White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors
explain their extraordinary species richness?

J 2012

White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness?

MERUNKOVÁ, Kristina, Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ and Milan CHYTRÝ

Basic information

Original name

White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness?

Name in Czech

Bělokarpatské louky: mohou lokální ekologické faktory vysvětlit jejich výjimečné druhové bohatství?

Authors

MERUNKOVÁ, Kristina (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Preslia, Praha, Česká botanická společnost, 2012, 0032-7786

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.833

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/12:00061014

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

000308715500003

Keywords in English

Bílé Karpaty; Czech Republic; diversity; dry grassland; meadow; nutrients; productivity; Slovakia; soil pH; vascular plants; Western Carpathians

Abstract

V originále

Semi-dry grasslands in the White Carpathian (Bílé Karpaty) Mountains on the Czech-Slovak border are famous for their extremely high species richness. In places they contain more than 130 species of vascular plants per 100m2 and for some plot sizes they holdworld records in the number of vascular plant species, but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here we ask whether the high number of species in these grasslands can be explained by local ecological factors.We compared the White Carpathian grasslands with similar grasslands in adjacent areas in the west (southern Moravia) and the east (InnerWestern Carpathians), which are on average notably poorer in species than those in the White Carpathians. In both of these areas, we sampled grasslands that were among the speciesrichest in the regional context and had a similar physiognomy, species composition and ecology as those in the White Carpathians.We found 75 sites with >70 and >25 species of vascular plants per 100 m2 and 1 m2, respectively, in which we recorded species composition and local environmental conditions, including precipitation, soil depth, soil pH and nutrient concentrations, above-ground biomass production and nutrients in plant biomass. Although the White Carpathian grasslands were considerably richer in species than the richest grasslands in the adjacent regions, there were no differences in the values of the factors studied that could provide an unequivocal explanation of their high species richness. However, the values of the factors studied were within the ranges reported in the literature as conducive to high species richness in temperate grasslands. We conclude that the high species richness recorded in the White Carpathian grasslands cannot be explained by a single factor. It results from a unique combination of regional factors (long history of these grasslands, large size of individual grassland areas and their existence in a landscape mosaic with forests, scrub and small wetlands), local abiotic factors (soil pH, soil nutrient status, moisture regime and resulting grassland productivity that are suitable for many species from the regional species pool) and management (low fertilizer input and mowing once a year in late spring or summer).

Links

SP/2D3/54/07, research and development project

Name: Syntéza poznatků o stavu biodiverzity travních porostů v CHKO Bílé Karpaty s cílem vytvoření metodiky pro zachování biodiverzity tohoto ekosystému

Investor: Ministry of the Environment of the CR, Synthesis of data on the state of grassland biodiversity in the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area aimed at biodiversity preservation of this ecosystem

Citovat

MERUNKOVÁ, Kristina, Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ and Milan CHYTRÝ. White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness? Preslia. Praha: Česká botanická společnost, 2012, vol. 84, No 2, p. 311-325. ISSN 0032-7786.

@article{993058,
   author = {Merunková, Kristina and Preislerová, Zdenka and Chytrý, Milan},
   article_location = {Praha},
   article_number = {2},
   keywords = {Bílé Karpaty; Czech Republic; diversity; dry grassland; meadow; nutrients; productivity; Slovakia; soil pH; vascular plants; Western Carpathians},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0032-7786},
   journal = {Preslia},
   title = {White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness?},
   url = {http://www.preslia.cz/P122Merunkova.pdf},
   volume = {84},
   year = {2012}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 993058
AU  - Merunková, Kristina - Preislerová, Zdenka - Chytrý, Milan
PY  - 2012
TI  - White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness?
JF  - Preslia
VL  - 84
IS  - 2
SP  - 311-325
EP  - 311-325
PB  - Česká botanická společnost
SN  - 00327786
KW  - Bílé Karpaty
KW  - Czech Republic
KW  - diversity
KW  - dry grassland
KW  - meadow
KW  - nutrients
KW  - productivity
KW  - Slovakia
KW  - soil pH
KW  - vascular plants
KW  - Western Carpathians
UR  - http://www.preslia.cz/P122Merunkova.pdf
N2  - Semi-dry grasslands in the White Carpathian (Bílé Karpaty) Mountains on the Czech-Slovak border are famous for their extremely high species richness. In places they contain more than 130 species of vascular plants per 100m2 and for some plot sizes they holdworld records in the number of vascular plant species, but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here we ask whether the high number of species in these grasslands can be explained by local ecological factors.We compared the White Carpathian grasslands with similar grasslands in adjacent areas in the west (southern Moravia) and the east (InnerWestern Carpathians), which are on average notably poorer in species than those in the White Carpathians. In both of these areas, we sampled grasslands that were among the speciesrichest in the regional context and had a similar physiognomy, species composition and ecology as those in the White Carpathians.We found 75 sites with >70 and >25 species of vascular plants per 100 m2 and 1 m2, respectively, in which we recorded species composition and local environmental conditions, including precipitation, soil depth, soil pH and nutrient concentrations, above-ground biomass production and nutrients in plant biomass. Although the White Carpathian grasslands were considerably richer in species than the richest grasslands in the adjacent regions, there were no differences in the values of the factors studied that could provide an unequivocal explanation of their high species richness. However, the values of the factors studied were within the ranges reported in the literature as conducive to high species richness in temperate grasslands. We conclude that the high species richness recorded in the White Carpathian grasslands cannot be explained by a single factor. It results from a unique combination of regional factors (long history of these grasslands, large size of individual grassland areas and their existence in a landscape mosaic with forests, scrub and small wetlands), local abiotic factors (soil pH, soil nutrient status, moisture regime and resulting grassland productivity that are suitable for many species from the regional species pool) and management (low fertilizer input and mowing once a year in late spring or summer).
ER  -

MERUNKOVÁ, Kristina, Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ and Milan CHYTRÝ. White Carpathian grasslands: can local ecological factors explain their extraordinary species richness? \textit{Preslia}. Praha: Česká botanická společnost, 2012, vol.~84, No~2, p.~311-325. ISSN~0032-7786.

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