Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot?

J 2017

Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot?

WILLNER, Wolfgang, Francisco De Borja JIMÉNEZ-ALFARO GONZÁLEZ, Emiliano AGRILLO, Idoia BIURRUN, Juan Antonio CAMPOS et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot?

Authors

WILLNER, Wolfgang (40 Austria), Francisco De Borja JIMÉNEZ-ALFARO GONZÁLEZ (724 Spain, belonging to the institution), Emiliano AGRILLO (380 Italy), Idoia BIURRUN (724 Spain), Juan Antonio CAMPOS (724 Spain), Andraž ČARNI (705 Slovenia), Laura CASELLA (380 Italy), János CSIKY (348 Hungary), Renata ĆUŠTEREVSKA (807 North Macedonia), Yakiv P. DIDUKH (804 Ukraine), Jörg EWALD (276 Germany), Ute JANDT (276 Germany), Florian JANSEN (276 Germany), Zygmunt Walerian KACKI (616 Poland), Ali KAVGACI (792 Turkey), Jonathan LENOIR (250 France), Aleksander MARINŠEK (705 Slovenia), Viktor ONYSHCHENKO (804 Ukraine), John S. RODWELL (826 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Joop H. J. SCHAMINÉE (528 Netherlands), Jozef ŠIBÍK (703 Slovakia), Željko ŠKVORC (191 Croatia), Jens-Christian SVENNING (208 Denmark), Ioannis TSIRIPIDIS (300 Greece), Pavel Dan TURTUREANU (642 Romania), Rossen TZONEV (100 Bulgaria), Kiril VASSILEV (100 Bulgaria), Roberto VENANZONI (380 Italy), Thomas WOHLGEMUTH (756 Switzerland) and Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Applied Vegetation Science, NJ USA, Wiley, 2017, 1402-2001

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.331

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00095124

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12299

UT WoS

000403676000017

Keywords in English

Beech forest; Europe; Fagetalia sylvaticae; Fagion sylvaticae; Fagus sylvatica; Luzulo-Fagion sylvaticae; Syntaxonomy; TWINSPAN; Vegetation plot database

Abstract

V originále

Questions: What are the main floristic patterns in European beech forests? Which classification at the alliance and suballiance level is the most convincing? - Location: Europe and Asia Minor. - Methods: We applied a TWINSPAN classification to a data set of 24605 releves covering the whole range of Fagus sylvatica forests and the western part of Fagus orientalis forests. We identified 24 operational phytosociological units' (OPUs), which were used for further analysis. The position of each OPU along the soil pH and temperature gradient was evaluated using Ellenberg Indicator Values. Fidelity of species to OPUs was calculated using the phi coefficient and constancy ratio. We compared alternative alliance concepts, corresponding to groups of OPUs, in terms of number and frequency of diagnostic species. We also established formal definitions for the various alliance concepts based on comparison of the total cover of the diagnostic species groups, and evaluated alternative geographical subdivisions of beech forests. - Results: The first and second division levels of TWINSPAN followed the temperature and soil pH gradients, while lower divisions were mainly geographical. We grouped the 22 OPUs of Fagus sylvatica forests into acidophytic, meso-basiphytic and thermo-basiphytic beech forests, and separated two OPUs of F.orientalis forests. However, a solution with only two ecologically defined alliances of F.sylvatica forests (acidophytic vs basiphytic) was clearly superior with regard to number and frequency of diagnostic species. In contrast, when comparing groupings with three to six geographical alliances of basiphytic beech forests, respectively, we did not find a strongly superior solution. - Conclusions: We propose to classify F.sylvatica forests into 15 suballiances - three acidophytic and 12 basiphytic ones. Separating these two groups at alliance or order level was clearly supported by our results. Concerning the grouping of the 12 basiphytic suballiances into ecological or geographical alliances, as advocated by many authors, we failed to find an optimal solution. Therefore, we propose a multi-dimensional classification of basiphytic beech forests, including both ecological and geographical groups as equally valid concepts which may be used alternatively depending on the purpose and context of the classification.

Links

GB14-36079G, research and development project

Name: Centrum analýzy a syntézy rostlinné diverzity (PLADIAS) (Acronym: PLADIAS)

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

WILLNER, Wolfgang, Francisco De Borja JIMÉNEZ-ALFARO GONZÁLEZ, Emiliano AGRILLO, Idoia BIURRUN, Juan Antonio CAMPOS, Andraž ČARNI, Laura CASELLA, János CSIKY, Renata ĆUŠTEREVSKA, Yakiv P. DIDUKH, Jörg EWALD, Ute JANDT, Florian JANSEN, Zygmunt Walerian KACKI, Ali KAVGACI, Jonathan LENOIR, Aleksander MARINŠEK, Viktor ONYSHCHENKO, John S. RODWELL, Joop H. J. SCHAMINÉE, Jozef ŠIBÍK, Željko ŠKVORC, Jens-Christian SVENNING, Ioannis TSIRIPIDIS, Pavel Dan TURTUREANU, Rossen TZONEV, Kiril VASSILEV, Roberto VENANZONI, Thomas WOHLGEMUTH and Milan CHYTRÝ. Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot? Applied Vegetation Science. NJ USA: Wiley, 2017, vol. 20, No 3, p. 494-512. ISSN 1402-2001. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12299.

@article{1394147,
   author = {Willner, Wolfgang and JiménezandAlfaro González, Francisco De Borja and Agrillo, Emiliano and Biurrun, Idoia and Campos, Juan Antonio and Čarni, Andraž and Casella, Laura and Csiky, János and Ćušterevska, Renata and Didukh, Yakiv P. and Ewald, Jörg and Jandt, Ute and Jansen, Florian and Kacki, Zygmunt Walerian and Kavgaci, Ali and Lenoir, Jonathan and Marinšek, Aleksander and Onyshchenko, Viktor and Rodwell, John S. and Schaminée, Joop H. J. and Šibík, Jozef and Škvorc, Željko and Svenning, JensandChristian and Tsiripidis, Ioannis and Turtureanu, Pavel Dan and Tzonev, Rossen and Vassilev, Kiril and Venanzoni, Roberto and Wohlgemuth, Thomas and Chytrý, Milan},
   article_location = {NJ USA},
   article_number = {3},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12299},
   keywords = {Beech forest; Europe; Fagetalia sylvaticae; Fagion sylvaticae; Fagus sylvatica; Luzulo-Fagion sylvaticae; Syntaxonomy; TWINSPAN; Vegetation plot database},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1402-2001},
   journal = {Applied Vegetation Science},
   title = {Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot?},
   url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avsc.12299/abstract},
   volume = {20},
   year = {2017}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1394147
AU  - Willner, Wolfgang - Jiménez-Alfaro González, Francisco De Borja - Agrillo, Emiliano - Biurrun, Idoia - Campos, Juan Antonio - Čarni, Andraž - Casella, Laura - Csiky, János - Ćušterevska, Renata - Didukh, Yakiv P. - Ewald, Jörg - Jandt, Ute - Jansen, Florian - Kacki, Zygmunt Walerian - Kavgaci, Ali - Lenoir, Jonathan - Marinšek, Aleksander - Onyshchenko, Viktor - Rodwell, John S. - Schaminée, Joop H. J. - Šibík, Jozef - Škvorc, Željko - Svenning, Jens-Christian - Tsiripidis, Ioannis - Turtureanu, Pavel Dan - Tzonev, Rossen - Vassilev, Kiril - Venanzoni, Roberto - Wohlgemuth, Thomas - Chytrý, Milan
PY  - 2017
TI  - Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot?
JF  - Applied Vegetation Science
VL  - 20
IS  - 3
SP  - 494-512
EP  - 494-512
PB  - Wiley
SN  - 14022001
KW  - Beech forest
KW  - Europe
KW  - Fagetalia sylvaticae
KW  - Fagion sylvaticae
KW  - Fagus sylvatica
KW  - Luzulo-Fagion sylvaticae
KW  - Syntaxonomy
KW  - TWINSPAN
KW  - Vegetation plot database
UR  - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avsc.12299/abstract
N2  - Questions: What are the main floristic patterns in European beech forests? Which classification at the alliance and suballiance level is the most convincing? - Location: Europe and Asia Minor. - Methods: We applied a TWINSPAN classification to a data set of 24605 releves covering the whole range of Fagus sylvatica forests and the western part of Fagus orientalis forests. We identified 24 operational phytosociological units' (OPUs), which were used for further analysis. The position of each OPU along the soil pH and temperature gradient was evaluated using Ellenberg Indicator Values. Fidelity of species to OPUs was calculated using the phi coefficient and constancy ratio. We compared alternative alliance concepts, corresponding to groups of OPUs, in terms of number and frequency of diagnostic species. We also established formal definitions for the various alliance concepts based on comparison of the total cover of the diagnostic species groups, and evaluated alternative geographical subdivisions of beech forests. - Results: The first and second division levels of TWINSPAN followed the temperature and soil pH gradients, while lower divisions were mainly geographical. We grouped the 22 OPUs of Fagus sylvatica forests into acidophytic, meso-basiphytic and thermo-basiphytic beech forests, and separated two OPUs of F.orientalis forests. However, a solution with only two ecologically defined alliances of F.sylvatica forests (acidophytic vs basiphytic) was clearly superior with regard to number and frequency of diagnostic species. In contrast, when comparing groupings with three to six geographical alliances of basiphytic beech forests, respectively, we did not find a strongly superior solution. - Conclusions: We propose to classify F.sylvatica forests into 15 suballiances - three acidophytic and 12 basiphytic ones. Separating these two groups at alliance or order level was clearly supported by our results. Concerning the grouping of the 12 basiphytic suballiances into ecological or geographical alliances, as advocated by many authors, we failed to find an optimal solution. Therefore, we propose a multi-dimensional classification of basiphytic beech forests, including both ecological and geographical groups as equally valid concepts which may be used alternatively depending on the purpose and context of the classification.
ER  -

WILLNER, Wolfgang, Francisco De Borja JIMÉNEZ-ALFARO GONZÁLEZ, Emiliano AGRILLO, Idoia BIURRUN, Juan Antonio CAMPOS, Andraž ČARNI, Laura CASELLA, János CSIKY, Renata $\backslash$'CUŠTEREVSKA, Yakiv P. DIDUKH, Jörg EWALD, Ute JANDT, Florian JANSEN, Zygmunt Walerian KACKI, Ali KAVGACI, Jonathan LENOIR, Aleksander MARINŠEK, Viktor ONYSHCHENKO, John S. RODWELL, Joop H. J. SCHAMINÉE, Jozef ŠIBÍK, Željko ŠKVORC, Jens-Christian SVENNING, Ioannis TSIRIPIDIS, Pavel Dan TURTUREANU, Rossen TZONEV, Kiril VASSILEV, Roberto VENANZONI, Thomas WOHLGEMUTH and Milan CHYTRÝ. Classification of European beech forests: a Gordian Knot? \textit{Applied Vegetation Science}. NJ USA: Wiley, 2017, vol.~20, No~3, p.~494-512. ISSN~1402-2001. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12299.

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