Topology-ecological classification of mire vegetation in the Republic of Karelia (Russia)

Transcription

1 Topology-ecological classification of mire vegetation in the Republic of Karelia (Russia) Oleg Kuznetsov Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushkinskaya 11, Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia Object Characteristic of plant cover biodiversity at the coenotic level ( -diversity) is based on plant community classifications. The main goal of our investigations has been working out of a plant cover classification of Karelian mires and its comparison with the similar North Europe s classification. Methods There are several research schools and classification principles of plant communities: dominant, floristic and topology-ecological. Nowadays various statistic ordination methods analyzing both primary surveys and community groups (phytocoenon) for classification purposes are also widely used (Moen 1990, Pakarinen 1995). Topologyecological classifications are put into practice in Scandinavian countries (Påhlsson 1994) and the North America (Jeglum 1991). We worked out a topology-ecological classification of vegetation for Karelian mires by means of the general principles of plant cover classification used in the Northern Europe (Påhlsson 1994). While distinguishing syntaxa of a different level we applied floristic and physiognomic criteria as well as ecological ones. Surveys were made in sample plots of m 2, and abundance of species was evaluated upon Braun-Blanquet s 5-rank scale (Whittaker 1973). Associations are considered as the principle (the lowest) syntaxonomy unit in plant community classification of Karelian mires. Associations are distinguished according to the share of different ecological groups of species (totalling at 12) and dominating species of the main layers in community structure. The classification is three-leveled. Higher syntaxa (classes) are defined upon nutrient status: ombrotrophic, oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. Associations are united into groups according to the degree of moisture: forested, hummock, carpet and hollow. Results A pool data base including geobotany descriptions was made up and used for classification purposes. Topology-ecological plant cover classification of Karelia s mires (Kuznetsov 1998, Êóçíåöîâ 2000) including 51 associations (see Table) was worked out. Within many associations, sub-associations upon dominants of the moss layer (or its lack) and variants upon dominating species of the field layer were distinguished. Diagnostic species were determined for each association and the associations were 117

2 named after 1-3 of them. In most cases they are the dominating plants of the general layers but in some multi-species eutrophic communities diagnostic species have higher occurrence and lower abundance. A general floristic composition, an average number of species in one survey (description) and a number of plants with a higher constancy (III-V classes or ranks) were identified for each association and its syntaxa. These parameters and lists of diagnostic and higher constant species allowed both to estimate a specificity of each syntaxon and to compare it with a similar group of plant communities from other regions. Discussion The prepared classification is fairly detailed and covers nearly the whole diversity of Karelian mire plant communities. This classification is of open structure and it is possible to add new associations and sub-associations to it or to revise the syntaxonomical status of the available species groups while new is data obtained. Data on the Karelian mire vegetation published earlier (Öèíçåðëèíã 1932, Þðêîâñêàÿ 1959) doesn t contain species composition tables and detailed characteristics of numerous minor associations (about 200) distinguished upon dominating species of the main layers. It impedes their usage. Similar minor associations were determined in Fennoscandia (Osvald 1923, Paasio 1941). Many of them correspond to sub-associations of our classification. At present, ecological-floristic classifications of mire communities are being rather intensively worked (Dierssen 1982, Rybnicek 1985, Moen 1990, Áî & Ñìàãèí 1993). Distinguishing and characteristics of syntaxa in those classifications are quite complicated. We worked out a scheme of the same classification for the mire vegetation of Karelia (Kuznetsov et al. 2000). However, new associations distinguished in it are not validly published yet. A volume of many associations of our topology-ecological classification is rather close to the same associations determined by adherents of the above mentioned ecological-floristic classifications. We compared topology-ecological classifications of Karelia and the North Europe countries (Table). Four-stepped mire vegetation classification of the North Europe includes 63 types of mire communities. All the types are distinguished according to vegetation features and they are simple communities different from mire types of Finnish classifications (Eurola et al., 1984) which include complex mire sites (ridge-hollow, flark-string etc.) with several plant communities. Types are united into groups, which are close to ours. There are some differences in class distinguishing available. We do not distinguish the class of spring communities and include them into the eutrophic class as a group. Type volume varies much in the North European mire plant cover classification. In the ombrotrophic class types they are very small and close to sub-associations of the Karelia s classification. On the other hand, many mesotrophic and eutrophic types (especially carpet and flark herb, grass and grass-moss) of the North European classification are very large and consist of a wide range of plant communities. According to the Karelian classification they are referred to several associations. The table clearly shows that every syntaxon of the Karelian classification is marked with a digital index corresponding to a similar syntaxon of the North European classification. Thus all the mire plant associations of Karelia have their own places in the total North Europe classification although a syntaxonomy status of them is often different. The whole range of mire communities which is characteristic of mountain, tundra and maritime regions of the North Europe is lacking. A number of mire communities has area limits in Karelia: the eastern limits of plant communities with a dominance of Molinia caerulea, Rhynchospora fusca, Schoenus ferrugineus, Sphagnum pulchrum, and the western limits of Chamaedaphne calyculata, Carex omskiana, Bistorta major and some others. 118 The Finnish Environment 485

3 Our classification will be further extended and enhanced by including data on the adjacent territories of the Russian North and Fennoscandia. It will allow making a more complete and unbiased assessment of diversity of mire communities in the North Europe and solving problems of their protection. Table Classification of mire plant communities of Karelia with characteristic of species content in syntaxa (A-D) and its correspondence with classification of north Europe (E) A - number of releves, B total number of species in syntaxa, C average number of species in 1 releve, D - number of species with III-V classes of occurrence; E code of syntaxa in classification of north Europe (after Påhlsson 1994) CODE SYNTAXA A B C D E 1 CLASS : OMBROTROPHIC Group : wood-moss Association : Pinus sylvestris - Ledum palustre Sphagnum angustifolium Pinus sylvestris Chamaedaphne calyculata - Sphagnum spp. Subassociation : P. sylvestris C.calyculata - S.fuscum P. sylvestris C.calyculata S.angustifol Group : hummock Chamaedaphne calyculata Sphagnum fuscum Chamaedaphne calyculata Sphagnum angustifolium Calluna vulgaris - Cladina spp Group : carpet Eriophorum vaginatum Sphagnum spp , E.vaginatum - S. balticum E.vaginatum - S.majus E.vaginatum - S.papillosum E.vaginatum - S.lindbergii E.vaginatum - S.fallax E.vaginatum - S.flexuosum Group : hollow Baeothryon cespitosum Sphagnum spp b B.cespitosum - S.balticum B.cespitosum - S.majus Scheuchzeria palustris - Sphagnum spp S.palustris - S.balticum S.palustris - S.majus S.palustris - S.papillosum S.palustris - S.lindbergii S.palustris - S.cuspidatum S.palustris - S.fallax S.palustris - S.jensenii Rhynchospora alba Sphagnum spp R.alba - S.balticum R.alba S..majus R.alba - S.cuspidatum

4 CODE SYNTAXA A B C D E Scheuchzeria palustris Hepaticae CLASS : OLIGOTROPHIC 3.2, Group: wood-grass-moss 3.2.1, Pinus sylvestris - Carex lasiocarpa Sphagnum spp P. sylvestris C.lasiocarpa -S.angustifol P. sylvestris C.lasiocarpa - S.fallax P. sylvestris C.lasiocarpa - S.flexuosum P. sylvestris C.lasiocarpa - S.centrale Betula pubescens Carex lasiocarpa Sphagnum spp B. pubescens C. lasiocarpa S.angustifolium B. pubescens C. lasiocarpa - S.centrale Group : hummock Carex lasiocarpa - Sphagnum fuscum Group : carpet 3.2.3, Molinia caerulea - Sphagnum papillosum , b Variant : a. Molinia caerulea b. Baeothryon alpinum c. Baeothryon cespitosum Carex lasiocarpa - Sphagnum spp a a C.lasiocarpa - S.angustifolium C.lasiocarpa S.papillosum C.lasiocarpa S.fallax C.lasiocarpa S.flexuosum C.lasiocarpa S.centrale Carex rostrata - Sphagnum spp a C.rostrata - S.angustifolium C.rostrata - S.fallax C.rostrata - S.papillosum C.rostrata - S. riparium Group : flark (part) Carex lasiocarpa - Scheuchzeria palustris Sphagnum spp C. lasiocarpa S. palustris - S.balticum C. lasiocarpa S. palustris S.majus C. lasiocarpa S. palustris S.jensenii Carex rostrata Scheuchzeria palustris Sphagnum spp C. rostrata S. palustris S.balticum C. rostrata S. palustris -S.majus C. rostrata - S. palustris S.flexuosum Rhynchospora alba Menyanthes trifoliata Sphagnum spp Eriophorum polystachion Carex rostrata The Finnish Environment 485

5 CODE SYNTAXA A B C D E 3. CLASS : MESOTROPHIC 3.3, Group : wood-grass Alnus glutinosa Calla palustris Picea abies Calamagrostis canescens a. Calamagrostis canescens 9 48 b. Phragmites australis Pinus sylvestris Calamagrostis canescens Betula pubescens Calamagrostis canescens Salix cinerea Group : flark and swamp 3.3.4(par) 3.4.4(par)) Phragmites australis Menyanthes trifoliata Carex acuta Carex omskiana Carex cespitosa Carex diandra Carex chordorrhiza C.chordorrhiza Menyanthes trifoliata C.chordorrhiza Sphagnum obtusum Carex lasiocarpa Menyanthes trifoliata C.lasiocarpa M.trifoliata C.lasiocarpa Comarum palustre C.lasiocarpa Sphagnum obtusum C.lasiocarpa S.riparium C.lasiocarpa S. subsecundum C.lasiocarpa Warnstorfia exannulata C.lasiocarpa Hamatocaulis vernicosus Carex limosa Menyanthes trifoliata C. limosa M.trifoliata C. limosa Sphagnum obtusum C.limosa S. subsecundum C.limosa Warnstorfia exannulata Rhynchospora fusca Calamagrostis neglecta Equisetum fluviatile Menyanthes trifoliata Comarum palustre CLASS : EUTROPHIC Group : wood-moss 3.4.1(par) Pinus sylvestris Sphagnum warnstorfii a. Phragmites australis b. Carex lasiocarpa c. Molinia caerulea Group : hummock Equisetum palustre - Sphagnum a warnstorfii 121

6 CODE SYNTAXA A B C D E E.palustre S. warnstorfii a. Equisetum palustre b. Polygonum bistorta E.palustre - Tomenhypnum nitens Molinia caerulea - Sphagnum warnstorfii a M.caerulea S. warnstorfii a. Molinia caerulea b. Baeothryon cespitosum c. Baeothryon alpinum M.caerulea S.subfulvum Carex lasiocarpa - Sphagnum warnstorfii a C.lasiocarpa S.warnstorfii a. Carex lasiocarpa b. Phragmites australis C.lasiocarpa S.teres C.lasiocarpa - S.subfulvum Group : carpet Carex lasiocarpa - Campylium stellatum ,2,1b Schoenus ferrugineus - Campylium c stellatum 4.4. Group : flark Carex lasiocarpa - Scorpidium scorpioides Carex limosa - Scorpidium scorpioides Carex livida Menyanthes trifoliata C.livida M. trifoliata C.livida S.scorpioides Group : spring 3.5.1, Epilobium hornemannii - Montia fontana Philonotis fontana Cratoneuron spp Paludella squarrosa References Áî Ì.Ñ. & Ñìàãèí Â.À Ôëîðà è ðàñòèòåëüíîñòü áîëîò ñåâåðî-çàïàäà Ðîññèè è ïðèíöèïû èõ îõðàíû. Ñ.Ïåòåðáóðã, 225 ñ. Dierssen K Die wichtigsten Pflanzengesellschaften der Moore NW-Europas. Geneve. 382 p. Eurola S., Hicks S. & Kaakinen E Key to Finnish mire types. In: Moore P.D. (ed.). European mires, London. Jeglum J.K Definition of trophic classes in wooded peatlands by means of vegetation types and plant indicators - Ann. Bot. Fennici. 28, Whittaker R.H. (ed.) Handbook of vegetation science 5. Ordination and classification of vegetation. The Hague. 737 p. Kuznetsov O Biodiversity of plant cover on the mires of Karelia (Russia) In: The Spirit of Peatlands. 30 Years of the International Peat Society, Jyväskylä. Êóçíåöîâ Î.Ë Òîïîëîãî-ýêîëîãè åñêàÿ êëàññèôèêàöèÿ ðàñòèòåëüíîñòè áîëîò Êàðåëèè // Äèíàìèêà áîëîòíûõ ýêîñèñòåì ñåâåðíîé Åâðàçèè â ãîëîöåíå. Ïåòðîçàâîäñê, Ñ The Finnish Environment 485

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