1

2

3

Bush & Whittaker 1991. Krakatau: Colonization patterns and hierarchies. Journal of Biogeography 18: 341-356.

4

three types of vegetation changes

1. phenological changes – beside at individual level (flowering, leavesunfolding etc) present in periodical emergence and dissaperaing of therophytes and geophytes in the plant community. Beside seasonal, it canbe in yearly cycles (deserts)

2 i i f i f i b h2. primary successions – formation of community on substratum wherethere was no vegetation before. Taking place during long time period.

3. secondary successions – all non-phenological changes occuring inalready existing ecosystems. Mostly of much higher intensity (speciesturnover). They are triggered by partial changes in the ecosystem(successions on abandoned fields….).

PRIMARY SUCCESSIONS

Beginning (composition of pioneer species) will be influenced by substratum (type of parent rock, type of soil…)

Light – nutrient ratio

TYPES OF SUCCESSION:Progresive – increase in number of species and structural complexity

Regresive – decrease in number of species and structural complexity (e.g. as a consequence of nutrients leaching from soil)

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TIME

Primary vs. secundary successions

Hydroseres vs. Xeroseres (hydrarch vs. xerarch primary s.) –depending whether it is on dry or moisture substratum

Autogenous successions vs. Alogenous s. – caused by organisms itself (shading; detritus production; cycle of water and nutrients) or by outer(shading; detritus production; cycle of water and nutrients), or by outer factors (e.g. climatic cnages)

Progresive s. vs. Regresive s.

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Succession ends with community in which all species are present in all developmental phases – climax community

In such community species composition remain unchanged during longer time period

d i ilib idynamic equilibrium

Climax community – in balance with dominant environemntal factors on habitat, where the species are in mutual dynamical balance

MONOCLIMAX HYPOTHESIS

POLYCLIMAX H.

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Methods

1. On same area – repeated measures

a) Permanent plots) “ fb) “exclosure” – e.g. control of grazing intensity

c) Remote sensingd) Hystorical data

2. Comparison of areas

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Clements approachEgler calls it “relay floristics”

Egler proposed IFC (InitialEgler proposed IFC (Initial floristic composition) model –(most of the species are present all the time, but their dominance is changing)

Grime (1977, 1979) – disturbance, stres, competition (CSR) – their intensitywill determine succession pathway

Tilman (1985, 1988) – “resource-ratio hypotheses” – presume that particularspecies is superior competitor under certain ratio of resources (usually lightand nutrients). )There are two key elements:

• Interspecific competition for resources• Way of ensuring limited resource on longer term

Huston and Smith …….

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Shallow soil on dolomite or steep limestone

Deeper soil on limestone

Seslerietum kalnikensisInitial stage on rock

Erico-Ostryetum Calamagrosti-Abietetum Piceetum croaticum montanumPermanent forest based on prevailing climate and topography

Fagetum croaticum

montanum abietetosumZonal forest

Atropetum bella-donae

Telekietum speciosae

Clearcuts

Bromo-Plantaginetum Arnico-NardetumMowing / grazing

Poljoprivredna kulturaagriculture

Horvat 1962: Vegetacija planina zapadne Hrvatske

Poljoprivredna kulturaagriculture

Festuco-AgrostetumAlchemillo-TrisetetumAbandoned fields

Bromo-Plantaginetum Arnico-NardetumNutrient reduction

Top five changes for Croatia

Area (ha) Land cover 1990 Land cover 2000

33318 324 Transitional woodland shrub 311 Broad-leaved forest

27259 311 Broad-leaved forest 324 Transitional woodland shrub

8210 243 Land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation 211 Non-irrigated arable land

3771 231 Pastures 242 Complex cultivation patterns

3174 231 Pastures 324 Transitional woodland shrub3174 231 Pastures 324 Transitional woodland-shrub

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http://corine.azo.hr/corine/hr#sthash.ck5mBbpf.dpbs

http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/corine-land-cover-3

http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotApp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501

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Analyses of vegetation dynamics

PP Vransko jezeroPP Telašćica

Comparison of vegetation/habitat maps p g / p1967‐2010 (scale ≤ 1:50000)

Sviličić, M., 2013. Master thesis, PMF, Zagreb

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“Landscape ecology”: what is it?

Landscape ecology is the study of spatial variation in landscapes at a variety of

http://www.landscape-ecology.org/

Landscape ecology is the study of spatial variation in landscapes at a variety of scales. It includes the biophysical and societal causes and consequences of landscape heterogeneity. Above all, it is broadly interdisciplinary.

The conceptual and theoretical core of landscape ecology links natural sciences with related human disciplines. Landscape ecology can be portrayed by several of its core themes:

the spatial pattern or structure of landscapes, ranging from wilderness to cities,g gthe relationship between pattern and process in landscapes,the relationship of human activity to landscape pattern, process and change,the effect of scale and disturbance on the landscape.

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http://link.springer.com/journal/10980

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Species poor grassland

Restoration – grassland example

Species rich grasslandAgricultural area shrubland

Increase of protection

Increase of productivity

cultivation Grazing decreases

SUCCESSION

re-establishment Shrub removal

Class -etea Querco-Fagetea

Phytocoenological systematics

Order -etalia Fagetalia

Alliance -ion Aremonio-Fagion

Association -etum Omphalodo-Fagetum

Sub-association

-etosum Omphalodo-Fagetum subas. galietosum odorati

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EUROPE

UPPSALA

RUSSIA

ZÜRICH – MONTPELLIER

RELEVÉ - method

- Josias Braun-Blanquet (1928) – “Pflanzensoziologie”

Synonims:- SIGMA (Station Internationale de Geobotanique Mediterraneene et Alpine)- Brain-Blanquet- Zurich-Montpellier (Z-M) school

- Cover estimate (Braun-Blanquet; Domin-Krajina; Daubenmire)

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Cover estimates

Braun-Blanquet Domin-Krajina Daubenmire

Class Cover(%) Class Cover(%) Class Cover(%)

5 75 – 100 10 100 6 95 – 100

4 50 – 75 9 75 – 99 5 75 – 95

3 25 – 50 8 50 – 75 4 50 – 75

2 5 – 25 7 33 – 50 3 25 – 50

1 1 – 5 6 25 – 33 2 5 - 25

+ < 1 5 10 – 25 1 0 – 5

r << 1 4 5 – 10

3 1 – 5

2 < 1

1 << 1

+ <<< 1

sociability

5 – growing in large, almost pure stands4 – g. in small colonies or forming large carpets3 – forming small patches or cushions2 – f. clumps or dense groups1 – growing silitarily

frequency

V – species in 80 – 100 % relevesIV – species in 60 – 80 % relevesIII – species in 40 – 60 % relevesII – species in 20 – 40 % relevesI – species in 0 – 20 % relevessp. 3.2

8

6

5

43

21

Minimal sampling area

8

7

9

17

y=log(x)*(6,96777)+(-2,5989)

35

40

45

15

20

25

30

broj

vrs

ta

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

površina

0

5

10

Vegetation type Min. area (m2)

Rainforest 1000 – 50 000

T t f tTemperate forests:

“tree layer” 200 – 500

“ground layer” 20 – 200

Dry temperate grasslands 50 – 100

heaths 10 – 25

Wet grasslands 5 – 10

Mosses and lichens 0,1 - 4