Formalized classification of the class Montio-Cardaminetea in Europe: towards a consistent typology of spring vegetation

Authors

• Tomáš Peterka, Masaryk University
• Petra Hájková, Masaryk University
• Martin Jiroušek, Masaryk University
• Dirk Hinterlang, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW
• Milan Chytrý, Masaryk University
• Liene Aunina, University of Latvia
• Judit Deme, University of Pécs
• Melinda Lyons, School of Architecture, Building, and Environment
• Hallie Seiler, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
• Harald Zechmeister, University of Vienna
• Iva Apostolova, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Carl Beierkuhnlein, University of Bayreuth
• Melanie Bischof, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
• Claudia Biţă-Nicolae, Romanian Academy
• Lisa Brancaleoni, University of Ferrara
• Renata Ćušterevska, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje
• Jürgen Dengler, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
• Yakiv Didukh, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany
• Daniel Dítě, Institute of Botany Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Lyubov Felbaba-Klushyna, Uzhgorod National University
• Emmanuel Garbolino, Climpact Data Science (CDS)
• Renato Gerdol, University of Ferrara
• Svitlana Iemelianova, Masaryk University
• Florian Jansen, University of Rostock
• Riikka Juutinen
• Jasmina Kamberović, University of Tuzla
• Jutta Kapfer, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
• Barbora Klímová, Masaryk University
• Ilona Knollová, Masaryk University
• Tiina H.M. Kolari, University of Eastern Finland
• Predrag Lazarević, University of Belgrade

ORCID

• Melinda Lyons: 0000-0003-4231-3622

Abstract

The class Montio-Cardaminetea includes vegetation of springs with constant water flow. These habitats, which function as islands for highly specialized and sensitive biota, are endangered by ongoing landscape and climatic changes. Although a harmonized classification into vegetation units is necessary for effective habitat conservation, there is currently no synthetic classification of the class Montio-Cardaminetea. Here a large set of vegetation-plot records was obtained from national and private databases. The aim was to validate the EuroVegChecklist classification scheme, search for additional ecologically meaningful vegetation types and develop an automatic system for classifying new plots from Europe. We formally defined the cores of eight of the ten EuroVegChecklist alliances: Caricion remotae, Cratoneurion commutati, Lycopodo europaei-Cratoneurion commutati, Epilobio nutantis-Montion, Koenigio-Microjuncion, Mniobryo-Epilobion hornemanii, Philonotidion seriatae (Cardamino-Montion) and Swertio perennis-Anisothecion squarrosi, which were also reproduced by unsupervised classifications. Both unsupervised and semi-supervised classifications further suggested two alliances not previously recognized in the EuroVegChecklist: Anthelion julaceae (liverwort-dominated subalpine to alpine springs in highly oceanic regions in Britain) and Cratoneuro filicini-Calthion laetae (mesotrophic herb-rich subalpine and alpine springs). The unsupervised classifications mainly reflected the base saturation gradient, distinguishing between calcareous and non-calcareous springs. Therefore, it is suggested the order Montio-Cardaminetalia, which is broadly delimited in the EuroVegChecklist, be divided into two separate orders and the following three orders should be distinguished within the class Montio-Cardaminetea: Cardamino-Chrysosplenietalia (non-calcareous forest springs; Caricion remotae), Cardamino-Cratoneuretalia (calcareous springs; Cratoneurion commutati, Lycopodo europaei-Cratoneurion commutati) and Montio-Cardaminetalia (non-calcareous non-forest springs; all other alliances).

Keywords

azonal habitat, expert classification system, phytosociology, plant community, supervised vegetation classification, unsupervised classification, vegetation survey, wetlands

DOI Link

10.23855/preslia.2023.347

Publication Date

2023-01-01

Publication Title

Preslia

Volume

95

Issue

3

ISSN

0032-7786

First Page

347

Last Page

383

Deposit Date

2026-03-11

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Additional Links

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85176439548

Recommended Citation

Peterka, Tomáš; Hájková, Petra; Jiroušek, Martin; Hinterlang, Dirk; Chytrý, Milan; Aunina, Liene; Deme, Judit; Lyons, Melinda; Seiler, Hallie; Zechmeister, Harald; Apostolova, Iva; Beierkuhnlein, Carl; Bischof, Melanie; Biţă-Nicolae, Claudia; Brancaleoni, Lisa; Ćušterevska, Renata; Dengler, Jürgen; Didukh, Yakiv; Dítě, Daniel; Felbaba-Klushyna, Lyubov; Garbolino, Emmanuel; Gerdol, Renato; Iemelianova, Svitlana; Jansen, Florian; Juutinen, Riikka; Kamberović, Jasmina; Kapfer, Jutta; Klímová, Barbora; Knollová, Ilona; Kolari, Tiina H.M.; and Lazarević, Predrag, "Formalized classification of the class Montio-Cardaminetea in Europe: towards a consistent typology of spring vegetation" (2023). Research Outputs: 2025-Present. 26.
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/arbuenro/26