High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern
Russian Altai, southern Siberia

J 2012

High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia

CHYTRÝ, Milan, Nikolai ERMAKOV, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK, Petra HÁJKOVÁ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia

Authors

CHYTRÝ, Milan (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Nikolai ERMAKOV (643 Russian Federation), Jiří DANIHELKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Michal HÁJEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Petra HÁJKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Michal HORSÁK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Martin KOČÍ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Svatava KUBEŠOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Pavel LUSTYK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Barbora PELÁNKOVÁ (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution), Milan VALACHOVIČ (703 Slovakia) and David ZELENÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Journal of Vegetation Science, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, 1100-9233

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.818

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/12:00057611

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x

UT WoS

000305959600001

Keywords in English

Alpha diversity; Betula pendula; Biodiversity; Forest-steppe; Herb layer; Pinus sylvestris; Vascular plants; Woodland

Abstract

V originále

Questions We discovered forests with very high local numbers of vascular plant species in southern Siberia. Are these the most species-rich forests of the Eurasian boreal and temperate zones, and which factors cause such high species richness? Location Altai Mountains in southern Siberia, Altai Republic, Russia. Methods We sampled vegetation and measured environmental variables across the Altai Mountains in plots of 100 m2 and established series of nested plots of the size from 1 to 1000 m2 at sites with the highest species richness. We compared the richest forests with other forests of the Altai and with literature records of species-rich vegetation types from elsewhere. Results The richest forests contained 45 vascular plant species per 1 m2, 82 per 10 m2, 114 per 100 m2 and 149 per 1000 m2. They are open hemiboreal forests dominated by Pinus sylvestris, with an admixture of Betula pendula, and sparse shrub and moss layers. About 95% of their vascular plant species are in the herb layer. All species are native. These forests occur in a forest-steppe landscape of the northern Altai, where the mean January temperature is between –12.5 and –10 degrees C, mean July temperature is 16–18 degrees C, and total annual precipitation is 560–610 mm. Soils are deep and mesic, with a pH of 6.2–6.4. Conclusions Hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai are probably the most species-rich forests in boreal and temperate Eurasia. Such a high concentration of many species in small plots probably results from the incidental combination of several factors conducive to high species richness. These factors include the rich regional flora of the Altai Mountains, stability of the environment of this region since the Pleistocene, heterogeneity of the mountainous forest-steppe landscape with a combination of forested areas on north-facing slopes and steppes on south-facing ones, an open canopy that ameliorates microclimate conditions but does not exclude light-demanding species through strong shading, a macroclimate that is not too harsh, mesic soils with near-neutral pH, and limited competition within the herb layer.

Links

GAP504/11/0454, research and development project

Name: Změny biodiverzity na přechodu pleistocénu a holocénu: současné analogie v reliktních ekosystémech Sibiře

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

CHYTRÝ, Milan, Nikolai ERMAKOV, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK, Petra HÁJKOVÁ, Michal HORSÁK, Martin KOČÍ, Svatava KUBEŠOVÁ, Pavel LUSTYK, Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ, Barbora PELÁNKOVÁ, Milan VALACHOVIČ and David ZELENÝ. High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia. Journal of Vegetation Science. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, vol. 23, No 4, p. 605-616. ISSN 1100-9233. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x.

@article{993059,
   author = {Chytrý, Milan and Ermakov, Nikolai and Danihelka, Jiří and Hájek, Michal and Hájková, Petra and Horsák, Michal and Kočí, Martin and Kubešová, Svatava and Lustyk, Pavel and Preislerová, Zdenka and Pelánková, Barbora and Valachovič, Milan and Zelený, David},
   article_number = {4},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x},
   keywords = {Alpha diversity; Betula pendula; Biodiversity; Forest-steppe; Herb layer; Pinus sylvestris; Vascular plants; Woodland},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1100-9233},
   journal = {Journal of Vegetation Science},
   title = {High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia},
   url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x/abstract},
   volume = {23},
   year = {2012}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 993059
AU  - Chytrý, Milan - Ermakov, Nikolai - Danihelka, Jiří - Hájek, Michal - Hájková, Petra - Horsák, Michal - Kočí, Martin - Kubešová, Svatava - Lustyk, Pavel - Preislerová, Zdenka - Pelánková, Barbora - Valachovič, Milan - Zelený, David
PY  - 2012
TI  - High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia
JF  - Journal of Vegetation Science
VL  - 23
IS  - 4
SP  - 605-616
EP  - 605-616
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
SN  - 11009233
KW  - Alpha diversity
KW  - Betula pendula
KW  - Biodiversity
KW  - Forest-steppe
KW  - Herb layer
KW  - Pinus sylvestris
KW  - Vascular plants
KW  - Woodland
UR  - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x/abstract
L2  - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x/abstract
N2  - Questions We discovered forests with very high local numbers of vascular plant species in southern Siberia. Are these the most species-rich forests of the Eurasian boreal and temperate zones, and which factors cause such high species richness? Location Altai Mountains in southern Siberia, Altai Republic, Russia. Methods We sampled vegetation and measured environmental variables across the Altai Mountains in plots of 100 m2 and established series of nested plots of the size from 1 to 1000 m2 at sites with the highest species richness. We compared the richest forests with other forests of the Altai and with literature records of species-rich vegetation types from elsewhere. Results The richest forests contained 45 vascular plant species per 1 m2, 82 per 10 m2, 114 per 100 m2 and 149 per 1000 m2. They are open hemiboreal forests dominated by Pinus sylvestris, with an admixture of Betula pendula, and sparse shrub and moss layers. About 95% of their vascular plant species are in the herb layer. All species are native. These forests occur in a forest-steppe landscape of the northern Altai, where the mean January temperature is between –12.5 and –10 degrees C, mean July temperature is 16–18 degrees C, and total annual precipitation is 560–610 mm. Soils are deep and mesic, with a pH of 6.2–6.4. Conclusions Hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai are probably the most species-rich forests in boreal and temperate Eurasia. Such a high concentration of many species in small plots probably results from the incidental combination of several factors conducive to high species richness. These factors include the rich regional flora of the Altai Mountains, stability of the environment of this region since the Pleistocene, heterogeneity of the mountainous forest-steppe landscape with a combination of forested areas on north-facing slopes and steppes on south-facing ones, an open canopy that ameliorates microclimate conditions but does not exclude light-demanding species through strong shading, a macroclimate that is not too harsh, mesic soils with near-neutral pH, and limited competition within the herb layer.
ER  -

CHYTRÝ, Milan, Nikolai ERMAKOV, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK, Petra HÁJKOVÁ, Michal HORSÁK, Martin KOČÍ, Svatava KUBEŠOVÁ, Pavel LUSTYK, Zdenka PREISLEROVÁ, Barbora PELÁNKOVÁ, Milan VALACHOVIČ and David ZELENÝ. High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia. \textit{Journal of Vegetation Science}. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, vol.~23, No~4, p.~605-616. ISSN~1100-9233. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01383.x.

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