sensitivity and growth coherency is found in those regions where July temperatures range between 11.5 and 13.5°C and May precipitation totals fall below 100mm. This study not only emphasizes the effects of micro-site ecology on Fennoscandian tree growth, but also provides guidance for the selection of sampling sites for climate reconstructions.</p>

Phytosociology And Ecology Of The Dinaric Fir-Beech Forests (Omphalodofagetum) At The North-Western Part Of The Illyrian Floral Province (Nw Dinaric Alps)

We studied the phytosociology, ecology and biogeography of the Dinaric fir-beech stands (Omphalodo-Fagetum) in the Trnovski gozd plateau, at the north-western part of the Illyrian floral province. We identified and confirmed two geographical variants (var. geogr. Saxifraga cuneifolia - central and western part of the plateau, and var. geogr. Calamintha grandiflora - eastern part of the plateau), and 10 floristically and ecologically well differentiated subassociations (-rhododendretosum hirsuti,-saxifragetosum cuneifoliae, -adenostyletosum glabrae, -festucetosum altissimae, -calamagrostietosum arundinaceae, -stellarietosum montanae, -seslerietosum autumnalis, -calamagrostietosum variae, -sambucetosum nigrae and -asaretosum europei). The most frequent stands bellong to the subassociation -festucetosum altissimae and -calamagrostietosum arundinaceae, which, in terms of site ecology and floristic composition, represent the central forest types in the research area. They are floristically impoverished and lack majority of association’s characteristic species which is in line with the biogeographic peculiarites of the research area.

Syntaxonomy and Site Ecology of a Central Italy Forest Landscape

Syntaxonomy and Site Ecology of a Central Italy Forest LandscapeA phytosociological survey of a woodland located in the central part of Umbria (Central Italy) was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet method: 80 relevés were classified through cluster analysis. Nine forestsyntaxawere reported and three subassociations (Erico arboreae-Quercetum cerridis lathyretosum veneti, Aceri obtusati-Quercetum cerridis arbutetosum unedonisandCyclamino hederifolii-Quercetum ilicis quercetosum cerridis) were typified. Topographic data (altitude, aspect, slope, morphology) and pedological data (soil pH, texture and depth) were collected and a synecological analysis ofsyntaxawas performed. In order to understand the relation between environmental factors and plant communities, a Canonical Correspondence Analysis was run. The results showed soil parameters (pH, texture and depth) and altitude as the main ecological factors explaining the distribution of plant communities in the study area. The combination of topographic factors (aspect, morphology and slope angle) influences, by contrast revealed the distribution of forestsyntaxawithin homogeneous geo-pedological and bioclimatic conditions.