Newly added:
Alphabetical list:
[top]
Baumann A. (2006): On the Vegetation History of Calcareous Grasslands in the Franconian Jura (Germany) since the Bronze Age – Dissertationes Botanicae 404: 194 pp. J. Cramer in der Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin and Stuttgart. ISBN 978-3-443-64317-1. 50,– €.
The main goal of the study was to
reconstruct the development of calcareous grasslands since the Bronze Age in the
Franconian Jura. Several issues were addressed in the research: the appropriate
archaeobotanical indicators for calcareous grasslands; the dynamics of
calcareous grassland area in the research area; have indicators for dry
grasslands been present continuously after appearance; are there correlations
between the vegetation history and socio-economic developments; are there
similarities between the regional history of calcareous grasslands and other
regions of Europe.
The book is divided into nine chapters.
The first chapter is a summary; the second chapter states the aim and tasks of
the research and introduces the reader with the survey area which is located in
the region of the Central and Southern Franconian Alb, Bavaria,
Germany.
The third chapter is devoted to
Central European calcareous grassland history. It is an excellent overview of
the state of art in research of calcareous grassland history in Europe and discusses pros and cons of methods used for
this purpose. It gives a detailed insight into development of calcareous
grasslands since the Last Glacial. The main conclusion is that calcareous
grasslands existed in Central Europe as
small-scale habitats before the Neolithic times, and started to increase with
introduction of herding by humans, but reached their maximum area in the Middle
Ages.
The fourth chapter deals with
anthracological analysis of prehistoric settlements in the surroundings of
Kallmünz in one of the greatest prehistoric settlements in southern Germany. The
main conclusion was that the anthracological analysis confirmed a hypothesis
that dry calcareous grasslands were present in Kallmünz during the Bronze Age.
The local study was further expanded by pollen record of an alluvial sediment
core of the River Naab (including the radiocarbon dating) (Chapter 5); and
pedoanthracological study (Chapter 6).
The last chapter discusses the
history of Franconian Alb calcareous grasslands in modern times. The author concludes
that the losses of calcareous grasslands have been less dramatic than in the
other parts of Germany. Impressive maps, archive photos and diagrams
illustrate these findings.
In conclusion, I highly recommend
this book to every person interested in vegetation history (and not only
grasslands!) of Europe. You will get a valuable
information both on methodological issues and vegetation and landscape history
in Central Europe over centuries.
S.Rusina, Riga, Latvia
[top]
Berg Ch., Dengler J., Abdank A., Isermann M. [eds.] (2004): Die Pflanzengesellschaften Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns und ihre Gefährdung –Tabellenband, Textband. [Plant communities of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and their vulnerability – Tables volume, Text volume. In German.] Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Weisdorn-Verlag Jena. Prices: 19.80 EUR (Tabellenband: 340 pp., ISBN 3-936055-00-9), 59.90 (Textband, 606 pp., ISBN 3-936055-03-3).
This two-volume edition brings the results of the project called
“Plant communities of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern and their vulnerability” devoted
to the survey of all plant communities of the federal state located in the NE
Germany. The data have been collected since 1993 by a large group of authors
including not only phytosociologists but also specialists of various
taxonomical plant groups, mycologists and zoologists. The first volume contains
phytosociological tables and the second volume brings the detailed descriptions
of project aims, materials and methods, as well as characteristics of syntaxa,
their vulnerability and conservational status. A short (6 pages) introductory chapter
is included for English speaking readers with a brief explanation of the
authors approaches and with basic information necessary for reading and
interpretation of the presented data.
A large phytosociological dataset of 42
207 relevés was used as the basic source for analyses including nearly all
published relevés of the studied territory and numerous unpublished relevés
from theses and reports.
In spite of the fact that Germany has a long
phytosociological tradition, there was no adequate complex and precise
methodology defined for such kind of phytosociological syntheses. The authors
were forced to develop their own up to date methodological concept based on
principles of the traditional Braun- Blanquet school. To perform the analysis
of a huge dataset, they accepted a set of elementary principles to make the
methods uniform and transparent. Twelve axiomatic definitions were formulated
to fulfill this aim. Another condition was the compatibility with the
vegetation overviews of the neighbouring regions and an easy application for
nature conservation practitioners.
I would like to mention just a few points of
the classification approach which I found to be interesting or innovative:
-
No relevé was excluded according to transitional, fragmentary or successional character, only technical shortcomings (inadequate location outside the studied region, duplicates, incomple or erroneous determination of the relevant species) could serve as a cause for a relevé exclusion.
-
Prior to the classification, the dataset was divided into three parts including the herbaceous vegetation, vegetation dominated by phanerophytes and cryptogam vegetation. These three structural types of vegetation were classified separately. Thus all vegetation types were included except of insufficiently documented communities such as bramble shrubs and communities of marine macroalgae.
-
For syntaxa insufficiently positively differentiated from the others at the given hierarchical level, the concept of „central syntaxa“ was adopted and broadened to all hierarchical levels. The central syntaxon should not be understood as a typical or representative one, the main reason was to include the formally unranked relevés lacking relevant diagnostic species into the well defined communities. Only one central syntaxon can be described for each syntaxon of superior rank while diagnostic species of the hierarchical level above served to its characterization.
-
Species of cryptogam were considered for all vegetation units. For a real estimation of their constancy the „raw value“ was calculated where only relevés including cryptogam data were taken into consideration.
-
For syntaxa with fewer than ten relevés available with complete records of cryptogams, external relevés from the neighbouring regions were used to complete the table for the constancy calculation in order toestimate precisely the diagnostic species.
The resulting classification system includes 26 classes of herbaceous vegetation and 8 classes of woody vegetation
devided into 12 subclasses, 70 orders, 6 suborders, 125 alliances and 284
associations. In the tables volume the plant communities are presented in form
of synoptic tables. Each class is generally represented by one table except
several larger classes or classes with a complicated hierarchical structure
(Parvo-Caricetea, Phragmito-Magno- Caricetea, Koelerio-Corynephoretea,
Trifolio- Geranietea and Artemisietea vulgaris) which are divided into one
table for the superior syntaxa and other (one or more) tables for the
associations. In the tables, the species are arranged by their sociological values
to the syntaxa of various range ordered hierarchically, the accessorial species
being listed at the end of tables. The percentage constancy is given for each
species. The marking of sociological values in bold or italic case, shading and
frames gives the reader a precise and structured information. However, for the
common reader the reading of tables becomes complicated and is almost
impossible without a previous deeper study of introductory part in the books. According
to the authors, the complete unabridged versions of the tables should be
available since 2004 on a CD-ROM at the LUNG (Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz
und Geologie Mecklenburg- Vorpommern).
A significant goal of the project was to
assess the vulnerability of the individual vegetation types. For this purpose,
the authors have developed a comprehensive system for evaluation of both
vulnerability and nature conservation value resulting in estimation of
priorities in practical conservation measures for individual communities. Thus,
the books can serve as a Red Data Book of plant communities in the studied
region. This evaluation system is well described in the German introductory
part (chapters 3.7 to 3.9) by means of table overviews of exact criteria for
asignment of communities to individual categories. This precise although rather
complicated system can serve as an inspiration for similar studies for nature
conservation purposes. Vulnerability of plant communities was assesed according
to three criteria: current distribution, quantitative development since 1960
and threat from human activities. Estimation of comunities’nature conservation
value is based on the number of threatened taxa occuring in a given community
(weighted by their constancy), degree of human impact and proportional area of
this community in the studied federal state compared to its overall area. An
easier application of the proposed system is ensured by a useful survey of
correspondence between the habitat types and phytosociological associations
(Table 37).
Another step to broaden the scope of this phytosociological handbook
towards the other biological disciplines is the inclusion of selected
mycological and zoological information into each syntaxa characteristics. This
type of information has a substantial value in preparation of optimal
conservation measures sensitive to all vulnerable species groups and focussing not
only on plants.
A highly positive aspect of this publication is the high-quality
distribution maps of the syntaxa in the studied area. It combines input
information from both floristical and phytosociological databases, visualizing thus
not only recent state of community occurrences based on the available records
but also their potential distribution derived from occurrence of their character
species.
Both volumes contain a huge amount of information obtained through
comprehensive and inspiring methods. For readers without knowledge of German
some parts could be rather difficult to follow e.g. the description of the
classification procedures, or tables with only German names of associations
(Table 38). Here, an English translation of figure and table captions would
help a lot. Sometimes the organization of tables together with the coding
systems are too complex for an easy understanding of their contents. But with a
little effort, the books can provide a substantial and valuable source of
information of diversity, species composition and natural value of plant
communities in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern federal state. Moreover, it shows us
one of possible ways in which the biodiversity surveys can be carried out and
managed in other regions. I hope that similar successful projects will resultin similarly valuable publications in the close future.
Monika Janišová, BanskáBystrica, Slovakia
[top]
Bültmann H., Fartmann T., Hasse T. (Hrsg.) 2006. Trockenrasen auf unterchiedlichen Betrachtungsebenen. Observation scales in dry grasslands – Arbeiten aus dem Institut für Landschaftsökologie Münster 15: 196 pp. Verlag Wolf & Kreuels, Münster.
The 15th issue of the
Arbeiten aus dem Institut für Landschaftsökologie Münster is devoted to the
contributions of the 2nd European Dry Grassland Meeting which was organised by
the German Arbeitsgruppe Trockenrasen in Münster in August, 2005.
The issue contains 10
articles and 2 short abstracts (another 5 articles were published in Tuexenia
No.26 (2006) and their abstracts in English and German are published in this
issue, too). The main language of the book is German (the article by M.Janisova
is in English) but English summaries are very informative as well as all table
and figure captions are in both languages.
The main theme of the
meeting Observation scales in dry grasslands is reflected in the book both in
diversity of study objects and in approaches authors have applied to their
research. Several articles are devoted to lichen ecology and vegetation. H.
Bültmann compared lichen-rich vegetation in different stages of natural dune
development and described both plant communities and lichen microcommunities.
The study reflects the importance of scale in vegetation studies and stresses
the fine scale of vegetation complexity. A. Jöhren & H. Bültmann presented
interesting results on Cladonia species habitat preferences in Corynephorus grasslands
and H. Bültmann outlined important findings about using of plant indicator
values in vegetation studies showing that it is not advised to calculate mean
indicator values for vascular plants, mosses and lichens but rather they should
be calculated separately. Indicator values for 45 lichen species are provided.
Species biology and
management was addressed in the article by M.Janišová who analysed population
biology of Sesleria albicans and Festuca valesiacae. Möhring et al. presented a
successful management scheme by horses for plant species Gentiana cruciata and
butterfly Maculinea rebeli.
Several important findings
are presented by authors studying patterns of species and vegetation diversity.
Klimaschewski et al. showed interesting results on species migration into
fallow land from the adjacent dry grassland. It was concluded that the
migration success depend on the mutual location of fallow land and grassland
and from species ability of dissemination. S.Boch & J.Dengler analysed
vegetation diversity of Saaremaa Island dry grasslands (synoptic tables
included). Hitherto, it is the most comprehensive floristic (including mosses
and lichens) and ecological characterisation of dry grasslands of Saaremaa. In
another article J.Dengler analysed variability of species density and
composition at different spatial scales. He showed in several examples that
real vegetation stands do not possess floristic homogeneity and that it should
be taken into account in biodiversity studies. Species richness of dry coastal
grasslands of the Curonian Spit (relevés are published, too) was studied by Ch.
Dolnik, and the main conclusion was that lichens are under-represented and
mosses are over-represented in scales less than 1 m2.
In conclusion, the present
issue comprises high quality papers containing useful information on dry
grassland vascular plant and cryptogam diversity patterns and ideas for
methodological approaches in dry grassland studies and is recommendable for
every vegetation scientist dealing with grassland vegetation.
Contents (full articles):
Bültmann H. Terricolous
lichens in complex dune landscapes of northern Jutland on different observation
scales
Jöhren A. & Bültmann H.
Edaphic habitat factors of selected Cladonia species in Corynephorus canescens
grasslands
Janišová M. Caespitose
grasses in dry grassland communities at several organization scales.
Boch S., Dengler J.
Floristic and ecological characterisation as well as species richness of the
dry grassland communities on the island Saaremaa (Estonia).
Dengler J. Variability of
species density and species composition on different spatial scales – exemplary
results from dry grasslands and consequences for the sampling setup in
biodiversity studies.
Dolnik Ch. Species richness
of coastal dry grassland of the Curonian Spit and the Sambian Peninsula on
different scales.
Klimaschewski B., Evers Ch.,
Brandes D. Investigations about migration of Festuco-Brometea and
Koelerio-Corynephoretea species into fallow land.
Bammert J.W. Dry grassland
vegetation as mosaic and mosaic component – a consideration of methods with two
examples from southern Baden.
Bültmann H. Indicator values of terricolous lichens in
dry grasslands: proposal of additions and amendments.
S.Rusina, Riga, Latvia
[top]
Bylebyl, K. (2007): Central European dry grasslands: processes of their development and possibilities for their maintenance. – Dissertationes Botanicae 406: 142 pp. J. Cramer in der Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin and Stuttgart. ISBN 978-3-443-64319. 44,– €.
The monograph represents a doctoral thesis
elaborated at the University of Regensburg, Germany. The author had the goal to
elucidate the processes of the development and possibilities for the
maintenance of Central European dry grasslands. To achieve this goal the author
made a contribution to three research directions.
Firstly, she investigated the past
processes of the expansion and current processes of species life-history of dry
grassland plant species in Central Europe using
the example of Eryngium campestre (analysis
of phylogeography using molecular biology methods). The main finding was that
the two distribution areas of the species within Germany are clearly separated
genetically, and the post-glacial colonization occurred from geographically
isolated refugia. The results of this research were published also in a
separate paper (Bylebyl et al. 2008). The definition of xerothermophilous
species and their post-glacial spreading in Central Europe have been discussed.
Secondly, the author focussed on
plant functional traits (characterizing dispersal, establishment and
persistence abilities of plant species) and plant strategies as the fundamental
approach to understand the vegetation dynamics. The development of trait
composition during the four year succession induced by restoration
management was analyzed. More detailed
study was devoted to one trait – germination response to fire simulation. Four
species out of 10 analysed species showed significant positive reactions to
fire simulation.
Finally, the author tried to analyze
problems of maintenance of a traditional historical landscape exemplified with
the Middle Rhine region. Two novel management practices (controlled burning and
tank track management – two tank tracks weighting about 1.5 tonnes were mounted
into a steel frame and were drawn by a tractor through shrubby vegetation))
were evaluated and compared to manual clear cutting to restore abandoned
vineyards and grasslands (several succession stages were compared). Results
showed that the novel practices were cheaper and even more efficient in
grassland restoration than conventional management (species diversity was
higher). In this respect, the title of the book is somewhat misleading as the
main emphasis of the research presented in the monograph is not on the
long-term grassland maintenance but the short-term restoration success (four
year observations).
The book is divided into nine chapters.
Each of them is structured as an independent paper with sections of abstract,
introduction, methods, results and discussion. The disadvantage of such an
approach is that the reader has to read the same information (e.g. description
of the study sites or importance of implementation of novel methods to restore
dry grasslands) several times.
The problems comprised are so
heterogeneous (from genetical diversity to landscape management) that it is not
a surprise that the book lacks integrity and the degree of detailed elaboration
is missing in places. Nevertheless, the book is very valuable both for
scientists and nature conservation practitioners as a good example
demonstrating the importance of integrating different approaches to achieve dry
grassland conservation goals.
References
Bylebyl,
K., Poschlod, P., Reisch, C. 2008. Genetic
variation of Eryngium
campestre L. (Apiaceae) in Central Europe.
Molecular Ecology, 17: 3379-3388.
S.Rusina, Riga, Latvia
[top]
Chytrý, M. [Ed.] (2007): Vegetace Českè republiky. 1. Travinná a keříčková vegetace [Vegetation of the Czech Republic. 1. Grassland and Heathland Vegetation. In Czech, with English summaries.] 528 pp., Academia, Praha. ISBN 978-80-200-1462-7. 550 CZK.
The monograph presents the modern classification of vegetation of the Czech Republic. The set of 21,794
relevés available in the Czech National Phytosociological Database was used to
generate sociological species groups with the Cocktail method. Sociological groups
and dominances of selected species were used to generate definitions of
associations. Then the associations were grouped into alliances and classes on
the basis of the subjective evaluation of their mutual similarity, following
the Central European phytosociological tradition. The nomenclature of
communities adheres to the rules implemented in the International Code of
Phytosociological Nomenclature by Weber et al. (2000). Species composition of
associations was compared in synoptic tables, which contain the percentage
frequency of the occurrence of species in relevés.
The book is divided into
several chapters. The first chapter contains the main facts from the history of
the Czech phytosociological studies in the period from 1922 to 2005, the
technical procedure of defining vegetation units and practical application of
the present system of vegetation. This part of the book is written in Czech and
English and contains a bilingual glossary of basic key words, which makes this
monograph accessible for people not fluent in Czech.
The next part of the book
describes the diversity of vegetation in Czech Republic, its determinants and
history and contains some maps with the basic geological formations, mean
annual temperature, phytogeographical regions and main potential natural
vegetation types. The major part of the book (406 pp., 12 chapters) presents
descriptions of 12 classes and 111 associations. They are presented in the
following order: alpine heathlands, alpine grasslands on base-poor soils and
base-rich soils, subalpine tall-forb and deciduous-shrub vegetation, vegetation
of annual graminoids in saline habitats, vegetation of annual succulent
halophytes, saline grasslands, meadows and mesic pastures, nardus grasslands
and heathlands, pioneer vegetation of sandy and shallow soils, sandy steppes
and dry grasslands. Also contained in this part of the book are the synoptic
tables for all classes. The description of each association includes diagnostic
species, habitats, dynamics, distribution, variants, economic importance and
endangerment, and is finished with an English summary. Those descriptions are
enriched with maps showing the distribution of the associations as well as
pictures of the phytocoenoses.
The strongest point of this
monograph is the complete and critical way in which the plant associations are
shown. It documents the advances in the knowledge about grassland vegetation
diversity in Czech Republic and contains contributions by many accomplished
botanists. That is why this work is a valuable and practical tool for the
identification of plant communities across Czech Republic. It can also be a
source of knowledge for researchers from other regions. Thanks to the contained
phytosociological tables and detailed introductions and summaries of the
informations concerning each of the associations written in English, this book
can be helpful even to a reader with no knowledge of the Czech language. The
last thing I would like to bring attention to is the book’s interesting
graphic design and the very logical way it was edited.
B. Juśkiewicz-Swaczyna, Slovakia
[top]
Gibson, D. J. (2009): Grasses and grassland ecology. – VIII + 305 pp., Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hardback: ISBN 978-0-19-852918-7. Price: 70,– GBP. Paperback: ISBN: 978-0-19-852919-4. Price: 34.95 GBP.
The Grasslands in the widest sense (including
shrubland and tundra) occupy 31–43% of the land surface of the Earth. They are
crucial for global ecology as well as for human food production. Grasslands are
– by definition – mostly dominated by members of the Poaceae, the fourth
largest vascular plant family with 7,500 species. This book aims at being a
scientific introduction to both the Poaceae and to grasslands from a mainly
ecological perspective.
It is organised in ten chapters. The
“Introduction” provides some useful terminological definitions as well as
global statistics on grassland types, grassland coverage and grassland loss.
There you learn, for example, that Benin is the country with the highest proportion of grasslands (93%) and that in North America already 90% of the natural grassland
ecosystems have been destroyed (“converted”). The following three chapters deal
with “Systematics and evolution”, “Ecological morphology and anatomy” and the
“Physiology” of grasses. Futher three chapters, focus on ecology of grasslands
on three organisational levels (“Population ecology”, “Community ecology”,
“Ecosystem ecology”). Chapter 8 (“World grasslands”) tries to arrange the
variety of grassland types occurring all around the globe into a classification
system and ends up with five coarse types: A: tropical moist climates
(savannahs); B: dry climates; C: moist subtropical mid-latitude climates; D:
Moist continental mid-latitude climates; H: highland climates. Additionally,
three regional classifications are very briefly outlined (US National
Vegetation Classification System; Europe: EUNIS; China). A nice chapter on
“Disturbance” highlights the relevance of the intermediate disturbance
hypothesis (IDH) for grasslands, and demonstrates how the different factors of
disturbance (fire, herbivory and drought) in different intensities and
frequencies interact in shaping the diversity of grasslands. The book is
concluded with a chapter on “Management and restoration” and an extensive
reference list (45 pp.).
All in all, this is an informative
book. However, its claim to give a general introduction to grasses and
grassland ecology is not fulfilled, as it deals nearly exclusively with North
American prairie ecosystems (approx. 90% of the space is devoted to these). In
particular, the particularities of the semi-natural grasslands of Europe with
their long-standing co-evolution with humankind and their extraordinary
conservation value (see book review of Veen et al. 2009 by J. Akeroyd in this
Bulletin) is largely neglected (only pp.175–179 are devoted to them). While a
European ecologist will learn hardly anything relevant about European
grasslands from this book and the global analyses appear to be very rough and
preliminary, it is still a useful tool because it demonstrates the very
different perspective of North American ecologists when they speak of
grasslands, including a deviating terminology. Being aware of this fact, might
help European grassland ecologists when submitting research papers to
international journals and then being confronted with unexpected comments by referees
or editors from the United States.
Nevertheless, it would be desirable to extend this
book, which presently rather should be named “Grasses and grassland ecology of
North America”, in a future edition to a globally valid compendium. Therefore,
I recommend to augment the author list with competent grassland ecologists from
other continents.
Jürgen
Dengler, Hamburg,
Germany (dengler@botanik.uni-hamburg.de)
[top]
Jarolímek, I., Šibík, J. (2008) [Eds.]: Diagnostic, constant and dominant species of the higher vegetation units of Slovakia. – 332 pp., Veda Publishing House of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava. ISBN 978-80-224-1024-3.
The fifth volume of the
“Vegetation of Slovakia” deviates from the previous volumes, which have been
published since 1995 (Valachovič
1995, 2001, Jarolímek et al. 1997, Kliment & Valachovič 2007), as it is not
dedicated to individual vegetation types, but instead provides a complete
overview all vegetation types of the country. It consists of two chapters and
three “appendices”.
The first chapter is the
adaptation of the seminal contribution of Chytrý & Tichý (2003) on the
Czech vegetation to the Slovak vegetation. In structure and presentation, it
closely follows its precursor. It basically provides information on the Slovak
National Vegetation Database (SNVD), explains the methods for establishing
diagnostic, constant, and dominant species, and provides a “quality assessment”
of the syntaxa used in the “Vegetation of Slovakia”. The SNVD contains 49,459
relevés. The plot size ranges used for classification have been reduced to
50–1,000 m² for forest vegetation, 10–200 m² for shrub vegetation, and (1–)
2–100 m² for herbaceous vegetation, leading to a set of 43,414 relevés that
were finally used. Diagnostic species were defined as those species with a phi
value above 0.24, but deviating from Chytrý & Tichý (2003), the calculation
was done for vegetation units of equalized relevé number, thus avoiding some
illogical results of the former approach. For the evaluation of classes and alliances,
the authors used three measures: similarity between syntaxa, sharpness index,
and uniqueness index.
The three appendices are (i)
a list of the Turboveg Codes used for the syntaxa, (ii) an overview of all
classes and alliances with their diagnostic, constant, and dominant species,
(iii) an alphabetic list of all taxa in the database with information on their
overall frequency and indication in which syntaxa they are diagnostic, constant,
or dominant.
The second chapter, “A list
of vegetation units of Slovakia”,
co-authored by the EDGG members Monika Janišová, Daniela Dubravková, Katarina
Hegedüšová, and Iveta Škodová, provides the first complete syntaxonomic
overview of the country since that of Mucina & Maglocký (1985). It
basically consists of a list of accepted names with a few synonyms. Syntaxa in
need of nomenclatural or syntaxonomic revision are highlighted. Luckily, in
contrast to Chytrý (2007), not only classes, alliances, and associations, but
also orders are included here. On association level, there are also a few
informal communities listed, but the authors do not provide clear criteria what
the difference between an association and such a “community” should be.
Regarding the dry grassland vegetation, the overview mostly follows Janišová (2007).
It subdivides the Koelerio-Corynephoretea
s.l. into three narrow classes Koelerio-Corynephoretea,
Festucetea vaginatae, and Sedo-Scleranthetea, even though the
analysis of similarity in chapter 1 had indicated that at least the first two
are floristically very similar. Within the Festuco-Brometea,
the authors follow other recent approaches (e.g. Berg et al. 2004) to define
the orders ecologically rather than chorologically. Thus they oppose the
meso-xeric order Brometalia erecti to
the xeric order Festucetalia valesiacae
(including the Stipo
pulcherrimae-Festucetalia pallentis).
While, in general, this book
is a wonderful source of information, a few aspects appear not completely
satisfying to me: (1) The calculation of phi values has been done across all
vegetation types, and thus jointly for plots of 1–1,000 m². However, with such
a huge range of plot sizes involved, confounding effects of plot size are
unavoidable (see Dengler et al. 2009), leading to an overestimation of
diagnostic species in vegetation units represented by larger plots compared to
those represented by smaller plots. (2) Following the Czech tradition, phi
values are unnecessarily presented with one decimal place, which suggests a
precision that does not exist, and Fisher’s exact test is used with α = 0.001 to cut down the lists of
diagnostic species, without providing a sound statistical reasoning for
deviating from α = 0.05 as it is
usually applied in ecology. (3) Appendix 3 could have been presented in a
clearer and more informative way as a table (compare the “Gesamtklassentabelle”
in Berg et al. 2001). (4) It is a pity that phytosociological orders are not
considered in the first part of the book. (5) The sequence of syntaxa deviates
strongly between the first and second part of the book.
Despite these minor points of
criticizm, this book is an important and very useful publication for all
phytoscociologists throughout Europe. With it,
the Slovaks underline that they, together with the Czech, are the leading
nation in modern vegetation classification. We shall be grateful to our
Slovakian colleagues for publishing this book in English and for its moderate
price as this makes the content widely accessible. This book whets the reader’s
appetite for the two final volumes of the series, which will contain grassland
and woodland vegetation.
Berg, C., Dengler, J., Abdank, A. (2001) [Eds.]: Die
Pflanzengesellschaften Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns und ihre Gefährdung –
Tabellenband. – 341 pp., Weissdorn, Jena.
Berg,
C., Dengler, J., Abdank, A., Isermann, M. (2004) [Eds.]: Die Pflanzengesellschaften
Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns und ihre Gefährdung – Textband. – 606 pp., Weissdorn, Jena.
Chytrý,
M. (2007) [Ed.]: Vegetation of the Czech Republic – 1. Grassland
and Heathland Vegetation [in Czech, with English summaries]. – 526 pp.,
Academia, Praha.
Chytrý, M.,
Tichý, L. (2003): Diagnostic, constant and dominant species of vegetation
classes and alliances of the Czech Republic: a statistical
revision. – Folia Fac. Sci. Nat. Univ. Masarykianae Brunensis, Biol., 108:
231 pp., Masaryk Univ., Brno.
Dengler,
J., Löbel, S., Dolnik, C. (2009): Species constancy depends on plot size – a problem for vegetation
classification and how it can be solved. – J.
Veg. Sci. 20: 754–766, Oxford.
Janišová, M. (2007) [Ed.]: Grassland vegetation of
Slovak Republic – electronic expert system for identification of syntaxa [in
Slovak, with English summaries]. – 263 pp., CD-ROM, Botanický ústav SAV,
Bratislava.
Jarolímek, I.,
Zaliberová, M., Mucina, L., Mochnacký, S. (1997): Rastlinné spoločenstvá
Slovenska. 2. Synantropná vegetácia: Bidentetea
tripartiti, Polygono arenastri-Poetea
annuae, Stellarietea mediae, Artemisietea vulgaris, Galio-Urticetea, Epilobietea angustifolii [in Slovak]. – 416 pp., Veda
Vydavasteľstvo Slovenskej Akadémie Vied, Bratislava.
Kliment, J.,
Valachovič, M. (2007) [Eds.]: Plant communities of Slovakia. 4. High-mountain
Vegetation: Mulgedio-Aconitetea, Betulo carpaticae-Alnetea viridis, Elyno-Seslerietea, Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii, Salicetea herbaceae, Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea,
Caricetea curvulae, Nardetea strictae [in Slovak, with
English summaries]. – 386 pp., Veda Publisher House Slovak Akademy of Sciences,
Bratislava.
Mucina, L.,
Maglocký, Š. (1985): A list of vegetation units of Slovakia. – Doc. Phytosociol.
N. S. 9: 175–220, Camerino.
Valachovič, M.
(1995) [Ed.]: Rastlinné spoločenstvá Slovenska. 1. Pionierska vegetácia: Asplenietea trichomanis, Thlaspietea rotundifolii, Sedo-Scleranthetea, Koelerio-Corynephoretea, Festuceta
vaginatae, Lemnetea, Potametea [in Slovak]. – 184 pp., Veda
Vydavasteľstvo Slovenskej Akadémie Vied, Bratislava.
Valachovič, M.
(2001) [Ed.]: Plant communities of Slovakia. 3. Wetland Vegetation: Convolvuletalia sepium, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea,
Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae, Oxycocco-Sphagnetea, Montio-Cardaminetea,
Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Isoëto-Littoreletea, Charetea fragilis [in Slovak, with
English summaries]. – 434 S., Veda Vydavasteľstvo Slovenskej Akadémie Vied,
Bratislava.
Jürgen Dengler, Hamburg, Germany
[top]
Maarel, E. van der (2008) [“2007”] [Ed.]: Structure and dynamics of alvar vegetation on Öland and some related dry grasslands – Dedicated to Ejvind Rosén on his 65th birthday – Acta Phytogeographica Suecica 88: 98 pp., Uppsala, Sweden. ISBN 978-91-7210-488-4. 400,– SEK [available from: Opulus Press AB, Gamla vägan 40, 77013 Grangärde, Sweden, www.opuluspress.se]
The 88th issue of Acta
Phytogeographica Suecica has been dedicated to Ejvind Rosén on his 65th
birthday. The volume witnesses Rosén’s “legendary friendship and helpfulness”
and celebrates his achievements in ecology and nature management with five
papers focussing on the highly interesting and intensively studied dry
grasslands of the Swedish island of Öland and two more papers comparing species
diversity and fine-scale dynamics in the dry grasslands of Öland with related
plant communities of Estonia and Switzerland.
Öland is one of the most titled
places of the botanical research, with studies and descriptions dating back to
nearly three centuries, as testified by the Linnaeus’ “Ölandic and Gotlandic
Journey”, carried out in 1741. To the long tradition of scientific studies on
this island is dedicated the first paper of the volume, written by E. van der
Maarel, who is co-author, as well, of the biographical notes on Ejvind Rosén
introducing the volume.
The second paper, by S. Löbel &
J. Dengler, is an in-depth phytosociological review of the dry grassland
communities of Öland, with interesting comments on ecological factors and
determinants of the outstanding species richness of such communities, compared
with similar vegetation types of Central Europe. The third contribution, by A.
Helm, P. Urbas & M. Pärtel, broadens the reflections on ecological factors
and floristic diversity up to the closely related Estonian alvar grasslands,
that turn out to be very similar to those of Öland in terms of species richness
and spatial patterns, in spite of the significant floristic differences.
The fourth paper is focussed on the
species turnover under different treatments, by R. Huber & E. van der
Maarel, who demonstrate how intense light and lack of nutrient could be the
main responsible for the high species diversity in alvar grasslands. Keeping on
species mobility and frequency dynamics, the fifth paper, by K. Studer-Ehrensberger
& D. M. Newbery, highlights the strong correlation between spatial
scales and species turnover, with a comparison between the Avenetum of
Öland and the Mesobrometum of Egerkingen (Swiss Jura Mts.). The last two
contributions, by J. Bakker, E. Rosén & K. Steg and by H. C. Prentice et
al., respectively, are focussed on the effects of past land-use on the
recolonization (the former) and fragmentation (the latter) by/of alvar
species-pools.
On the whole, this volume represents
an important compendium of methodological approaches and ecological information
on Festuco-Brometea and Koelerio-Corynephoretea dry grasslands,
useful to a wide spectrum of research fields: flora, vegetation, small-scale
disturbances, spatial patterns, temporal dynamics, inferential analyses, land
management... Eje’s passions are served!
R. Guarino
[top]
Royer, J. M. (1991): Synthèse eurosiberienne, phytosociologique et phytoéographique de la classe des Festuco-Brometea (Eurosiberian phytosociological and phytogeographic synthesis of the class Festuco-Brometea) [In French]. – Dissertationes Botanicae 178: 296 pp. + 8 tables, J. Cramer, Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany. ISBN 3-443-64090-7. 72,– €.
This book comprises the supraregional part of
an even more extensive doctoral thesis, defended 1987 at the University of
Franche-Comte in Besançon. It is an outstanding and potentially unique publication,
as it comprises a synthetic view of a whole vegetation class, covering its
global distribution area. If similar attempts have been made in the past, either
they dealt with much smaller classes or they were much more superficial.
By contrast, in Royer (1991) the class Festuco-Brometea is covered really in a
geographically comprehensive manner, from north Spain to the Lake Baikal. The
author very extensively evaluated the then existing literature from the whole
area, including many publications in regional journals throughout Europe, many
of which are hardly accessible from abroad. A reference list of 44 pages
testifies his huge effort and in itself is a valuable source of information for
any reader dealing with large-scale classification of dry grasslands.
The book is structured into eight chapters: 1.
General characterisation and phytogeographic delimitation of the class; 2. major
subdivisions of the class; 3.–7. description of those five orders treated in
more detail; 8. floristic relationships to related classes. The author proposes
to subdivide the class into eight vicariating orders (from west to east) Festuco-Poetalia ligulatae, Ononidetalia striatae, Brometalia erecti, Festucetalia valesiacae, Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia,
an unnamed order of Crimea and Caucasus, Helictrotricho-Stipetalia,
and Carici-Agropyretalia cristati.
These orders and their subdivision are systematically described down to the
level of suballiances, providing information on their distribution, ecology,
diagnostic species, and referring the relevant literature. These descriptions are
accompanied by various maps on the distribution (based on the relevés included
in the synoptic tables in the supplement) and schemas elucidating the
classification. Royer proposes to subdivide each of these geographically
defined orders on the next lower hierarchical level according to ecological conditions
into four groups: mesoxerophilous (meadow steppes), xerophilous (feather grass
steppes), rupicolous, and (only for the most continental orders) semideserts.
When these ecological groups within one order comprised more than one alliance,
Royer suggests to establish suborders, such as the Mesobromenalia consisting of the Potentillo-Brachypodion, the Onobrychidion
hispanicae, the Mesobromion erecti,
and the Gentianello-Avenulion.
The book ends with three very useful
appendices: (i) a syntaxonomic overview of all syntaxa down to suballiances,
with an enumeration of all association-rank syntaxa that are included (the
latter have normally not been checked for nomenclatural correctness or
potential identity); (ii) nomenclatural novelties (unfortunately these are only
partly valid); (iii) a list of 1,246 vascular plant species, for each of which
the diagnostic value within the class and its subunits is given. Most important
among the supplements is Table 1 that combines synoptic columns for all
distinguishes (sub-) alliances of the Brometalia
erecti and the Festucetalia
valesiacae in Europe, based on not less than 281 individual
sources/syntaxa.
Despite the fact that this book is nearly 20
years old and one may certainly disagree with the author on his concepts for
individual syntaxa, his work is still the most important reference with which
each new large-scale synthesis of this class has to compete. While it was one
of the driving ideas behind the establishment of the EDGG to aim at developing
a consistent continent-wide classification of the Festuco-Brometea and related classes, we have to concede that it
will take at least several more years until we will be able to present a
relevé-based classification scheme that really can out-compete this pioneer
work based on comprehensive literature overview and partly on compilation of
synthetic tables.
Fortunately, this important book is still
available from the publisher. However, it is a pity that its high price (in particular
in relation to its rather basic outfit) and perhaps also the French language
(without English summaries) probably will prevent the desirable wide distribution
among our members.
J.Dengler, Hamburg, Germany
[top]
Veen, P., Jefferson, R.,de Smidt, J., van der Straaten, J. (2009) [Eds.]: Grasslands in Europe of high nature value. – 320 pp., KNNV Publishing, Zeist, Netherlands. ISBN 978-90-5011-316-8. Price: 69.95 €.
This handsome, hard-backed and most readable volume addresses key issues
for the conservation of high nature value (HNV) grasslands in Europe at a
critical time when agricultural intensification and, more insidious,
abandonment of traditional pastoral systems threaten their future. Profusely illustrated and with elegant and spacious
layout, it presents case studies of the conservation of biodiversity-rich
grassland, many of them projects in Central and Eastern Europe initiated by the
Royal Dutch Society for Nature Conservation, supported by the Government of The
Netherlands. Here is a valuable overview of European grasslands, showing how
rich pockets survive in Western Europe and emphasizing the international
importance of more extensive stands, especially of dry grassland, in Eastern
Europe.
The book is in three sections. Section 1, six
introductory chapters, covers the origins, development and use of grassland,
grasslands as habitats for birds and butterflies, grasslands and climate, and
methodology for identification of HNV grassland.
Section 2, which begins with an evocative photographic section comparing
project areas, has 24 chapters devoted to these national case
studies. They are spread across Europe from the Mediterranean region to
Scandinavia and western Ireland, from lowland to mountains, and include a wide
selection of dry and wet grasslands, wooded meadows and wood-pasture, even
limestone pavement, peatland and salt-steppe. Most are drawn from EU countries,
but projects from Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus and Anatolia are included. Section 3 is a chapter on EU policy outlook that seeks
to involve farmers, with recommendations for future progress. The book ends
with biographical sketches of the 76 contributors and a helpful glossary of
geographical and pedological terms. Each chapter has a bibliography and each in
the main section has location maps. All have high-quality
colour photographs of landscape views and some characteristic plants and
animals, especially butterflies (dry grasslands support 63% of European
species), birds, amphibians and crickets.
There is much vegetation science but also a
strong human element. The examples focus on aspects of maintaining grassland biodiversity and
traditional agricultural landscapes – derived from centuries of wise husbandry and
sustainable use of natural resources by farming communities – in
the face of social
change and pressure to industrialize farming. Loss of pastoral tradition is a
constant theme. The European Commission does recognize the environmental
benefits of grassland, but it is vital that any conflict be resolved between
financial incentives for conservation, such as agri-environment schemes for
Natura 2000 habitats, and funds such as area payments that may encourage
farming intensification.
This book will be a useful reference work for grassland
specialists and other biologists, and appeal to naturalists and enthusiasts for
wildlife and landscapes. Its
wealth of information is the sort of evidence needed to convince
funders, decision-makers and politicians of the ecological, cultural and socio-economic
value of Europe’s grassland biodiversity. Fortunately, many farmers and other
local people already understand that such natural richness is both their
heritage and future.
John
Akeroyd, Fundatia ADEPT, Salisbury, UK
jrakeroyd@dsl.pipex.com
[top]
Wiesbauer, H. (2008) [Ed.]: Die Steppe lebt – Felssteppen und
Trockenrasen in Niederösterreich (The steppe is living – rocky steppes and
dry grasslands in Lower Austria) [In German]. – 224 pp., Amt der NÖ
Landesregierung, St. Pölten, Austria. ISBN 3-901542-28-0. 20,– € [orders: post.ru5@noel.gv.at or http://www.noe.gv.at/Umwelt/Naturschutz/Publikationen/Publikationen.wai.html]
The northeastern sector of Austria, i.e. parts
of the federal states Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Vienna, belongs to the
Pannonian floristic province. This region is famous for its great variety of
different continentally influenced dry grassland types, occurring on a wide
range of different substrata from limestone through loess and acidic rock
outcrops to sandy soils. The reviewed book has been prepared as accompanying
title for an exhibition within the framework of an LIFE Nature project of the
European Union (“Pannonian Steppes and Dry Grasslands”, see http://www.steppe.at/en/index.html).
The sponsorship of the EU made it possible to prepare a quite attractive, hardbound,
and full-colour book.
The book consists of 26 chapters, each of which
is written by experts of the respective field. The first chapters deal with the
Pleistocene in central Europe and how large herbivores may have contributed to
the existence of open grasslands then. In the following three chapters, the
history of human settlement in the area of NE Austria and its influence on
landscape structure are addressed. However, the major part of the book (160
pp., 18 chapters) presents the different groups of organisms inhabiting dry
grasslands. Not only well-known groups such as vascular plants, birds, reptiles,
and grasshoppers, but also typical dry grassland cicadas, snails, moths,
spiders, and even springtails (Collembola)
are presented with magnificent pictures and informative text. Unfortunately,
bryophytes, lichens, and fungi are not included. The final chapter of the book
addresses vulnerability, conservation, and restoration of these endangered
habitats.
Despite the more popular style of presentation,
I can recommend this book also to scientists as it usually does not lack
scientific precision and as it provides access to more specific literature via
extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter. With its coverage of so
many different groups of organisms, this book holds – as far as I know – a
unique position and thus allows specialists of one taxon to retrieve the basic
knowledge about other taxa inhabiting the same habitat. It is a pity that this
title has been published in German only and not even English summaries and bilingual
captions are provided.
J.Dengler, Hamburg, Germanyr
[top]
Last update 26.09.2009
webpage editor: Solvita Rusina