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Identification of phytogeographical borders using grassland vegetation data

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Abstract

The paper proposes a methodology of phytogeographical regionalisation using grassland vegetation data. The research area is located in the West Carpathians, in volcanic field with adjacent post-tectonic basins and valleys in the Central Slovakia. The applied techniques were variogram modelling, ordinary kriging and lattice wombling. Phi coefficient was used to determine the diagnostic species of proposed phytochoria (fidelity test). The 1978 unevenly distributed grassland polygons that comprised 1071 taxa of vascular plants were the subject of the analyses. Ecological indicator values for temperature (EITs), weighted by species coverage in the Tansley scale in each grassland polygon, were used for the modelling. The gradients in the surface of the indicator value produced by ordinary kriging were analyzed. The steepest gradients indicate the most radical changes in floristic composition typical of border locations.

The steepest gradient divides the study area into main cold and main warm regions. Less intensive gradients determined the position of 15 subdistricts. Subsequently, 7 out of 15 subdistricts were merged on the basis of similar natural conditions and floristic composition into 3 districts.

Ten, mostly thermophilous, diagnostic species were determined for the main warm region. Fourteen, mostly psychrophilous, diagnostic species were determined for the main cold region. Subsequently, diagnostic species were determined for districts. High number of diagnostic species (57) characterize the Pol’ana Mts district. Eleven diagnostic species were determined for the Zvolenská kotlina basin district. The Javorie and Ostrôžy Mts district was very poorly diferentiated with 3 diagnostic species.

Such evaluation suggests that proposed methodology allowed for the identification of phytochoria with specific floristic composition. The obtained results are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Science, Matej Bel Univesity, Tajovského 40, SK-97401, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

    Ingrid Turisová

  2. National Forest Centre — Forest Research Institute, T. G. Masaryka 22, SK-96062, Zvolen, Slovakia

    Tomáš Hlásny

  3. Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, CZ-16521, Prague 6 — Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Hlásny

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  1. Ingrid Turisová
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  2. Tomáš Hlásny
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Correspondence to Ingrid Turisová.

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Turisová, I., Hlásny, T. Identification of phytogeographical borders using grassland vegetation data. Biologia 65, 630–638 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-010-0054-2

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