Bulletin 8 of the European Dry Grassland Group

Welcome to the eighth Bulletin of the EDGG. In this autumn issue we bring the first circular of the 8th European Dry Grassland Meeting, which will take place in Uman (Ukraine) in June 2011. At the same time, information on other forthcoming events focussing on grassland ecosystems is included. The role of bats in grassland ecosystems is highlighted in the contribution from Mount Varnous (Greece). The detailed introduction to the co-operating organisations, Floristisch- Soziologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e. V. (FlorSoz), International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) and Sand Dune and Shingle Network is an invitation to join these organisations and their activities. Last but not least, a short report from the EDGG expedition is available as a memory of nice summer days or as inspiration for the next growing season. We wish you pleasant reading. Monika Janišová & members of EDGG Executive Committee

Content European Dry Grassland Group 2 The 8th European Dry Grassland Meeting 3 Grass-lands as bat-lands: evidence from Mount Varnous, Greece 7 Invitation to join the Floristisch-Soziologische Arbeits- gemeinschaft e. V. (FlorSoz) 10 International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) 12 Sand Dune and Shingle Network 14 Impressions from the EDGG Research Expedition 2010 to Central Podilia (Ukraine) 15 Proposals for future venues of European Dry Grassland Meetings: 10th EDGG Meeting in Poland 2013 17 Forthcoming events 18 Activities and subgroups of the European Dry Grassland Group 19 Invitation to SALVERE workshop 20 Forum 23 Recent publications of our members 23

1 September 2010 EDGG homepage: http://www.edgg.org European Dry Grassland Group The European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) is a net- The EDGG covers all aspects related to dry grass- work of dry grassland researchers and conservationists in lands, in particular: plants - animals - fungi - microbia - Europe. EDGG is a Working Group of the International soils - taxonomy - phylogeography - ecophysiology - Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS). EDGG is population biology - species' interactions - vegetation supported by the Floristisch-soziologische ecology - syntaxonomy - landscape ecology - biodiver- Arbeitsgemeinschaft. sity - land use history - agriculture - nature conservation - The basic aims of the EDGG are: restoration - environmental legislation - environmental education. ♠ To compile and to distribute information on research and conservation in dry grasslands beyond national Responsibilities of Executive Committee members: borders; Jürgen Dengler [email protected]: ♠ to stimulate active cooperation among dry grassland membership administration, book review editor, contacts scientists (exchanging data, common data standards, to other organisations. joint projects). Monika Janišová [email protected]: editorship of the EDGG Bulletin. To achieve its aims, EDGG provides seven facilities for Solvita Rūsiņa [email protected]: editorship of the EDGG the information exchange among dry grassland research- homepage. ers and conservationists: Michael Vrahnakis [email protected]: co-editorship of the EDGG homepage, Med-DG subgroup ♠ the Bulletin of the EDGG (published quarterly); ♠ the EDGG homepage (www.edgg.org); Everybody can join EDGG without any fee or other obli- gation. To become a member of the European dry ♠ e-mails via our mailing list on urgent issues; grassland Group or its subordinate units write an e-mail ♠ the European Dry Grassland Meetings, organized to Jürgen Dengler including your complete address and annually in different places throughout Europe. specifying which of the groups you want to join. The detailed information you can find at: http:// ♠ EDGG research expeditions to sample baseline data www.edgg.org/about_us.htm. of underrepresented regions of Europe ♠ EDGG vegetation databases Photo on the front page: Xeranthemum annuum in dry ♠ Special Features on dry grassland-related topics in grassland dominated by Chrysopogon gryllus nearby various peer-reviewed journals Nikopol, North Bulgaria. Photo: M. Janišová.

The first EDGG expedition to Central Podilia (Ukraine), phytosociological sampling in Raigorod. Photo: Olena Yavorska. Bull. Eur. Dry Grassl. Group 8 (September 2010) 2 Grass-lands as bat-lands: evidence from Mount Varnous, Greece

The following text is an effort to highlight the potentially important relationship between grasslands and bats. The writers aim to stimulate interdisciplinary synergetic activities in this interesting topic area. The majority of the material is a combination of Galand et al. (2010), where the preliminary results of a study on bat use of subalpine grasslands are presented, and Vrahnakis and Fotiadis (2010), which describes the flora of Mount Varnous.

New UN effort seeks to conserve bats and their critical role in seed dispersal: On 22 September 2010, the United Nations and partners launched the Year of the Bat to conserve the world’s only flying mammal and its critical role in seed dispersal and pollination for the benefit of humankind. See: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36063&Cr=unep&Cr1= .

It is well documented that grasslands are among the most Mediterranean and in autumn the pastures of high species-rich habitats in Europe. For example, calcareous mountains. Temperate bats feed almost exclusively on grasslands are Europe’s most species-rich plant insects such as moths (Lepidoptera), mosquitoes and flies communities, supporting up to 80 plant species/m2 (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera), as well as other (WallisDeVries et al. 2002). In turn, this extremely high arthropods, including spiders (Araneae), harvestmen plant diversity may support high arthropod diversity (e.g. (Opiliones) and centipedes (Chilopoda). Most of these butterflies and orthoptera) and grassland-adapted birds are commonly found in grasslands, especially in grazed (e.g. bustards and falcons), as well as mammalian species ones. Bats play a key role in ecosystem functioning by such as rodents (e.g. souslik and voles) (Silva et al. regulating insect populations. 2002). Numerous animal species, from invertebrates to superior predators like vultures, may depend on To orientate in their environment, bats use ultrasound resources provided by grasslands (e.g. Vrahnakis et al. (echolocation). Echolocation calls vary between species and 2009). Although bats (Chiroptera) comprise almost 20% therefore may be used to identify species through acoustic of mammalian species, their connection to these surveys. In July 2009, a preliminary acoustic field survey resources has in general been poorly documented. was conducted over two mountain ridges in Bella Voda area (1900-2000 m a.s.l.) of Mount Varnous (2334 m) in Bats may form summer colonies in various types of the NE border of Prespa National Park, Greece (Fig. 1). roosts including buildings in the areas of human The aims were to collect data on species presence and settlement and underground sites, whereas many other activity at these altitudes for the first time in the park, bat species demonstrate a clear affiliation with forests and to identify species that could be impacted by a wind- (Dietz et al. 2009). Many species may travel long farm (34 turbines) planned to be established in the study distances between their roosts and foraging sites, such as area, because bats had been neglected during the compi- Tadarida teniotis that may cover up to 100 km to the lation of the necessary pre-establishment environmental most favorable foraging areas, in spring the coasts of impact assessment study.

Fig. 1 The acoustic field survey team in a sublpine grassland of Mount Varnous, July 2009. Photo: Philippos Katsiyiannis.

7 Bull. Eur. Dry Grassl. Group 8 (September 2010) The area of Prespa in Greece includes the Natura 2000 micro-summits of rocky formations (Fig. 2, left, Vrahnakis sites “Prespa National Forest” (code GR 1340001) and and Fotiadis 2010). It is believed that heaths resulted after “Mt Varnous” (GR 1340003), which since 2009 the long-term degradation of Nardus habitat due to heavy comprise the “Prespa National Park”. In 1995, eight bat grazing and fire. Dominant species are Nardus stricta, species were known in the area, but their number in- Thymus longicaulis, Hieracium hoppeanum, Vaccinium creased to 25 after recent summer field surveys con- myrtilus, Juniperus communis ssp. nana, Genista ducted by the Groupe Mammalogique Breton (GMB, carinalis, Primula veris, Botrychium lunaria, etc. The France), the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP, area has experienced the long term impact of sheep grazing, Greece) and individual researchers, making the bat fauna and the in last three decades cattle, together with sheep and of the area one of the richest in Greece with at least 17 a few horses, also use the above ground biomass as foraging reproducing species (Grémillet et al. 2010, unpublished material (Fig. 2, right). The type of husbandry was nomadic data). in the past, occupying the area from June up to October, while nowadays there are 4-5 settlements for local The area of Bella Voda is dominated by two Natura 2000 shepherds. Animal droppings attract insects and other habitat types, the 6230 *Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on arthropods, while the surrounding vegetation is also rich in siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain arthropod fauna. Several species of Diptera, Coleoptera, areas, in Continental Europe) and the 4060 Alpine and Hymenoptera, Aranea, and Orthoptera have been Boreal heaths, while the 8220 Siliceous rocky slopes with regularly observed, but they have not been studied chasmophytic vegetation is occasionally found mostly in quantitatively. The rich insect fauna observed in these

Fig. 2 Subalpine grasslands of Bella Voda, Mount Varnous, Greece. Natura 2000 habitat types (left) ; cattle grazing (right) . Photo: Michael Vrahnakis.

In the 2009 acoustic survey (Galand et al. 2010), echolo- quencies around 45 kHz that are typical of this spe- cation call recordings from two mountain ridges were cies. used to distinguish a preliminary list of bat species com- muting or foraging on Bella Voda, Mt Varnous. The fol- ♦ A few recordings allowed the identification of Savi’s lowing species from three different families were identi- pipistrelle Hypsugo savii (Vespertilionidae). The fied: species uses FM/QCF calls (Figure 1) with end fre- quencies between 30-36 kHz and peak frequency ♦ The European long-tailed bat Tadarida teniotis around 34 kHz, allowing its discrimination from (Molossidae). The species uses QCF (Figure 1) low Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhli and Nathusius’ frequency narrowband calls with peak frequency 10- pipistrelle P. nathusii. 12 kHz, with generally < 20 ms duration. ♦ One recording finally allowed the identification of ♦ The bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii P. nathusii (Vespertilionidae). The species uses FM/ (Miniopteridae). The species uses FM/QCF calls QCF (Fig. 3) calls whose frequency bandwidth over- (Figure 1) with end frequency 50-55 kHz. Although lap with that of P. kuhli. It can be clearly distin- its call parameters partially overlap with other spe- guished from the latter by its different social calls. cies, it may be separated by certain characteristics. Additional species were recorded but not identified with ♦ One of the smallest bats in Europe, the pipistrelle certainty and were placed in groups of species. These Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Vespertilionidae) potentially include the noctule Nyctalus noctula, the (Photograph 3). Its calls most often have end fre- lesser noctule N. leisleri, the parti-coloured bat Vespertilio murinus, the serotine Eptesicus serotinus, and

Bull. Eur. Dry Grassl. Group 8 (September 2010) 8 Fig 3. Different types of ultrasonic calls used by European bats; QCF: quasi constant frequency; FM/QCF: frequency modulated followed by QCF; FM: frequency modulated.

The results of the preliminary survey suggest that these Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 56 pp. grasslands are used by a relatively rich bat fauna, either for commuting or for foraging. Bat activity was also important Vrahnakis M.S. & G. Fotiadis (2010): A Description of at these high altitudes. The establishment of a wind-farm the Natura 2000 Sites of Bella Voda. Final Report. may therefore negatively influence bat populations, as it has Society for the Protection of Prespa, Greece. been confirmed in other areas with wind turbines (e.g. Al- Vrahnakis M.S., M. Kadroudi, E. Kyriazi, D. Vasilakis, cade and Saenz 2004). The risk may be particularly impor- Y. Kazoglou & P. Birtsas (2009): Variation of struc- tant for species that intensively use them for commuting and tural and functional characteristics of grasslands in the hunting, such as T. teniotis, M. schreibersii, P. pipistrellus foraging areas of the Eurasian black vulture (Aegypius and Hypsugo savii (three of them listed in Annex II of the monachus L.). Grasslands Science in Europe, 14:269- Bern Convention). A more detailed impact assessment 272. study in this area targeting on both bats and birds is there- WallisDeVries MF., P. Poschlod & J.H. Willems (2002): fore necessary in order to prevent negative impacts. Further Challenges for the conservation of calcareous detailed studies of bat habitat use combined with studies of grasslands in Northwestern Europe: integrating the the arthropod fauna at different times of year would assess requirements of flora and fauna. Biological the importance of Mt Varnous subalpine grasslands by bats Conservation, 104:265-273. for foraging. Michael Vrahnakis, Karditsa, Greece [email protected] References Elena Papadatou, Athens., Greece Alcade T.J. & J. Saenz (2004): First data on bat mortality in [email protected] wind farms of Navarre (Northern Iberian Peninsula). Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Genève. Le Rhinolophe, Yannis Kazoglou, Agios Germanos - Prespa, Greece 17:1-5. [email protected] Dietz C., O. von Helversen and D. Nill (2009): Bats of Britain, Europe & Northwest Africa. A. & C. Black Publishers, London, UK, 400 pp. Galand N., S. Declercq, T. Cheyrezy, S.J. Puechmaille, N. Deguines, X. Grémillet, E. Papadatou & Y. Kazoglou (2010): Bat survey on the subalpine grasslands of Mt Var- nous (Florina, Greece): preliminary results. 8th Panhel- lenic Rangeland Congress, Hellenic Rangeland and Pas- ture Society, 14-16 October 2010, Xanthi, Greece. Grémillet X., T. Dubos & T. Le Campion (2010): Bilan chiroptérologique des prospections estivales organisées jusqu’en 2007 par le Groupe Mammalogique Breton dans le Parc National de Prespa, Macédoine occidentale (Grèce). Symbioses, 25:1-6. Silva J.P., J. Toland, W. Jones, J. Eldridge, E. Thorpe & Fig. 4. Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Vespertilionidae). A common E. O’Hara (2008): LIFE and Europe’s Grasslands. Restoring a Forgotten Habitat. LIFE Focus series. bat found foraging in subalpine grasslands of Mount Varnous, Greece .Photo: Philippos Katsiyiannis.

9 Bull. Eur. Dry Grassl. Group 8 (September 2010)