Syntaxonomy of the class Alnetea glutinosae in Ukraine: a critical revision

• DOI: 10.3897/vcs.122617
• Publication Date: 2025-02-25T07:51:15Z
• Authors: Svitlana Iemelianova; Liubov Borsukevych
• Keywords: Environmental sciences; GE1-350

Aims : (a) To revise the previous classification systems for Alnetea glutinosae vegetation in Ukraine using a representative dataset; (b) to define types at association level and outline their geographical distribution species composition; (c) describe relationships between defined associations main environmental factors. Study area Ukraine. Methods 5818 plots of floodplain forests, alder carr, birch forests were collected field digitized from literature. We used PC-ORD beta-flexible clustering (beta = –0.3, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, log-transformed percentage abundances) distinguish types. plotted results an NMDS ordination diagram visualize similarity patterns among Results . distinguished six within three alliances: mesotrophic regularly flooded carr ( Thelypterido palustris-Alnetum , Carici elongatae-Alnetum acutiformis-Alnetum ), basiphilous on mires Salici pentandrae-Betuletum pubescentis ) acidophilous wet palustris-Betuletum Eriophoro vaginati-Betuletum ). Using NMDS-ordination Ellenberg-type indicator values we demonstrated that gradients differentiation are soil moisture reaction, nutrients, light availability. Conclusions our comprehensive data set, critically revised concept syntaxonomic structure class phytosociological highlighted drivers determining variability. Our study also provides overview current each Taxonomic reference Euro+Med (2006-) vascular plants, Hodgetts et al. (2020) bryophytes. Syntaxonomic Higher syntaxa follow Mucina (2016). Abbreviations db-RDA distance-based redundancy analysis; EIVs Ellenberg values; EVC EuroVegChecklist, GIVD Global index plot databases, ICPN International code nomenclature (Theurillat 2021); Non-metric multidimensional scaling; NNP National nature park.