engleski

Plant functional trait responses to secondary succession in N Croatia

In recent decades there is a common problem of land-use change in Croatia and Europe. A decline in traditional agricultural practices leads to the abandonment of agricultural land which leaves many of landscape areas exposed to the natural succession. The successional processes and their impact on biodiversity of inland was explored using plant functional traits at the level of three series classified according to their different habitats and environmental factors, which significantly alter during the progression of succession. Plant functional traits show a great correlation to the successional stages and are highly correlated to the successional pathway. A significant decrease of hemicryptophytes and an increase of macrophanerophytes was noticed during the succession progress. Also a significantly increased in European floristic elements at the expense of Eurasian and cosmopolitan plants has been observed. In the later stages of succession species begin to flower earlier and have a shorter flowering duration. It also leads to a significant increase in pluriennial and decrease in annual and biennial plants. Earlier stages are characterized by a greater proportion of plants with scleromorphic type of leafsand heavier diaspore and germinule weightin contrast to the later stages in which mostly plants with mesomorphic leaf anatomy type and smaller diaspore weight are dominant. Secondary succession causes major changes in species composition, structural characteristics and functional features of plants and habitats on which they grow. The aim of new insights on floristic, structural and functional changes in the succession process is to serve as useful guidelines for effective management planning of such habitats in Croatia and beyond.

plant functional traits; secondary succession

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