Bulletin 2017 / 4

BULLETIN 2017 / 4

CONTENTS

2 A Message from the Editor

3 60th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science

11 News from the Working Groups

16 A Worldwide Key to Plant Functional Types: a field test in the Sicilian Region

30 2018 IAVS Symposium

32 Dedication

37 Forum

Stipecoma peltigera (Apocynaceae) is a common liana of Date of Publication: December 2017 Campos Rupestres in Goiás, Bahia and Minas Gerais, Brazil. © International Association for Vegetation Science ISSN 2415-184XWWW.IAVS.ORG (Online) IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 1 OF 40 DOI 10.21570/BUL-201712 © M. Janišová A Message from the Editor IAVS - a home for vegetation scientists of the world

I know that vegetation scientists do not form a high proportion of most nations’ populations, but if one counts them from all around the world they likely form quite a large group. There are many people collecting, growing or just admiring plants and their assemblages, but not so many trying to understand or explain them despite them being so different from human beings. And in my opinion, this feature distinguishes vegetation scientists from other plant fans and hobbyists. I consider myself to be a vegetation scientist - I am fascinated by vegetation as a whole while admiring each individual part of its mosaic. Since my childhood this relation did not change in principle, it was only the scale that switched from the garden to the biome perspective, but I have always been happy sitting in the grass and looking around. Fortunately, I always had somebody around me to share my pleasure from this scientia amabile, being it my family members, schoolmates at the university or colleagues at the institute. But I remember how great it was to know also the vegetation scientists from abroad. And to recognize that, although their focus was on different vegetation types, their passion for vegetation has the same basis. In the IAVS I feel myself at home. Participation in its multiple activities such as fieldworks, excursions or conferences forms a substantial part of my working time each year. And I find this time well spent and shifting me in a proper direction.

I wonder, how do you, the IAVS members, perceive the role of our scientific community and association in your professional and private lives? For this purpose, I prepared a few questions, which you are invited to answer by the monkey survey at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IAVS The link to the survey will be placed on our webpage and will stay open for several months. You can share your experiences and impressions on the fly, and we will inform you in one of the future bulletin issues about the survey results.

Monika Janisova Editor of the IAVS Bulletin

Brno 2015

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 2 OF 40 DOI - 10.21570/BUL-201712-1 60th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science By Riccardo Guarino

The 60th Annual Symposium of the International biology, and urban ecology. This also included Association for Vegetation Science was held in applied research such as remote sensing, green Palermo, Italy, on June 20–24, 2017. The venue was infrastructures, ecosystem service valuation, nature the Botanical Garden of Palermo and the nearby conservation, management and restoration. NH Hotel, situated in the NE corner of the historical quarter “La Kalsa”. The name derives from the Besides the scientific sessions, the event comprised ), meaning a six-day pre-symposium excursion on the Sicilianةصلاخلا :Arabic name, Al-Khalisa (Arabic “the purest”. This was the centre of the Arab city coastal vegetation, a one-day pre-symposium conquered by the Normans in 1072 and many of its excursion to Cefalù, eight simultaneous mid- narrow, winding streets are clearly survivors of 11th- symposium excursions to different sites of Central century patterns. and Western Sicily, and a five-day post-symposium excursion on the Sicilian mountains (Etna, Nebrodi, The general topic of the symposium was “Vegetation Madonie). patterns in natural and cultural landscapes”, which offered an ideal framework for presenting and Participants discussing a great wealth of vegetation studies linking biological and cultural diversity on a wide The symposium saw 393 participants from 56 array of landscapes and land-use patterns at different countries across five continents. Twenty-three temporal and spatial scales. Most of the presented participants were supported by travel grants from the research linked with neighbouring disciplines, such IAVS Global Sponsorship Committee. The numbers as biogeography, palaeoecology, macroecology of participants by country (codified by ISO 3166-1 landscape history, global change biology, invasion alpha-3 standard) were as follows:

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 3 OF 40 ITA 54 IRN 3 The contributed talks and posters were presented in 14 standard sessions and six special sessions. The DEU 34 NAM 3 special sessions were proposed and convened by BRA 32 NZL 3 the symposium participants to map the current state JPN 19 SVN 3 of research on a selected topic or to cover selected sub-disciplines of vegetation science. CHN 18 ARM 2 CZE 18 BEL 2 Measured by the number of contributed presentations, USA 17 CYP 2 the most attractive standard oral and poster sessions were those on “Plant diversity patterns across ESP 15 IND 2 biomes, habitats and communities” (12 talks, 16 HUN 14 ISR 2 posters), “Functional diversity along environmental POL 14 TWN 2 gradients” (12 talks, 15 posters), “Vegetation, traits FRA 13 BGR 1 and ecosystem services valuation” (12 talks, 10 posters), “Vegetation classification, vegetation EST 10 DNK 1 management and restoration ecology” (12 talks, 9 RUS 10 DZA 1 posters), “Grasslands, land uses and environmental NOR 9 EGY 1 changes” (12 talks, 8 posters), and “Invasive species: past, present and future trends” (12 talks, AUS 8 GHA 1 8 posters). In addition, the sessions on “Vegetation PRT 8 IDN 1 dynamics and human-induced successions” and UKR 7 KOR 1 “Habitat monitoring and conservation assessment” ZAF 7 LTU 1 received 13 posters each. These contributor’s choices reflect quite well not only the main theme AUT 5 LVA 1 of the symposium, but also the current interest FIN 5 MKD 1 of vegetation scientists in plant functional traits, KAZ 5 NGA 1 diversity patterns and ecosystem services valuation, MEX 5 NPL 1 along with their commitment to applied topics related to nature conservation and habitat monitoring. SWE 5 PHL 1 CHE 4 ROU 1 Given the novel and multidisciplinary approaches presented in the session on “Green infrastructures GBR 4 SVK 1 and vegetation science”, the session conveners HRV 4 TZA 1 were invited by Valeria Rinaudo, publishing editor NLD 4 URY 1 of Springer, to propose a monographic contribution GRC 3 VNM 1 in the series Future City, based on the subjects presented during the symposium. TOTAL 393 Keynote Talks 8 Scientific Program and Presentations Talks 168 The programme of the symposium included eight Ordinary Sessions 126 plenary lectures, contributed talks running in four Special Sessions 42 parallel sessions and two poster sessions. The invited plenary speakers were Jiquan Chen (Michigan State Posters 136 University), Ulrich Deil (Fribourg University), Nigel Ordinary Sessions 116 Dunnett (Sheffield University), Brigitta Erschbamer, Special Sessions 22 (Innsbruck University), Ladislav Mucina (University of Western Australia), and David Ward (Kent State The overall symposium contributions consisted of: University). Keynote lectures were intended as introductory, broad overviews on the main topics of The program of the symposium is avalable here: the symposium. Plenary sessions also included two http://iavs.org/Meetings/Past-Meetings/2017- special events: (1) a lecture on “Biogeography of Program-Book.aspx social-ecological systems as a basis for predicting future change” by Terry Chapin, awardee of the The abstract book is available here: http://iavs.org/ Alexander von Humboldt Medal, with laudatio by Bob Meetings/Past-Meetings/2017-Abstract-Book.aspx Peet, and (2) a presentation of the second edition of Hardcopies of the abstract book can be ordered the Flora of Italy by Sandro Pignatti, past President through the on-line shop of the Palermo University and honorary member of the IAVS, with laudatio by press: https://www.unipapress.it/it/category/atti-e- Joop Schaminée. convegni_2/catalogo_12/

Contacts: [email protected]

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Poster session from above. Awards Honorable Mentions: At each of its annual symposia IAVS recognizes the Liis Kasari: Good dispersers disappear from young scientists who have presented the best talks European calcareous grasslands following the and posters. This year the awards went to: payment of extinction debt Co-author: Aveliina Helm Oral Presentations Francesca Jaroszynska: Shifts in biotic interactions First prize: with climate change in semi-natural grasslands in Western Norway Francesco Petruzellis: Sampling intraspecific Co-authors: Vigdis Vandvik, Siri Lie Olsen, Kari variability in leaf functional traits: practical Klanderud suggestions to maximize collected information Co-authors: Chiara Palandrani, Tadeja Savi , Roberto Excursions Alberti , Andrea Nardini, Giovanni Bacaro The aim of the excursions was to become familiar Honorable Mentions: with the main vegetation units of Sicily, with a focus Mária Májekova: Temporal fluctuations and functional on its Central and Western parts. The flora of Sicily traits in high-diversity plant communities includes about 3,111 species: around 40% of the national flora of Italy. The Sicilian vegetation reflects Co-authors: Francesco de Bello, Alena Vítová,, Jiří very well its floristic wealth, arranged in a noteworthy Doležal, Jan Lepš diversity of habitat types. Here is the overview of the excursions. Manon Hess: Microwave soil heating for controlling invasive plant species germination Six-day Pre-Symposium Excursion - “Coastal landscapes of Sicily” (June 13-18, 2017) Co-authors: Mélissa De Wilde, Hugo Fontes, Loïc Willm, Nicole Yavercovski, Elise Buisson, François A large variety of coastal landscapes and habitats of Mesléard Western and Southern Sicily were visited, including all the main types of geomorphological units: Morgan Raath: Do positive plant-plant interactions limestone, sandstone, evaporitic series (chalk, marl, expand the upper distributional limits of vascular clay), holocenic and pleistocenic sand dunes. Day plant species on Marion Island? 1: Mt. Cofano and Cornino Bay; Day 2: Saltmarshes between Trapani and Marsala, Gorghi Tondi; Day 3: Co-author: Peter C. le Roux Pantalica and Calcinara canyon; Day 4: The coast of Stephni van der Merwe: Do plant-plant interactions Vendicari; Day 5: The coast of Manfria, the badlands affect functional traits? of San Nicola, the cork-oakwoods of Niscemi; Day 6: Torre Salsa and the white coast (Capo Bianco, Co-authors: Michelle Greve, Peter C. le Roux Eraclea Minoa, Siculiana). Guided by Riccardo Guarino, with Angelo Troìa as additional guide in the Poster Presentations first two days. There were 28 participants. First prize: One-day Pre-Symposium Excursion - “Cefalù” Malgorzata Radula: Topographic wetness index (June 19, 2017) predicts soil moisture better than bioindication with Cefalù is a coastal town located about 70 km to the Ellenberg’s indicator values east of Palermo. The morning was spent on the Co-authors: Tomasz Szymura, Magdalena Szymura headland (Rocca) overlooking the town, to explore a unique blend of archaeological heritage, natural vegetation and reforestations, along with scenic

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 5 OF 40 views over the town and over the sea. After lunch, surviving traces of traditional land management the participants were free to decide how to use the were the main attractions of our hikes. Day 1: Etna afternoon hours: visiting the town or lazing on the - southern side: from “Schiena dell’Asino” to “Piano beach before travelling back with their own individual del Vescovo”, through Valle del Bove; Day 2: Etna train tickets to Palermo, where, in the evening, they - North-Eastern side, from Monti Sartorius to Piano possibly joined the aperitif offered at the NH Hotel, Provenzana; Day 3: Nebrodi - Lago Maulazzo, next to the registration desk. Guided by Riccardo Biviere di Cesarò, Monte Soro; Day 4: Madonie Guarino and Corrado Marcenò. There were 56 - Vallone Madonna degli Angeli and Monte San participants. Salvatore; Day 5: Madonie - Piano Battaglia and Pizzo Carbonara. Guided by Riccardo Guarino and Mid-Symposium Excursions - (June 22, 2017) Leopoldo De Simone, with Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo as additional guide in the first two days. There All the mid-symposium excursions were arranged in were 45 participants. order to combine natural and cultural highlights in the following eight different destinations of NW Sicily. Sightseeing tours Excursion 1 - Madonie Mts. (Vallone Madonna In addition, two Palermo sightseeing tours, guided degli Angeli - Abies nebrodensis stands, orophilous by Sophie Bonetti, took place on July 21 and 23. pulvinate communities) and Polizzi Generosa. Guided by Rosario Schicchi & Pippo Di Noto. A comprehensive excursion guide was prepared, with explanatory texts, maps and photographs of Excursion 2 - Madonie Mts. (Piano Battaglia and excursion sites, illustrated synoptic tables of the flora Pizzo Carbonara - karstic dolines, beechwoods, of Sicily, a syntaxonomical framework of the Sicilian mountain rangelands) and Collesano. Guided by vegetation and bibliographic references: Giuseppe Bazan & Giuseppe Baiamonte. Guarino R. & Pasta S. (2017): Botanical excursions Excursion 3 - Monte Cofano (coastal habitats, in Central and Western Sicily. Field guide for the limestone cliffs, dry grasslands) and Segesta. 60th IAVS Symposium. Palermo University Press, Guided by Angelo Troia & Teresa Napolitano. 604 pp., ISBN 978-88-99934-47-7.

Excursion 4 - Rocca della Busambra (mountain Free download at: http://iavs.org/Meetings/Past- semideciduous woodlands and rangelands) and Meetings/2017-Excursion-Guide.aspx Ficuzza. Guided by Lorenzo Gianguzzi & Orazio Caldarella. Hardcopies of the excursion guide can be ordered through the on-line shop of the Palermo University Excursion 5 - Capo Gallo (coastal habitats, limestone press: https://www.unipapress.it/UPP/UPP_30/ cliffs, dry grasslands) and Monreale. Guided by Programs/Interface.php# Vincenzo Ilardi & Emanuele Genduso. Contacts: [email protected] Excursion 6 - Fiumara di Pollina (Mediterranean riverine vegetation, coastal habitats) and Pollina. Side Events Guided by Corrado Marcenò, Pietro Minissale & Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo Besides the scientific programme, several meeting took place during the symposium, including the Excursion 7 - Capo Zafferano (coastal habitats, meeting of the IAVS Council, the IAVS General limestone cliffs, dry grasslands), Villa Spedalotto Assembly, editorial meetings of the IAVS journals and Villa Valguarnera. Guided by Riccardo Guarino (Journal of Vegetation Science and Applied Vegetation & Chiara Catalano. Science) and of the journal Phytocoenologia, Excursion 8 - Lecceta di Costalunga (holm-oakwood meetings of the IAVS working groups, etc. and related seral stages) and Giardinello. Guided by A workshop on “How to write a successful grant Alfonso La Rosa & Eduardo di Trapani. application” was organized for young scientists, Five-day Post-Symposium Excursion - “Sicilian chaired by Jana Michaelis & Ricarda Pätsch, with mountains” (June 13-18, 2017) the following special guests: Rob Lewis (Aarhus University), Sandro Ricci (European Commission We visited the three main mountain districts of - Research Executive Agency), Duccio Rocchini Sicily: Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in (University of Trento, Edmund Mach Foundation), the Mediterranean Region; Nebrodi Mts., the Francesco Sabatini (Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow smoothest and most forested part of the so-called at the Geography Department of the Humboldt Sicilian Apennines; Madonie Mts., the highest University, Berlin). and most heterogeneous mountain system of the Sicilian Apennines. Supra- and oro-Mediterranean A workshop on “Rethinking biomes” was organized vegetation, rare species, scenic views and the still by the Vegetation Classification Working Group and

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 6 OF 40 © R. Guarino

Pre-Symposium Excursion to Trapani saltmarshes (above). Pre-Symposium Excursion to St. Nicola badlands with Moricandio-Lygeion sparti dry grasslands (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 7 OF 40 © P. Krestov

Mid-Symposium Excursion Nr. 4 to Bosco Ficuzza (above). Mid-Symposium Excursion Nr. 6 to Fiumara Pollina (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 8 OF 40 © J. Noroozi

Post-Symposium Excursion - on the top of Mt. Carbonara (above). Post-Symposium Excursion - amidst Genista aetnensis (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 9 OF 40 © R. Guarino

Sampling waterplants at Biviere di Cesarò during the Post-Symposium Excursion. chaired by Scott Franklin, John Hunter and Jürgen Dengler, in order to focus on a global classification of vegetation at the highest levels of most classification systems (formation, class, biome, etc.). The workshop was aimed to brainstorm potential development pathways of such a classification.

Two social events of the symposium were organized in the evenings of June 21 and 23, respectively: the IAVS Music Jam Session & Social Club at the beer pub Birroteca Spillo and the Symposium Dinner at the Palermo Botanical Garden, accompanied by the polished songs and arrangements by Serena Ganci, a famous songwriter in Palermo. But also in the rest of the evenings we tried to sing and play at our best, because «Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum» (F. Nietsche). Acknowledgements First of all, many thanks to all the participants: they demonstrated that studying ecosystems helps to self-organize in a well-rounded program, sometimes even at the edge of chaos. Moreover, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the people who, in various ways, have contributed to the success of the 60th IAVS Symposium. Thanks for the warmth, hospitality, patronage, support, sympathy, and, above all, that feeling of involvement that allowed to © A. Greller best present our beloved Sicily to 393 guests of 56 Mid-Symposium Excursion Nr. 8 - Ferula communis nationalities. and Salvatore Pasta, co-author of the Excursion Guide Most notably, I’d like to thank Silvy Song for her Simone for managing the welcome desk; all the constant availability and for her ability to work excursion guides and assistants; all the members together, even at a distance, with extraordinary of the international steering committee for their efficiency; Salvatore Pasta, co-author of the suggestions and constructive cooperation; the staff Excursion Guide; Manfredi Leone for his fundamental of the NH Hotel, the sponsors and many others. contribution to the logistics and arrangements of the Lastly, my special thanks to Milan Chytrý and his social events; Chiara Catalano for the logo of the team for having masterfully organized the 58 IAVS symposium; Corrado Marcenò for helping in the symposium in Brno, which I took as a model for the handling of abstracts; Giuseppe Baiamonte, Chiara organization of the 60th symposium in Palermo and Catalano, Rosanna Costantino and Leopoldo De also for the writing of this report.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 10 OF 40 News from the Working Groups This is a regular section devoted to the activities and news from the IAVS working groups, regional sections and committees. In the following pages you can find annual reports of six IAVS working groups and one IAVS regional section. The reports were presented to the IAVS Council prior to the Council meeting in Palermo, June 2017. Together with the Council Minutes and other supplementary materials they are available online at http:// iavs.org/Governance/Council/2017-Council-Meeting-Minutes/Councilmeeting_Palermo_Minutes-Final.aspx.

European Vegetation Survey The 26th Meeting of the European Vegetation Survey European Red List of Habitats (Janssen et al. 2016; (EVS) will take place in Bilbao, Spain, on 13–16 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/ September 2017. Although the traditional timing of redlist_en.htm), both in print and in an online the EVS meetings is in spring, this year’s meeting was platform which also contains detailed factsheets postponed to September in order to avoid potential for European habitat types, distribution maps and competition with the 2017 IAVS Symposium, which territorial data. This project, led by John Janssen will be held also in southern Europe (Palermo), in and John Rodwell, provides scientific information June 2017. The EVS meeting will be organized by in a standardized format, which will be an important the team of Professor Javier Loidi at the University basis for conservation of natural habitats in Europe. of the Basque Country. 5. The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) grew The activities of the European Vegetation Survey further. In February 2017, it comprised 73 databases group between the 25th meeting in Rome (April 2016) and 1,334,950 plots. EVA data were provided to 50 and the 60th IAVS Symposium (June 2017) included: projects. In total 13 scientific papers based on the analyses of the EVA database were published or 1. The work “Vegetation of Europe: Hierarchical submitted, most of them with broad international floristic classification system of vascular plant, author teams. Further, EVA data were used in bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities”, colloquially 6 completed reports and 38 presentations at known as EuroVegChecklist, has been published as conferences or workshops. The EVA website (www. a Supplement Issue of the journal Applied Vegetation euroveg.org/eva-database) was extended to take Science at the end of the year 2016 (http:// account of these publications. Basic statistics of onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avsc.12257/ EVA data and EVA projects and their results were abstract). This work, led by Ladislav Mucina and summarized in the EVA annual report. involving 32 authors from 16 countries, provides the baseline for the standard phytosociological 6. An EVS team led by Joop Schaminée, working classification of European vegetation. under contract from the European Environment Agency (EEA), prepared an expert system for 2. Stephan Hennekens prepared an interactive online automatic classification of vegetation plots to version of EuroVegChecklist, which was integrated European grassland habitat types following the into the EVS website in March 2017 (www.synbiosys. modified EUNIS/Red List classification (https:// alterra.nl/evc). This online version enables browsing forum.eionet.europa.eu/nrc-biodiversity-data-and- through the classification hierarchy, includes short information/library/eunis_classification/report-2016- descriptions of vegetation types, synonyms and for eunis-grasslands-ii-incl-plot-maps). Using this phytosociological classes also lists of diagnostic expert system, the EVA database was interrogated species and bibliography. The users can also post to provide distribution maps and extensive lists online their comments on the concepts of individual of diagnostic, constant and dominant species for syntaxa. European grassland habitat types.

3. The EVS Steering Committee prepared a draft of 7. Two Special Issues/Features on European the procedures for updating the EuroVegChecklist vegetation types edited by the EVS members classification, which will be discussed at the IAVS and partly based on the presentations given at Palermo and EVS Bilbao meetings. the EVS meetings were completed. The Virtual Special Feature “Towards consistent classification 4. Another team involving many EVS members of European grasslands” in Applied Vegetation finished a three-year project funded by the European Science, edited by Jürgen Dengler, Erwin Bergmeier, Commission DG Environment by publishing the Wolfgang Willner and Milan Chytrý, included 7

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 11 OF 40 papers plus an editoral, published between 2013 and of Phytocoenologia, included four papers plus an 2017. The Special Issue “Classifying halophytes and editorial. halophytic vegetation”, edited by Erwin Bergmeier and Joop Schaminée and published as issue 2016/4 Milan Chytrý Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature State of the Art Steering Committee Presently (as of 20.06.2017) the GPN counts 74 The SC was mainly occupied in the preparation of a members, most of which come from Europe (76%) draft of the 4th edition of ICPN, in collaboration with although several other countries of the world are Prof. Heinrich Weber (the lead author of the 3rd edition). represented (see the figure). An important work has been done in order to produce a new, more user-friendly version that meets the Steering Committee: Jean-Paul Theurillat (chair), needs of phytosociologists. The work went on during Daniela Gigante (secretary), Andraz Čarni, Federico the whole period 2014-2017, by way of a number Fernández-González, Helga Bültmann, Laco of meetings in Rome (18/20.06.2015, 4/6.11.2015, Mucina, Wolfgang Willner 8/10.04.2016) and Wien (28/31.10/2016), and Three Topic Committees are active: by several email exchanges. The meetings were supported financially by IAVS. At present, all the 1. Committee for the Changes and the Conservation Articles have been reviewed. of Names (CCCN) A consolidated version is in preparation for the end 2. Committee for the Registration and the Typification of the year and will be distributed to the GPN for of Names (CRTN) comments.

3. Committee for the Website and the Online Committee for Change and Conservation of Database (CWDB) Names (CCCN)

Contacts: [email protected] The nomenclature section in Phytocoenologia is fully operational. People are invited to submit their Activities since the Business Meeting in Rome proposals following the guidelines: (7.4.2016) • Willner W. et al. 2015. Guidelines for proposals to conserve or reject names of syntaxa. Phytocoenologia 45: 183-184.

• Two new proposals have been submitted for publication.

Registration of Names The online database PhytoS, developed for the registration of names and types of plant communities, is now undergoing a phase of test to verify and improve its functions.. Andreas Gattringer (computer programmer at the University of Vienna), Wolfgang Willner and Jean-Paul Theurillat met in October 2016 in Vienna for planning further developments. The SC is warmly inviting volunteers to test the process of data upload and to give their feedbacks. The Nomenclatural DB PhytoS can be accessed at The last activities of the Steering Committee of the https://phytos.vinca.at. For support, please contact GPN, after the Business meeting organized in Rome Wolfgang Willner ([email protected]). during the EVS Workshop (6/9.04.2016), have been mostly concentrated on the completion of the draft of Website 4th edition of the International Code of Nomenclature (ICPN), in order to present it to the Assembly as The GPN website, currently under development, is soon as possible. However, other tasks have also now hosted on the new IAVS server at http://iavs. been performed. A short summary of the activities is org/Working-Groups/Group-for-Phytosociological- reported hereafter. Nomenclature.aspx

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 12 OF 40 Renewal of the Steering Committee going to finish at the end of this year. New elections will be announced soon by the Chair of the GPN. According to the Art. 6 of the GPN Bylaws, the More details will be given in Palermo at the Business Steering Committee is composed of 7 members Meeting. elected for 4-year renewable terms. The current SC was elected in December 2013 and its term is Wolfgang Willner Vegetation Classification Working Group The general scope of the VCWG includes vegetation of plot-based vegetation classification systems.” The classification at any spatial or organizational purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a common scale, particularly the underlying methodologies framework describing all approaches of vegetation and standards, ultimately allowing greater classification used throughout the world and thus understanding and crosswalks among national allowing for a thorough comparison among those classification systems. To that end, the VCWG has approaches. Nearly all of the 14 publications are developed subgroups focusing on specific activities accepted and being edited. Our goal is to publish the and maintains a website “The IAVS Vegetation special issue in the third volume of 2017. Classification Methods Website” (https://sites.google. com/site/vegclassmethods/home) as the official A second endeavor is to help jumpstart a global outlet of VCWG activities, including a discussion classification system at the biome level. At the 2017 forum for members and the dissemination of agreed IAVS meeting, the working group has established a standards. In addition, the website aims to facilitate special session and workshop (“Rethinking Biomes”) access to bibliographic and technical resources for on the issue. The goals of the workshop are: 1. vegetation classification (data, programs, tutorials, Discuss current biomes classification approaches etc.). The website includes the Bylaws, geographical and systems 2. Start to develop ideas for a new representation of current membership, and contact biome classification approaches/system (The goal information to become involved (by contacting the of the workshop is not a finished product but to kick working group Secretary John Hunter [jhunter8@ start an INTL effort) and 3. Elect leaders for a sub bigpond.com]). Membership (currently 195 members group of the IAVS VCWG to forward this effort. The from 42 countries and six continents) is free and does working group received funding from IAVS for the not require membership in IAVS. Over the next year, workshop. elections will be held for a new steering committee. VCWG Steering Committee The focus of the Steering Committee at present is a special issue in Phytocoenologia, “Global overview Working Group for Ecoinformatics The goals of the Ecoinformatics Working group The Steering Committee is still considering updating are to facilitate communication among scientists the Ecoinformatics website as a priority. Parts of the studying community ecology through exploration and former website (hosted at the University of North synthesis of large databases comprising vegetation- Carolina) have been moved to the IAVS website, but plot and related ecological data; facilitate access there is much more information that can be provided to these data; establish standards for exchange of to the Ecoinformatics community. A proposal for the these data to facilitate data sharing and to provide update was submitted by the Steering Committee tools for identification, access, integration, storage, last year, but rejected by the IAVS Governing and analysis of these data. To meet the requirements Board, because it was not specific enough in what to be a recognized IAVS Working Group and be actually would need to be changed or added to eligible for IAVS funding, a set of Bylaws were the site. Updating the proposal was unfortunately drafted in February 2013, based on those of the delayed because Florian Jansen, who is the lead European Vegetation Survey Working Group, were person on the proposal, got a professorship In approved by members of the working group in March Rostock (Germany) and has been unable to revise 2013 and approved by the IAVS Council at the Tartu the proposal yet. As such, the Steering Committee symposium in June 2014. decided to discuss the proposal in Palermo, since every member will there be present. Resubmission Due to a very heavy work load Miquel de Cáceres will be done shortly after the symposium. resigned from the Steering Committee in 2016. We are grateful to him for his commitment to the Steering Even though the Steering Committee hasn’t Committee. Without no doubt Miquel will remain been very active last year as such, in the field of active in Ecoinformatics working group. Ecoinformatics, important contributions have made

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 13 OF 40 to the community. A milestone was achieved by the • Sebastian Schmidtlein: An Android app to do publication of the Vegetation of Europe by Laco relevés. Mucina and many other vegetation scientist. Due to financial support by the IAVS Governing Board the • Lubomír Tichý: A complex expert system language index of European syntaxa can now also by queried for vegetation classification and semi-automated on the web, with the option to submit proposals for optimization of diagnostic species groups. changes. • Otto Wildi: An ordination of ordinations: comparing Lastly we would like to mention some relevant the predictive power of ordinations to evaluate presentations in the field of ecoinformatics and methodological decisions. posters scheduled for the Palermo symposium: Poster Presentations Oral Presentations • Borja Jiménez-Alfaro: An invitation to join sPlot, • Hamed Asadi: The assignment of relevés to the global vegetation database sPlot team. pre-existing vegetation units: A comparison of • Gholizadeh Hamid: Constructing uniform approaches using species fidelity. vegetation database of the relict Hyrcanian • Andrew Gillison: A worldwide key to plant functional forests; Determination of the most environmental types. factors affecting floristic composition and indicator species. • Peter Minchin: Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling of Vegetation Data: Insights and Innovations. Stephan Hennekens, Miquel de Cáceres, Florian Jansen, Peter Minchin & Susan Wiser North American Section The main activity of the IAVS North American Section We are planning three pre-symposium excursions, during 2016-2017 has been the organization of the two through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, IAVS 2018 annual symposium, which is scheduled and one to mixed grass prairies in Montana, and for July 22-27 at Montana State University in two more post-symposium excursions to western Bozeman, Montana, USA. Our objective is to host an Montana, northern Idaho, and Alberta, Canada. We excellent meeting, with a strong scientific program have made preliminary contacts with local Chambers and an exciting array of field trips. of Commerce to organize lodging for the field trips and will be scouting out exact locations in summer In support of the 2018 symposium we have convened 2017. a Local Organizing Committee consisting of: The draft theme for the meeting is “Intact Native • Dr. David W. Roberts, Montana State University Ecosystems as Benchmarks for Vegetation Science” (co-chair) We anticipate a number of special sessions, including perhaps a revitalization of the Theory and Methods • Dr. Peter R. Minchin, Southern Illinois University Working Group, as well as hosting the Vegetation Edwardsville (co-chair) Classification Working Group. • Dr. Stephen V. Cooper IV, Montana Natural Heritage (retired) Peter R. Minchin

• Mr. Kent Houston, US Forest Service (retired) Young Scientists Steering Committee Hildesheim & Albrecht-von-Haller Institute, Germany In early 2017, a new steering committee was elected into office. This new committee consists of: • Event coordinator: Emma Shidolo, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia • Chair: Jana Michaelis, University of Bremen, Germany • Public relations manager: Alla Aleksanyan, Institute of Botany of National Academy of Sciences of • Membership officer: Marco Malavasi, Czech Armenia, Armenia University of Life Science, Czech Republic We would like to thank the old committee for their • Webmaster: Ricarda Pätsch, University of brilliant work and wish them all the best for their future!

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 14 OF 40 Activities and Plans organized another workshop for YS at the conference in Palermo: At the IAVS symposium 2016 in Pirenópolis we had a very nice working group meeting and were able 1. Organization of a workshop on “how to write a to welcome many new members, especially from successful grant application”. We invited four Brazil and South America in general. The fact that brilliant speakers who share their experience on no former committee member was able to join the applying for funds/grant with us. The focus will be meeting, mainly because they were not able to join on the EU Marie Curie program, but some other the conference at all, led to a discussion about the EU-based grants will also be introduced. main challenges the YS group faces: (a) a high fluctuation of active members and (b) limited funds 2. We conduct a survey among all experienced of members to attend conferences and meet each scientists at the conference. We plan to ask them other personally. We accepted these challenges about their three most important experiences/ and plan to overcome them with the help of the lessons learned/ hints regarding grant application. IAVS community and new social media and online This information will be collected, shared among technologies. the YS group and published at our website. Thus, we hope that people who cannot attend The following activities were conducted to help to the conference are still able to benefit from the build a closer network, easy online communication community’s experience. and foster exchange of information within the working group: To expand our scientific activity, we plan to proceed with the idea of the former committee: • A new YS website was launched, which can now be found on the official IAVS homepage. This website 3. YS Online talks: the problems we faced with using will be updated regularly and the content will be free video conference tools (e.g. Skype, Hangouts) expanded continuously. http://iavs.org/Working- have not been resolved, yet. We have planned to Groups/Young-Scientists.aspx check out gotomeeting.com with the help of Silvy Song as soon as possible. • The YS mailing list was transferred to a new provider, who features several new and interesting Some more ideas we would like to give a try in the possibilities to create newsletters and informative future: mails. 4. Write an article for the IAVS Bulletin to contribute • A YS social group was created at LinkedIn, which more to the IAVS community and broach the issues needs to be advertised at the conference. https:// most interesting for YS. www.linkedin.com/groups/13519646 5. Check out the IAVS online activities and maybe Based on the interest of many YS to improve their encourage the IAVS to increase them, e.g. by skills in reviewing manuscripts, Michael Palmer, streaming or broadcasting conference talks or editor of AVS and JVS, led a workshop on “how to workshops, to make the information available also write an effective manuscript review in vegetation to those who are not able to attend the conferences science” at the conference in Pirenópolis. Inspired in person. by this workshop and the enthusiastic feedback, we YS Steering Committee

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 15 OF 40 DOI - 10.21570/BUL-201712-2 A worldwide key to plant functional types: a field test in the Sicilian region By Andrew N. Gillison

Center For Biodiversity Management, Yungaburra, Queensland Australia, [email protected] Abstract Background and Aims: Physiognomic, structural and floristic classifications of vegetation are rarely designed to detect and monitor plant functional and ecosystem response to change along biophysical gradients. Yet such information can be vital for forecasting vegetation response to global change where alternative classification systems based on whole plant adaptive strategies may offer significant advantages. Widespread disparity in the definition and measurement of plant functional traits and their assembly as whole plant entities, raises concerns as to whether a universal functional typology is achievable or even desirable. To address this problem, a generic set of functional traits is proposed as a uniform, testable typology and a key to whole plant functional types (PFTs) worldwide. Principal criteria are that a key should encapsulate primary plant strategies and serve as a measure of plant fitness where diagnostic attributes are science- based, sensitive to vegetation response at multiple scales and readily observable in the field. This article describes a regional test of the key as a practicable indicator of plant response along widely differing environmental gradients.

Location:The Sicilian region.

Methods: The key is based on two primary plant functional domains: resource acquisition and conservation (metabolic, trophic and photosynthetic pathways, gas exchange, water usage, light interception) and modified Raunkiærean life forms. Two secondary domains include adaptation to disturbance and dispersal mechanisms. Primary domains are keyed to 47 core diagnostic traits with an optional 15 traits in the secondary domains (not tested in this study). Theoretical and empirical evidence for trait selection is reviewed elsewhere. Twenty (40x5m) geocoded transects ranging from herbaceous to forested communities were documented along biophysical gradients within coastal and inland areas of Sicily using the VegClass (CBM) sampling protocol with modal PFTs (where a functional modus indicates a whole plant syndrome of interacting functional traits). Each transect included records of all vascular plant taxa, and PFTs and their individual traits or functional elements(PFEs). Additional data included cover-abundance of bryophytes and lichens, vegetation structure and site physical properties. Data were analysed using routine pattern analysis.

Results: PFTs were diagnosed on average by 6.7 PFE combinations in 280 species records and 119 unique PFTs. Classifications of species, species-weighted and non-species-weighted (unique) PFTs and PFEs were consistent with observed substrate type and land use history. Unique PFTs predicted species richness with high precision. When combined, PFTs and species are better indicators of Sicilian ecological gradients than if analyzed independently. Unexpectedly high plant biodiversity was recorded in sites with an extensive history of intensive land use coupled with fire and grazing. Recording times for all biophysical data averaged less than 0.4 person hours per 200m2 transect.

Conclusions: The study supports the practical application of the Key as a rapid means of identifying primary indicators of vegetation response to change along ecological gradients. The uniform recording protocol facilitates comparative studies of vegetation ecology at multiple scales worldwide, for example where environments and plant adaptive traits are similar but where species may differ.

Introduction database compiled using a similar uniform protocol. Additional information about the worldwide Key is This article summarises the outcome of a brief available in the published Abstracts of the IAVS 60 field study in the Sicilian region involving a test of symposium. a recently developed worldwide key to PFTs. Field work was completed in the pre- and post symposium Ecologists face increasing demands for cost- excursions of ‘IAVS 60’ with generous assistance from effective classification systems with the capacity to colleagues. A detailed rationale for the development detect, monitor and compare vegetation functional of the key is contained in a separate, unpublished response to change along biophysical gradients manuscript, that is available on demand. Theoretical at multiple scales. These demands are unlikely to and empirical support for the key are therefore be met through purely physiognomic, structural presented here in summary form. The aims of the and phytotaxonomic classifications. The likelihood present study were: first, to field-test the key under of achieving such outcomes is now however, tightly constrained logistic conditions; second, to significantly improved by recent advances in the seek feedback first-hand from colleagues regarding study and application of plant functional traits and the utility of the key; third, to acquire additional field types (cf. Funk et al. 2016). By capitalizing on these data from a core Mediterranean region for a global improvements, the Key presented here represents an advance on the VegClass protocol that was

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 16 OF 40 based on a previous functional typology (Gillison vegetation types. Comprehensive, although largely 1981, 2002; Gillison and Carpenter 1997). impracticable extensions of Raunkiær’s system (Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg 1974) (see also This Key seeks to provide practitioners with a Barkman 1988) lacked the physiological framework field-based tool for recording plant functional for a practicable functional typology. These days most types and their component traits that are known to practitioners tend to revert to the original Raunkiær influence vegetation performance under changing schema, although often with necessary modifications environments. As such, the key is designed to (Orshan 1982, 1983; Hedberg and Hedberg 1979; provide core data that do not require laboratory Campbell et al. 1999; Gillison 2013). Classification based measurement and that can facilitate systems based on a conceptually similar ‘whole comparative analysis of vegetation performance plant’ typology for example pheno-physiognomic along biophysical gradients at multiple spatial and types such as “Laurophyll evergreen arborescents” temporal scales from individual plant to global of Box (1981, 1996) and plant functional attribute bioregions. By identifying key linkages between (PFA) combinations such as “mesophyll-pendulous- functional traits and the biophysical determinants of orthophyll” (Gillison 1981) were later formalized ecosystem behaviour, the data acquired may help according to an assembly rule based on 35 generic forecast and thus assist in outlining procedures for functional traits that included modified Raunkiærean mitigating impacts of global change on biodiversity life-form traits (Gillison and Carpenter 1997; Gillison and other ecosystem services (Hobbs et al. 2011; 2002) where a plant functional type (PFT) was Lavorel et al. 2011; Gillison et al. 2013; van der Putten defined as a functional modus to identify it as a et al. 2013; Allan et al. 2015; Ostertag et al. 2015; specific type of whole plant syndrome (see below). Valiente-Banuet et al. 2010, 2015). Because of the PFTs tabulated in this study are thus referred to as fine scale at which traits and PFTs are diagnosed, functional modi or modal PFTs. the key may be better suited as a tool for data- gathering and analysis of vegetation function at local Minimalist approaches to trait selection, although or regional management scale, rather than a basis semantically attractive, continue to attract debate. of generating units for broadscale ‘biomic’ mapping The degree of observed success of ecological that are more traditionally based on physiognomy applications that rely on functional parsimony and structure (cf. Fosberg 1967; UNESCO 1973; is inevitably linked to purpose, scale and Mueller–Dombois and Ellenberg 1974). The Key environmental variability. The functional significance builds on an improved understanding of trait of an invariant, log-transformed, linear response of performance and plant fitness in which the rapid specific functional traits to climate at biome scale emergence of plant functional typology is a relatively for example, (Wright et al. 2004), is not necessarily recent phenomenon. Historically, plant adaptive consistent along decreasing spatio-temporal scales features received little attention in the physiognomic from biome to plot to infra-specific plant individual and structural vegetation classification systems where such response may mask other increasingly of the early 18th and 19th centuries. Increasing significant trait interactions within and between taxa awareness of the need to include response-based (Posada et al. 2009, 2012; Cornelissen et al. 2001, aspects of vegetation became apparent with the 2003; Yamori et al. 2014; Li et al. 2015; Funk et al. advent of ‘epharmonic’ or adaptive life forms (von 2016; Kramer-Walter et al. 2016; Römermann et Humboldt, 1806; Warming 1909), to be superseded al. 2016; Lusk and Laughlin 2017). Applications of by Raunkiær’s (1934) more definitive plant ‘life forms’ subsets of leaf traits that typically include specific (‘Lebensformen’) formulated according to the position leaf area (SLA) or leaf mass per unit area (LMA, of perennating organs during the most unfavourable the reciprocal of SLA) for example, may require season – essentially a temperate winter. Despite the additional traits that better explain plant adaptive restricted global context at the time, (see Sarmiento performance or may be simply inapplicable and Monasterio 1983), Raunkiær’s classification under certain environments. Many species with remains in use worldwide, due mainly to its simplicity similar LMA or SLA values exhibit widely differing and generally observable ‘whole plant’ life forms functional pathways (e.g. Austrocedrus chiliensis, that are frequently referred to as plant functional Hibiscus tiliaceus). In arid regions dominated by types (PFTs), (Domingues et al. 2007; Albert et al. succulent, (e.g. cactoid) growth forms for example, 2010; Boulangeat et al. 2012). While the concept of LMA determination remains highly problematic (cf. a physiological basis for PFT classification has its Vendramini et al. 2002) thereby constraining its precedents (Schimper 1903; Fosberg 1967), the lack inclusion in a worldwide key. If such traits are to be of available ecophysiological information required applied globally, there is an evident need to explore for a functional classification is evident in essentially trait assemblages in the context of the entire plant physiognomic-structural, ‘appearance-based’ global within the full range of environmental extremes vegetation classifications notwithstanding recent where plants require coordinated responses of both developments such as EcoVeg (Faber-Langendoen whole plant traits and features such as leaf traits at et al. 2014, 2016) that allow for the determination multiple scales (Bonser 2006; Fortunel et al. 2012). of more dynamic successional or cultural

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 17 OF 40 The Key is therefore designed to classify any plant gained and efficiency of observation (For detailed individual as a functional modus (Latin sm, manner decision tree and trait listings see also Annex I, or mode of behaviour) that represents a combination Tables 1,2, Fig. 1). of primary plant strategies expressed as a set of elements that are assumed to play an interactive, Section I: (47 ‘core’ traits) comprises two functional coordinated role within a whole plant. The term domains, the first being resource acquisition modus is therefore retained to differentiate it from and conservation that is further subdivided into discrete, orthogonal, (functionally independent) four energy pathways (metabolic, autotrophic, trait descriptors such as ‘leaf, height, seed’ – the heterotrophic and photosynthetic pathways, LHS of Westoby (1998) and Wright et al. 2004). including gas exchange, water resources and light In so doing, the Key is not intended as a functional interception). The Key contains core functional traits proxy for the virtually infinite range of genecotypic and their attributes, each identified by a unique and other traits including for example, stress and two-letter code as a PFE. The second domain: competition (cf. Pierce et al. 2016), that, in toto, life form consists primarily of revised and modified contribute to the adaptive evolution of plant fitness Raunkiærean life forms that reflect whole-plant and survival (Schulze 1982). Instead, the key aims strategies related to bud and shoot protectionist to carry sufficient information via a minimal set of and conservation and maintenance during the most traits to provide a useful measure of whole-plant unfavourable periods and to maximising carbon fitness for most ecological purposes. In so doing, relations (growth and productivity) during the most the Key embraces a range of metabolic pathways favourable periods. The first section thus includes including crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) ‘core’ traits that are readily observable in the field that typifies many succulents (see also Funk et al. without laboratory support. Here the assumption is 2016; Lechowicz 2016) that are yet to be otherwise that these traits allow for the construction of PFTs satisfactorily addressed in comparative functional that will provide sufficient information to generate ecology. The Key is composed of 62 diagnostic useful classifications for comparative and predictive traits arranged in a hierarchy of functional domains modelling at multiple scales. (A functional domain represents a focal group of Section II: (15 ‘optional’ traits) comprises two plant strategies that contain related elements of functional domains that describe response to plant function), and sub-domains (via four energy disturbance (vegetative, reproductive and defence), pathways), plant functional traits and trait attributes and dispersal mechanisms. Whereas Section I - equivalent to plant functional elements or PFE’s of consists of readily recordable traits in-field, Section Gillison and Carpenter (1997), or trait ‘states’ (Craine II includes traits that represent significant plant et al. 1999; Semenova and van der Maarel 2000; functional strategies but which are less amenable Mayfield et al. 2006; Duivenvoorden and Cuello to repeatable observations by different observers 2012; Yang et al. 2015). The functional domains (Fig. and which may require information in greater detail 1), seek to reflect a balance between information

Figure 1. Primary structure of the worldwide key to PFTs with four functional domains.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 18 OF 40 than is readily available in the field. As such they are software, Belbin (1993). In the present case a two- likely to be better suited to specialist purposes such dimensional, semi-strong hybrid scaling (SSH) as demographic, successional or long term studies procedure (Belbin 1993) was used that maximizes of ecosystem productivity. the advantages of metric (ratio) scaling and non- metric (NMDS) (ordinal) procedures by allowing Methods combinations of both. Using this procedure, three sets of data were analysed: species presence- As part of a series of supplemental datasets to the absence, individual PFEs summed for all modal current CBM global database (Fig. 2), twenty (40x5m) PFTs per transect and values derived from a distance georeferenced transects (Fig. 3) were documented matrix computed for unique (non-species-weighted) in the Sicilian region during 14-29 June 2017 using PFTs for all transects using the ‘mean distance’ the same recording protocol. These transects option in the VegClass software based on scores included coastal shoreline salinity gradients, defined by a formal assembly rule (Gillison 2002). sedimentary calcareous and quartzitic sandstones, PFT diversity indices (Shannon H´, Simpson’s 1-D, dune sequences, inland and upland beech, oak and Fisher’s α) were obtained for each PFT and for each birch forests, degraded ‘badlands’, and herbaceous transect in addition to Plant Functional Complexity vegetation on lower montane calcareous and active (PFC) determined as a minimum spanning tree volcanic massifs (Table 1). Generous botanical (MST) distance with a Rao coefficient (see also de assistance from IAVS colleagues facilitated a Bello et al. 2016). comprehensive in situ inventory of all vascular plant species for each transect. Results PFTs were recorded using the original VegClass Species distribution: Both classification (Annex protocol (Gillison 2002) with additional traits from the I, Fig. 2) and ordination (Fig. 4) are consistent with present Key. Bryophytes and lichen morphotypes field observations suggesting that, regardless of (crustose, fruticose, foliose) were recorded according elevation, calcareous and volcanic substrates are to a Domin cover-abundance scale. Vegetation a strong determinant of species distribution with structure and other site biophysical atributes are subdivisions according to salinity gradients and outlined in Annex I (Table 2). All recorded vascular other soil properties. Other subgroups reflect change plant taxa and PFTs are listed in Annex II. Taxonomic in vegetation structure from herbaceous to forested nomenclature was obtained via Flora Sicula species assemblages that are largely a result of (Guarino and Pasta 2017) and The Plant List (www. millennial land use practices. theplantlist.org). Site records were supplemented with digital photography (Figs. 7,8,9). PFT distribution: While showing some analogous groupings with species, both classification (Annex I, Trait patterning among transects was determined Fig. 3) and ordination (Fig. 5) of the modal PFTs reveal using a Bray-Curtis similarity measure and clear improvements in ecological patterning. This is multidimensional scaling (MDS) with the PATN

Figure 2. Worldwide location of CBM transect sites with Sicily circled in red. All sites were documented using a standard VegClass protocol

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 19 OF 40 Table 1. Transect locations with indicative vegetation types*

Tr. Location Lat./Long. Vegetation type No. (dd.dddd) 1 Anselmo 37.9709, Graminoid herbfield, succulent halophytic Amaranthaceae. Annu- Saltpan 12.5004 als (Medicago spp). Grazed. 2 Anselmo saltpan 37.9693, Dense association of 'Samphire' halophytes. Mostly Amaranthace- shoreline 12.4994 ae; some evidence of grazing 3 Plateau, 37.3467, Ruderal heathland, Ferula communis emergent over herb layer. Anaktoron 15.022 Grazed, fired 4 Vendicari 36.7992, Psammophilous grasses and sclerophyllous hemicryptophytes reserve 15.094 (Eryngium maritimum, Scolymus maculatus) 5 Vendicari 36.7993, Shrubby rear dune. Rehabilitated with Acacia cyanophylla, Pista- reserve 15.0937 cia lentiscus. Mixed herbaceous elements include Ammophila arenaria, Ephedra distachya 6 Sampieri 36.7199, Very low shrub, herbfield. Thymelaea hirsuta dominant. Highly shoreline 14.7318 disturbed by pedestrian traffic. Grazed 7 Niscemi 37.0991, Disturbed cork oak (Quercus suber, Q. ilex) managed woodland 14.4259 near road. Conspicuous woody understorey. Grazed. 8 San Nicola 37.1462, Herbaceous ‘badlands’. Dense graminoid cover, sparse shrubs, 14.2084 grazed. No recent fire 9 Eraclea cliffs 37.3915, Chamaerops humilis palms and mainly graminoid garigue. Recent 13.2964 fire, grazed 10 Costalunga 38.0236, Oak (Quercus ilex, Q. pubescens) forest. Heavily cut over, grazed 13.2113 by domestic stock, rocky substrate. 11 Mt Etna Valle del 37.7089, Low montane herbfield on vulcanosere. Sparse shrubs (Berberis bove rim 15.0291 aetnensis) mainly herbaceous (Festuca circummediterranea, Se- cale strictum, Anthemis aetnensis) 12 Mt Etna Valle del 37.7081, Low montane herbfield, (Festuca circummediterranea, Secale bove 15.0288 strictum, Galium aetnicum) 13 Mt Etna Valle del 37.7054, Grassy shrubland with emergent Pinus nigra, Genista aetnensis. bove 15.019 Grazed 14 Mt Etna, Monti 37.7708, Relictual Birch forest (Betula aetnensis) with sparse herbaceous Sartorius 15.0606 ground layer (Astragalus siculus, Bromus madritensis, Hypochae- ris radicata) 15 Mt Etna, Monti 37.7679, Open herbaceous vulcanosere (Secale strictum, Festuca cir- Sartorius 15.0586 cummediterranea, Rumex scutatus f. aetnensis), regenerating Pinus nigra 16 Mt Etna, Monti 37.7848, Shrubland with Juniperus hemisphaerica, herbaceous Secale Sartorius 15.041 strictum, Astragalus siculus, emerg. Pinus nigra 17 Mt Etna, Monti 37.803, Seral Beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) with Pinus nigra, Secale stric- Sartorius area 15.0376 tum, Festuca circummediterranea 18 Nebrodi mts San 37.9342, Disturbed Beech forest (F. sylvatica) with understorey Ilex aquifoli- Fratello 14.6731 um, Rubus siculus, Allium ursinum 19 Nebrodi Mts 37.9417, Heavily grazed Beech forest (F. sylvatica) with sparse groundlayer 14.6314 (Aristolochia sicula, Pteridium aquilinum, Rubus siculus) 20 Madonie mts 37.8843, Remnant, grazed Beech forest (F. sylvatica) with mixed herba- Pizzo Carbonara 14.0370 ceous groundlayer (Festuca heterophylla, Poa bivonae, Hypo- chaeris glabra, Cephalanthera rubra) * See full species and PFT listing (Annex II) and photo images of transects (Figs. 7,8,9)

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 20 OF 40 Figure 3. Transect locations in Sicily (refer Table 1 for detail).

especially evident in cluster ‘A’ that includes shoreline The most frequent modal PFT was na-ve-do-hc-ck associations of plants exhibiting Crassulacean Acid (nanophyll-vertical-dorsiventral-hemicryptophyte, Metabolism (CAM), notably in the Amaranthaceae. C3,C4) and the graminoid counterpart with parallel Plant associations on volcanic sub-strata are similar venation (pv) (na-ve-do-pv-hc-ck). In the top in both species and PFT groupings. However, a quartile of PFT richness, variations around these notable exception is transect 19 – a heavily grazed combinations included mainly leptophyll (le), Beech forest with a dense shrub understorey (Ilex microphyll (mi) and therophytic annuals (th). aquifolius) and a groundlayer containing deciduous Empirical observations suggest the frequency of hemicryptophytes, a conspicuous fern (Pteridium these traits varies directly with intensity of land aquilinum) and a liane (Aristolochia sicula). In the use history and substrate – a feature characteristic locations studied, leaf size and leaf inclination classes of similar environments documented elsewhere were dominated by nanophylls and microphylls with using the same recording protocol, e.g. in southern vertical (>30 deg.) inclination both graminoid and Spain, and especially in higher latitudes such as non-graminoid, all with dorsiventral leaves (mainly Fennoscandia, the Baltic region, NE Russia and at abaxial, stomates) and C3,C4 pathways (ck) (Annex high elevations such as the Caucasus mountains I, Table 3). (Gillison 2012, 2013 and unpublished). PFT based diversity indices (Shannon H´, Simpson 1-D, Fisher’s α and PFC) were only weakly correlated with group structure indicated in Figs. 4,5.

A notable feature in Sicily was the relatively high incidence of phanerophytes (woody plants >2m tall) with cortical photosynthesis (ct). This was evident in both seral and frequently disturbed (typically coppiced) Birch (Betula aetnensis) and Beech (F. sylvatica) (Annex III Fig.3 A,B,C,D). While (ct) was recorded for Black Pine (Pinus nigra) < 6m tall, it was not recorded in older specimens of pine or Oak (Quercus ilex, Q. pubescens, Q. suber) species where bark traits may be more adapted to fire at an early stage of growth (Pausas 2017).

Individual plant functional traits (PFEs): A Figure 4. MDS of species presence-absence per classification of species-weighted, (species counts transect. Cluster ‘A’ includes highly disturbed Oak per trait) individual PFT component traits (plant forest (7,10) on quartzitic sandstones, shoreline functional elements or PFEs in VegClass), provided communities (1,2,4), and mixed herbaceous readily interpretable ecological groups that reflected assemblages on calcareous sediments. Cluster variation in both vegetation structure (Annex I. Fig. ‘B’ includes Beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest also on 4, Table 5) and type of substrate. Exceptions from calcareous substrate. Cluster ‘C’ contains species the PFT based classification included the clustering entirely on volcanic sub-strata (‘Aʻā lava and scoria) of mainly hemicryptophyte assemblages (3,8,6,9). including an outlying seral Beech forest (17) (F. Ordination was much less representative of the sylvatica) classification-based group structure and is not shown here.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 21 OF 40 rich, low montane (<2000m) volcanic habitats but high SR in a heavily disturbed shoreline limestone pavement at Sampieri (Tr 6). Mid-range SR (1.17- 1.67) included habitats on mixed substrates of calcareous, sedimentary and older dune sequences and vulcanoseres (abandoned saltpans, grazed and fired, herbaceous and palm (Chamaerops humilis) dominated vegetation Birch and Oak forests). Lowest SR (1.00-1.11) was recorded on an open, primary vulcanosere (transect 15) together with a highly disturbed, littoral dune sequence and upland Beech forests with a heavily grazed understorey and Figure 5. Two dimensional MDS of all transects very sparse ground layer. based on computed mean transect distances of unique (119) modal PFTs. Cluster ‘A’ includes When analysed independently along environmental shoreline associations with many CAM plants as gradients via MDS, species and modal PFTs well as an inland herbfield, also containing CAM frequently show interpretable ecological groupings. species; ‘B’ contains a highly disturbed, species- When data from both species and PFTs are rich shoreline calcareous pavement at Sampieri (6), combined however, the resulting improvements highly disturbed Oak forests (7,10), a ‘badlands’ often exceed those of the original independent herbfield (8) and a Palm (Chamaerops humilis) analyses. The present study is no exception (Fig. 6) herb-shrub association; ‘C’ includes herb-shrub where a correlation between the first two X axes of associations and Birch (Betula aetnensis) forest on species and PFTs reveals a more discrete snd more volcanic strata; ‘D’ Beech (F. sylvatica) forests and readily interpretable set of groups as described in ‘E’ an outlying Beech forest with an understorey of the legend of Fig. 5. Back correlation of individual Ilex aquifolius traits (PFEs) to both axes shows that succulent (su), solidiform (so), picophyll (pi) and nanophyll (na) Species and PFTs combined: Species diversity vertical ( ) traits on chamaephytes ( ) (typically (richness) is widely used as a descriptive and ve ch CAM plants) contributed more than other traits to the analytical measure of biodiversity and habitat in axes displayed in Fig. 5 and to Group ‘A’ in particular. plant ecology. PFT diversity on the other hand is less widely applied although a ratio of species to modal PFTs has been shown to be highly effective as a biodiversity indicator (Bardgett 2005; Gillison et al. 2003, 2013). The predictive value of this ratio appears to be linked with niche availability where, in relatively undisturbed lowland moist tropical forests for example, many species collapse into the same PFT resulting in a high ratio that declines along increasing gradients of disturbance (here defined as loss of living tissue or taxa). In the great majority of cases, species richness exceeds that of PFTs, albeit with a significant linear correlation, the regression slope of which tends to vary regionally (Gillison et al. 2013). The regression slope for Sicily (Annex I, Fig. 5) for example, is similar to that observed in other Laurasian floras but differs from those in the Gondwanan neotropics, Oceania and tropical Indomalesia (Gillison 2012, 2013; Gillison et al. Figure 6. Combining species with PFT values improves 2013). Of general interest is the capacity of unique ecological interpretation. First axis MDS values from (non-species-weighted) PFTs to predict species species and modal PFTs show meaningful ecological richness with a high degree of accuracy (Annex groupings. ‘A’ Shoreline communities with many I, Fig. 5). This is a potentially useful tool where a CAM species; ‘B’ a species rich, highly disturbed, measure of species diversity (richness) is required, shoreline pavement at Sampieri (6), highly disturbed especially under logistically constrained conditions Oak forests (7,10), a ‘badlands’ herbfield (8) and a or where species identification is problematic. Palm (Chamaerops humilis) herb-shrub association All Sicilian sites showed indication of disturbance. (9); ‘C’ includes mixed herb-shrub associations with Within the apparent range of disturbances, the Birch (Betula aetnensis) forest on volcanic strata; ‘D’ species: PFT ratio (SR) (Annex I, Table 4) shows Beech (F. sylvatica) forests. a distribution pattern with highest SR values (1.8- 2.86) in apparently least disturbed sites on species

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 22 OF 40 Discussion subject to ‘grey areas’ in which demarcation between vegetation descriptors can be indeterminate. The The Key described in this article was applied in all present Key is no exception where observers may transects in the limited time available. Of the 47 find difficulties in discriminating between certain diagnostic traits listed in Section I of the Key and traits (e.g. woody or non-woody, annual or perennial) applied in this study, modal PFTs were diagnosed on or in leaf longevity (deciduous or evergreen). In average by 6.7 trait (PFE) combinations taking into practice, many such ‘errors’ or discrepancies are account 280 species records and 119 unique PFTs. compensated for in the Key, both by additive trait In order to meet criteria for application worldwide, information contained in a modal PFT structure and the Key includes plants with unusual adaptive by the inclusion of other PFTs recorded in a plot that, features, often in environmental extremes - for when analysed as an assemblage, contribute to a example, those that describe carnivorous, parasitic, specific functional profile (defined by the richness mycoheterotrophic, monocarpic and poikilohydric (count) and composition of either species-weighted functions. Because such traits are rarely encountered or unique modal PFTs). To this profile can be added in practice, observer familiarity with the Key improves a measure of plant functional complexity (PFC) that quickly in the field, allowing rapid recording. In is derived from the total minimum spanning tree of the present case recording averaged less than 25 within-plot PFT distances and a Rao coefficient. minutes per transect for all biophysical attributes – in Profiles acquired in this way also contribute to the present case due in large part to the generous robustness in community characterisation and botanical support from colleagues. In this Sicilian facilitate comparative analysis of multiple plots within study, the VegClass protocol based on 35 generic and between regions. These features are evident in traits was used to which were added traits from the the present study where group identity was improved Key (notably metabolic pathway and leaf venation). by the addition of modal PFTs.

While the Key is not restricted to plot size, the While the Key proved successful in classifying 40x5m transect has been found practicable in Sicilian vegetation according to plant functional 1826 transects worldwide across all biomes in both characteristics, questions remain regarding the terrestrial and aquatic (marine and freshwater) actual and potential functional linkages between environments (Gillison 2002, 2013, 2016, 2017). The modal PFTs and the types of environmental filters relatively narrow rectangular transect and area (200 that underpin the continuing persistence of the m2) allows rapid positioning in most field conditions communities. The ecological tension between and is especially suited to ‘azonal’ vegetation land use history and the nature of the substrate typifying marginal shoreline and riparian habitats as has yet to be resolved in determining their relative well as ridgelines, forest margins and gaps that may significance as ecosystem drivers. Unlike many of be caused by recurrent disturbance such as treefall their species and PFT-rich counterparts in more or logging. Vegetation mosaics of this kind often equable, but often less intensively managed, lowland contain specific environmental niches and where trait equatorial environments, species richness in many sensitivity to habitat characterisation is essential. Mediterranean ecosystems appears to have evolved The transect size permits ‘small and many’ sampling over millennia under relatively high land use pressures that is especially suited to investigations along and then on substrates of varying nutrient value. In environmental gradients subject to logistic restrictions the sites studied, there appears to be no obvious (such as available time in the present study). correlation between species and PFT richness and Further, where taxon identification is problematic, type of substrate – high richness and high SR for as in species rich, or poorly known or very cryptic example, occur on a coastal limestone pavement or habitats, the use of PFTs in the present Key permits lithosol with high disturbance (Tr 6, Sampieri) as well ‘total’ recording of unidentified plant morpho-types as on a site with feldspar-rich volcanic scoria (Tr 12, in a way that supports comparative assessment at Mt Etna 1861m) with apparently low level disturbance multiple scales. The data collected in Sicily can be (Annex I, Table 3). Further study is required to better readily compared for example, with any other data identify the main environmental drivers and filters set worldwide where the same recording protocol operating throughout the areas studied. has been applied (in this case 1291 transects). In modelling vegetation response to global change, Conclusions this can have an advantage where geographically separated biophysical environments may be similar The study supports the use of the Key as a rapid but where species differ. By themselves, PFTs of the means of identifying plant functional indicators of type used in this study may also serve as a bridging vegetation response to change along biophysical tool to explore functional relationships between gradients. The results suggest that the field-based biogeographically separated, heterogeneous data diagnostic traits should be adequate for most sets acquired using differing sampling protocols. ecological applications especially in the absence of laboratory based instrumentation. In-field discussion Almost all vegetation classification systems, are with Sicilian and other IAVS colleagues indicates that

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 23 OF 40 the methodology is readily accessible to practitioners 723-730. and requires little training. The data acquired in Sicily Cornelissen, J.H.C., Aerts, R., Cerabolini, B., Werger, M.J.A., & are a significant and valuable addition to a global Van der Heijden, M. G.A. (2001). Carbon Cycling Traits of Plant (CBM) database that previously contained limited Species Are Linked with Mycorrhizal Strategy. Oecologia, 129, data from the Mediterranean region. As indicated in 611-619. the foregoing, theoretical and empirical support of Cornelissen, J.H.C., Lavorel, S., Garnier, E., Díaz, S., the Key is reviewed more extensively in a separate, Buchmann,N., Gurvich, D.E., Reich, P.B., Ter Steege, H., unpublished manuscript that is available on request. Morgan, H.D., van der Heijden. M.G.A., Pausas, J.G. & Poorter, Comments on that manuscript and this Sicilian study H. (2003). A handbook of protocols for standardised and easy measurement of plant functional traits worldwide. Australian would be most welcome and will be acknowledged in Journal of Botany. 51, 335–380. any subsequent publication. Craine, J.M., Berin, D.M., Reich, P.B., Tilman, D.G. & Knops, J.M.H. (1999) Measurement of leaf longevity of 14 species of Acknowledgements grasses and forbs using a novel approach. New Phytologist, 142, 475–481. The generous support from numerous colleagues in and off the field is gratefully acknowledged. I am de Bello, F., Carmona, C.P., Lepš, J., Szava-Kovats, R. and especially indebted for the kind assistance of Riccardo Pärtel, M. (2016). Functional diversity through the mean trait dissimilarity: resolving shortcomings with existing paradigms Guarino, Laco Mucina, Angelo Trioia, Leopoldo de and algorithms Oecologia, 180, 933-940 Simone, ‘Johnny’ G.-P. Giusso del Galdo, Valério Pillar and Javier Loidi. Others who provided useful Díaz, S., Kattge, J., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Wright, I.J., et al. (2016). comments on the Key and this article include Don The global spectrum of plant form and function. Nature, 529, 167-171. doi:10.1038/nature16489 Faber-Langendoen, Andy Greller, Monika Janišová, Bob Peet, and Fanie Venter. Domingues, T.F., Martinelli, L.A. & Ehleringer, J.R. (2007). Ecophysiological traits of plant functional groups in forest and pasture ecosystems from eastern Amazônia, Brazil. Plant References Ecology, 193, 101-112.

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WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 26 OF 40 Figure 7. Transects: #1 Mixed grass, halophyte community, abandoned saltpan, Anselmo; 2a Halophyte shoreline association. Anselmo; 2b CAM halophytes (Amaranthaceae) in 2a; 3 Mixed herbaceous community with emergent Ferula communis, near Anaktoron site (Hyblaean Plateau); 4 Foredune halophytic and sclerophyllous species, Vendicari nature reserve; 5 Reardune rehabilitated vegetation Acacia cyanophylla, Ephedra distachya, Vendicari; 6 Coastal limestone pavement with mixed herbaceous, shrub species, Sampieri; 7 Cork oak (Quercus suber) managed woodland, Niscemi

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 27 OF 40 Figure 8. Transects: #8 Grassland, San Nicola badlands; 9 Fired and grazed Chamaerops humilis palm community, Eraclea Minoa; 10, Disturbed Oak forest, Costalunga; 11 Low montane herbfield, Mt Etna; 14 Birch (Betula aetnensis) forest, Mt Etna; 15 Primary vulcanosere, Mt Etna; 16 Juniperus communis dominated shrubland, Mt Etna; 17 Seral Beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest on lava flow, Mt Etna

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 28 OF 40 Figure 9. Transects: #18 Intensively grazed Beech forest (Fagus sylvatica), Nebrodi Mts; 20 Remnant Beech forest (F. sylvatica) near ridgeline, Madonie Mts. Global examples of functional traits: (A) Fagus sylvatica exhibiting cortical (ct) photosynthesis, Nebrodi forest; (B) Nothofagus pumilio with similar cortical functional trait, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; (C) Betula aetnensis with ct, Mt Etna; (D) Betula tortuosa with similar cortical trait, Senja, Norway – (note extensive lenticellate development suggests photosynthesis may be operating under conditions of gas exchange rather than solely on internal re-fixing of metabolic carbon)

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 29 OF 40 DOI - 10.21570/BUL-201712-3 2018 IAVS Symposium: Bozeman, Montana, USA By Dave Roberts and Peter Minchin

The 2018 IAVS 61st Annual Symposium will be held July 22-27, 2018 at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, USA. Bozeman is located in the Greater Yellowstone Area close to the Crown of the Continent of the northern Rocky Mountains. The timing of the symposium is optimal to see the subalpine and alpine flora in flower and will also allow participants to attend the 103rd Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of America, which is August 5-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana if they wish.

Given the magnificent natural setting, we chose the primary theme of the meeting as “Natural Ecosystems as Benchmarks for Vegetation Science”. Anticipated sub-themes include: • Theory and Methods in Vegetation Science © P. Minchin • Species Pools Across Scales: An Integrative The capacity of each of these excursions will be Perspective around 40. Costs are currently being determined and will be announced in the second circular in January • Vegetation Science in Natural Resource 2018. Management A selection of one-day mid-symposium excursions • The US National Vegetation Classification Effort will be provided to local grasslands, forests, and cultural/historic sites on Wednesday July 25, with Proposals for special sessions are welcome and costs included in registration. should be sent to Dave Roberts or Peter Minchin (contact information below). Workshops The registration fees are currently being calculated Based on feedback from the 60th IAVS Symposium and will be announced in the second circular in in Palermo, we plan to schedule a full day for January 2018, both in the Bulletin and also in direct workshops and working group meetings. Facilities e-mails to all IAVS members. will be provided on campus for groups to meet Excursions Sunday July 22 for half- or full-day sessions. Please let us know if you would like to hold a workshop or Pre- and post-symposium excursions will visit meeting. regional grassland, steppe, forest, and alpine vegetation. The primary pre-symposium excursion Venue and Accommodation will leave Bozeman on Tuesday July 17 for five days The symposium will be held at the conference center (four nights), traveling through the beautiful Swan in the Montana State University Student Union River Valley to Whitefish, Montana, followed by Building, with capacity for 500+ people. There will be visits to the extraordinary Glacier National Park, and plenty of hotel rooms (cost about $130/night) as well National Forests in the northern Rocky Mountains. as student dormitories for budget accommodation The excursion will return to Bozeman on Saturday ($23/night for shared rooms, $28/night for single July 21. rooms). A shuttle bus service will be provided The primary post-symposium excursion will leave between the three or four official conference hotels Bozeman on Saturday July 28 for five days (four and the conference venue. We will post accurate nights), visiting Beartooth Plateau, Yellowstone hotel costs in the second circular in January 2018. National Park, and Grand Teton National Park. The The weather in Bozeman in July is usually warm, excursion will return to Bozeman on Wednesday with an average daily maximum of 28 ºC, an average August 1. overnight minimum of 10 ºC, and a mean rainfall of 36 mm.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 30 OF 40 Travel to Bozeman Important Deadlines Bozeman can be readily reached by connections to • Special session and workshop proposals Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport (BZN). 15 January 2018 Direct flights from the east arrive from Minneapolis and Denver, with connections to New York, Newark, • IAVS travel grant applications and abstracts Philadelphia, Washington, and Atlanta. Direct 5 March 2018 flights from the west arrive from Seattle, Portland, • Travel grant decisions announced 26 March Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The selected 2018 conference hotels will provide airport shuttle services and a shuttle bus will be provided for people staying • Regular abstract submission 5 March 2018 in student dormitories. • Decision letters on abstracts 26 March 2018 Local Organizing Committee • Final date for early registration with reduced • David W. Roberts, Montana State University (co- fees April 30 2018 chair), [email protected] • Final date for late registration 25 June 2018 • Peter R. Minchin, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (co-chair), [email protected] • Mr. Kent Houston, US Forest Service (retired) • Dr. Stephen V. Cooper IV, Montana Natural Heritage (retired)

A scientific committee is currently being formed and will be announced in the second circular in January 2018.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 31 OF 40 DOI - 10.21570/BUL-201712-4 Dedicated to our teacher Boris Mikhailovich Mirkin (1937-2017) This August brought a great sadness to the Russian Ecology. He never separated the staff working in scientist community. We were disheartened to learn the Institute and in the University; his students and of the death of our teacher, famous scientist and research workers have always been a single team. leader of the Ufa Geobotany School Professor Boris Mikchailovich Mirkin. He passed away on 9 August 2017.

Boris Mikhailovich was engaged in syntaxonomy, actively promoted the Braun-Blanquet approach and numerical methods of plant ecology in the Soviet Union and developed collaborations between Russian and European scientists. He also was engaged in agroecology and ecological education. The scientific heritage of Boris Mikhailovich resulted from not only his outstanding talent, but also by his tremendous diligence.

Boris Mikhailovich was born on July 16, 1937 in Ufa. In 1954 he became a student of Kazan State University (KSU), one of the oldest in Russia. Since his early years of study he began to participate in expeditions and scientific research. While a student, he published his first scientific work “On the microrelief of sphagnum bogs” (Mirkin, 1959). After a year of working as a geobotanist in the Soil science Laboratory of the Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture and a laboratory assistant at the Botany Department of Bashkir State University, he became a postgraduate student at Leningrad State University. Leningrad (now Saint-Petersburg) was a traditional centre of Russian and Soviet botany. In 1963, Boris Mikhailovich became a PhD candidate in Botany. In 1972, he defended his doctoral theses at the Boris Mikhailovich possessed many qualities of an University of Tartu. For his entire long professional excellent leader: he easily generated ideas and set life he was closely connected with vegetation and clear tasks for his staff and students, edited the texts ecology, and scientific work was always in the first of articles and monographs, and had incredible work place for him. capacity. He was strict with those he worked with, but was the most exacting to himself. Finally, his The field research and expeditions of Boris sense of humor, deep decency and kindness helped Mikhailovich were wide-ranging, including areas him create an atmosphere of mutual trust among his in central Asia and the Volga River delta, Yakutia staff. and South Ural, and one of the most prominent in Mongolia. For the work in Mongolia in a state of He supervised 20 doctoral theses and more than 60 Soviet-Mongolian expedition, in 1969, he created candidate theses (There are two scientific degrees in and headed the Laboratory of Geobotany (now the Russia: candidate of science and doctor of science. Laboratory of Geobotany and Plant Resources) at the The candidate degree corresponds to the PhD in Institute of Biology of the Ufa Science Center of the other countries), and advised numerous specialists Russian Academy of Sciences. Concurrently (from who analysed their phytosociological relevés and 1963 until recently), Boris Mikhailovich worked at prepared manuscripts in Ufa. Now, his students Bashkir State University, starting as an assistant and and learners work in all parts of our country and in eventually becoming a professor in the Department different parts of the world. of Botany, and subsequently the Department of

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 32 OF 40 Students of Biological Faculty of the Kazan State University. B. Mirkin is at the right (above). In the Soviet-Mongolian expedition with E. Lavrenko, 1963 (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 33 OF 40 © G. Shaver Among the first students and collaborators (above). At the conference, 1989 (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 34 OF 40 © G. Shaver Boris Mikhailovich was one of the Russian (in the which enjoy wide popularity. He was a member of recent past – Soviet) scientists who in 1960-1990 were editorial boards of the “Ekologiya I Zhizn” (Ecology active participants in the process of overcoming the and life) and “Biologiya v shkole” (Biology in school) isolation of Soviet geobotany and its integration into magazines where articles for ecological education world science. They actually made a revolution in the are published. Russian geobotany. In the 1980s, Boris Mikhailovich has devoted much effort to implementing the Braun- Boris Mikhailovich has highly scientifically Blanquet approach in the USSR. His contribution to productivity. He is the author of more than 60 the development of vegetation science in the former monographs and training manuals, as well as Soviet Union and Russia is undoubtedly significant, numerous scientific articles. The complete list of his particularly in the areas of syntaxonomy, numerical works exceeds 1000 titles. methods in geobotany, and the development of a Since 1996, he was chairman of the doctoral “poly-model concept” of phytocoenoses. McIntosh in Dissertational Council at Bashkir State University his “The Continuum continued ...” (McIntosh, 1993) in the fields of “Botany” and “Physiology and highly appreciated these ideas and called him “a biochemistry of plants”. This Council has qualified a philosopher of ecology” and “meta-ecologist”. large number of candidates and doctors of science Boris Mikhailovich also focused on agroecology. He from all parts of Russia. Applicants always noted the joined experts of agronomy and soil science in a strict but friendly atmosphere in the Council created creative and highly professional working group that by Boris Mikhailovich. developed the concept of an ecological imperative Our narration about the teacher will be incomplete if for agriculture in the Republic of Bashkortostan. It we don’t describe the importance of music in his life. is based on theoretical and practical knowledge He loved opera and led the Fans of Classical Music of the biological efficiency of meadow and steppe club at Bashkir State University. He possessed a communities, compositional dynamics of pastures, beautiful voice and liked to sing at the holiday table productivity of long-term crops, etc. These concepts with the friends. He also was a passionate filofonist have been successfully applied in other regions. and collected a remarkable collection of records of Boris Mikhailovich also determined parameters of classical music. He knew details of the years voice agroecosystems stability and has shown its role in features and parts played by Enrico Caruso, Tito biological diversity. Gobbi, Ettore Bastionini, Maria Callas and many In 2000, he began to emphasise biodiversity and other performing opera stars. His love of music was nature conservation in his studies. He became the life-long and listening of records for 15–20 minutes research supervisor of the project “The System a day was the main rest amidst hard work of writing of Especially Protected Natural Territories of the articles, monographs and textbooks. Republic of Bashkortostan”. It was the first such Everybody who knew Boris Mikhailovich will project in Russia and was based on international remember him as a decent person with sense of principles for creating of ecologically-based networks justice and inner freedom, who always defended his of conservation areas. A. A. Muldashev and the head own point of view. It is hard to believe that he is not of the WWF Ural office, A. S. Ayupov were the primary going to be among us anymore. However, we are investigators in this project, but the theoretical basis sure he would not want us to grieve, but to continue and concepts were developed by Boris Mikhailovich. to work and develop ourselves and our science. His thorough knowledge of flora and vegetation, skills in presentation and sincerely belief in success Martynenko V.B. of the project played a very important role. He could Baisheva E.Z. convince any official of the need to create the new Abramova L.M. protected area or keeping of already the existing Yamalov S.M. one. Lebedeva M.V.

Prof. Mirkin was the favourite teacher of many References: students as he was a brilliant speaker and his lectures were excellent. He knew how to interest students Mirkin B. M. (1959): O mikrorel’efe sfagnovyh bolot. and explain complex scientific concepts with simple [On the microrelief of sphagnum bogs.] Vest. stud. and accessible words. He was always full of positive nauch. obschestva Kazan Univ. Ser. Biol. No. 1. P. energy and jokes and ready to generate and discuss 3-13. (In Russian) new ideas. McIntosh R. P. (1993): The Continuum continued: It’s important to mention his contribution to ecological John T. Curtis’ influence on ecology. John T. Curtis. education in Russia. His great experience and Fifty years of Wiskonsin plant ecology. Madison: knowledge were included in a number of textbooks Publ. of Wiskonsin Acad. of Sci. P. 95-122. and manuals for school and university students,

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 35 OF 40 Boris M. Mirkin with his wife and co-author L. Naumova, 2004 (above). During the lecture in the Bashkir State University (below).

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 36 OF 40 F orum Vegetation and conservation of Central- European grasslands – 12th EDGG Special Feature in Tuexenia The 12th EDGG Special Feature, entitled ‘Vegetation habitat dominated by the newly discovered Festuca and conservation of grasslands in Central-Europe’, pseudovaginata (Szabó et al. 2017), and the effects deals with the conservation, management and of climate change on protected grasslands in biodiversity of semi-natural and natural grasslands in Serbia (Čavlović et al. 2017). We also introduce a Central-Europe. This Special Feature complements novel initiative regarding the German GrassVeg.DE the series of special features devoted to Eurasian database (Dengler et al. 2017). Altogether 41 authors steppes and semi-natural grasslands, edited on from 6 countries (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, behalf of the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG; Serbia and Switzerland) contributed to the Special http://www.edgg.org). The Special Feature, which Feature. has a long tradition in Tuexenia, was edited by the members of the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group The publications are open access, and freely (Thomas Becker, Balázs Deák, Anikó Csecserits available at the homepages of Tuexenia and EDGG and Viktoria Wagner) and devoted to a better (http://www.edgg.org/edgg_publications.htm). understanding of mechanisms driving grassland Balázs Deák biodiversity in Central-Europe. In the present MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Special Feature there are papers dealing with the Research Group Debrecen, Hungary effects of grazing and mowing and their interaction with environmental factors on grassland diversity Thomas Becker (Gilhaus et al. 2017); facilitative effects of shrubs on University of Trier, Regional and Environmental vascular plant species in grazed meadow-steppes Sciences/Geobotany, Trier, Germany (Kelemen et al. 2017); environmental characteristics and species composition of a sandy grassland

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 37 OF 40 New Book Announcement: Data Analysis in Vegetation ecology, 3rd edition. On October 19 2017 CABI In this new edition, where CABI allowed the use released the 3rd edition of “Data colour, an emphasis is on method comparison Analysis in Vegetation Ecology”. and evaluation. This concerns transformations, The aim of this book remains resemblance measures, clustering and ordination. the same as in the previous While evaluation is often quantitative (mainly by edition, that is, providing an measuring the power of patterns in predicting site easy to use introduction into factors) it can also be qualitative. Large panels of the analysis of plot based 88 ordinations and the same of classifications (using multivariate ecological samples. silhouette plots instead of dendrograms) visualize Methods included are explained the effect of method selection based on one and the by example and instructions for same data set (see figure below). R solutions are provided in cookbook style. Even though this was not intended, the book now also acts For readers preferring to do all this by their own a new as a simple introduction into the use of R. version of the related R package has been uploaded to CRAN, dave 2.0. In this the entire set of data The 3rd edition emphasizes some epistemological matrices used in the book is implemented (currently issues, namely the role of the “similarity theory” more than 20, including a new time series). Because devised by Feoli and Orlóci (2011). This elaborates software is transitory by nature it is worth checking the idea that interactions between the biological world CRAN periodically for updates. Many readers may and the ecological conditions result in converging want to use one procedure in the R package only and similarity pattern, despite underlying data types and then exit the system to continue with their preferred dimensionality being entirely different. Similarity software. The next version of dave, 2.1, will therefore theory is also a key to the understanding of previous, be supplemented by various methods to simplify the well known concepts such as convergence, export of results. divergence, vegetation dynamics, competition, facilitation or filtering. References:

A newly introduced topic is the revision of Feoli, E. and Orlóci, L. 2011. Can similarity theory existing classifications. Even though multivariate contribute to the development of a general theory pattern recognition is a counterpoint to traditional of the plant community? Community Ecology 12: phytosociology, an expert based classification is 135–141 evaluated in one of the chapters and efficiency in Legendre, P. and Legendre, L. 2012. Numerical predicting environmental conditions enhanced in the Ecology. 3rd Edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam. course of revisions. The example demonstrated is using real-world data as usual. Wildi, O. 2017. Data Analysis in Vegetation Ecology. 3rd edition. CABI, Oxfordshire, Boston. 356 p. http:// I felt time being ripe to consider a formal way of using www.cabi.org/bookshop/book/9781786394224. plant functional types and indicator values (as those devised by Ellenberg and Landolt). The preferred tool to handle this kind of information is matrix algebra and thereby we end up in the fourth corner Otto Wildi problem as promoted by Legendre and Legendre WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow (2012). Using yet another field data set the results and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, reveal why indicator values frequently work so well, Switzerland. despite just being expert guesses.

Detail taken from Figure 6.15 illustrating the response of ordinations to data transformation.

WWW.IAVS.ORG IAVS BULLETIN 2017/4 PAGE 38 OF 40 27th Congress of the European Vegetation Survey: 23-26 May 2018, Wrocław, Poland Invitation Important Deadlines We have a great pleasure to invite to the 27th January 12, 2018 – Application for financial Support Congress of the European Vegetation Survey. The (travel grant) meeting will take place in Wrocław which is the historical capital of south-western Poland. We will be February 23, 2018 - Early registration. Fee Payment. delighted to show you the city as a lively multicultural Letters of Invitation centre, full of interesting, beautiful and entertaining March 16, 2018 - Late registration. Fee Payment. places. Abstract Submission

Long tradition of meetings and extensive themes May 23, 2018 - The Congress starts of presentations and discussions make EVS conferences very popular among scientists. Each May 23 – 25th – Theoretical sessions congress gives new possibilities to exchange ideas and allows to make new contacts and renew May 26 – One day excursions cooperation. Integration nature of the conference We hope that the congress in Poland will be a good consolidates researchers of European vegetation, opportunity to present research work generates new ideas and research projects, promotes the development of vegetation science and find a lot of inspiration for the development of and widens the scientific horizons. vegetation science. Topics For more information see http://evs2018wroclaw.uni. wroc.pl. The main topic for the 27th EVS Congress is: Vegetation survey 90 years after the publication of Braun-Blanquet’s textbook - new challenges and concepts. Under this main issue we want to focus on Zygmunt Kącki Chairman of the conference several topics:

• Extending scale in spatial, temporal and Ewa Stefańska-Krzaczek Secretary of the conference environmental dimensions.

• Plant community responses to changes in management.

• Vegetation and alien plant invasions.

• Assessment and conservation of European habitats.

• Classification and database management. Excursions Besides the opportunity to present and discuss you research projects, we propose three excursion presenting the most interesting natural objects in the region. May is the best time to explore forest and grassland vegetation. It is usually sunny and warm time in Poland, excellent for field excursions. We plan to organise one day excursions: to the Stołowe Mountains National Park, Volcanic Heritage of Góry and Pogórze Kaczawskie and the Oder river valley.

The plenary hall in Palermo.

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