scholarly journals The Effect of Visitors on the Properties of Vegetation of Calcareous Grasslands in the Context of Width and Distances from Tourist Trails

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt ◽  
Artur Pliszko ◽  
Katarzyna Gmyrek-Gołąb
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Grassland Species ◽  
Southern Poland ◽  
Calcareous Grasslands ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
Lower Height ◽  
Occurrence Of Species

Over the last decades, valuable natural areas considered as zones of silence and rest have been increasingly struggling with the problem of mass tourism. In this study, an investigation of the effect of visitors on the properties of vegetation of calcareous grasslands in the context of width and distances from tourist trails is performed. The study was conducted in seven localities in Cracow (southern Poland) involving calcareous grasslands impacted by tourist trails. The results show that the lower height of plants, the greater number of species and the greater percentage of plant cover damaged by trampling in plots located close to the edge of tourist trails, as well as lower total plant cover and greater mean cover-abundance degree per species along narrow pathways. The dominance of meadow and grassland species, as well as the prevalence of native species, suggests that the composition of the examined vegetation has not been drastically changed. In the majority of the study plots, the dominance of hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes, inconsiderable share of phanerophytes and therophytes, as well as the low share of geophytes, were observed. The infrequent occurrence of species presenting Bidens dispersal type along narrow pathways, as well as in plots located close to the edge of tourist trails, suggests low external transport of epizoochorous seeds by passing people, while the prevalence of species presenting Cornus type in plots located away from the edge of tourist trails might be the effect of dung deposition by animals.

scholarly journals Flora of spoil heaps after hard coal mining in Trzebinia (southern Poland): effect of substratum properties

2013 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin W. Woch ◽  
Magdalena Radwańska ◽  
Anna M. Stefanowicz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Hard Coal ◽  
Total Carbon Content ◽  
Total N ◽  
Southern Poland ◽  
Spoil Heaps

Abstract - The aim of the present study was to investigate the composition of spontaneous plant cover and the physicochemical properties of the substratum of spoil heaps of the Siersza hard coal mine in Trzebinia (southern Poland) abandoned in 2001. Floristic and soil analyses were performed in 2011. The substratum was very diverse in terms of texture (sand: 55-92 %, clay: 6-38 %), nutrient content (total C: 1.3-41.0 %, total N: 0.05-0.49 %, total Ca: 0.5-7.3 %) and pH (3.7-8.7). Moreover, total thallium concentration in the substratum was high, ranging from 6.0 to 14.6 mg kg-1. Plant cover varied from 50 to 95 %. The number of plant species per 4m2 varied from 6 to 29 and correlated negatively with total carbon content (r = -0.85, p < 0.01), and positively with sand content in the substratum (r = 66, p < 0.05). The highest number of species per area unit was observed on a humus substratum, where initial soil has developed on the part of carboniferous waste rock spoil under 20-30 year old trees, and the lowest on carbon shale with coal and culm. Among 197 plant species, most belong to Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Rosaceae families. Hemicryptophytes (49%) and terophytes (18%) predominated. The investigated area was primarily colonized by native species spread by the wind. However, invasive alien species also had a significant share (8%) in the plant cover.

Understory responses to fire and artificial seeding in an eastern Cascades Abies grandis forest, U.S.A.

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1393-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania L Schoennagel ◽  
Donald M Waller
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Native Grasses ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Abies Grandis ◽  
Lactuca Serriola ◽  
Epilobium Angustifolium ◽  
Eastern Cascades ◽  
Conifer Tree ◽  
Total Plant

To mitigate erosion after fire, land managers often seed non-native grasses onto burned slopes. To assess how post-fire seeding affects plant recovery, we compared areas that were either unseeded or artificially seeded after high-intensity fire in a dry Abies grandis (Dougl.) Lindl. forest in the northeastern Cascades. Seeding with a mix of non-native grasses and a legume significantly reduced the cover of native plants and shifted patterns of relative abundance after 2 years. Although seeding did not significantly affect total cover or native species richness, it reduced overall native plant cover by 47%. Species that recolonize via wind-dispersed seeds (e.g., Epilobium angustifolium L., Lactuca serriola L., and Arenaria macrophylla Hook.), species with long-lived seeds that germinate after fire (e.g., Ceanothus velutinus Dougl.), and species with wide successional amplitudes that resprout after fire (e.g., Apocynum androsaemifolium L. and Salix scouleriana Barratt) all declined steeply in cover on seeded plots. In addition, conifer seedlings were only half as abundant on seeded plots. As seeding after fire does not boost total plant cover and limits conifer tree establishment on the study area, it appears to do little to reduce the risk of soil erosion. It also appears to inhibit native shrub and herb re-establishment. These substantial effects on native species appear to alter plant communities well beyond the life of the seeded species.

Bats hibernating in underground shelters of Małe Pieniny mountains (the Carpathian Mountains, Southern Poland)

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 347-350
Author(s):  
Wojciech Gubała ◽  
Bronisław Wołoszyn
Keyword(s):  
Carpathian Mountains ◽  
Southern Poland ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Rhinolophus Hipposideros ◽  
Outer Carpathians ◽  
Horseshoe Bat

Bats hibernating in underground shelters of Małe Pieniny mountains (the Carpathian Mountains, Southern Poland) Six bat species were observed during winter censuses in years 2005-2009: Lesser horseshoe bat, Mouse-eared bat, Daubenton's bat, Whiskered/Brandt's bat, Northern bat and Brown long-eared bat. Rhinolophus hipposideros was most numerous (67% of all bats recorded). Largest hibernaculum on Polish side of range was mine Bania w Jarmucie, with maximum 29 bats during a single control, through the years of research number of species and individuals was increasing. Rarely seen in Outer Carpathians Eptesicus nilssonii winter roost was found in Homole Ravine Reserve.

scholarly journals Taxonomic synopsis and analytical key for the genera of Solanaceae from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-362
Author(s):  
Edson Luís de Carvalho Soares ◽  
Márcia Vignoli-Silva ◽  
Lilian Auler Mentz
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
Rio Grande Do Sul ◽  
Number Of Species

This work consists of a taxonomic synopsis of the genera of Solanaceae in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Solanaceae is represented by 28 genera in this state: Acnistus Schott, Athenaea Sendtn., Aureliana Sendtn., Bouchetia Dunal, Browalia L., Brugmansia Pers., Brunfelsia L., Calibrachoa La Llave & Lex., Capsicum L., Cestrum L., Datura L., Dyssochroma Miers, Grabowskia Schltdl., Jaborosa Juss., Lycianthes (Dunal) Hassl., Melananthus Walp., Nicandra Adans., Nicotiana L., Nierembergia Ruiz & Pav., Petunia Juss., Physalis L., Salpichroa Miers, Schwenckia L., Sessea Ruiz & Pav., Solandra Sw., Solanum L. (including Cyphomandra Sendtn. and Lycopersicon Mill.), Streptosolen Miers and Vassobia Rusby. Of these, 23 consist of native species , while five are represented exclusively by introduced species. The total number of species is 149, of which 118 are native and 31 are introduced (adventitious or cultivated). An identification key for genera, and also comments on the most relevant taxonomic characters of each one are presented, plus comments on the species that occur in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Structure of cliff vegetation on exposed cliffs and the effect of rock climbing

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria A. Nuzzo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Cover ◽  
Rock Climbing ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rock Fracturing ◽  
Community Groups ◽  
Bare Rock ◽  
Lichen Cover ◽  
Cliff Vegetation ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
The Impact

Vegetational structure of exposed dolomitic cliffs in the driftless region of northwest Illinois was quantified from 186 quadrats on five cliffs. All cliffs were sparsely vegetated, with a total of 41 species (14 lichen and 27 vascular) recorded in the upper 6 m. On all cliffs, cover averaged 16.03%, with lichen contributing 10.23% cover and vascular vegetation 5.80% cover. Seventy percent of all vegetation grew within 3 m of the cliff top. Linear regression indicated that both cover and density of vascular, but not lichen, flora increased with increased fracturing and decreased with distance from the cliff top. TWINSPAN arranged the quadrats into five groups that differed in lichen and vascular cover and a sixth group that consisted of bare rock. Spatial distribution of the community groups occurred at a small scale, influenced by small scale differences in rock fracturing, slope, weathering, and likely moisture availability. Climbing significantly reduced lichen cover and lichen species density by 50%, from 13.7% cover and 2.4 species/0.25 m2 on unclimbed cliffs, to 6.7% cover and 1.2 species/0.25 m2 on climbed cliffs. Climbing did not have an apparent effect on vascular vegetation, which ranged from 2.74 to 10.62% cover on individual cliffs. Total plant cover averaged 19.7% on three unclimbed cliffs and 12.3% on two climbed cliffs, because of the impact on lichen cover. Although climbed cliffs had lower lichen cover, distribution of TWINSPAN-defined community groups was similar on both climbed and unclimbed cliffs, indicating that environmental and physical variables were the primary determinants of cliff flora on these vertical exposed cliffs. Keywords: cliff, vegetation, lichen, rock climbing, rock fractures.

Effects of disturbance and rabbit grazing on seedling recruitment of six mesic grassland species

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant R. Edwards ◽  
Michael J. Crawley
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Grassland Species ◽  
Rabbit Grazing ◽  
Plant Densities ◽  
Seed Sowing

AbstractSeeds of two grass (Arrhenatherum elatius and Festuca rubra), two herb (Plantago lanceolata and Rumex acetosa) and two legume (Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens) species were sown in summer 1995 at four densities (no seed, 1000, 10 000 and 50 000 seeds m−2) into an established rabbit-grazed grassland given factorial combinations of rabbit fencing (with and without fences) and soil disturbance (with and without cultivation). On plots where no seeds were sown, only the species with persistent seed banks (P. lanceolata, L. corniculatus and T. repens) showed enhanced seedling emergence in response to disturbance. In disturbed soil, seedling densities of all species increased with increasing density of sown seeds, the effects of which were still evident for plant cover 2 years after seed sowing. In undisturbed vegetation, A. elatius, F. rubra, P. lanceolata and R. acetosa showed increased seedling densities following seed sowing; but in each case, there was an upper asymptote to seedling recruitment, presumably due to microsite limitation. Rabbit grazing reduced seedling densities, with this reduction being more pronounced with disturbance than without. However, the effect of rabbit grazing did not persist for some species; seedling mortality of R. acetosa, P. lanceolata, L. corniculatus and T. repens was higher on plots without rabbit grazing, so that plant densities of these species in summer 1996 and plant cover in summer 1997 were greater on grazed plots. The results indicate interactions between soil disturbance, propagule availability and herbivory, rather than disturbance alone, will play an important role in controlling seedling recruitment and species habitat distributions in grasslands.

Impacts of erosion control treatments on native vegetation recovery after severe wildfire in the Eastern Cascades, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich K. Dodson ◽  
David W. Peterson ◽  
Richy J. Harrod
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Vegetation Recovery ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Native Plant

Slope stabilisation treatments like mulching and seeding are used to increase soil cover and reduce runoff and erosion following severe wildfires, but may also retard native vegetation recovery. We evaluated the effects of seeding and fertilisation on the cover and richness of native and exotic plants and on individual plant species following the 2004 Pot Peak wildfire in Washington State, USA. We applied four seeding and three fertilisation treatments to experimental plots at eight burned sites in spring 2005 and surveyed vegetation during the first two growing seasons after fire. Seeding significantly reduced native non-seeded species richness and cover by the second year. Fertilisation increased native plant cover in both years, but did not affect plant species richness. Seeding and fertilisation significantly increased exotic cover, especially when applied in combination. However, exotic cover and richness were low and treatment effects were greatest in the first year. Seeding suppressed several native plant species, especially disturbance-adapted forbs. Fertilisation, in contrast, favoured several native understorey plant species but reduced tree regeneration. Seeding, even with native species, appears to interfere with the natural recovery of native vegetation whereas fertilisation increases total plant cover, primarily by facilitating native vegetation recovery.

The effect of plant top material on the water repellence of fired sands and water repellent soils

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA McGhie ◽  
AM Posner
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Contact Angles ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Water Repellence

Large differences in the water repellence were conferred on fired sand by adding the ground tops of a range of plant species. Contact angles of 75� to 90� were caused at 2% of most pasture and native species and at 5 % many gave contact angles > 95� The cereal crops gave contact angles of about 60� (2%) and 83�(5 %) and were more wettable than pasture and native species. The addition of ground Geraldton subterranean clover (Trifolium subteraneum cv. Geraldton) or brown mallet (Eucalyptus astrigens (Maiden)) to water-repellent sands increased the water repellence. Addition of clover to a water-repellent mallet-hill soil increased the water infiltration rate while the mallet did not change the slow rate. Wheat (Triticum aestivm), when added to water-repellent soils, always reduced the water repellence. Attention is drawn to the importance of the relative wettability of the soil and added organic matter, and therefore the type of plant cover. Soils sampled from beneath wheat/clover rotations of various lengths showed that water repellence increased in the pasture phase and was reduced during the cropping phase. The importance of the type, as well as the amount, of organic matter in the rotations is demonstrated.

Ecological Characteristics of Sites Invaded by Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare)

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott R. Abella ◽  
Lindsay P. Chiquoine ◽  
Dana M. Backer
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
The United States ◽  
Slope Aspect ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Ecological Characteristics

AbstractUnderstanding the ecological characteristics of areas invaded and not invaded by exotic plants is a priority for invasive plant science and management. Buffelgrass is an invasive perennial species that managers view as a major threat to indigenous ecosystems of conservation lands in Australia, Mexico, the United States, and other locations where the species is not native. At 14 sites in Saguaro National Park in the Arizona Uplands of the Sonoran Desert, we compared the soil, vegetation, and soil seed bank of patches invaded and not invaded by buffelgrass. Abiotic variables, such as slope aspect and soil texture, did not differ between buffelgrass patches and patches without buffelgrass. In contrast, variables under primarily biotic control differed between patch types. Soil nutrients, such as organic C and NO3–N, were approximately twofold greater in buffelgrass compared with nonbuffelgrass patches. Average native species richness was identical (14 species 100 m−2) between patch types, but native plant cover was 43% lower in buffelgrass patches. Unexpectedly, native seed-bank densities did not differ significantly between patch types and were 40% greater than buffelgrass seed density below buffelgrass canopies. Results suggest that (1) soil nutrient status should not be unfavorable for native plant colonization at buffelgrass sites if buffelgrass is treated; (2) at least in the early stages of buffelgrass patch formation (studied patches were about 10 yr old), native vegetation species were not excluded, but rather, their cover was reduced; and (3) native soil seed banks were not reduced in buffelgrass patches.

How grassland plants are distributed over five human-created habitats typical of eucalypt woodlands in a variegated landscape

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. McIntyre ◽  
K. M. Heard ◽  
T. G. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Grassland Species ◽  
Grassland Plants ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Eucalypt Woodlands ◽  
National Significance

A sample of 212 quadrats in grassland vegetation was collected in eucalypt woodlands in sub-tropical Queensland. These included roadside (53 sites), native pasture (109), riparian zone (20), sown pasture (16) and crop (14) habitats. A total of 350 species and subspecies was recorded of which 89 species were identified as being locally rare (native species of <3% frequency, not specialists of other habitats). Forty-three species were collected in addition to the quadrat records. Multivariate analysis indicated the major difference in floristic composition was between roadsides and native pastures, versus the other three habitats. The second axis separated roadside from native pasture vegetation, and the third axis separated riparian sites from all the rest. Crop and sown pasture habitats were the most similar in composition. The grazing practices in this region have enabled the persistence of grasslands that are of national significance in conservation terms. The variegated nature of the landscape is demonstrated by the occurrence of native grassland species across all the human-created habitats, including native species that were unique to intensive land uses. However, our results also show that intensive land uses (cropping, sown pastures) are more of a threat to the conservation status of grasslands than is cattle grazing, even at commercial levels of stocking. Species at most immediate risk are those that are sensitive to commercial cattle grazing and to intensive land uses such as crops and sown pastures.

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