The Problem of Classification of the Ulmus and Armeniaca Plant Communities of Dauria (Southeastern Siberia, Russia) Nikolai B
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Botanica Pacifica. A journal of plant science and conservation. 2018. 7(1): 3–13 DOI: 10.17581/bp.2018.07103 The problem of classification of the Ulmus and Armeniaca plant communities of Dauria (Southeastern Siberia, Russia) Nikolai B. Ermakov Nikolai B. Ermakov ABSTRACT e-mail: [email protected] Classification of hemi-xerophilous low tree and shrub communities dominated by Nikitsky Botanical Garden – National Sci- Ulmus pumila, U. macrocarpa, Armeniaca sibirica using the Braun-Blanquet ap proach entific Center RAS, Yalta, Nikita, Crimea was performed. All communities were included in the class Ulmetea pumilae Hilbig Republic, Russia et Narantuya 2016, order Ulmetalia pumilae Hilbig et Narantuya 2016, alliances Ul- Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, mion pumilae Mirkin et al. ex Hilbig 2000, Spiraeo pubescentis-Ulmion macrocarpae all. Simferopol, Crimea Republic, Russia nova hoc loco and associations Sambuco manshuricae-Ulmetum macrocarpae ass. nova hoc loco, Spiraeo pubescentis-Ulmetum macrocarpae ass. nova hoc loco, Menispermo daurici-Ulmetum pumilae ass. nova hoc loco и Ulmo pumilae-Armeniacetum sibiricae Manuscript received: 06.11.2017 Review completed: 14.02.2018 ass. nova prov. Ecological peculiarities and differences of new associations and Accepted for publication: 03.04.2018 alliance were demonstrated in results of DCA ordinations. An original approach Published online: 18.04.2018 for classification of hemi-xerophilous types of low trees and shrubs communi- ties with transitional floristic-phytocoenotic features based on the physiognomу as a main criterion for the higher syntaxonomis category establishment is proved. Keywords: vegetation, forests, shrub communities, classification, Eastern Asia РЕЗЮМЕ Ермаков Н.Б. К проблеме классификации растительных сообществ Ulmus и Armeniaca из Даурии. Проведена классификация гемиксерофильных сообществ низких деревьев и кустарников с доминированием Ulmus pumila, U. macrocarpa, Armeniaca sibirica с использованием метода Браун-Бланке. Все сообщества отнесены в состав класса Ulmetea pumilae Hilbig et Narantuya 2016, порядка Ulmetalia pumilae Hilbig et Narantuya 2016, двух союзов – Ulmion pumilae Mirkin et al. ex Hilbig 2000, Spiraeo pubescentis-Ulmion macrocarpae all. nova hoc loco и четырех ассоциаций Sambuco manshuricae-Ulmetum macrocarpae ass. nova hoc loco, Spiraeo pubescentis- Ulmetum macrocarpae ass. nova hoc loco, Menispermo daurici-Ulmetum pumilae ass. nova hoc loco и Ulmo pumilae-Armeniacetum sibiricae ass. nov. prov. Экологические свойства и различия впервые описанных синтаксонов ранга ассоциации – со юзы продемонстрированы с использованием метода DCA ординации. При классификации гемиксерофильных типов древесно-кустарниковой рас ти тельности с промежуточными флоро-фитоценотическими признака- ми обоснован и реализован подход использования физиономического приз нака (структуры сообщества) в качестве ведущего при установлении высшей синтаксономической категории – класса. Ключевые слова: растительность, леса, кустарниковые сообщества, классифика- ция, Восточная Азия INTRODUCTION & Krestov 2009). One of the debatable issues of Daurian At present, classification of the sub-oceanic part of the vegetation classification observed both in the tra di tional East Asian non-tropical vegetation within the scopes of dominant (Sukachev 1928) and in the Braun-Blanquet ap- Braun-Blanquet approach is well developed due to pub li- proaches is the position of hemi-xerophilous shrubberies cations by Miyawaki 1980-1989, Song 1988, Galkina & Pe- in hierarchical systems. This vegetation type, like its ana- telin 1990, Kim 1990, 1992, Gumarova 1993, Takeda et al. logs in other regions of Northern Eurasia, is characterized 1994, Akhtiamov 1995, Krestov & Nakamura 2002, Kol bek by transitional features of phytocoenotic structure, floris- et al. 2003, Krestov et al. 2006, Ermakov & Kresto v 2009, tic composition and ecology between steppes and forests. Krestov et al. 2015, etc. However publications on vegeta- Among a variety of hemi-xerophilous shrubberies there are tion syntaxonomy for the inner continental part of East- peculiar communities dominated by species of the genera ern Asia (namely north-eastern China, Inner Mongolia and Armeniaca and Ulmus. They are characterized by a higher Dauria) are still sparse. Most of them focus only on cer tain layer (height of 2–7 m and cover of 15–70%) consisting of vegetation types of forests, steppes, and meadows (Erma- Ulmus macrocarpa, U. pumila, U. japonica and Armeniaca sibirica kov 1997, 2003, Anenkhonov 2000, Ermakov et al. 2000, existing in life forms of tall shrubs or small trees depending Korolyuk et al. 2002, 2013, Krestov et al. 2006, Ermakov on environments. Lower shrub layer (height 0.5–1 m, cover ©Botanical Garden-Institute FEB RAS. 2018 3 Ermakov 10–40%) is formed by species of Spiraea, Cotoneaster, Ribes temperature is 19–20°C, effective heat sum for the period genera. Shade tolerant and drought resistant steppe xero- amounts to 1800°C. The winter here, due to stable anti- phytes among which there are many obligate and facultative cyclone, is very cold, with very shallow snow. The mean petrophytes predominate in the grass layer (average height January temperature is –28 – –30°C, the annual air tempera- 17–30 cm, cover 40–70%). ture amplitude is 44–48°C. The total annual precipitation is Ulmus and Armeniaca shrubberies representing petrophy- 320–350 mm, 300–325 mm of which fall in summer (So- lous element of forest-steppe and steppe mountain belts chava 1967). The precipitation regime is determined by the attracted a special attention of scientists, who studied diver- Pacific monsoon, influence of which spreads westwards up sity, ecology and geography of Daurian vegetation. Some to the Yablonevy Range (Mikhailov 1961). The relief of the researchers following the traditional dominant approach to territory is presented by a combination of lower ranges (up classification attributedUlmus and Armeniaca communities to to 1550 m) and wide river valleys (Florensov 1974). As ther- the “steppe vegetation type” as special “formations” (Resh- mophilous species, Ulmus macrocarpa, U. pumila and Armenia- chikov 1961, Lavrenko et al. 1991, Dulepova 1993). Other ca sibirica occur in the warmest and moderately moistened researches (Kamelin 1987, 2005, Belikovich & Galanin 2006, sites on southern macro-slopes of low ranges at altitudes Namzalov 2012, Kholboyeva et al. 2015) identified them as from 250 to 1200 m, within steppe and forest-steppe belts. Mediterranean vegetation type – “shiblyak” taking into ac- count the special phytocoenotic feature, namely predomi- MATERIAL AND METHODS nance of special life forms – drought resistant low decidu- The shrubbery vegetation of rock outcrops and talus ous trees and tall shrubs in the higher layer. These authorts slopes was sampled in the forest-steppe and steppe belts considered Ulmus and Armeniaca shrubberies of Daurian- of the eastern part of Dauria. The focus was on vegetation Manchurian province as an example of relic warmth-loving dominated by hemi-xerophilous small trees and tall shrubs. forest vegetation widespread in Eastern Asia in Tertiary Pe- Selected sites were documented with relevés, i.e. plots of riod and give them a higher syntaxonomic rank. 100 m2 in size, where all the vascular plants, and also bryo- At present, the Ulmus and Armeniaca shrubberies clas- phytes and macrolichens were recorded and assigned a sification using the Braun-Blanquet method was dominantly cover-abundance value of the Braun-Blanquet scale. A total developed in Eastern Mongolia (Mirkin et al. 1986, Hilbig of 22 relevés were sampled. Additional 15 relevés of Ar- 1990, 1991, 2000, Hilbig & Narantuya 2016). Mirkin et al. meniaca sibirica shrubberies from Eastern Dauria (the Onon (1986) proposed a special alliance Ulmion pumilae Mirkin et al. river basin) were taken from available literature (Beliko vich 1986 (nom. nud.) within the order Populetalia laurifolio-suaveo- & Galanin 2006). The classification of plant communities lentis Mirkin et al. 1986 uniting the flood-plain forests. Hilbig was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet approach (West- (1990) described several associations of hemi-xerophilous hoff & van der Maarel 1978). The relevés were stored in shrubberies from Eastern Mongolia: Spiraeo aquilegifoliae- the TURBOVEG database (Hennekens & Schamineè 2001) Ulmetum pumilae, Stipo sibiricae-Ulmetum pumilae, Amygdalo pe- and classified by TWINSPAN (Hill 1979). For every de- dunculatae-Spiraeetum aquilegifoliae, Spiraeo mediae-Cotoneastretum gree of the Braun-Blanquet scale, a new pseudospecies was melanocarpi, Caragano bungei-Spiraeetum hypericifoliae. Later, Hil- in tro duced in TWINSPAN, i.e. classification used cover- big (2000) validated these associations and placed Ulmus abun dance information. In order to check the quality of pumila dominated communities in the special alliance Ulmion the re sulting classification, another classification of the da- pumilae Mirkin et al. ex Hilbig 2000 while shrubberies domi- taset was performed by the cluster analysis, using Ward’s nated by steppe species Spiraea aquilegifolia, Amygdalus peduncu- method and Euclidean distance, from the STATISTICA lata were attributed to the alliance Spiraeion aquilegifoliae Hilbig software. The values of cover-abundance on the Braun- 2000. After that Hilbig & Narantuya (2016) included both Blan quet scale were used as input data in this analysis. De- these alliances in the special class Ulmetea pumilae Hilbig et trended cor res pondence analysis (DCA)