Jerzy Solon

Abstract

This paper defines the relationships between geographical location (which determines macroclimatic differentiation andreflects the history of the vegetation), soils (which determine hydrolytic acidity, degree of base saturation and organiccarbon content), and selected characteristics of vegetation (species richness, herb layer biomass, moss layer biomass)in one type of forest community, namely, pine forests of the Vaccinio-Piceetea class. The study area covers the majorpart of the European domain of pine forests, from 70.15°N (Norway) to 50.35°N (Poland) and from 12.02°E (Sweden)to 33.6°E (Russia). The geographical pattern shows the following correlations: (a) a rise in the number of vascular plantspecies in the herb layer as one moves from west to east and from north to south; (b) no significant relationship betweengeographical location and the biomass of the herb layer, but it is possible to divide the study area into two parts: centralScandinavia, characterized by a high level of biomass, and the rest of the area, characterized by lower herb layerbiomass; (c) a south-north increase in the standard deviation of herb layer biomass (serving also as a measure of spatialheterogeneity of the forest floor in terms of the synusial structure of the community); (d) greater biomass of the bryophyte(moss+lichen) layer in the north than in the south and in the east than in the west; (e) stability at lower latitudes ofstandard deviation for moss biomass (serving also as a measure of spatial heterogeneity of the forest floor in terms ofthe synusial structure of the community), albeit with a sharp increase north of latitude 55°N.

Keywords: Vaccinio-Piceetea, species richness, species biomass, geographical pattern, European pine forests, gradients

Jerzy Solon [j.solon@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Marek Degórski [m.degor@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland

Abstract

This paper presents: (1) a method by which to forecast future states of ecosystems onthe basis of deterministic models of development pathways, (2) necessary data to achieve this,and (3) an application of the above method to Poland’s Bory Tucholskie National Park. The threerequired datasets to predict vegetational states were a complex digital map of potential 1 and actualvegetation, scenarios concerning future anthropogenic impacts on vegetation and habitats,and general models of vegetation development. The chosen study area is shown to feature processesof vegetation transformation, such as degeneration, regeneration, restitution, succession,slow evolution from type to type, stabilization and fluctuation. The three scenarios applied entailed:(1) the development of plant communities in conditions of a stable habitat and persistenthuman impact; (2) fully spontaneous 2 development of vegetation in unchanged habitats and freeof human impact; (3) full achievement of a conservation plan’s recommendations. The resultsof modelling future states of vegetation show that regeneration and evolution will prevail as aresult of the first and second scenarios, resulting in noticeable changes in spatial and typologicaldiversity of vegetation, whilst regeneration and stabilization will be dominant processes accordingto the third scenario.

Keywords: potential vegetation, actual vegetation, dynamic circles of substitute communities, forecast, vegetation dynamics, National Park, Poland

Jan Marek Matuszkiewicz [jan.mat@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Jerzy Solon [j.solon@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland

Abstract

The paper links vegetational microlandscapes distinguished on the basis of differentiationof actual vegetation with geobotanical sub-districts defined on the basis of differentiationof potential vegetation. For each of these microlandscapes an actual and potential vegetation,as well as land-use were analyzed; the analysis being performed for an area of ca. 540km2 of theVistula River valley. The spatial structure of these microlandscapes was characterized in termsof various landscape metrics. The analysis reveals that comprehensive treatment allows microlandscapesto be aggregated into typological (and potentially regional) units of a higher rank.However, the relationships between vegetational microlandscapes and geobotanical regionalization,based on potential vegetation are not unambiguous.

Keywords: actual vegetation, potential vegetation, landscape metrics, vegetational microlandscapes, Vistula Valley, Poland

Jerzy Solon [j.solon@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland