Naslov
Different paths of plant biodiversity change on Mediterranean and inland grasslands in Croatia

Autori
Alegro, Antun ; Šegota, Vedran ; Sedlar, Zorana ; Hruševar, Dario

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Book of abstracts of the 21st Workshop European Vegetation Survey / Willner, Wolfgang - Beč : IAVS ; University of Vienna ; VINCA, 2012, 7-7

Skup
Workshop European Vegetation Survey (21 ; 2012)

Mjesto i datum
Beč, Austrija, 24.05.2012. - 27.05.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Thero-Brachypodietea; Borometalia; Arrhenatheretalia; succesion; Island of Molat; Mt Medvednica

Sažetak
Grasslands in Croatia are mainly seminatural, anthropogenic maintained habitats traditionally used as pastures and hay meadows. Change in lifestyles and economy during last several decades have caused abandonment of traditional cattle- breeding and agriculture resulting in change of grassland habitats and their succession to the climazonal forest vegetation or some shrubbery permanent stages. To trace changes in plant biodiversity grasslands belonging to different climatic and altitudinal belts of Croatia have been studied. Eumediterranean belt of evergreen vegetation (alliance Quercion ilicis) was represented by the island of Molat (Dalmatia), while southern slopes of the Mt. Velebit and an area in the hinterland of the town Šibenik (Dalmatia) were chosen as representatives of different altitudinal belts of submediterranean deciduous vegetation (alliances Quercion pubescentis and Fagion sylvaticae). Inland continental belts (alliances Erythronio – Carpinion and Fagion sylvaticae) were represented by the Medvednica Mt. Eumediterranean belt of evergreen vegetation has the largest loss of biodiversity caused by succession of grassland vegetation toward macchias. Ratio of species richness on grasslands and closed maquis is app. 6:1, with almost complete loss of herbaceous species, especially therophytes. The real loss of biodiversity is even larger when it is considered that majority of endemic species are herbaceous ones of the open habitats. On the other hand, early successional stages in inland area have higher biodiversity than maintained grasslands due to longer persistence of grassland species during the colonisation of high herbs when species richness can increase even for one third. However, many of these species are allochthonous and invasive, physiognomy is changed, so this diversity increase leads to habitat degradation. In following stages shrubs occur causing stronger change of plant composition and decrease of biodiversity. In the vegetation belts of submediterranean deciduous zone, both paths occur depending on coloniser species, altitude and other ecological factors. Generally, in comparison to the eumediterranean belt the process does not result in so dense and dark shrublands, allowing maintenance of larger number of species, but the general physiognomy of landscape is strongly changed. On the whole, successions and habitat changes leading to the grassland loss are one of the main traits of present vegetation dynamics on the territory of Croatia.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA