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Floristic diversity of meadow steppes in the Western Siberian Plain: effects of abiotic site conditions, management and landscape structure

DOI:10.1007/s10531-015-1023-4
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Wanja P. Mathar
Wanja P. Mathar
Wanja P. Mathar
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Immo Kämpf
Immo Kämpf
Immo Kämpf
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Till Kleinebecker at Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Till Kleinebecker
Igor V. Kuzmin at University of Tyumen
Igor V. Kuzmin
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Abstract and Figures

Temperate grasslands have suffered from severe habitat loss and degradation worldwide. In Russia, vast areas of forest-steppe grasslands have been converted to cropland during Soviet times, whilst remaining grasslands were often intensively grazed. Contrastingly, the collapse of the Soviet Union have resulted in a massive reduction in livestock numbers and cessation of management. Albeit relatively large natural grassland areas remained in the Western Siberian Plain, their present condition is poorly studied. We analysed plant species composition, functional structure and richness of grassland communities and tested for the effect of local factors (management, abiotic site conditions) and landscape factors (patch size, proportion of land cover types) on diversity patterns. Abiotic site conditions, mainly soil moisture and salinity, differentiated distinct community types. Overall, species richness was highest in meadow steppe communities with lower soil moisture and salinity. Grazing intensity and litter accumulation due to cessation of management were significant negative related to species richness and shaped the functional structure. At the landscape scale, diversity in meadow steppe grasslands was higher in forest-grassland mosaics and in small remnants isolated in a matrix of cropland. Our findings highlight that meadow steppes suffered massively under the historical habitat loss and high grazing pressure. Small species-rich remnants are evidence of the former extent of meadow steppe habitats in agricultural landscape, but are likely threatened by an extinction debt. Low intense, irregular mowing maintained species-rich meadow steppe in forest- grassland mosaics, but currently such practices are declining.
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Supplementary resource (1)

Supplementary material 1
Data
November 2015
Wanja P. Mathar · Immo Kämpf · Till Kleinebecker · Igor V. Kuzmin · Norbert Hölzel
... Comparison of species-level genetic variability, genetic structure, and level of admixture between European and Asian populations may bring valuable insights, especially in the context of declining populations (Butchart et al., 2010). Butterfly and plant species declines occur across Europe (WallisDeVries & Van Swaay, 2009) and Asia (Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). In both of these super-regions, declines are, among other factors, connected to human activities, such as land abandonment and changes in land management (WallisDeVries & Van Swaay, 2009;Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). ...
... Butterfly and plant species declines occur across Europe (WallisDeVries & Van Swaay, 2009) and Asia (Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). In both of these super-regions, declines are, among other factors, connected to human activities, such as land abandonment and changes in land management (WallisDeVries & Van Swaay, 2009;Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). Species declines in Europe are much more severe than those in Asia, which still provides an enclave for high biodiversity among butterflies and plants (Mühlenberg et al., 2000;Mühlenberg et al., 2004;Dulamsuren et al., 2005;Mühlenberg, 2012;Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). ...
... In both of these super-regions, declines are, among other factors, connected to human activities, such as land abandonment and changes in land management (WallisDeVries & Van Swaay, 2009;Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). Species declines in Europe are much more severe than those in Asia, which still provides an enclave for high biodiversity among butterflies and plants (Mühlenberg et al., 2000;Mühlenberg et al., 2004;Dulamsuren et al., 2005;Mühlenberg, 2012;Mathar et al., 2016;Trappe et al., 2017). ...
Comparison of genetic patterns between European and Asian populations of an endangered butterfly species
Article
• Less transformed and managed grassland habitats in Asia serve as a good frame of reference for studies on demographics and ecological situations of grassland species in Europe. In this study, using AFLPs (transposon insertion display), we compared the genetic structures of populations of the endangered and highly specialised scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius, Bergsträsser, 1779) butterfly from Europe (Germany, Poland, and Ukraine) and Asia (Siberia and Mongolia). • There are no differences in levels of intra‐population genetic variability between European and Asian P. teleius populations. Nevertheless, we found significantly higher genetic differentiation (wider scattering) among European populations than among Asian populations. All examined Eurasian populations were admixed, except for those from the Bavarian region (Germany) where an atypical genetic structure was observed for P. teleius. Individual membership probabilities to a population were higher and more variable among European populations than among Asian populations. Comparison of genetic spatial structures revealed an isolation‐by‐distance effect in both European and Asian populations. Genetic autocorrelation analysis showed that significant dissimilarity among individuals first appeared at a distance of 1800 km at Asian sites, but at only 400 km at European sites. • The observed P. teleius genetic structure reveals substantial differences in the quality of connectivity among European and Asian populations, which favour Asian populations. It suggests that differences between European and Asian P. teleius population genetic structures have the origin in differences in habitat structures, emphasising the impact of habitat fragmentation on animal movement in Europe.
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... However, the direction of the effect and the importance of these factors can vary among studies and regions (Klaus et al., 2013;Palpurina et al., 2015). For instance, the relationship between soil pH and plant species richness in dry grasslands was reported as positive (Kuzemko et al., 2016), negative (Chytrý et al., 2007), unimodal (Mathar et al., 2016), not significant (Cachovanová et al., 2012), or varying, often because of the confounding effects of other factors such as climate (Palpurina et al., 2015(Palpurina et al., , 2017 or scale-dependency of species diversity (Turtureanu et al., 2014). ...
... This was unexpected as accumulated litter can also reduce the generative reproduction of vascular plant species requiring light for germination (Facelli & Pickett, 1991). Accordingly, a negative effect was found by Kuzemko et al. (2016;Ukraine), Mathar et al. (2016;Siberia) and Turtureanu et al. (2014;Romania). One could assume that in extremely arid situations, a thin to moderately thick litter layer might protect seedlings from desiccation and thus facilitate their establishment (e.g. ...
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... However, the direction of the effect and the importance of these factors can vary among studies and regions (Klaus et al., 2013;Palpurina et al., 2015). For instance, the relationship between soil pH and plant species richness in dry grasslands was reported as positive (Kuzemko et al., 2016), negative (Chytrý et al., 2007), unimodal (Mathar et al., 2016), not significant (Cachovanová et al., 2012), or varying, often because of the confounding effects of other factors such as climate (Palpurina et al., 2015(Palpurina et al., , 2017 or scale-dependency of species diversity (Turtureanu et al., 2014). ...
... This was unexpected as accumulated litter can also reduce the generative reproduction of vascular plant species requiring light for germination (Facelli & Pickett, 1991). Accordingly, a negative effect was found by Kuzemko et al. (2016;Ukraine), Mathar et al. (2016;Siberia) and Turtureanu et al. (2014;Romania). One could assume that in extremely arid situations, a thin to moderately thick litter layer might protect seedlings from desiccation and thus facilitate their establishment (e.g. ...
Drivers of plant diversity in Bulgarian dry grasslands vary across spatial scales and functional-taxonomic groups
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2021
Questions: Studying dry grasslands in a previously unexplored region, we asked: (i) Which environmental factors drive the diversity patterns in vegetation? (ii) Are taxonomic groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens) and functional vascular plant groups differently affected? (iii) How is fine-grain beta diversity affected by environmental drivers? Location: Northwestern and Central Bulgaria. Methods: We sampled environmental data and vascular plant, terricolous bryophyte and lichen species in 97 10-m2 plots and 15 nested-plot series with seven grain sizes (0.0001–100 m2) of ten grassland sites within the two regions. We used species richness as measure of alpha diversity and the z-value of the power-law species-area relationship as measure of beta diversity. We analyzed effects of landscape, topographic, soil, and land-use variables on the species richness of the different taxonomic and functional groups. We applied generalized linear models (GLMs) or, in the presence of spatial autocorrelation, generalised linear mixed-effect models (GLMMs) in a multi-model inference framework. Results: The main factors affecting total and vascular plant species richness in 10-m2 plots were soil pH (unimodal) and inclination (negative). Species richness of bryophytes was positively affected by rock cover, sand proportion, and negatively by inclination. Inclination and litter cover were also negative predictors of lichen species richness. Elevation negatively affected phanerophyte and therophyte richness, but positively that of cryptophytes. A major part of unexplained variance in species richness was associated with the grassland site. The z-values for total richness showed a positive relationship with elevation and inclination. Conclusions: Environmental factors shaping richness patterns strongly differed among taxonomic groups, functional vascular plant groups and spatial scales. The disparities between our and previous findings suggest that many drivers of biodiversity cannot be generalized but rather depend on the regional context. The large unexplained variance at the site level calls for considering more site-related factors such as land use history.
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... Väre et al. 2003;Casazza et al. 2008;Dirnböck et al. 2011) and several studies have addressed the relationships between biota and environmental conditions (e.g. Reutter et al. 2003;Kryštufek et al. 2015;Rosbakh et al. 2015;Mathar et al. 2016;Novak et al. 2017). In nature conservation areas, such knowledge is particularly valued as this is the basic information needed to understand community distribution patterns. ...
Environmental factors influencing the distribution of habitat types in the highlands of the Kamnik − Savinja Alps
Article
Full-text available
In this work, we investigated the relationship between habitat types (HTs) and selected environmental factors in the highlands at altitudes of 1800–2558 m in the Kamnik-Savinja (KS) Alps in Slovenia. For 275 sampling sites, we identified seven HTs in their typical form and 11 ecotones, and provided field and modelled data for 14 environmental factors. HTs-environment relationships were analysed using multivariate ordination methods. In addition, binomial generalised linear mixed models were applied to reveal the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of most frequent HTs in the study area [Outer Alpine Pinus mugo scrub (EUNIS code F2.4/Natura 2000 code 4070*), Southern rusty sedge grasslands (E4.413/6170), Cushion sedge carpets (E4.433/6170) and Fine calcareous screes (H2.43/8120)]. Results showed that certain modelled data (e.g. average annual air temperature) combined with field measurements (e.g. inclination, soil surface and soil moisture) can be effective predictors of most representative HTs in the study area, and thus useful for further refining of monitoring. Our study contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the relationships between environmental conditions and the occurrence of highland HTs in KS Alps, which probably concerns a great part of the Alpine highlands. Such knowledge is essential for assessing credible long-term conservation planning. KEYWORDS Alpine habitat types; multivariate analysis; Pinus mugo; alpine and subalpine calcareous grasslands; Natura 2000; Slovenia
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... This has been a worldwide approach which has involved considerable expenditure, but there are concerns about the effectiveness of such schemes in ensuring the long-term persistence of some habitats and species (Batáry et al. 2015;Ansell et al. 2016;Ó hUallacháin et al. 2016). Where species-rich grasslands are small, or the surrounding farmland is intensively managed, it has been shown to be difficult to maintain the target habitat or species even when a low-input management regime is in place on the site itself (Batáry et al. 2015;Mathar et al. 2016). Increasing the numbers of species-rich sites, and the connectivity between them, has been highlighted as key to ensuring that grassland habitats, and species that are grassland specialists, can be retained in the longer term (Cousins et al. 2007;Arponen et al. 2013;Deák et al. 2018). ...
Restoration of upland hay meadows over an 11‐year chronosequence: an evaluation of the success of green hay transfer
Article
  • Oct 2019
Grassland restoration has become a key tool in addressing the drastic losses of semi‐natural grassland since the mid‐twentieth century. This study examined the restoration by green hay transfer of upland hay meadows, a particularly scarce and vulnerable habitat, over an 11‐year chronosequence. The community composition of 18 restoration meadows was compared with that of donor reference sites in two study areas in the Pennine region of Northern England. The study investigated: differences in community composition between donor and restoration meadows; transfer of upland hay meadow target species; and the effect of time and isolation from neighbouring meadows on the community composition of the restoration meadows. Results showed that restoration meadows differed from donor meadows in that some target species were easily transferred whilst others were not found in the restoration meadows, or were at low levels of cover. Time had a significant effect on the community composition of the restoration meadows, but the similarity between restoration sites and donor sites did not increase with time; and the effect of isolation was not significant. The study showed that the green hay transfer method increases botanical diversity and is an important first step in meadow restoration. However, further restoration activity, such as seed addition, is likely to be required if restoration sites are to resemble closely the reference donor sites. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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... Meadow steppes, being the most northern steppe type of vegetation and occupying an ecotone position, react to climatic and anthropogenic changes [1][2][3]. In the Privolzhskaya Uplands, meadow steppes, as a zonal type of vegetation, have been preserved fragmentarily [4]. ...
Century-long Dynamics of Meadow Steppes in the Privolzhskaya Uplands
Conference Paper
Full-text available
  • Oct 2018
Information on the structure and dynamics of the zonal Central Russian meadow steppes is presented in terms of the example of the Privolzhskaya forest-steppe state nature reserve (Penza region, Russia). The cenotic diversity of the herbaceous vegetation of the reserve is represented by 91 associations, of which 48 refer to steppes and 43 to steppe meadows. It has been revealed that the vegetation of the studied placer sites under the influence of an absolutely reserved regime undergoes mesophyticization and silvatization, which are more intensively manifested in the forest-steppe landscapes of the secondary moraine plains (areas of the Poperechenskaya steppe and Ostrovtsovskaya forest-steppe reserve) than in the eroded denudational plains of forest-steppe landscapes (areas of the Kuncherovskaya steppe and Ostrovtsovskaya forest-steppe reserves). The study of the dynamics of zonal meadow steppes in the Volga Uplands testifies to the inevitability of their transformation in modern climatic conditions into meadow, shrubby and even forest communities.
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... The extensive mires and humus-rich Chernozem soils of Western Siberia store a large proportion of the global soil carbon [39]. Due to low human population density and a high proportion of natural habitats, Western Siberia has also been a safe haven for biodiversity reaching a diversity and abundance that is long gone from many Western European countries [40,41]. Compared to the European parts of the former Soviet Union, growing conditions are different due to a shorter vegetation period and a harsher climate [42]. ...
Patterns and Determinants of Post-Soviet Cropland Abandonment in the Western Siberian Grain Belt
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2018
The transition from a command to a market economy resulted in widespread cropland abandonment across the former Soviet Union during the 1990s. Spatial patterns and determinants of abandonment are comparatively well understood for European Russia, but have not yet been assessed for the vast grain belt of Western Siberia, situated in the Eurasian forest steppe. This is unfortunate, as land-use change in Western Siberia is of global significance: Fertile black earth soils and vast mires store large amounts of organic carbon, and both undisturbed and traditional cultural landscapes harbor threatened biodiversity. We compared Landsat images from ca. 1990 (before the break-up of the Soviet Union) and ca. 2015 (current situation) with a supervised classification to estimate the extent and spatial distribution of abandoned cropland. We used logistic regression models to reveal important determinants of cropland abandonment. Ca. 135,000 ha classified as cropland around 1990 were classified as grassland around 2015. This suggests that ca. 20% of all cropland remain abandoned ca. 25 years after the end of the Soviet Union. Abandonment occurred mostly at poorly drained sites. The likelihood of cropland abandonment increased with decreasing soil quality, and increasing distance to medium-sized settlements, roads and railroads. We conclude that soil suitability, access to transport infrastructure and availability of workforce are key determinants of cropland abandonment in Western Siberia.
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... In many areas, under-grazing led to the deterioration of pastures and hayfields. Specifically, one-third to half of grasslands are threatened by undergrazing and grass cutting, especially the meadow steppes in European Russia and West Siberia ( Mathar et al., 2016). Over 20-30 per cent of the remaining area was covered with shrubs and forests, and 10 to 15 per cent of pastures contain hillocks ( Kosolapov et al., 2015). ...
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... In many areas, under-grazing led to the deterioration of pastures and hayfields. Specifically, one-third to half of grasslands are threatened by undergrazing and grass cutting, especially the meadow steppes in European Russia and West Siberia ( Mathar et al., 2016). Over 20-30 per cent of the remaining area was covered with shrubs and forests, and 10 to 15 per cent of pastures contain hillocks ( Kosolapov et al., 2015). ...
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Steppe flora in Serbia – distribution, ecology, centres of diversity and conservation status
Article
The steppe flora and vegetation represents a significant part of the Eurasian temperate grassland biome. In Serbia, this flora is a part of the biome’s western border zone and its characteristics therefore may be modified. The aim of this study was to determine the number of steppe taxa in Serbia and to conduct a chorological and ecological analysis of this flora. The results of diversity analysis and summary distribution of steppe taxa were presented on 50 × 50 km grids using the Universal Transverse Mercator projection. Regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between steppe species richness and the altitude. Floristic similarity between the geographical groups were analysed using the clustering method and species fidelity to each cluster was calculated. The species conservation status is also presented. In total, the presence of 233 steppe taxa in the investigated area was recorded. The most frequent families are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Caryophyllaceae with Dianthus, Astragalus, Allium, Stipa, Cytisus, Centaurea and Silene as genera that contribute the most to steppe flora in Serbia. According to the chorological and life form spectra, Pontic European taxa and hemicryptophytes are the most numerous. Geological substrate like loess, sand, and other unbound sediment, as well as the lower altitudinal ranges proved to be most suitable for the development of steppe flora in Serbia. The distribution of steppe flora in Serbia indicates Deliblato Sand and Mt Fruška Gora as centres of diversity. The study suggests that the cumulative effect of environmental factors is important to consider in the planning of steppe species conservation.
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Plant communities of the Class Festuco-Brometea in the West Siberian Plane
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2014
The West-Siberian Plain extends more than 1200 km from west to east. Its southern part is occupied by steppe and forest-steppe zones with pre-dominance of herbaceous plant communities. Steppes and xeric meadows are widespread on this territory and characterized by a high diversity and complex spatial structure. This study presents the analysis of 874 relevés describing xeric meadows and steppes of the class Festuco-Brometea from the West Siberian Plain. Numerical analysis with using of plant indicator values showed that some ecological factors, such as soil moisture, salinity and sand content are important in differentiation of grasslands. Three zonal associations form the sequence on the latitudinal gradient from 56º to 51º of northern latitude: Galatello biflorae–Calamagrostietum epigeii (xeric meadows and meadow steppes on solonetz soils in forest-steppe zone), Helictotricho desertori–Stipetum rubentis (rich bunchgrass steppes of southern part of forest-steppe zone and northern part of steppe zone), Artemisio austriacae–Stipetum capillatae (typical bunchgrass steppes of steppe zone). Zonal associations form complexes with other grasslands of Festuco-Brometeae. In forest-steppe landscapes zonal communities usually adjoined with Galio borealis–Artemisietum ponticae in more mesic habitats and with halophyte association Limonio gmelini–Phleetum phleoides. In steppe regions zonal associations make an assemblage with relatively mesic grasslands of Trommsdorffio maculatae–Stipetum pennatae and halophyte communities of Limonio gmelini–Stipetum capillatae on solonetz soils. Three associations form the sequence related with increasing of sand content in soils: Gypsophilo paniculatae–Artemisietum glaucae, Sileno borysthenicae–Cleistogenetum squarrosae, Scorzonero ensifoliae–Festucetum valesiacae. All grasslands usually are under intense grazing that cause changes in plant communities, first of all, the reduction of meso-xerophyte species diversity. The class Festuco-Brometea in the West Siberian plain is divided into two orders. The order Festucetalia valesiacae unites xeric meadows and meadow steppes in forest-steppe landscapes. The class and order are diagnosed mainly by meso-xerophyte species with wide Eurosiberian distribution: Anemone sylvestris, Artemisia glauca, A. latifolia, Astragalus danicus, Campanula sibirica, Centaurea scabiosa, Dianthus versicolor, Festuca pseudovina, Festuca valesiaca, Filipendula vulgaris, Fragaria viridis, Galium ruthenicum, Galium verum, Koeleria cristata, Medicago falcata, Phleum phleoides, Phlomoides tuberosa, Plantago urvillei, Poa angustifolia, Polygala comosa, Scabiosa ochroleuca, Seseli libanotis, Stipa capillata, Stipa pennata, Tephroseris integrifolia, Trommsdorffia maculata, Veronica spicata. This order is presented by the alliance Galatellion biflorae located to the west from the Ob River (Korolyuk, Kiprijanova, 1998). Its communities differ from others by presence of salt-tolerant species: Artemisia pontica, Artemisia rupestris, Carex caryophyllea, Galatella biflora, Inula britannica, Melampyrum cristatum, Peucedanum morisonii, Plantago maxima, Silene multiflora. To the east from the Ob River this alliance is replaced by Poo urssulensis–Artemision glaucae, in the South Urals by Festucion valesiacae. The xeric meadows of Festuco-Brometea north from forest-steppe zone are replaced by mesic meadows of Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. The order Helictotricho-Stipetalia represents the typical steppes and xeric variants of meadow steppes. Its distribution covers steppe zone and southern part of forest-steppe zone. The main part of its diagnostic combination is formed by xerophyte steppe plants: Achillea nobilis, Adonis villosa, Androsace maxima, Artemisia austriaca, Carex supina, Galatella angustissima, Helictotrichon desertorum, Jurinea multiflora, Onosma simplicissima, Oxytropis pilosa, Pilosella echioides, Potentilla bifurca, P. humifusa, Salvia stepposa, Scorzonera austriaca, Seseli ledebourii, Spiraea crenata, Stipa zalesskii, Taraxacum erythrospermum, Thymus marschallianus, Verbascum phoeniceum, Veronica incana. Three alliances form the sequence along moisture gradient: more mesic rich steppes of Helictotricho desertori–Stipion rubentis (diagnostic species: Helictotrichon desertorum, Stipa zalesskii, Thymus marschallianus, Artemisia latifolia, Filipendula vulgaris, Fragaria viridis, Phlomoides tuberosa, Plantago urvillei, Seseli libanotis, Artemisia pontica, A. rupestris, Galatella biflora, Peucedanum morisonii, Silene multiflora), typical steppes of Artemisio austriacae–Festucion valesiacae (diagnostic species: Androsace maxima, Artemisia austriaca, Carex supina, Po­ten­tilla bifurca, Scorzonera austriaca, Taraxacum erythrospermum), and dry steppes of Stipion korshinskyi Toman1969 (diagnostic species: Kochia prostrata, Krascheninnikovia ceratoides, Leymus ramosus, Phlomoides agraria, Stipa korshinskyi, Stipa lessingiana).
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Understanding the extreme species richness of semi-dry grasslands in east-central Europe: A comparative approach
Article
Full-text available
East-central European semi-dry grasslands hold several world records in small-scale vascular plant species richness. However, the reasons for the peculiarity of these grasslands are not well known, which hinders a better understanding of the mechanisms of species coexistence.We suggest that one of the reasons for this gap in our knowledge is the lack of basic information on the geographical distribution of these grasslands, their species richness, species composition and site conditions. Here we report new sites of extremely species-rich semi-dry grasslands in the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians in the south-western Ukraine. Using comparison with other sites with extremely species-rich semi-dry grasslands in the peri-Carpathian region and beyond, we show that these grasslands share many important features, including similar species composition, occurrence of species with disjunct distributions, site conditions, landscape context, long history of human influence and traditional management practice. Based on these findings, we suggest that continuity on a large (Pleistocene-Holocene) time scale and regularly practiced management that reduces the asymmetry in competition (typically mowing and absence of fertilizer application) may be the crucial factors responsible for the extremely high local species richness in east-centralEuropean semi-dry grasslands. We also suggest that this richness largely originates from an ancient pool of species of Eurasian forest-steppe and hemiboreal forests.
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Spatio-temporal analysis of agricultural land-use intensity across the Western Siberian grain belt
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2016
The Western Siberian grain belt covers 1millionkm² in Asiatic Russia and is of global importance for agriculture. Massive land-use changes took place in that region after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the state farm system. Decreasing land-use intensity (LUI) in post-Soviet Western Siberia was observed on grassland due to declining livestock whilst on cropland trends of land abandonment reversed in the early 2000s. Recultivation of abandoned cropland as well as increasing fertilizer inputs and narrowing crop rotations led to increasing LUI on cropland during the last two decades. Beyond that general trend, no information is available about spatial distribution and magnitude but a crucial precondition for the development of strategies for sustainable land management. To quantify changes and patterns in LUI, we developed an intensity index that reflects the impacts of land-based agricultural production. Based on subnational yearly statistical data, we calculated two separate input-orientated indices for cropland and grassland, respectively. The indices were applied on two spatial scale: at seven provinces covering the Western Siberian grain belt (Altay Kray, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Sverdlovsk and Tyumen) and at all districts of the central province Tyumen. The spatio-temporal analysis clearly showed opposite trends for the two land-use types: decreasing intensity on grassland (-0.015 LUI units per year) and intensification on cropland (+0.014 LUI units per year). Furthermore, a spatial concentration towards intensity centres occurred during transition from a planned to a market economy. A principal component analysis enabled the individual calculations of both land-use types to be combined and revealed a strong link between biophysical conditions and LUI. The findings clearly showed the need for having a different strategy for future sustainable land management for grassland (predominantly used by livestock of households) and cropland (predominantly managed by large agricultural enterprises), which have to be addressed specifically by the different land users. As all input data are publicly available, the approach described is readily transferable to other regions or countries of the former Soviet Union.
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Statistical determination of diagnostic species for site groups of unequal size
Article
Full-text available
Aim: Concentration of species occurrences in groups of classified sites can be quantified with statistical measures of fidelity, which can be used for the determination of diagnostic species. However, for most available measures fidelity depends on the number of sites within individual groups. As the classified data sets typically contain site groups of unequal size, such measures do not enable a comparison of numerical fidelity values of species between different site groups. We therefore propose a new method of measuring fidelity with presence/absence data after equalization of the size of the site groups. We compare the properties of this new method with other measures of statistical fidelity, in particular with the Dufrêne-Legendre Indicator Value (IndVal) index. Methods: The size of site groups in the data set is equalized, while relative frequencies of species occurrence within and outside of these groups are kept constant. Then fidelity is calculated using the phi coefficient of association. Results: Fidelity values after equalization are independent of site group size, but their numerical values vary independently of the statistical significance of fidelity. By changing the size of the target site group relative to the size of the entire data set, the fidelity measure can be made more sensitive to either common or rare species. We show that there are two modifications of the IndVal index for presence/absence data, one of which is also independent of the size of site groups. Conclusion: The phi coefficient applied to site groups of equalized size has advantages over other statistical measures of fidelity based on presence/absence data. Its properties are close to an intuitive understanding of fidelity and diagnostic species in vegetation science. Statistical significance can be checked by calculation of another fidelity measure that is a function of statistical significance, or by direct calculation of the probability of observed species concentrations by Fisher's exact test. An advantage of the new method over IndVal is its ability to distinguish between positive and negative fidelity. One can also weight the relative importance of common and rare species by changing the equalized size of the site groups. Nomenclature: Ehrendorfer (1973).
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Phytosociological peculiarities of South Siberian forest meadows
Article
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  • Feb 2011
The problem of classification and ordination of forest meadows in Southern Siberia are discussed on the basis of geographically wide ranging set of data. The classification of the meadows has been carried out using Braun-Blanquet approach. DCA ordination using DECORANA was carried out for elucidation of various macro-ecological and phytosociological regularities of the meadows. Siberian forest meadows were included in the order Carici macrourae-Crepidetalia sibiricae prov. of the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. They are both a stage of the natural succession and the first stage of the anthropogenic replacement of zonal hemiboreal forests caused by clearing of later stages as well as subsequent moderate grazing and mowing. The strong disturbance of the forest meadows over a long period results in their replacement by widespread anthropogenic types of the Arrhenatheretalia meadows.
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