Preslia
Copyright © Czech Botanical Society
Abstracts of volume 86, 2014
Roleček J., Čornej I. I. & Tokarjuk A. I. (2014):
Understanding the extreme species richness of semi-dry grasslands in
east-central Europe: a comparative approach. – Preslia 86: 13–34.
East-central European semi-dry grasslands hold several world records in
small-scale vascular plant species richness. However, the reasons for the
peculiarity of these grasslands are not well known, which hinders a better
understanding of the mechanisms of species coexistence. We suggest that one of
the reasons for this gap in our knowledge is the lack of basic information on
the geographical distribution of these grasslands, their species richness,
species composition and site conditions. Here we report new sites of extremely
species-rich semi-dry grasslands in the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians
in the south-western Ukraine. Using comparison with other sites with extremely
species- rich semi-dry grasslands in the peri-Carpathian region and beyond, we
show that these grasslands share many important features, including similar
species composition, occurrence of species with disjunct distributions, site
conditions, landscape context, long history of human influence and traditional
management practice. Based on these findings, we suggest that continuity on a
large (Pleistocene-Holocene) time scale and regularly practiced management
that reduces the asymmetry in competition (typically mowing and absence of
fertilizer application) may be the crucial factors responsible for the
extremely high local species richness in east-central European semi-dry
grasslands. We also suggest that this richness largely originates from an
ancient pool of species of Eurasian forest-steppe and hemiboreal forests.
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Šilc U., Lososová Z. & Vrbničanin S. (2014):
Weeds shift from generalist to specialist: narrowing of ecological
niches along a north-south gradient. – Preslia 86: 35–46.
There are changes in the realized niches of species along environmental
gradients, especially at the edge of their distribution where they become more
specialized. A classical case is weeds of the Caucalidion alliance that
spread with agriculture from the Fertile Crescent and thrive in a wide range of
climates that differ from that prevailing in their native area. We used large
data sets of vegetation collected in central Europe (3383 plots) and
north-western Balkans (4505 plots) and used a co-occurrence species algorithm
to calculate the specialist/generalist status of weed species. The change in
the width of the ecological niches was tested using target species. Our
assumptions were confirmed as the same characteristic species of Caucalidion
weed vegetation in the north-western Balkans are more specialized in central
Europe, where they occupy more basic habitats that vary less in terms of soil
reaction. Testing niche theory using real data is especially important for
nature conservation because specialists are more prone to decline in abundance
or to go extinct.
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Purger D., Lengyel A., Kevey B., Lendvai G., Horváth A., Tomić Z. & Csiky J. (2014):
Numerical classification of oak forests on loess in Hungary, Croatia and Serbia. – Preslia 86: 47–66.
Oak forests on loess are floristically one of the richest types of
broadleaved forests and are among the most threatened types of natural
habitats in the Carpathian Basin. They are classified in several communities
in Hungary, Croatia and Serbia. These syntaxa are distinguished mostly on the
basis of traditional phytosociological methods without comparison across a
larger geographical scale. The recognition of some of these local syntaxa in
the field, therefore, can be difficult, and the application of their names to
communities in other areas may be questionable. The goal of this study was to
develop an international typology for oak forests on loess based on a numerical
analysis. A data set of 437 phytosociological relevés (stands of 12
associations from three countries) was stratified and 270 relevés were
analysed using multivariate statistical methods. Six types were distinguished:
Primula vulgaris type (xero-mesic to mesic sub-Mediterranean closed-canopy
oak forests); Ruscus aculeatus type (xeric to xero-mesic
sub-Mediterranean type); Vinca herbacea type (xeric continental
open-canopy woodlands); Pulmonaria mollis type (xeric to mesic
continental closed-canopy forests); Corydalis cava type (mesic
closed-canopy oak forests in nutrient-rich habitats); and Stellaria
media type (xeric to mesic oak forests in nutrient-rich habitats). The
vegetation types identified are related to syntaxa traditionally recognized by
phytosociologists. Our analysis did not support the distinction of some
associations with local distributions. The geographical distributions of the
two main forest types exhibited a gradient-like pattern in a
north-east–south-west direction. The dry continental forest steppe woodland
is mainly distributed in the north-eastern part of Hungary, whereas the
xero-mesic sub-Mediterranean forests are restricted to the southwestern and
southern part of our study area. This pattern corresponds to a climatic
gradient from the North Hungarian Mts to north-eastern Croatia and northern
Serbia.
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Otisková V., Koutecký T., Kolář F. & Koutecký P. (2014):
Occurrence and habitat preferences of diploid and tetraploid
cytotypes of Centaurea stoebe in the Czech Republic. – Preslia 86: 67–80.
Two ecologically and phenotypically distinct cytotypes, a diploid and
tetraploid, are known in Centaurea stoebe. Diploids are widespread
throughout Europe and occur mainly in semi-natural habitats (dry grasslands,
rocky ledges, etc.). Tetraploids are probably native in south-eastern Europe
and spreading in central and western Europe, where they frequently occur in
man-made habitats (roads and railways, stone quarries, etc.). Tetraploids
occur also in North America, where they rank among the most noxious invasive
plants. Despite good knowledge on various life history traits and the
invasiveness of tetraploids, detailed information on the distribution of
cytotypes in its native range in Europe is still fragmentary and there is no
karyological data on C. stoebe occurring in the Czech Republic. Using
flow cytometric screening of 119 populations, we report for the first time the
occurrence of both cytotypes in the Czech Republic and describe their habitat
preferences. Diploids (94 localities) were more frequent than tetraploids (25
localities). Habitat preferences of the cytotypes confirmed the situation
reported from other parts of central and western Europe: diploids markedly
prevail in semi-natural habitats whereas tetraploids occupy mainly man-made
habitats. The C. stoebe cytotypes can be distinguished as distinct
subspecies and should be added to the current list of the Czech flora.
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Hašler P., Dvořák P. & Poulíčková A. (2014):
A new genus of filamentous epipelic cyanobacteria, Johansenia. – Preslia 86: 81–94.
The cyanobacterial genus Komvophoron frequently inhabits sediments
in stagnant freshwater among which K. hindakii and K. constrictum
dominate. However, morphological heterogeneity within populations of
K. constrictum necessitated a closer examination of this species’
taxonomic position. Based on Szafer’s (1910) concept, Oscillatoria constricta,
later transferred to K. constrictum, is an oscillatorean cyanobacterium
and does not form heterocytes. However, Geitler (1925) considers this species
to be a member of the genus Anabaena due to the presence of heterocytes
in some populations. We studied natural and cultured populations using
morphological and molecular characters (e.g. the 16S rRNA gene and ITS region)
and found that the genus Komvophoron is polyphyletic. Thus, we
establish a new genus Johansenia gen. nov. based on Szafer’s original
concept of Oscillatoria constricta. While Johansenia is
phylogenetically related to the genera Spirulina and Geitlerinema
(BBD strains), members of the genus Komvophoron (K. hindakii,
K. kgarii) are related to members of the family Gomontiellaceae.
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Vít P., Wolfová K., Urfus T., Tájek P. & Suda J. (2014):
Interspecific hybridization between rare and common plant congeners
inferred from genome size data: assessing the threat to the Czech
serpentine endemic Cerastium alsinifolium. – Preslia 86: 95–117.
Cerastium alsinifolium Tausch (Caryophyllaceae) is an
endemic species restricted to serpentine sites in the Slavkovský les Mts
(western Bohemia) in the Czech Republic. Interspecific hybridization with
sympatric C. arvense L. has long been suspected due to the substantial
and continuous morphological variation observed in the field but it has never
been reliably confirmed. Although both parental species share the same number
of somatic chromosomes they differ considerably in the size of their monoploid
nuclear genomes (~1.5-fold), which makes it easy to identify the species. Flow
cytometric investigation of more than 2200 Cerastium samples revealed
five distinct genome size categories, corresponding to the two parental
species and three types of interspecific hybrids (originating via both reduced
and unreduced gametes). F1 interspecific hybrids were very common (nearly 40%
of the samples analysed from the Slavkovský les Mts), which indicates the
barriers to breeding between the parental species are weak. However, no
backcrosses were indicated by the genome size data. In contrast to a widely
held view that C. alsinifolium mostly occurs on open serpentine
outcrops, this habitat was dominated by interspecific hybrids. The endemic
species occurred mainly in moist and (semi-)shaded sites, including springs in
spruce forest clearings, seeps and wet margins of forest roads. Multivariate
morphometrics revealed that the shape and size of cauline leaves, development
of sterile axillary shoots, bract characteristics, and lengths of calyx,
petals and anthers are diagnostic for the groups investigated. While the
determination of C. arvense usually poses few problems, distinguishing
C. alsinifolium from interspecific hybrids on the basis of morphological
characters is much more challenging; reduced pollen fertility of hybrids
provides the most important clue. Our results indicate that effective
conservation of this important component of the Czech flora will require more
emphasis on the conservation of forest sites that host core populations of
C. alsinifolium.
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Prach K., Jírová A. & Doležal J. (2014):
Pattern of succession in old-field vegetation at a regional scale. – Preslia 86: 119–130.
In contrast to the many detailed studies on succession conducted at local
scales, there is still a lack of studies on succession at broad geographical
scales. In this paper the following questions are addressed: Which of the
components of seral old-field vegetation are associated with environmental
factors at a broad geographical scale? To what extent do target (typical of
natural and semi-natural vegetation), non-target (alien and synanthropic) and
endangered species participate in the succession and on which factors is their
participation dependent? Altogether 282 phytosociological relevés were
recorded in old fields located in various parts of the country. The fields
were from 1 to 91 years old. The following environmental characteristics were
determined for each old field: altitude, phytogeographic region, soil moisture
(dry,mesic, wet) and bedrock (basic, acidic). Species were classified based on
the extent to which they are endangered, origin (natives, archaeophytes,
neophytes) and affiliation with vegetation units. Vegetation data were analysed
using multivariate statistics, generalized linear mixed models and regression
trees. The results indicate that all the environmental characteristics had at
least a slightly significant effect on the species composition of the
different seral stages. Succession clearly differed in the three subseres and
depended on soil moisture. The number of target species typical of deciduous
woodland, dry grasslands and fringe communities increased during succession.
In contrast, the number of archaeophytes, neophytes and synanthropic species
decreased with field age. More endangered and target species and fewer
archaeophytes, neophytes and synanthropic species occurred in warmer lowland
than in colder upland areas. The number of endangered, target and the total
number of species decreased with soil moisture, while the number of neophytes
and synanthropic species increased. The number of target species typical of
dry grasslands decreased with altitude while that of synanthropic species
increased. The age of old fields and soil moisture appeared to be the most
important drivers of succession at a broad geographical scale. In addition to
local site factors, climate represented by altitude and reflected also in
biogeographical regions modified the course of succession. Succession was
clearly divergent.
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Kabátová K., Vít P. & Suda J. (2014):
Species boundaries and hybridization in central-European Nymphaea
species inferred from genome size and morphometric data. – Preslia 86: 131–154.
Aquatic plants often pose considerable taxonomic problems. The genus
Nymphaea (water lily) in central Europe is a good example of this in that
their morphological similarity blurs the boundaries between species, which in
addition are highly phenotypically plastic and possibly hybridize. The
situation is further complicated by the occurrence of many garden cultivars.
We used DNA flow cytometry and multivariate morphometrics (both distance-based
and geometric) to obtain an insight into their phenotypic variation, identify
taxon-specific characters and assess the frequency of hybridization in water
lilies collected from 72 localities in the Czech Republic. For comparative
purposes, we also included 34 garden cultivars. Flow cytometric measurements
revealed a 45% difference in the holoploid genome sizes of N. alba and
N. candida, which makes it easy to reliably separate them. In addition,
the great majority of garden cultivars have distinctly smaller genomes than
their native counterparts. Interspecific hybridization under natural
conditions was quite rare (only ~1.8% of the individuals cytotyped
corresponded to N. ×borealis), and involved both reduced and
unreduced gametes. Discriminant analyses revealed cultivar- and
species-specific morphological characters, which allow accurate determination
of the samples. Gynoecium and stamen characters had the greatest taxonomic
value. The recognition of N. ×borealis on the basis of
morphological characters is uncertain. Our study shows that genome size may
help to resolve the long-standing taxonomic complexities in this important
component of the temperate aquatic flora.
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Kolář F., Lučanová M., Koutecký P., Dortová M., Knotek A. & Suda J. (2014):
Spatio-ecological segregation of diploid and tetraploid cytotypes of
Galium valdepilosum in central Europe. – Preslia 86: 155–178.
The Galium pusillum agg. (Rubiaceae), with four species
native to the Czech Republic, is a taxonomically challenging complex. Of these,
G. valdepilosum is particularly interesting because this relict
species shows both ploidy (the incidence of diploid and tetraploid cytotypes)
and habitat differentiation (occurrence on different soil types, including
serpentines). With the aid of DNA flow cytometry, analysis of vegetation
samples and a hydroponic cultivation experiment we addressed the
cytogeographic pattern, ecological preferences of different cytotypes both
across the entire range of distribution and in the contact zone and the
plant’s response to serpentine edaphic stress. Ploidy distribution in
G. valdepilosum is parapatric, with a narrow contact zone in southern
Moravia. Neither triploids nor mixed 2x-4x populations were found, which
together with the restriction of the species to isolated relict habitats,
suggest the static character of the contact zone. In general, tetraploids
occupied a wider range of habitats and colonized larger geographic areas.
Diploids typically occurred in open low-competitive oak-pine forests on acidic
soils while their tetraploid counterparts were also able to survive in open
basiphilous grasslands with a comparatively higher competitive pressure.
Serpentines did not play an important role in ecological sorting of the
cytotypes. Cultivation experiments showed that G. valdepilosum is
likely to be constitutively tolerant to serpentine chemical stress. Relative
genome size and ecological data indicate that the serpentine populations from
western Bohemia, traditionally referred to as G. sudeticum, differ from
the type subalpine populations from the Krkonoše Mts and suggest their merger
with G. valdepilosum.
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Krahulec F., Krahulcová A. & Hlaváček R. (2014):
Rare hybrid swarm of Pilosella polymastix × P. officinarum:
cytotype structure and modes of reproduction. – Preslia 86: 179–192.
We studied a small, spatially limited population of Pilosella
plants, rich in morphological types, in the southwestern part of central
Bohemia, Czech Republic. The following tetraploid parental Pilosella
species putatively gave rise to the hybrid swarm analysed: sexual
P. officinarum and apomictic P. polymastix
(P. bauhini–P. caespitosa). In addition, the swarm
consisted of (i) a stabilized tetraploid apomictic P. melinomelas
(P. officinarum<P. polymastix) represented by two isozyme
phenotypes (one dominating), and (ii) tetraploid and sexual hybrids between
P. officinarum≥P. polymastix, with 16 isozyme phenotypes in
the 18 plants analysed. We also found pentaploid P. bauhini (three
plants comprising one isozyme phenotype), one hexaploid plant corresponding to
P. melinomelas (putative 2n + n hybrid) and one pentaploid plant
(probably a hybrid between hexaploid and unknown tetraploid). The single
triploid plant detected in the hybrid swarm is probably of polyhaploid origin.
Both P. polymastix and P. melinomelas are rare hybrid species,
which because they had not been recorded for many years were considered as
probably extinct in the Czech Republic.
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Strunecký O., Komárek J. & Šmarda J. (2014):
Kamptonema (Microcoleaceae, Cyanobacteria), a new genus
derived from the polyphyletic Phormidium on the basis of combined molecular
and cytomorphological markers. – Preslia 86: 193–207.
Based on strains obtained from various regions and selected from the CCALA
collection (Institute of BotanyAS CR) in Třeboň, a special clade of the order
Oscillatoriales (Cyanobacteria), was identified and defined
during a taxonomic revision of filamentous cyanobacteria. This study involved
combined molecular, cytomorphological and ecological analysis. The new cluster,
evaluated as a new genus, Kamptonema, is based on a clonal population
from thermal waters in Dax, France, and corresponds to the type species,
originally described as “Oscillatoria animalis” Agardh 1927
from thermal springs in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Members of this new
generic unit occur in various freshwater habitats throughout the world and
play an important role (production of biomass) in central European aquatic
ecosystems, e.g. in many periodical puddles and pools. The genus
Kamptonema, with type species K. animale (Agardh 1927) comb. nova,
is characterized by its separate position in a phylogenetic tree, its
relatively thin unbranched filaments, characteristic cellular ultrastructure
and lack of sheaths, heterocytes and akinetes. The type species is
ecologically distinct, occurring in thermal springs. The necessary taxonomic
and nomenclatoric transfers of related taxa are included in this article.
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Divíšek J., Chytrý M., Grulich V. & Poláková L. (2014):
Landscape classification of the Czech Republic based on the
distribution of natural habitats. – Preslia 86: 209–231.
We propose the first statistical landscape classification of the Czech
Republic based on the distribution of different types of natural habitats
(mainly defined in terms of plant communities) that resulted from national
habitat mapping. We used occurrences of natural habitats in 2370 grid cells of
5' longitude × 3' latitude covering the whole area of the country. To cluster
grid cells with similar habitat composition, we used two methods. First, we
applied spatially unconstrained hierarchical clustering to obtain landscape
types with maximal internal homogeneity in the range of natural habitats they
contain. Second, we added spatial constraints to the classification process in
order to obtain spatially cohesive regions. In both cases, the
cross-validation technique proposed seven clusters as the optimal result. We
also determined the characteristic habitats for each landscape type and region
and characterized them using ecologically relevant attributes of abiotic
environment and land cover. Irrespective of the method used, our results
showed that the separation of individual clusters is primarily determined by
altitude and related climatic factors, and differences between the Bohemian
Massif and Carpathians. We compared our results with existing expert-based
phytogeographical, biogeographical and zoogeographical divisions of the Czech
Republic and also with a recently published statistical landscape
classification of the Czech Republic based on the abiotic environment. Our
landscape classifications closely matched the phytogeographical divisions of
the Czech Republic proposed by Skalický (1988) and Dostál (1957, 1966). They
differed more when compared with the biogeographical division of the Czech
Republic (Culek 1996). However, we do not suggest that any of these
classifications is superior to the others, because each of them is based on
different principles and data. Both expert-based and statistical
classifications can produce multiple meaningful results depending on a priori
weighting of input data, number of target units and classification methods
used. The advantage of statistical classifications is that input data and
classification process are clearly described and therefore their logic can be
more easily understood. The classification based on natural habitats presented
here is not intended to replace any of the previous classifications, but to
provide useful insights into biogeographical patterns in this country in
addition to the previous classifications.
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Willner W., Hülber K. & Fischer M. A. (2014):
Return of the grades: towards objectivity in evolutionary classification. – Preslia 86: 233–243.
Evolutionary classification, i.e. a biological classification that
recognizes paraphyletic groups as formal taxa, is often regarded as highly
subjective and therefore unscientific. We argue that clades with evolutionary
key innovations are real biological units and that, as a logical consequence,
paraphyletic grades are equally real; if a clade with evolutionary key
innovations is nested within an older clade, the remainder of the more
inclusive clade forms a paraphyletic grade. Therefore, we regard an
evolutionary classification, which recognizes grades and gives formal names to
them, as a desirable supplement to the purely phylogenetic classifications,
which are dominant today. To increase the objectivity of evolutionary
classifications, an approach called “patrocladistic classification”
was proposed. We adopted this approach using the approximate number of
apomorphies separating two clades along the phylogenetic tree as the patristic
distance. Based on a cluster analysis of all angiosperm families, we outline
an evolutionary classification of the angiosperms, which includes three
subclasses (one of them paraphyletic), 12 superorders (four of them
paraphyletic) and ~ 74 orders (12 of them paraphyletic).We suggest that
well characterized monophyletic taxa can be reproduced by both phylogenetic
and evolutionary approaches and used as a cladistic backbone of any
classification. For the remaining groups, we advocate a peaceful coexistence
of phylogenetic and evolutionary classifications, admitting both narrowly
defined clades and broadly defined paraphyletic grades as valid taxa.
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Budzáková M., Hodálová I., Mereďa P. Jr., Somlyay L., Bisbing S. M. & Šibík J. (2014):
Karyological, morphological and ecological differentiation of Sesleria caerulea
and S. tatrae in the Western Carpathians and adjacent regions. – Preslia 86: 245–277.
The tetraploid (2n = 4x = 28) Sesleria caerulea and octoploid
(2n = 8x = 56) S. tatrae are closely related species with very similar
morphology. These species can tolerate a wide range of ecological conditions,
and in areas where the two co-occur, individual plants are often hardly
distinguishable and assumed to be products of hybridization. Consequently, the
ecological requirements of each species and the evolutionary relationship
between the two species remain unknown. The aim of this study is to determine
the karyological, morphological and ecological differentiation between the two
species. A total of 877 S. caerula and S. tatrae plants from 68
populations in the Western Carpathians, Alps and Sudetes mountain ranges were
analysed for DNA ploidy level and subjected to morphometric examination.
Moreover, phytosociological relevés for each location and Ellenberg’s
indicator values were used as supplementary environmental variables for
interpreting the results from an ecological point of view. All individuals of
S. caerulea were tetraploid and all those of S. tatrae
octoploid. There were no intermediate ploidy levels, which would indicate
hybrids between the two species. Morphometric analyses of 28 morphological
characters revealed that eight were significantly different in these two
species. Of these, density of hairs between the veins on the lemma, and length
of lemma, glume and palea were the most reliable diagnostic characters.
Morphological dissimilarities, however, were found only at the population
level and were not always useful in identification of individual plants.
Important differences between the two species were also found in ecological
requirements. Detected ecological differences were mostly associated with
altitude, moisture, temperature, light intensity and nutrient levels, in terms
of which Sesleria caerulea was most tolerant. Conversely,
S. tatrae grew under a more narrow range of conditions, occurred at high
altitudes and preferred high humidity, high light intensities and
nutrient-rich soils. The name Sesleria tatrae is typified.
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Čtvrtlíková M., Znachor P. & Vrba J. (2014):
The effect of temperature on the phenology of germination of Isoëtes lacustris. – Preslia 86: 279–292.
Isoëtes lacustris (quillwort) is an aquatic macrophyte commonly
dominating oligotrophic softwater lakes in Europe. Reproductive ecology of a
relic population of quillwort based on spore germination was studied in an
acidified mountain lake in the Czech Republic. In a four-year experiment, we
recorded temperature-related temporal changes in micro- and macrospore
germination and sporeling establishment in (i) natural in situ conditions in
Černé jezero lake and (ii) in the laboratory at various temperatures.
Germination of both micro- and macrospores increased gradually over four
consecutive growth seasons. Several annual cohorts of germinating macrospores
born together in a sporangium indicate that spores remain viable for up to
several years and the formation of a spore bank. Minimum temperature necessary
for germination was lower for microspores (6 °C) than macrospores (12 °C) and
this ensured the availability of spermatozoids for the fertilization of the
long-living macrogamethophytes whenever they produced archegonia during
growing season(s). Macrogametophyte development started between July and
October and sporeling development always followed in the next or subsequent
springs. Long germination and embryo development may limit reproduction in
I. lacustris by making it sensitive to both episodic and chronic changes
in the environment. The relatively high minimum temperature for macrospore
germination may set general limits for the reproduction of I. lacustris
in lakes, by constraining its distribution along latitudinal and altitudinal
gradients, and to particular depths. The mean length of time when the
temperature (≥ 12 °C) was high enough for the germination of
I. lacustris in Černé jezero lake was 119 days and occurred during the period
June to September in 2004–2011.
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Komárek J., Kaštovský J., Mareš J. & Johansen J. R. (2014):
Taxonomic classification of cyanoprokaryotes (cyanobacterial genera)
2014, using a polyphasic approach. – Preslia 86: 295–335.
The whole classification of cyanobacteria (species, genera, families,
orders) has undergone extensive restructuring and revision in recent years
with the advent of phylogenetic analyses based on molecular sequence data.
Several recent revisionary and monographic works initiated a revision and it is
anticipated there will be further changes in the future. However, with the
completion of the monographic series on the Cyanobacteria in
Süsswasserflora von Mitteleuropa, and the recent flurry of taxonomic papers
describing new genera, it seems expedient that a summary of the modern
taxonomic system for cyanobacteria should be published. In this review, we
present the status of all currently used families of cyanobacteria, review the
results of molecular taxonomic studies, descriptions and characteristics of
new orders and new families and the elevation of a few subfamilies to family
level. All recently defined cyanobacterial genera (some still invalid) are
listed in the family to which they are likely to belong and an indication is
given of their taxonomic validity and level of polyphasic characterization of
each genus.
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Peterka T., Plesková Z., Jiroušek M. & Hájek M. (2014):
Testing floristic and environmental differentiation of rich fens on the
Bohemian Massif. – Preslia 86: 337–366.
The south-eastern part of the Bohemian Massif (the Bohemian-Moravian
Highlands, the Třeboň basin, Czech Republic) is an important hotspot of fen
biodiversity. Especially rich fens with calcium- tolerant peat mosses (the
Sphagno warnstorfii-Tomentypnion alliance) currently harbour highly
endangered organisms. In this study we gathered phytosociological and
environmental (water chemistry, water table depth) data from 57 unique and
well-preserved fens. The ISOPAM algorithm reproduced the expert-based
classification at the alliance level presented in the Vegetation of the Czech
Republic monograph. Particular types of vegetation were nearly completely
differentiated in the PCA of environmental data and all their pairs differed
significantly with respect to pH, which together with calcium was correlated
with the major vegetation gradient. The secondary gradient coincided with the
concentration of nitrate and potassium, but was not apparent in the bryophyte
subset. When only data for vascular plants were analyzed, the major gradient
reflected increasing number of species from poor to extremely-rich fens,
including ubiquitous grassland species, and only partially coincided with pH
and calcium. Contrary to expectations, neither the extremely rich or rich fens
were associated with low concentration phosphorus in the water. In addition,
particular vegetation types did not differ in the N:P ratio of bryophyte
biomass. Species composition of extremely rich fens thus seemed to be
determined predominantly by a high pH/calcium level and waterlogging, low iron
concentration and absence of sphagna that would hamper regeneration of some
competitively weak vascular plants. We demonstrated that the delimitation of
the major vegetation types (alliances) along the poor-rich gradient makes
great floristic and ecological sense also in the Hercynian Mountains and that
pH and calcium rather than nutrient availability differentiate causally major
vegetation types by determining structure of the moss layer.
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Řepka R., Veselá P. & Mráček J. (2014):
Are there hybrids between Carex flacca and C. tomentosa
in the Czech Republic and Slovakia? – Preslia 86: 367–379.
At two sites in the Czech Republic and Slovakia we found plants
morphologically intermediate between Carex flacca subsp. flacca
and C. tomentosa. Here we present the results of morphological and
molecular analyses conducted to test whether these plants are the putative
hybrid C. ×danielis (C. flacca subsp. flacca ×
C. tomentosa). The results revealed a conflict between the morphological
characters and molecular markers. Although morphological characters show
combinations of characters of the supposed parents and some intermediate
characters, molecular markers (ITS, AFLP, trnL-F) indicate that the
putative hybrid clearly belongs to one of its presumed parents,
C. flacca subsp. flacca. These results refute reports of this hybrid
occurring in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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Górski P. & Váňa J. (2014):
A synopsis of liverworts occurring in the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians,
Poland and Slovakia): checklist, distribution and new data. – Preslia 86: 381–485.
This paper presents the current state of knowledge on the liverwort flora
of the entire massif of the Tatra Mts, the highest mountain range in the
Carpathians. All data on the liverwort flora of the massif, published during
1814–2014, and personal material collected by P. Górski during
2002–2014 were compiled. The distribution of species is presented
separately for five areas: Belianske Tatry Mts (located entirely in Slovakia),
High Tatra Mts (Slovak part), High Tatra Mts (Polish part), Západné Tatry Mts
(Slovakia) and Tatry Zachodnie Mts (Poland). For each species, its range in
altitude in particular areas is presented and the total number of localities
given. Moreover, the highest (maximum) and lowest (minimum) localities are
listed for every species. The data collected consists of more than 18,500
records (3600 of which are original). In the entire area of the Tatra Mts
there are 194 species of liverwort, with 131 in the Belianske Tatry Mts, 178
in the High Tatra Mts and 179 in the Western Tatra Mts (Západné Tatry and the
Tatry Zachodnie Mts). Nearly the same number of species is recorded on each
side of the Poland-Slovak border. There is a total of 185 species in the
Slovak Tatra Mts and 184 in the Polish Tatra Mts. The liverwort flora in the
Tatra Mts has been studied unequally. Most data came from the Slovak High
Tatra Mts and the least from the Slovak Západné Tatry Mts. This paper presents,
for the first time, nine species previously not recorded in Slovak Západné
Tatry Mts, four previously not recorded in Belianske Tatry Mts, three
previously not recorded in Slovak High Tatra Mts, two previously not recorded
in Polish Tatry Zachodnie Mts and two previously not recorded in Polish High
Tatra Mts. The first locality of Odontoschisma (= Cladopodiella)
francisci is documented in Polish Tatra Mts. Moreover, new localities
for liverworts considered extinct in Slovakia (i.e. Cephaloziella
varians and Geocalyx graveolens) are recorded. The new data for the
years 2002 2014 allowed an analysis of the frequency of some liverworts in the
Polish and Slovak Red Lists. The rarest and most common liverworts in the
Tatra Mts are highlighted. The liverwort flora on the highest peak of the
Tatra Mts (and the entire Carpathians), Mt Gerlachovský štít (2655 m above sea
level) and its ridge was catalogued. The results of the search for the rarest
Tatra liverworts at their historical localities are also presented. This
article presents original localities for many species, including the rarest
Tatra liverworts such as Nardia breidleri, Marsupella apiculata,
M. sparsifolia, Eremonotus myriocarpus, Frullania
fragilifolia, Odontoschisma (= Cladopodiella)
francisci, Orthocaulis (= Barbilophozia) binsteadii,
Fuscocephaloziopsis (= Cephalozia) catenulata,
Scapania crassiretis and S. gymnostomophila. The list of Tatra
liverworts presented also includes 22 species erroneously reported from this
area. The species excluded from the Tatra liverwort flora upon revision of the
available data include Barbilophozia hyperborea (R. M. Schust.)
Potemkin, Lophozia groenlandica (Nees) Macoun (L. schusterana
Schljakov) and Scapania glaucocephala (Taylor) Austin var.
scapanioides (C. Massal.) Potemkin.
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