Vegetation classification and biogeography of European floodplain forests and alder carrs

AIM: Formalized classifications synthesizing vegetation data at the continental scale are being attempted only now, although they are of key importance for nature conservation planning. Therefore, we aim to provide a vegetation classification and to describe the main biogeographical patterns of floo...

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Published in:	Applied vegetation science Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 147 - 163
Main Authors:	Douda, Jan, Boublík, Karel, Slezák, Michal, Biurrun, Idoia, Nociar, Josef, Havrdová, Alena, Doudová, Jana, Aćić, Svetlana, Brisse, Henry, Brunet, Jörg, Chytrý, Milan, Claessens, Hugues, Csiky, János, Didukh, Yakiv, Dimopoulos, Panayotis, Dullinger, Stefan, FitzPatrick, Úna, Guisan, Antoine, Horchler, Peter J, Hrivnák, Richard, Jandt, Ute, Kącki, Zygmunt, Kevey, Balázs, Landucci, Flavia, Lecomte, Hugues, Lenoir, Jonathan, Paal, Jaanus, Paternoster, David, Pauli, Harald, Pielech, Remigiusz, Rodwell, John S, Roelandt, Bart, Svenning, Jens‐Christian, Šibík, Jozef, Šilc, Urban, Škvorc, Željko, Tsiripidis, Ioannis, Tzonev, Rossen T, Wohlgemuth, Thomas, Zimmermann, Niklaus E, Schwabe‐Kratochwil, Angelika
Format:	Journal Article Web Resource
Language:	English
Published:	Malden Opulus Press 01-01-2016 Blackwell Publishing Ltd John Wiley & Sons Ltd Wiley Subscription Services, Inc Wiley
Subjects:	Agriculture & agronomie Agriculture & agronomy Alnion glutinosae Alnion incanae Alnus glutinosa Biodiversity Biodiversity and Ecology Biogeographic patterns biogeography Biologie végétale (sciences végétales, sylviculture, mycologie...) Botanik Botany climate Climatic limitations cluster analysis Cocktail method correspondence analysis Ecology Ecology, environment Ekologi Environmental Sciences Environmental sciences & ecology floodplains Forest Science forests Formalized classification Fraxinus angustifolia Fraxinus excelsior Global Changes habitats hardwood Life Sciences natural resources conservation Osmundo-Alnion Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...) planning Platanion orientalis Platanus orientalis Populion albae Populus alba Riparian forests rivers Sciences de l’environnement & écologie Sciences du vivant seepage Skogsvetenskap species diversity Swamp forests swamps Vegetation Survey Mediterranean region Iberian Peninsula ANE, Spain, Galicia MED, Eastern Mediterranean ANE, Europe, Iberian Peninsula MED ANE, Europe Europe, Mediterranean Region A, Atlantic
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Summary:	AIM: Formalized classifications synthesizing vegetation data at the continental scale are being attempted only now, although they are of key importance for nature conservation planning. Therefore, we aim to provide a vegetation classification and to describe the main biogeographical patterns of floodplain forests and alder carrs in Europe. LOCATION: Europe. METHODS: A database of more than 40 000 vegetation plots of floodplain forests and alder carrs across Europe was compiled. After geographic stratification, 16 392 plots were available for classification, which was performed using the supervised method Cocktail. We also searched for new associations using semi‐supervised K‐means classification. The main biogeographic patterns and climate‐related gradients in species composition were determined using detrended correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. RESULTS: Thirty associations of floodplain forests and alder carrs were distinguished, which belong to five alliances. The Alnion incanae includes riparian, seepage and hardwood floodplain forests in the nemoral and hemiboreal zones (dominated by Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior) and in the boreal zone (dominated by A. incana). The Osmundo‐Alnion represents oceanic vegetation dominated by Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus angustifolia and F. excelsior distributed mostly on the Iberian Peninsula and composed of species with Atlantic distribution and Iberian endemics. The Populion albae comprises floodplain forests frequently dominated by Fraxinus angustifolia, Populus alba and P. nigra that are widespread in floodplains of large rivers under summer‐dry climates in the Mediterranean region. The Platanion orientalis represents eastern Mediterranean floodplain forests dominated by Platanus orientalis. The Alnion glutinosae includes forest swamps dominated by Alnus glutinosa distributed mostly in the nemoral and hemiboreal zones. The main biogeographic patterns within European floodplain forests and alder carrs reflect the climatic contrasts between the Mediterranean, nemoral, boreal and mountain regions. Oceanic floodplain forests differ from those in the rest of Europe. The hydrological regime appears to be the most important factor influencing species composition within regions. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first applying a formalized classification at the association level for a broad vegetation type at the continental scale. The proposed classification provides the scientific basis for the necessary improvement of the habitat classification systems used in European nature conservation.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12201 istex:63B6490AB61A6905D84E89DE672503DF6E1AFD38 ArticleID:AVSC12201 ark:/67375/WNG-GPGQ31MP-4 Appendix S1. Data compilation of vegetation plots.Appendix S2. List of subspecies and species merged to aggregates (agg.).Appendix S3. Synoptic table of the associations and alliances of European floodplain forests and alder carrs.Appendix S4. List of associations of floodplain forests and alder carrs compiled from the literature and used to create Cocktail definitions.Appendix S5. Syntaxonomical system of European floodplain forest and alder carr communities and their Cocktail formulas.Appendix S6. List of sociological species groups (SSGs).Appendix S7. Short instruction how to use the expert system function in Juice software for assigning the sampled vegetation plots to associations presented in this paper.Appendix S8. Hierarchical classification of European floodplain forests and alder carrs.Appendix S9. Optimal number of clusters detected using standardized indices.Appendix S10. A confusion matrix of β-flexible clustering and Cocktail classification displayed with a fluctuation diagram.Appendix S11. Indicator species specific to the opposite parts of the most important environmental gradients. Czech Science Foundation - No. P504/11/0402; No. RVO 67985939 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 scopus-id:2-s2.0-84957426533
ISSN:	1402-2001 1654-109X 1654-109X
DOI:	10.1111/avsc.12201