241 biodiversity of non-forest communities in the kampinos national

Biodiversity of non-forest communities...
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BIODIVERSITY OF NON-FOREST COMMUNITIES
IN THE KAMPINOS NATIONAL PARK
AND ITS CONSERVATION
Dorota Michalska-Hejduk
Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, University of Łódź; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; e-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Non-forest communities in the Kampinos National Park were studied in 1992–2002, and
some of these studies are still in progress. Floristic diversity was estimated with use of Shannon index (H’) based on phytosociological records from phytocoenoses of 5 selected non-forest associations
(meadows: of the Calthion and Arrhenetherion alliances, Phalaridetum arundinaceae, Diantho-Armerietum and Valeriano-Filipenduletum), which have not been mown since early 1990s. The studies were
repeated three times (in 1993, 1998, 2003) in permanent plots. Their goal was to estimate changes in
floristic diversity of phytocoenoses influenced by stopping agricultural activities and starting secondary
succession. Investigations show that in communities of initially high values of diversity indices, these
values dropped what might be associated with disappearance of photophilous species and spread of
dominants. In communities of initially low values of diversity indices, the diversity grew what may be
explained by increasing number of species and retreat of earlier dominants.
Key words: biodiversity, meadows, sedge communities, Kampinos National Park
INTRODUCTION
Biodiversity of plant communities may be considered either as a floristic diversity of particular phytocoenosis or as landscape diversity (phytocenotic) of vegetation. In the first case the diversity depends mainly on the type of community, and on
the dynamic processes occurring in its phytocoenoses. Associations as Molinietum
caeruleae or Arrhenatheretum elatioris, each being seminatural community without prominent dominants, are characterized by high floristic diversity. Low values
of diversity indices show negative changes in their phytocoenoses, e.g. cessation of
mowing causes domination of Molinia caerulea or Deschampsia caespitose tussock,
that are limited in abundance by this measure. On the other hand, sedge communities of low number of species and with distinct dominants, react to changes in environmental conditions by increasing floristic richness. For example, dropped level
of ground waters causes immigration of meadow species in these communities and
results in raised values of diversity indices.
As far as phytocenotic diversity is considered, it depends on mosaic of microhabitats and on the differentiation in land use. Also at this level of biodiversity negative changes may be reflected by changes in values of diversity indices.
The aim of this study is to estimate the floristic changes in meadow and sedge
communities occurring along with ecological processes caused by cessation of agricultural activity. It was assumed that the alteration of biodiversity in plant communities may reflect both positive and negative changes in their environmental conditions.
Results of such studies will facilitate planning of optimal strategies for protecting
semi-natural communities, and conservation of open areas in the Kampinos Forest.
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They are the most important objectives of conservation measures used in the Park,
that was recognized in 2000 as Biosphere Reserve (Andrzejewska 2003).
STUDY AREA
The area of the Kampinos National Park (KPN) is 38,476 ha. About 27,000 ha is
covered by forests and the rest belongs to meadows, grasslands, peat bogs and former
agricultural areas. Large forest, swamp thicket and marsh areas had been successively
drained for 200 years before establishment of the national park. Alder forests that
dominated in former landscape, were systematically driven out. Even in 19th century,
melioration and deforestation of swampy depressions were executed. Long-term, intensive meliorations caused significant changes in vegetation (Kobendzina 1962).
Creation of national park did not stop the draining instantly. The major obstacle was
the interest of many local farmers, promoting further meliorations. Not before the
resolution of Ministerial Council in 1975, the funds were given for the park to purchase the agricultural lands from private owners and to incorporate them into protected areas. In 1970s and in early 1980s large part of the newly purchased grounds
was afforested, and in 1983 an considerable part of swamp land depressions was designed for natural succession. Further important step for the protection of non-forest communities was a decision upon stopping clearance of melioration canals. This
decision was included in the park protection plans (Solon 1995). This enabled the
improvement of hydrological conditions in swamp areas. In year 2000, a detailed
protection plan was elaborated for the most valuable meadow area (MichalskaHejduk 2001a). Its realization started in 2001, and in 2004 the effectiveness of used
methods was precisely evaluated.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Non-forest communities of the Kampinos National Park were studied in the
years 1992–2002 and some of these studies are still in progress. Changes in biodiversity were estimated in permanent plots, created in 1993 (Kurowski, Michalska-Hejduk 2007) in 5 basic types of meadow and sedge associations. They were:
M1 – fresh meadow of alliance Calthion (Bromierzyk), M2 – fresh meadow of alliance Arrhenetherion (Bieliny), M3 – reed of alliance Phalaridetum arundinaceae with
patches of community with Calamagrostis canescens (Bieliny), M4 – pasmmophilous
grassland Diantho-Armeretium in terminal phase (Wystawa) and M5 – herb community Valeriano-Filipenduletum (Lasocin). The patches selected for observation represented the most important non-forest communities of the park (Michalska-Hejduk 2001b), and earlier they were mown. After cessation of this activity (some 2–3
years before starting this study) an initiation of secondary succession (eg. presence
of shrub and tree seedlings) was observed in the studied plots. Each plot was located
in similar distance from the propagule source, i.e. no further than 50 m for a forest
edge or tree group. Studied plots, measuring 1000 m2 (25m x 40m) were permanently
marked and divided internally into 40 small squares 5 x 5 m (Faliński 2001). To re-
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veal the habitat conditions, a soil sample was collected in each plot. Every 5 year (in
1993, 1998, 2003) floristic record was collected in each plot. Trees and bushes (30 cm
above the ground) were counted and measured. In five randomly chosen small subplots (25 m2) phytosociological relevés were done with Braun-Blanquet’s method.
Data from the relevés were used to calculate the Shannon species diversity index
(Odum 1982) according to the following formula:
H’= –∑pi ln pi
where: pi – ratio of abundance of i species to sum of abundances of all species
(abundance was understood as a mid percent cover of a degree in Braun-Blanquet’s abundance scale). Results obtained in each term were compared with data
collected in the same non-forest communities in the western part of KPN in 1994–
1995 (Michalska-Hejduk 2001b).
In the permanent plots described above, other investigations are also carried out:
the dynamic tendencies of each community, changes of ecological indicator values,
such as light value (L), soil moisture value (W), soil acidity (R), organic matter content value (H). Their results were published in separated paper (Kurowski, Michalska-Hejduk 2007).
RESULTS
In 1993 both mean species number and values of diversity index were not different from those recorded in the same communities in other parts of the park
(Michalska-Hejduk 2001b). During ten years, distinct decrease of H’ index (Fig.
1) was recorded in primarily floristically richest communities: Valeriano-Filipenduletum (from 2.74 in 1993 to 1.71 in 2003) and in a meadow of alliance Calthion (2.85
in 1993, 2.35 in 2003). In the first case it was a result of the surface flooding. It caused
disappearance of herb species characteristic for the community, and dominance of
sedge Carex acutiformis. According to the expectations, species diversity diminished
in the wet meadow – at the beginning of the study it was slightly higher than the
average for such meadows in the park, and it dropped gradually in the following
years (Fig.1). In the last 5 years the number of species has grown – some forest species (eg. Dryopteris carthusiana) appeared as well as tree and bush species that were
not present before. Thus, the decrease of diversity index did not result from the lower
species number but from changes in their proportion – prominent dominants immigrated (mostly Urtica dioica).
On the other hand, in phytocoenosis of Phaladiretum arundinaceae (Fig. 1) an
increase of floristic diversity was observed (H’ index changed from 1.77 in 1993 to
1.99 in 2003). It was congruent with the expectations as this association was poor
in species and distinctly dominating species occurred in it. It responded quickly to
a disturbance by diminishing dominance of Phalaris arundinacea and the value of
diversity index increased. Also, in fresh meadow (alliance Arrhenaterion) the value
of index grew up (Fig. 1) and after 10 years it was close to the average recorded for
other meadows of the same alliance in the park. However, the species composition
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of the fresh meadow changed significantly and after 10 years it could be
ascribed to another association – Holcetum lanati. Only in the phytocoenosis of Diantho-Armerietum neither the
species number nor the biodiversity of
the community has changed.
DISCUSSION
Fig. 1. Changes of biodiversity measured by the Shannon index (bars) and species number (black dots)
in phytocoenoses of non-forest communities that
occurred from cessation of their use as compared to
averages values for the Kampinos Nation Park (KPN)
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Changes in non-forest communities caused by giving up agricultural
activity are rarely discussed in terms
of changes in floristic indices. In publications devoted to meadow and reed
communities, authors present mostly
values recorded in typically shaped
phytocoenoses (Borysiak 1994,
Brzeg 1991, Fijałkowski 1991, Jasnowski 1962, Kępczyński 1965, Kochanowska 1971, Kucharski 1999,
Trąba 1994, Wilkoń-Michalska
1963). In the phytocoenoses studied
in permanent plots in KPN the initial
values of Shannon index (H’) were
lower than in the same associations
in other regions of Poland. Meadows
described by Brzeg (1991) and Borysiak (1994) in Wielkopolska (Greater
Poland) and by Trąba (1994) from
Lubelszczyzna were still agriculturally
used. Only meadows from Pomorze
(Pomerania) described by Bacieczko
(1995), Jasnowski (1962) and Kochanowska (1971) were characterized by
even lower values of diversity index,
what was a result of their intensive use
for decades.
The most prominent changes in
diversity reflected by Shannon index
were observed in Valeriano-Filipenduletum. At the beginning of the study its
value was 2.74 and after 10 years, it diminished due to flooding to 1.71. For
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comparison, in phytocoenoses of that association studied in Central Poland by Kucharski (1999) the value of Shannon index was 3.23. The cause for such prominent
drop of biodiversity was the domination of Carex acutiformis in Valeriano-Filipenduletum. This species is recognized as so called “monopolist colonizer” (Falińska 1989,
1991). Long-term flooding in this habitat that caused its transformation to Caricetum
acutiformis was observed earlier by Falińska (1991) in Reski in Bialowieża Primeval
Forest.
Urtica dioica was the species that enlarged abundance, mostly in phytocenosis
of wet meadow of the Calthion alliance, and at the same time caused a drop in its
biodiversity. The nettle is a nitrophilous species and it is rare in mown patches with
removed biomass. In the studied phytocoenosis, the cessation of agricultural activity
could have caused an increase in the concentration of nutrients. Colonizing patches
by Urtica dioica after mowing had been stopped was observed also by Kotańska
(1995) and Prach (1993).
CONCLUSIONS
During dynamic processes caused by cessation of agricultural activity in nonforest communities, the floristic diversity changes (increase or decrease) depending
on the community type. In communities of initially high values of diversity indices,
the values drop what may be associated with disappearance of photophilous species and appearance of dominants (so called “colonizers”, eg. Deschampsia caespitosa,
Carex acutiformis). In communities of initially low values of diversity indices, the
diversity grows what may be explained by growing number of species and retreat of
earlier dominants. Analysis of changes in floristical diversity may reflect the dynamic
state of phytocoenoses of studied communities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my cordial thanks to all the students, who over ten years
helped me in my fieldwork: Anieszka Adamczewska, Sebastian Kozicki, Jaonna
Kozłowska, Anna Seczkowska, Joanna Trzeciak and Aleksandra Wieczorek
from the University of Lodz as well as to Rosetta Stone from the University of
Wolverhampton (UK).
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