Classification of European bog vegetation of the Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class

Abstract

Aims Classification of European bog vegetation (Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class); identification of diagnostic species for the class and vegetation subgroups (orders and alliances); development of an expert system for automatic classification of vegetation plots; and production of distribution maps of the Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class and its alliances. Location Europe. Methods A data set of vegetation‐plot records was compiled to include various bog types over most of the European continent. An unsupervised classification (beta‐flexible linkage method, Sørensen distance measure) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination were applied. Formal definitions of syntaxa based on species presence and covers, and respecting the results of the unsupervised classification, were developed and included in a classification expert system. Results The Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class, its two orders (Sphagno‐Ericetalia tetralicis and Sphagnetalia medii) and seven compositionally distinct alliances were formally defined. In addition to the syntaxa included in EuroVegChecklist, three new alliances were distinguished: Rubo chamaemori‐Dicranion elongati (subarctic polygon and palsa mires); Erico mackaianae‐Sphagnion papillosi (blanket bogs of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula); and Sphagno baltici‐Trichophorion cespitosi (boreal bog lawns). The latter alliance is newly described in this article. Conclusions This first pan‐European formalized classification of European bog vegetation partially followed the system presented in EuroVegChecklist, but suggested three additional alliances. One covers palsa and polygon mires, one covers Iberian bogs with endemics and one fills the syntaxonomical gap for lawn microhabitats in boreal bogs. A classification expert system has been developed, which allows assignment of vegetation plots to the types described.

Inference of future bog succession trajectory from spatial chronosequence of changing aapa mires

“…papillosum , S . fallax , Eriophorum vaginatum , and several shrub species (e.g., Andromeda polifolia , Betula nana , and Vaccinium oxycoccos ) likely belongs to the alliance Sphagnion medii of classification of European bog vegetation (Jiroušek et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Although this alliance is under the Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae class of phytosociological classification of fen vegetation, corresponding vegetation is commonly found also in ombrotrophic bog hollows. The vegetation typical of transitional strings with Sphagnum medium coll., S. papillosum, S. fallax, Eriophorum vaginatum, and several shrub species (e.g., Andromeda polifolia, Betula nana, and Vaccinium oxycoccos) likely belongs to the alliance Sphagnion medii of classification of European bog vegetation (Jiroušek et al, 2022).…”

Structural, ecological and biogeographical attributes of European vegetation alliances

“…The classification system of EuroVegChecklist was cross‐linked to the EUNIS Habitat Classification (Chytrý et al., 2020), a European system of habitat classification based on a combination of characteristic vegetation types, environmental features, human impact and biogeographical zones. Moreover, extensive international studies based on the EVA database (Chytrý et al., 2016) were initiated to test individual sections of the EuroVegChecklist classification system (e.g., Peterka et al., 2017, 2023; Willner et al., 2017; Marcenò et al., 2018, 2019; Landucci et al., 2020; Bonari et al., 2021; Kalníková et al., 2021; Jiroušek et al., 2022; Novák et al., 2023).…”

Vaccinium majuscula (Chassagne) Fridl. in French Massif central and its related Scandinavian Oxycoccus palustris var major Lange.

“…Tetraploids are more widespread (Fig. 1 in blue order Sphagno-Ericetalia tetralicis (Atlantic) and in green Sphagnetalia medii (Jiroušek et al 2022).…”