Concept of class in the modern phytosociology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32999/ksu1990-553X/2022-18-3-2Keywords:
diagnostic species, EuroVegChecklist, ICPN, Sharpness index, syntaxonomy, Uniqueness index.Abstract
The idea of a syntaxonomic class at the current level of development of the vegetation science has been considered. We analyzed the classical definition of the class provided by J. Braun-Blanquet as well as the criteria of the class, which were mentioned and applied by various authors during the phytosociology development: floristic, ecological, physiognomic, chorological, evolutionary, and applicable. When considering the floristic criterion, we paid attention on the concept of absolute diagnostic species and illustrated existing problems in distinguishing and recognition of some vegetation classes of Ukraine, as well as the problem of class inflation by examples from recently published syntaxonomic surveys of Europe and Ukraine. We developed the modern ideas about the spatial arrangement of phytocenoses and their scale dimensions. The presented review demonstrated that the main approach to distinguishing the vegetation class should remain floristic and sociological. Other criteria can serve as additional arguments when delineation borders in vegetation continuum, checking working hypotheses and making syntaxonomic decisions, especially in cases where the object of research is located in a comprehensive multidimensional space. Ecological, physiognomic, chorological, evolutionary as well as applicable criteria should not play a key role and logically correlate with the floristic criterion. We tried to prove the fallacy of listing Poetea bulbosae and Saginetea maritimae classes for Ukraine based on the analysis of compliance with the main criteria for class recognition. Different approaches to dividing classes into groups according to their quality have been also considered. We assume that over the next decade, increasing the representativeness of phytosociological data for Ukraine and Europe will allow an objective assessment of the quality of vegetation classes using statistical methods.
References
BRAUN-BLANQUET J. (1918). Eine pflanzensoziologische Excursion durchs Unterengadin und in den schweizerischen Nationalpark. Beitr. Geobot. Landsaufn. Schweiz. 4: 1–80.
BRAUN-BLANQUET J. (1928). Pflanzensoziologie. Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde. Springer, Berlin. 330 p. BRAUN-BLANQUET J. (1932). Plant Sociology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 439 pp.
BRUELHEIDE H. (2000). A new measure of fidelity and its application to defining species groupe. J. Veg. Sci. 11: 167–178.
CHYTRÝ M., TICHÝ L., HOLT J., BOTTA–DUKÁT Z. (2002). Determination of diagnostic species with statistical fidelity measures J. Veg. Sci. 13: 79–90.
CHYTRÝ M. (2022). Synthesizing information on European vegetation: where are we now? 30th Conference of the European Vegetation Survey: Plant communities in changing environment. May 9–13, 2022, Slovakia. Plant Science and Biodiversity Center SAS, Bratislava, Hrivnák R. & Slezák M. (eds.) P. 3.
CHYTRÝ M., HENNEKENS S. M., JIMÉNEZ-ALFARO B., KNOLLOVÁ I., DENGLER J., JANSEN F., LANDUCCI F., SCHAMINÉE J. H.J., AĆIĆ S., AGRILLO E., AMBARLI D., ANGELINI P., APOSTOLOVA I., ATTORRE F., BERG C., BERGMEIER E., BIURRUN I., BOTTA-DUKÁT Z., BRISSE H., CAMPOS J. A., CARLÓN L., ČARNI A., CASELLA L., CSIKY J., ĆUŠTEREVSKA R., DAJIĆ STEVANOVIĆ Z., DANIHELKA J., DE BIE E., DE RUFFRAY P., DE SANCTIS M., DICKORÉ W. B., DIMOPOULOS P., DUBYNA D., DZIUBA T., EJRNÆS R., ERMAKOV N., EWALD J., FANELLI G., FERNÁNDEZ-GONZÁLEZ F., FITZPATRICK Ú., FONT X., GARCÍA-MIJANGOS I., GAVILÁN R. G., GOLUB V., GUARINO R., HAVEMAN R., INDREICA A., IŞIK GÜRSOY D., JANDT U., JANSSEN J. A.M., JIROUŠEK M., KĄCKI Z., KAVGACI A., KLEIKAMP M., KOLOMIYCHUK V.Y, KRSTIVOJEVIĆ ĆUK M., KRSTONOŠIĆ D., KUZEMKO A., LENOIR J., LYSENKO T., MARCENÒ C., MARTYNENKO V., MICHALCOVÁ D., ERENSKJOLD MOESLUND J., ONYSHCHENKO V., PEDASHENKO H., PÉREZ-HAASE A., PETERKA T., PROKHOROV V., RAŠOMAVIČIUS V., RODRÍGUEZ-ROJO M. P., RODWELL JOHN S., ROGOVA T., RUPRECHT E., RŪSIŅA S., SEIDLER G., ŠIBÍK J., ŠILC U., ŠKVORC Ž., SOPOTLIEVA D., STANČIĆ Z., SVENNING J.-C., SWACHA G., TSIRIPIDIS I., TURTUREANU P. D., EMIN U., UOGINTAS D., VALACHOVIČ M., VASHENYAK Y., VASSILEV K., VENANZONI R., VIRTANEN R., WEEKES L., WILLNER W., WOHLGEMUTH T. & YAMALOV S. 2016. European Vegetation Archive (EVA): an integrated database of European vegetation plots Applied Vegetation Science 19 173–180. doi: 10.1111/avsc.12191 CHYTRÝ M., TICHÝ L. (2003). Diagnostic, constant and dominant species of vegetation classes and alliances of the Czech Republic: a statistical revision. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis 108: 1–231.
DAVYDOV D.A., DAVYDOVA A.O. (2020). Two new associations for the halophytic vegetation of Ukraine. Chornomors’k. bot. z., 16 (2): 118–134. doi: 10.32999/ksu1990– 553X/2020– 16–2–2. (in Ukrainian)
DENGLER J., CHYTRÝ M., EWALD J. (2008). Phytosociology. In: Jørgensen S.E. & Fath B.D. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Ecology. Vol. 4. General Ecology: 2767–2779. Oxford: Elsevier.
DIDUKH Ya. P., KOROTCHENKO, I. A. (1996). Steppe vegetation of the south part of Left-Bank forest-steppe of Ukraine. I. Festucetea vaginatae and Helianthemo-Thymetea classes) Ukr. Phytosociol. Col. Ser. A, 2: 56–63. (in Ukrainian)
DIDUKH Ya.P. (2011). The ecological scales for the species of Ukrainian flora and their use in synphytoindication. Kyiv: Phytosociocentre. 176 p.
DIDUKH Y., CHUSOVA O., DEMINA O. (2018). Syntaxonomy of chalk outcrop vegetation of the order Thymo cretacei-Hyssopetalia cretacei. Hacquetia, 17 (1): 85–109. doi: 10.1515/hacq-2017-0013.
DIDUKH YA.P., BORSUKEVYCH A.O., DAVYDOVA A.O., DZIUBA T.P., DUBYNA D.V., IEMELIANOVA S.M., KUZEMKO A.A., KOLOMIYCHUK V.P., KUCHER O.O., KHODOSOVTSEV O.E., PASHKEVYCH N.A., MOYSIYENKO I.I., FITSAILO T.V., TSARENKO P.M. (2020). Biotopes of Steppe zone of Ukraine. Kyiv: DrukArt, 392 p. (in Ukrainian)
DIDUKH YA.P., BUDZHAK V.V. (2020). A program for automating the process of calculating indicator values of environmental factors: methodical recommendations. Chernivtsi: Yu. Fedkovych ChNU, 40 p. (in Ukrainian)
DUBYNA D., NEUHÄUSLOVA Z., DZUBA T., SHELYAG-SOSONKO YU. (2004). Classification and Prodrome of vegetation of reservoirs, floodlands and arenas of the Northern Black Sea region. Kyiv: Phytosociocentre, 200 p. (in Ukrainian)
DUBYNA D.V., DZUBA T.P., ІEMELIANOVA S.M., BAGRYCOVA N.O., BORYSOVA O.V., BORSYKEVYCH L.M., VYNOKUROV D.S., GAPON S.V., GAPON YU.V., DAVYDOV D.A., DVORETSKYI T.V., DIDUKH YA.P., ZHMUD O.I., KOZUR M.S., KONISHCHUK V.V., KUZEMKO A.A., PASHKEVYCH N.A., RYFF L.E., SOLOMAKHA V.A., FELBABA-KLUSHYNA L.M., FITSAYLO T.V., CHORNA H.A., CHORNEY I.I., SHELYAG-SOSONKO YU.R., IAKUSHENKO D.M. (2019). Prodrome of the Vegetation of Ukraine. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 782 p. (in Ukrainian)
EURO+MED (2006–2020). Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. URL: https://www.europlusmed.org/ [18/08/2022] GOMLYA L.M. (2005). Vegetation of the Khorol River valley. Ukr. Phytosociol. Col. Ser. A, 1 (22): 1–187. (in Ukrainian) IEMELIANOVA S.M., KUZEMKO A.A. (2017). National phytosociological database of Ukraine (UKRVEG): the relevance of creation and problems of development. Classification of vegetation and habitats of Ukraine as a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation: the Second Ukrainian Scientific-theoretical Conference proceedings (Kyiv, 14–15th of March, 2016). Kyiv, 2017. pp. 24-37. (in Ukrainian)
KHODOSOVTSEV A.YE., BOIKO M.F., NADEINA O.V., KHODOSOVTSEVA YU.A. (2011). Lichen and bryophyte associations on the lower Dnieper sand dunes: syntaxonomy and weathering indication. Chornomors’k. bot. z., 7 (1): 44–66. (in Ukrainian)
KHODOSOVTSEV A.YE., DARMOSTUK V.V., DIDUKH Y.P., PYLYPENKO I.O. (2019). Verrucario viridulae-Staurotheletum hymenogoniae, a new calcicolous lichen community as a component of petrophytic grassland habitats in the Northern Black Sea region. Mediterranean Botany 40 (1): 21–32. doi:10.5209/MBOT.62891 KOČÍ M., CHYTRÝ M., TICHÝ L. (2003). Formalized reproduction of an expert– based phytosociological classification: A case study of subalpine tall-forb vegetation. Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 601–610. doi: 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2003.tb02187.x
KONDRATYUK S.YA., POPOVA L.P., KHODOSOVTSEV A.YE., LŐKÖS L., FEDORENKO N.M., KAPETS N.V. (2021a). The fourth checklist of Ukrainian Lichen– forming and lichenicolous fungi with analysis of current additions. Acta Botan. Hung., 63 (1–2): 97–163. doi: 10.1556/abot.56.2014.3-4.11
KUZEMKO A. (2009). Dry grasslands on sandy soils in the forest and forest– steppe zones of the plains region of Ukraine: present state of syntaxonomy. Tuexenia. 29: 369–390.
KUZEMKO A., BEZRODNOVA O., SAVCHENKO G., RONKIN V., VALIUK V., TSYMBALIUK V. (2018). Syntaxonomy and scale-dependent species diversity of plant communities on chalk outcrops in the Kharkiv region (Ukraine). Palaeartic grasslands 37: 14–25. doi:10.21570/edgg.pg.37.14–25.
KUZEMKO A.A. (2011). Concept of association in a modern phytosociology. Chornomors’k. bot. z, 7 (3): 215–229. (in Ukrainian)
KUZEMKO A.A. (2012). Retrospective analysis of the meadow vegetation genesis in the Forest and Forest-Steppe zones of the plain part of Ukraine. Autochthonous and alien plants 8: 24–34. (in Ukrainian)
LOIDI J. (2020). The concept of vegetation class and order in phytosociological syntaxonomy. Vegetation Classification and Survey 1: 163–167 doi: 10.3897/VCS/2020/59977
MEUSEL H., JÄGER E., WEINERT E. (1965). Vergleichen de Chorologie der zentraleuropäischen Flora. Jena: Fisch, Bd.1–2.
MUCINA L., BÜLTMANN H., DIERßEN K., THEURILLAT J.–P., RAUS T., ČARNI A., ŠUMBEROVÁ K., WILLNER W., DENGLER J., GAVILÁN GARCÍA R., CHYTRÝ M., HÁJEK M., DI PIETRO R., IAKUSHENKO D., PALLAS J., DANIËLS F.J.A., BERGMEIER E., SANTOS GUERRA A., ERMAKOV N., VALACHOVIČ M., SCHAMINÉE J.H.J., LYSENKO T., DIDUKH Y.P., PIGNATTI S., RODWELL J.S., CAPELO J., WEBER H.E., SOLOMESHCH A., DIMOPOULOS P., AGUIAR C., HENNEKENS S.M., TICHÝ L. (2016). Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. Applied Vegetation Science, 19 (1): 3–264. doi:10.1111/avsc.12257.
PIGNATTI S., OBERDORFER E., SCHAMINÉE J.H.J., WESTHOFF V. (1995). On the concept of vegetation class in phytosociology. Journal of Vegetation Science 6: 143–152. doi:10.2307/3236265.
PLENK K, WILLNER W, DEMINA ON, HÖHN M, KUZEMKO A, VASSILEV K, KROPF M (2020). Phylogeographic evidence for long-term persistence of the Eurasian steppe plant Astragalus onobrychis in the Pannonian region (eastern Central Europe). Flora 264: 151555. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2020.151555
POLISHKO O.D. (2005). Syntaxonomy of vegetation of the pinery terrace area of the Dnieper (Chyhyryn forestry, Chercassy region. In: Didukh, Ya. P. [Ed.]: Actual Problems of Botany and Ecology. Coll. Sci. Works 1: 163–176. (in Ukrainian)
RED data book of Ukraine. Plant kingdom (2009). Didukh Ya.P. (ed). Kyiv: Globalkonsalting, 912 p. (in Ukrainian).
RODWELL J.S., SCHAMINÉE J.H.J., MUCINA L., PIGNATTI S., DRING J., MOSS D. (2002). The diversity of European vegetation – An overview of phytosociological alliances and their relationships to EUNIS habitats. Wageningen: National Reference Centre for Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries [Report no. EC– LNV 2002(054)], 167 p.
SCHEVCHYK V. L., POLISHKO O. D. (2000). Syntaxonomy of pinery terrace vegetation (Liplavo forestry of Cherkassy region). Ukr. Phytosociol. Col., Ser. A 1(16): 67–89. (in Ukrainian)
SHEVCHYK V. L., Solomakha V.A., Voityuk Yu.O. (1996). The Syntaxonomy of vegetation and list of the flora of Kaniv Natural Reserve. Ukr. Phytosociol. Col., Ser. B, 1: 120 p. (in Ukrainian) SHEVCHYK V.L., SOLOMAKHA I.V., SOLOMAKHA V.A. (2018). Syntaxonomy of heliophylous ephemeroids and winter ephemera plant groups of seasonal (early spring) vegetation on the Dnipro Forest-Steppe (Ukraine). Chornomors’k. bot. z., 14 (2): 130–140. doi: 10.14255/2308-9628/18.142/3 (in Ukrainian)
SOLOMAKHA I.V., VOROBYOV YE.O., MOYSIYENKO I.I. (2015). Plant cover of forests and shrubs of the Black Sea Region. Kyiv, Phytosociocentre, 387 p. (in Ukrainian)
SOÓ R. (1947). Revue systématique des associations végétales des environs de Kolozsvár (respectivement de la Mezőség et de la région de la Szamos, en Transylvanie). Acta Geobot. Hung. 6/1: 1–50.
SZAFER W. PAWLOWSKI, B. (1927). Die Pflanzenassoziationen des Tatra-Gebirges. A. Bemerkungen über die angewandte Arbeitstechnik. In: Die Pflanzen-assoziationen des Tatra-Gebirges. III., IV. und V. Teil. Bull. Int. Szafer, W., Kulczynski, B., Pawlowski, B., Stecki, K. & Sokolowski, A.W. (eds.). Acad. Polon. Sci. Lettres B 3, Suppl. 2. S. 1–12. THEURILLAT J., WILLNER W., FERNÁNDEZ-GONZÁLEZ F., BÜLTMANN H., ČARNI A., GIGANTE D., MUCINA L., WEBER H. (2020). International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 4th edition, Applied Vegetation Science. Edited by M. Chytrý, avsc.12491. doi: 10.1111/avsc.12491. TICHÝ L., CHYTRÝ M., LANDUCCI F. (2019). GRIMP: A machine-learning method for improving groups of discriminating species in expert systems for vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science 30: 5–17. doi: 10.1111/jvs.12696.
VICHEREK J. (1972). Die Sandpflanzengesellschaften des unteren und mittleren Dnieprstromgebietes (die Ukraine). Folia Geobot. Phytotaxon., 7: 9–46.
WEBER H.E., MORAVEC J., THEURILLAT J.-P. (2000). International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 3rd edition. Journal of Vegetation Science 11: 739–768.
WILLNER W. (2020). What is an alliance? Vegetaion Classification and Survey, 1: 139–144. doi: 10.3897/VCS/2020/56372
WILLNER W., MOSER D., PLENK K., AĆIĆ S., DEMINA O. N., HÖHN M., KUZEMKO A., ROLEČEK J., VASSILEV K., VYNOKUROV D., & KROPF M. (2021). Long-term continuity of steppe grasslands in eastern Central Europe: Evidence from species distribution patterns and chloroplast haplotypes. Journal of Biogeography, 48 (12), 3104–3117. doi:10.1111/jbi.14269
ZAITSEV Yu.P. (1971). Marine neustonology. Washington: Springfield. 207 p. ZAITSEV Yu.P. (2015). Аbout the contour structure of the hydrosphere. Hydrobiological journal, 51(1): 3–27. (in Russian)
