Hungarian oak forests from the Central European perspective Jan Roleček, Vegetation Science Group, Institute of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic Who are we? The project is coordinated by the author at the Institute of Botany and Zoology in Brno, Czech Republic. We cooperate with the experts in all four concerned countries:Ilona Knollová & David Zelený, Institute of Botany and Zoology, Brno Wolfgang Willner, VINCA – Institut für Naturschutzforschung und Ökologie, Wien Franz Starlinger, Bundesamt für Wald, Wien János Csiky, Dept. of Systematic and Ecological Botany, University of Pécs Milan Valachovič, Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava Jana Sadloňová, Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava The project is supported by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic grant B and by the long- term research plan MSM What we do? Since 2002, an extensive research of the variability of oak forest vegetation has been conducted in four Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary). The research combines traditional methods of phytosociological field research (Braun-Blanquet approach) and advanced methods of vegetation data analysis (multivariate analysis of vegetation variability, indicator species analysis, ecological analysis of vegetation using species traits, etc.). The aim of the research is to evaluate the overall variability of Central European oak forests, to determine the main gradients of their species composition on different spatial scales, and to draw syntaxonomic conclusions. Why we do that? The traditional phytosociology brings distorted view of the variability of vegetation, especially when moving to larger spatial scales (Chytrý 2001, Knollová & Chytrý 2004). Therefore it is not possible to describe the general patterns of species coexistence realistically in such large regions as e.g. Hungary by summarizing the results of local phytosociological studies. It is necessary to perform large-scale analysis of extensive phytosociological datasets then. On the other hand, the traditional phytosociology harbours indispensable knowledge on the local vegetation variability in the particular time and space. Thus the complementarity of the traditional and modern large-scale approaches must be emphasized. The challenge for the contemporary vegetation science is to make the best account of the advantages of both approaches. Cited literature Chytrý M. 2001: Phytosociological data give biased estimates of species richness. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: Knollová I. & Chytrý M. 2004: Oak-hornbeam forests of the Czech Republic: geographical and ecological approaches to vegetation classification. Preslia 76: Chytrý M., Tichý L., Holt J. & Botta-Dukát Z. (2002): Determination of diagnostic species with statistical fidelity measures. Journal of Vegetation Science 13: Some preliminary results This is just to show rough patterns of variability and of geographic distribution of thermophilous oak forests in Central Europe, as they appear when you get the phytosociological data together (about 2500 relevés). We still have to improve the geographic and ecological representativeness of the data, to find the geographic coordinates of many relevés, and to acquire necessary environmental data. Who are we? The project is coordinated by the author at the Institute of Botany and Zoology in Brno, Czech Republic. We cooperate with the experts in all four concerned countries: Ilona Knollová & David Zelený, Institute of Botany and Zoology, Brno Wolfgang Willner, VINCA – Institut für Naturschutzforschung und Ökologie, Wien Franz Starlinger, Bundesamt für Wald, Wien János Csiky, Dept. of Systematic and Ecological Botany, University of Pécs Milan Valachovič, Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava Jana Sadloňová, Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava The project is supported by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic grant B and by the long- term research plan MSM Diagnostic species - group 2 Festuca ovina s.l. Luzula luzuloides Avenella flexuosa Hypericum perforatum Pinus sylvestris Hieracium lachenalii Quercus petraea agg. Galium pumilum s.l. Poa nemoralis Hieracium pilosella Dianthus carthusianorum s.l. Luzula campestris agg. Lychnis viscaria Agrostis capillaris Steris viscaria Diagnostic species - group 1 Hieracium pilosella Festuca ovina s.l. Linaria genistifolia Jasione montana Rumex acetosella Carex humilis Genista pilosa Luzula campestris agg. Phleum phleoides Dianthus carthusianorum s.l. Hypericum perforatum Trifolium alpestre Quercus petraea agg. Avenella flexuosa Sedum rupestre CZ AU CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 3 Poa nemoralis Quercus petraea agg. Lathyrus niger Hieracium sabaudum Lathyrus vernus Carex montana Veronica officinalis Festuca heterophylla Galium sylvaticum Stellaria holostea Viola reichenbach/riviniana Melampyrum pratense Luzula luzuloides Ajuga reptans Hieracium murorum CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 4 Luzula luzuloides Fagus sylvatica Hieracium murorum Avenella flexuosa Vaccinium myrtillus Quercus petraea agg. Digitalis grandiflora Senecio nemorensis agg. Calamagrostis arundinacea Hieracium racemosum Polypodium vulgare agg. Poa stiriaca Carpinus betulus Melampyrum pratense Sorbus aucuparia CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 5 Geum urbanum Brachypodium sylvaticum Carex michelii Ulmus minor Viola hirta Dictamnus albus Carex muricata agg. Euonymus europaea Buglossoides purpurocaerulea Ligustrum vulgare Crataegus species Fallopia sp. Prunus spinosa Chaerophyllum temulum Robinia pseudacacia CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 6 Prunus spinosa Euonymus europaea Acer tataricum Poa pratensis agg. Quercus cerris Phlomis tuberosa Quercus pubescens agg. Polygonatum latifolium Carex praecox s.l. Campanula bononiensis Fragaria viridis Filipendula vulgaris Alliaria petiolata Prunus fruticosa Pulmonaria mollis agg. AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 7 Vicia cassubica Hypericum hirsutum Rosa canina s.l. Poa pratensis agg. Quercus cerris Rubus fruticosus agg. Prunus spinosa Poa nemoralis Acer tataricum Astragalus glycyphyllos Calamagrostis epigejos Lychnis coronaria Veronica officinalis Torilis japonica Carex muricata agg. CZ SK HU Diagnostic species - group 8 Geum urbanum Polygonatum latifolium Sambucus nigra Alliaria petiolata Acer campestre Quercus cerris Viola suavis Ulmus minor Buglossoides purpurocaerulea Galium aparine Viola mirabilis Geranium robertianum Euonymus europaea Lactuca quercina Brachypodium sylvaticum AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 9 Teucrium chamaedrys Astragalus glycyphyllos Sorbus torminalis Ligustrum vulgare Cornus mas Vincetoxic hirundinaria Carex michelii Fragaria viridis Bupleurum falcatum Rosa canina s.l. Crataegus species Viburnum lantana Securigera varia Medicago falcata Galium glaucum CZ AU SK Diagnostic species - group 10 Potentilla alba Lathyrus niger Carex montana Quercus cerris Convallaria majalis Cornus sanguinea Prunus avium Serratula tinctoria Prunus spinosa Festuca heterophylla Asphodelus albus Galium sylvaticum Euphorbia angulata Iris variegata Crataegus species CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 11 Viola mirabilis Euonymus verrucosa Acer campestre Cornus sanguinea Fraxinus excelsior Geum urbanum Polygonatum latifolium Viburnum lantana Prunus avium Carpinus betulus Brachypodium sylvaticum Cruciata laevipes Ligustrum vulgare Galium odoratum Pulmonaria officinalis agg. CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 12 Seseli libanotis Buphthalmum salicifolium Hieracium bifidum Cyclamen purpurascens Viola collina Knautia drymeia Salvia glutinosa Sesleria albicans Calamagrostis varia Lonicera xylosteum Silene nemoralis Euphorbia angulata Carpinus betulus Silene nutans Corylus avellana AU Diagnostic species - group 13 Fraxinus excelsior Hepatica nobilis Euonymus verrucosa Cornus mas Quercus pubescens agg. Viburnum lantana Arabis turrita Tilia platyphyllos Hedera helix Viola odorata Carex alba Sorbus aria agg. Primula veris Berberis vulgaris Buglossoides purpurocaerulea AU HU Diagnostic species - group 14 Quercus robur Frangula alnus Potentilla erecta Molinia caerulea agg. Potentilla alba Carex pallescens Scrophularia nodosa Viburnum opulus Deschampsia cespitosa Selinum carvifolia Betonica officinalis Rubus caesius Fragaria vesca Campanula patula Viola reichen/riviniana CZ AUSK HU Diagnostic species - group 15 Quercus robur Anthoxanthum odoratum Peucedanum oreoselinum Carex fritschii Galium verum s.l. Iris variegata Achillea millefolium agg. Carex pallescens Clinopodium vulgare Festuca ovina s.l. Cerastium arvense Arrhenatherum elatius Festuca rubra Ranunculus polyanthemos Betonica officinalis CZ SK HU What do the charts say? The 20 charts present 15 most diagnostic species of 20 vegetation types of Central European (sub)thermophilous oak forests. Diagnostic species were determined using phi coefficient of fidelity (Chytrý et al. 2002). The vegetation types were extracted using cluster analysis (Ward´s method, Euclidean distance) of ordination scores of relevés on first four ordination axes of detrended correspondence analysis (species cover values log- transformed). The pie charts present the relative number of relevés of a particular vegetation type coming from a particular country: HU – Hungary, SK – Slovakia, AU – Austria, CZ – Czech Republic. The dendrogram shows the similarity between the 20 vegetation types presented in the charts. Diagnostic species - group 16 Carex humilis Sesleria albicans Sorbus aria agg. Teucrium chamaedrys Potentilla heptaphylla agg. Pimpinella saxifraga s.l. Asperula tinctoria Leontodon incanus Quercus pubescens agg. Genista pilosa Vincetoxic hirundinaria Galium austriacum Asperula cynanchica Arabis hirsuta agg. Salvia pratensis CZ AU SK Diagnostic species - group 17 Cornus mas Teucrium chamaedrys Quercus pubescens agg. Berberis vulgaris Erysimum odoratum Vincetoxicum hirundinaria Carex humilis Bupleurum falcatum Anthericum ramosum Brachypodium pinnatum Securigera varia Stachys recta Pyrethrum corymbosum Juniperus communis Campanula rapunculoides CZ AU SK Diagnostic species - group 18 Erysimum odoratum Quercus pubescens agg. Teucrium chamaedrys Prunus mahaleb Festuca pallens s.l. Galium album s.l. Stachys recta Helianthemum grandiflorum Cornus mas Carex humilis Inula ensifolia Fraxinus ornus Carex michelii Geranium sanguineum Waldsteinia geoides CZ HU SK Diagnostic species - group 19 Stachys recta Galium glaucum Thymus pannonicus agg. Festuca rupicola Phleum phleoides Teucrium chamaedrys Achillea millefolium agg. Agropyron intermedium agg. Anthemis tinctoria Sedum sexangulare Asperula cynanchica Allium flavum Linaria genistifolia Lactuca viminea Acinos arvensis CZ AU SK HU Diagnostic species - group 20 Poa compressa Festuca rupicola Galium verum s.l. Hieracium bauhinii Seseli osseum Dorycnium pentaphyllum agg. Poa pannonica Veronica chamaedrys agg. Veronica officinalis Poa pratensis agg. Carex caryophyllea Festuca valesiaca s.l. Juniperus communis Agrimonia eupatoria Trifolium campestre SK acidophilous subthermophilous oak forests thermophilous oak forests of deep +- eutrophic soils basiphilous subxerophilous oak forests subthermophilous oak forests of heavy or sandy soils xerothermic oak forests of rocky substrates