1Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary 2Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Düzce University, Konuralp, Turkey 3Institute of General and Experimental Biology SB RAS, Ulan-Ude, Russia 4Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary 5Department of Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary 6Department of Climatology and Landscape Ecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary 7College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China 8Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria 9Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran 10Department of Biology, I. G. Petrovsky Bryansk State University, Bryansk, Russia 11MTA-DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/avsc.12382

The edge of two worlds: A new review and synthesis on Eurasian forest-steppes

Questions: What are the main floristic patterns in the Pannonian and western Pontic steppe grasslands? What are the diagnostic species of the major subdivisions of the class Festuco-Brometea (temperate Euro-Siberian dry and semi-dry grasslands)? - Location: Carpathian Basin (E Austria, SE Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, N Croatia and N Serbia), Ukraine, S Poland and the Bryansk region of WRussia. - Methods: We applied a geographically stratified resampling to a large set of releves containing at least one indicator species of steppe grasslands. The resulting data set of 17 993 releves was classified using the TWINSPAN algorithm.We identified groups of clusters that corresponded to the class Festuco-Brometea. After excluding releves not belonging to our target class, we applied a consensus of three fidelity measures, also taking into account external knowledge, to establish the diagnostic species of the orders of the class. The original TWINSPAN divisionswere revised on the basis of these diagnostic species. - Results: The TWINSPAN classification revealed soilmoisture as themost important environmental factor. Eight out of 16 TWINSPAN groups corresponded to Festuco-Brometea. A total of 80, 32 and 58 species were accepted as diagnostic for the orders Brometalia erecti, Festucetalia valesiacae and Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis, respectively. In the further subdivision of the orders, soil conditions, geographic distribution and altitude could be identified as factors driving the major floristic patterns. - Conclusions: We propose the following classification of the Festuco-Brometea in our study area: (1) Brometalia erecti (semi-dry grasslands) with Scabioso ochroleucae-Poion angustifoliae (steppe meadows of the forest zone of E Europe) and Cirsio- Brachypodion pinnati (meadow steppes on deep soils in the forest-steppe zone of E Central and E Europe); (2) Festucetalia valesiacae (grass steppes) with Festucion valesiacae (grass steppes on less developed soils in the forest-steppe zone of E Central and E Europe) and Stipion lessingianae (grass steppes in the steppe zone); (3) Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis (rocky steppes) with Asplenio septentrionalis-Festucion pallentis (rocky steppes on siliceous and intermediate soils), Bromo-Festucion pallentis (thermophilous rocky steppes on calcareous soils), Diantho-Seslerion (dealpine Sesleria caerulea grasslands of the Western Carpathians) and Seslerion rigidae (dealpine Sesleria rigida grasslands of the Romanian Carpathians).

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/avsc.12265

A higher-level classification of the Pannonian and western Pontic steppe grasslands (Central and Eastern Europe).

European semi-dry grasslands are among the most species-rich vegetation types in the northern hemisphere and form an important part of the habitat mosaics in the forest-steppe zone. However. there is no comprehensive evaluation of the variation in their composition and the phytosocio-logical classification of these grasslands. For the syntaxonomic revision, we used a dataset of 34,173 vegetation plot records (releves) from central and eastern Europe. which were assigned to the class Fesiuco-Bromeiea using the diagnostic species listed in the EuroVegChecklist. To determine the diagnostic species of the orders, we used a TWINSPAN classification of the whole dataset. Of the total dataset, 15,449 releves were assigned to the order Brachypodietalia pinnati. which corresponds to semi-dry grasslands. This subset was again classified using TWINSPAN. Formal definitions of the following alliances were established: Mesobromion erecti, Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati (incl. Fragario-Trifolion montani. Agrosiio-Avenulion schellianae, Scabioso ochroleucae-Poion angustifoliae and Adonido vernalis-Stipion iirsae), Scorzonerion villosae and Chrysopogono-Danshonion. Another alliance, Armerion elongatae (=Koelerio-Phleion phleoidis p.p.). is transitional towards the class Koelerio-Corynephoreiea and its status needs further evaluation. We also established formal definitions of all of the associations of Mesobromion and Cirsio-Brachypodion within the area studied. Associations were identified using (i) a TWINSPAN classification of the whole order, (ii) TWINSPAN classifications of regionally restricted data sets (usually all Brachypodietalia plots in one country) and (iii) existing national classification schemes. All formal definitions were written in the expert system language of the JUICE program. To obtain a more complete picture of the floristic similarities and gradients. we performed a DCA ordination of the associations. Our results revealed that meadow steppes in the forest-steppe zone in eastern Europe are very similar to semi-dry grasslands in central Europe.

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Formalized classification of semi-dry grasslands in central and eastern Europe

Aims Primary forests are critical for forest biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services. In Europe, these forests are particularly scarce and it is unclear whether they are sufficiently protected. Here we aim to: (a) understand whether extant primary forests are representative of the range of naturally occurring forest types, (b) identify forest types which host enough primary forest under strict protection to meet conservation targets and (c) highlight areas where restoration is needed and feasible. Location Europe. Methods We combined a unique geodatabase of primary forests with maps of forest cover, potential natural vegetation, biogeographic regions and protected areas to quantify the proportion of extant primary forest across Europe's forest types and to identify gaps in protection. Using spatial predictions of primary forest locations to account for underreporting of primary forests, we then highlighted areas where restoration could complement protection. Results We found a substantial bias in primary forest distribution across forest types. Of the 54 forest types we assessed, six had no primary forest at all, and in two-thirds of forest types, less than 1% of forest was primary. Even if generally protected, only ten forest types had more than half of their primary forests strictly protected. Protecting all documented primary forests requires expanding the protected area networks by 1,132 km(2)(19,194 km(2)when including also predicted primary forests). Encouragingly, large areas of non-primary forest existed inside protected areas for most types, thus presenting restoration opportunities. Main conclusion Europe's primary forests are in a perilous state, as also acknowledged by EU's "Biodiversity Strategy for 2030." Yet, there are considerable opportunities for ensuring better protection and restoring primary forest structure, composition and functioning, at least partially. We advocate integrated policy reforms that explicitly account for the irreplaceable nature of primary forests and ramp up protection and restoration efforts alike.

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Protection gaps and restoration opportunities for primary forests in Europe

We asked: (i) Which environmental factors determine the level of α-diversity at several scales and β-diversity in steppic grasslands? (ii) How do the effects of environmental factors on α- and β-diversity vary between the different taxonomic groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens)? We sampled nested-plot series ranging from 0.0001 to 100 m2 and additional 10-m2 plots, covering different vegetation types and management regimes in steppes and semi-natural dry grasslands of Central Podolia (Ukraine). We recorded all terricolous taxa and used topographic, soil, land-use and climatic variables as predictors. Richness-environment relationships at different scales and across taxonomic groups were assessed with multimodel inference. We also fitted power-law species-area relationships, using the exponent (z value) as a measure of β-diversity. In general, the richness values in the study region were intermediate compared to those known from similar grasslands throughout the Palaearctic, but for 1 cm2 we found seven species of vascular plants, a new world record. Heat index was the most important factor for vascular plants and bryophytes (negative relation), while lichen diversity depended mainly on stone and rock cover (positive). The explanatory power of climate-related variables increased with increasing grain size, while anthropogenic burning was the most important factor for richness patterns at the finest grain sizes (positive effect). The z values showed more variation at the finest grain sizes, but no significant differences in their mean between scales. The results highlight the importance of integrating scale into ecological analyses and nature conservation assessments in order to understand and manage biological diversity in steppe ecosystems.

Patterns and drivers of phytodiversity in steppe grasslands of Central Podolia (Ukraine)

Lichens are valuable bio-indicators for evaluating the consequences of human activities that are increasingly changing the earth’s ecosystems. Since a major objective of national parks is the preservation of biodiversity, our aim is to analyse how natural resource management, the availability of lichen substrates and environmental parameters influence lichen diversity in Rodnei Mountains National Park situated in the Eastern Carpathians. Three main types of managed vegetation were investigated: the transhumance systems in alpine meadows, timber exploitation in mixed and pure spruce forests, and the corresponding conserved sites. The data were sampled following a replicated design. For the analysis, we considered not only all lichen species, but also species groups from different substrates such as soil, trees and deadwood. The lichen diversity was described according to species richness, red-list status and substrate-specialist species richness. The variation in species composition was related to the environmental variables. Habitat management was found to negatively influence species richness and alter the lichen community composition, particularly for threatened and substrate-specialist species. It reduced the mean level of threatened species richness by 59%, when all lichen species were considered, and by 81%, when only epiphytic lichens were considered. Management-induced disturbance significantly decreased lichen species richness in forest landscapes with long stand continuity. The diversity patterns of the lichens indicate a loss of species richness and change in species composition in areas where natural resources are still exploited inside the borders of the national park. It is thus imperative for protected areas, in particular old-growth forests and alpine meadows, to receive more protection than they have received in the past to ensure populations of the characteristic species remain viable in the future.

Effects of Management on Lichen Species Richness, Ecological Traits and Community Structure in the Rodnei Mountains National Park (Romania)

We present the data of the 2nd research expedition of the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG), which was conducted in 2010 in Central Podolia, Ukraine. The aim was to collect plot data to compare Ukrainian dry grasslands with those of other parts of Europe in terms of syntaxonomy and biodiversity. We sampled 21 nested-plot series (0.0001–100 m2) and 184 normal plots (10 m2) covering the full variety of dry grassland types occurring in the study region. For all plots, we recorded species composition of terrestrial vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens, while for the 226 10-m2 plots we estimated Manuscript received 07 May 2014, accepted 14 July 2014 Co-ordinating Editor: Eszter Ruprecht 391 and measured percentage cover of all species, structural, topographic, soil and landuse parameters. The 10-m2 plots were used for phytosociological classification based on iteratively refined TWINSPAN classification as well as for DCA ordination. Differences between the derived vegetation types with respect to environmental conditions and species richness were assessed with ANOVAs. We assigned our plots to nine association-level units but refrained from placing them into formal associations with two exceptions. In the study area, dry grasslands of the Festuco-Brometea were far more common than those of the Koelerio-Corynephoretea. Among the Festuco-Brometea, xeric Festucetalia valesiacae grasslands were more frequent and represented by the Festucion valesiacae (2 associations, including the Allio taurici-Dichanthietum ischaemi ass. nova) and the Stipion lessingianae (1) compared to the Brachypodietalia pinnati with the Agrostio vinealis-Avenulion schellianae (3). The KoelerioCorynephoretea were represented by three associations, each from a different order and alliance: basiphilous outcrops (Alysso alyssoidis-Sedetalia: Alysso alyssoidis-Sedion?), acidophilous outcrops (Sedo-Scleranthetalia: Veronico dillenii-Sedion albi?) and mesoxeric sandy grasslands (Trifolio arvensis-Festucetalia ovinae: Agrostion vinealis). We discuss the issue of the mesoxeric order Galietalia veri placed within the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea by Ukrainian authors and conclude that the content of that order would probably be better placed in the mesoxeric orders of the Koelerio-Corynephoretea and Festuco-Brometea. Other syntaxonomic questions could not be solved with our geographically limited dataset and await a supraregional analysis, e.g. whether the Ukrainian outcrop communities should be assigned to the same alliances as known from Central Europe or rather represent new vicariant units. The analysis of the biodiversity patterns showed that at a grain size of 10 m2, Podolian KoelerioCorynephoretea communities were overall richer than Festuco-Brometea communities (46.4 vs. 40.6 species). This difference was due to the Koelerio-Corynephoretea containing twice as many bryophytes and nine times more lichens, while vascular plant species richness did not differ significantly between classes. The orders within the classes showed no real differences in species richness. The richness patterns observed in Podolia were almost the opposite of those usually found in dry grasslands, where Brachypodietalia pinnati are richer than Festucetalia valesiacae, and these richer than stands of the Koelerio-Corynpehoretea – and we do not have a good explanation for these idiosyncrasies. In conclusion, Podolian dry grasslands behave quite unexpectedly regarding biodiversity, and their syntaxonomy is still poorly understood. These knowledge gaps can only be addressed with supra-national analyses based on comprehensive datasets.

Dry grassland vegetation of Central Podolia (Ukraine) : a preliminary overview of its syntaxonomy, ecology and biodiversity

We investigated the lichen flora of the main habitats existing in Rodnei Mountains identifying 283 lichen species, and one subspecific taxon. Of these, 67 taxa are new records for the lichen flora of Romania, and 182 species are reported for the first time in Rodnei Mountains. Considering previous reports and our results, 442 lichen taxa are reported in Rodnei Mountains region in total, accounting for approx. 35% of the total lichen flora of Romania. When comparing the Red Lists of Romania and surrounding Carpathian countries, our data revealed the presence of a high number of threatened species in the region.

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Lichen flora of Rodnei Mountains National Park (Eastern Carpathians, Romania) including new records for the Romanian mycoflora

We explored: i) lichen species richness and composition of Pinus mugo shrubs and adjacent habitat types, alpine vegetation and spruce forests and ii) the distribution of lichen species in the P. mugo shrubs in relation to environmental factors. Epiphytic, terricolous, saxicolous and lignicolous lichens were considered. The total number of species and the mean species density in one hectare plots are both lower in the Pinus mugo shrubs than in the other two habitat types. However, P. mugo shrubs harbour 15 species that are not present in the other habitat types. The measured beta diversity revealed that lichen communities from P. mugo shrubs are heterogeneously distributed. The regional to local diversity ratio, shows that the species richness of P. mugo shrubs is three times higher than that of a one hectare sampling plot of , which is true for the spruce forest, too. This ratio is also higher than in the alpine vegetation. The total species turnover, which shows the number of species that are present in the entire habitat type in addition to the average number of species for one hectare plot, is also high, about 45 species, as in the alpine vegetation, and lower than in the spruce forests. The beta diversity measured with a multivariate approach had higher values in P. mugo shrubs than in spruce forest, when considering the lichens from all substrates. The alpine vegetation had higher species richness of terricolous and saxicolous lichens. Altitude and northing of the slope significantly influence the distribution pattern of lichen species of the P. mugo habitat type.

Ioana Violeta Ardelean

Papers

Effects of Management on Lichen Species Richness, Ecological Traits and Community Structure in the Rodnei Mountains National Park (Romania)

Dry grassland vegetation of Central Podolia (Ukraine) : a preliminary overview of its syntaxonomy, ecology and biodiversity

Lichen flora of Rodnei Mountains National Park (Eastern Carpathians, Romania) including new records for the Romanian mycoflora

Lichen species diversity of Pinus mugo scrubs compared to adjacent habitat types in the Rodnei Mts. National Park (Romania).

High lichen species richness but low taxonomic diversity built up on abandoned tailings heaps in a cultural landscape