Geographical differentiation of the floristic composition and structure of the herb layer of forest permanent plots in East Germany, Poland, and Belarus

Abstract

The influences of a geographical location on floristic composition, horizontal structure, and biomass of the herb layer in pine and mixed pine forest communities along climatic and pollution gradients in East Germany, Poland, and Belarus were determined. Phytosociological records were collected in permanent plots in May 1995. Each record covered an area of 400 m². The floristic composition of the study area provided the basis for the determination of the phytosociological differentiation of the plots along the transect. Similarity index between plots was calculated by using the Czekanowski index; a similarity dendrogram was constructed according to Ward's method. Biomass was determined in six 0.1 m² replications sampled in each permanent plot. All of the identified study areas were representative of the Dicrano-Pinion alliance and included two communities of pine forest (Peucedano-Pinetum and Leucobryo-Pinetum) as well as the community of mixed pine forest (Querco roboris-Pinetum). On the basis of similarity indices, two geographical groups of plots were distinguished: suboceanic and subcontinental. Geographical differentiation of the stands is related to the presence of the groups of species of different geographical distribution type. For the western part of the transect, characteristic species are Deschampsia flexuosa and Leucobryum glaucum. Central and eastern parts are characterized by the presence of the following species: Melampyrum pratense, Luzula pilosa, Veronica officinalis, Lycopodium clavatum, Peucedanum oreoselinum and Scorzonera humilis. On the stands located on the easternmost part of the transect (Belarus) frequent species are: Pirola chlorantha, Chimaphila umbellata, Koeleria pyramidata and Hypochoeris maculata. The ground flora of the identified areas was not uniform; rather it was characterized by a mosaic of sparse populations of plants. In general, three types of these systems can be distinguished: one is dominated by a cover of mosses, the second is dominated by dwarfshrubs, and the third by species of grass. The ground cover biomass on the west-east transect ranged from 49 to 544 g/sq. m, but for pine forests the correlation between geographical longitude of the stand and biomass of mosses (corr. coeff. 0.701) and total biomass of the ground cover (corr. coeff. 0.779) was statistically significant.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the International Symposium on Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems

Citation

Roo-Zielinska, Ewa; Solon, Jerzy. 1998. Geographical differentiation of the floristic composition and structure of the herb layer of forest permanent plots in East Germany, Poland, and Belarus. In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., tech. coords. Proceedings of the international symposium on air pollution and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 151-160