The presented study describes the plant species diversity within the terrestrial-water ecotone in relation to the land-use form in a river valley. The study was performed in a lowland river valley where the main forms of riparian zones are partially urbanized, forested and agricultural; the latter being most commonly observed in the investigated region. The present study examines the vascular flora of ecotones where more than 100 plant species were identified. Ecological indices were calculated at all sampling sites based on Zarzycki’s ecological values and biodiversity indices. In addition, the aim of the study was to identify the relationships between the physico-chemical parameters of the water and the floristic indicators in the neighbouring ecotones.
2
Dostęp do pełnego tekstu na zewnętrznej witrynie WWW
Using the characteristic of accumulated woody debris, data on vegetation, and data on previous climate fluctuations, we reconstructed the history of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) encroachment and retreat in a raised bog. The available patchy information on plant cover allowed us to pinpoint events in the development of pine seedlings and the first cases of trees dying off on the time scale. The results obtained show that the process of natural bog afforestation and deforestation was very dynamic and lasted only 22 years. These short-term changes in the tree populations were clearly linked to short-term climate fluctuations. The annual precipitation and mean temperature of winter months were the most important variables and the main factors directly influencing the young woodland. We assumed that the woody remnants represent the last stage of the contemporary phase of high germination and dying-off (GDO) of pine trees. The spatial distribution of woody debris and its characteristics indicate the naturalness of vegetation during this temporary ‘woodland phase’. The study show that the investigation of woody debris can be used to further improve our understanding of bog vegetation dynamics, especially with regard to the influence of periodical climate fluctuations on transitions between open and forested peatland.
JavaScript jest wyłączony w Twojej przeglądarce internetowej. Włącz go, a następnie odśwież stronę, aby móc w pełni z niej korzystać.