Management models for grassland habitats

SK0115

2009 - 2011

The project is dealing with the preparation of management models for 20 types of grassland habitats. They should serve for planning of management for the habitats important from a conservation point of view and for designing of the conditions for agri-environmental payments. The models will cover exact determination of habitats, ecological requirement, chorology and management recommendations. Establishment of long-term field experiments create good conditions for receiving exact scientific data about influence of mulching on grassland habitats in comparison with conventional management (mowing, pasturing). Prepared models will rise also from results of short-term experiments, which will be realized in different Slovakia regions. They will use also knowledge’s of researchers from various ended as well as running projects. Prepared models will be accessible on-line with broad possibilities of utilization in area of nature protection and good agricultural practice.

Project activities:

• Analysis and development of information in the Central Phytocoenology Database and Grassland and Peatland information system
• Research on the co-influence between the species composition, diversity of selected vegetation types and management methods aimed at diversity conservation.
• Analysis of management data for 20 grassland habitats and preparation of management models
• Project management and publicity activities

Dynamics and succesion of grassland vegetation

VEGA 2/0181/09

2009 - 2011

Recently a considerable attention is devoted to the research of grassland vegetation which represents the most widespread type of non-forest vegetation in Slovakia. Species-rich grasslands are threatened by numerous factors and their biodiversity in some regions decreases gradually. The project logically follows several previous projects focusing on grassland vegetation in Slovakia (VEGA 5084, APVV 5804). The main goal is through the implementation, broadening and completion of the results obtained by previous grassland projects to evaluate and elucidate the present state and temporal changes in grassland vegetation using the modern statistical methods. These analyses should result in a comprehensive synthesis of Slovak grassland vegetation which could serve to a wide spectrum of users. Results will be summarized in the fifth volume of edition Plant communities of Slovakia. It will contain detailed characteristics of meadow, pasture, halophilous and fringe vegetation.

Island phenomenon of the Carpathians’ high mountains in relation to environmental factors, synecology of plant communities and phytogeography of selected plant species

VEGA 2/0121/09

2009 - 2011

Mountains represent the specific phenomenon, which together with broken relief, various geology, miscellaneous climatic and soil features contribute to exceptional habitat variability. Under specific conditions the diverse mosaic of vegetation types developed, with abundance of rare, relic and endemic taxa. The aim of the research is the study of biodiversity in the Carpathians on population and community level. Project focuses on mutual interactions between individual plant species, as well as between communities and abiotic environment in various space-temporal scales. The research is aimed at analysis of ecological and floristic variability of selected high-altitude ecosystems, in relation to abundance of floristic elements, functional types etc. Results will be interpreted within wider historical and evolutionary context. To achieve the goals, the traditional methods used in ecological studies and the modern ones used in molecular genetics, taxonomy, bio- and geoinformatics and biostatistics were chosen.

The distribution and diversity of aquatic macrophyte vegetation in water-bodies of Slovakia in relation to environmental factors and anthropic disturbance

VEGA 2/0013/08

2008 - 2010

To carry out the project we are applying for, we shall search for answers on the following topics: 1) What macrophyte species and their communities colonize stagnant aquatic habitats? 2) Is the species composition and diversity of macrophytes and their communities in natural and man-made stagnant waters different? 3) What are annual and inter-annual dynamics of macrophyte vegetation in stagnant water habitats? 4) Which environmental factors affect the structure of macrophyte vegetation in lentic ecosystems? 5) How does the anthropic disturbance influence the flora and vegetation in stagnant water habitats? 6) To what degree can the water quality of lentic habitats be appraised over macrophytes?

Classification and ecological differenciation of the mesophilous and xerophilous grassland communities in the Slovak part of Western Carpathians

VEGA 2/5084/25

2005 - 2008

Mesophilous and xerophilous grassland vegetation covers substantional area of Slovakia and recently has been subjected to marked changes related to land use alteration. Since the introduction of Zurich-Montpellier phytosociological approach many plant communities were described mostly in regional context without a broader evaluation of their relationships to the existing syntaxonomical system. The main task of the project is to summarize the recent knowledge on grassland vegetation in Slovakia and to make it accessible for international synthesis as well as for practical utilization (nature conservation and landscape planning). Firstly, it is planned to revise the current approach to grassland classification and to evaluate the relevancy of the syntaxa description. A new national classification will be proposed thereafter based on the results of modern analytical and synthetic methods that may increase its transparency and objectivity concerning the delimitation of vegetation units. A comprehensive stand analysis as to the variability of species composition related to the environmental factors and to the management type will be used as a base for the detailed synecological characteristic. The project will result in proposing criteria for the identification of grassland communities which could serve as a basis for the elaboration of a widely used computerised expert system.

Formalized classification system for identification of grassland vegetation

APVT-51-015804

2005 - 2008

The project follows recent activities devoted to the mapping of grasslands (by Daphne - Institute of Applied Ecology) and mapping of biotopes (for the Natura 2000). It is suggested to involve numerous scientists in the field of grassland vegetation research and use their experience through consultations.
The project can logically be divided into two main stages. During the first stage, a large phytosociological material will be collected on grassland vegetation in Slovakia. The central database of phytosociological relevés (http://ibot.sav.sk/cdf/) is intended to be completed. As we suggest that various regions of Slovakia will be irregularly represented in the database, we plan to carry out an intensive supplementary data collection so that a sufficient number of relevés will be collected from all phytogeographically distinct areas and all main grassland vegetation types will be covered.
The second stage is aimed at the elaboration of the collected phytosociological material. Initially it is important to revise the diagnostic species used in the current standard classification and evaluate the relevancy of delimitation of individual syntaxa. For this purpose a formalized classification approach will be used which was successfully applied in the neighboring countries for vegetation evaluation of large areas. The new classification based on precisely defined criteria will be compared the traditional approaches and discussed with grassland researchers. Finally, the classification criteria will be incorporated into the formalized expert system for identification of grassland communities. The system may be tested in various environmental conditions and adjusted according to the needs of nature conservancy and landscape planning institutions.

European Initiative for the Euro+Med PlantBase

5th Framework Programme of the European Union, project no. EVR-CT-2000-40004

2000 - 2003

The Euro+Med Project aims to provide an on-line database and information system for the vascular plants of Europe and the Mediterranean region, against an up-to-date and critically evaluated consensus taxonomic core of the species concerned. A key component of the new Euro+Med PlantBase initiative is the critical evaluation of the expanded database.