Geographical and Ecological Differentiation of Roadside Vegetation in Temperate Europe*

Abstract

Afirst attempt is made towards a synopsis of the general features and differentiation of roadside phytocoenoses in temperate Europe. The evident similarity between synchorological variation of roadside vegetation and the general chorology of Europe is demonstrated with plant communities dominated by species of Poaceae, Apiaceae, and Asteraceae. A more detailed differentiation along the geographical-ecological cline between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea is represented in modifications of the sequence of coenoses within the roadside profile.

The use of the deductive method of syntaxonomic classification in the system of vegetational units of the Braun-Blanquet approach

“…This attempt for a syntaxonomic expression of syngenetic relationships of communities frequently classified with various higher units of the system of the Braun-Blanquet approach was applied or commented in the works of other authors (Strijbosch 1976;Westhoff & van der Maarel 1978;Dierschke 1981;Kopeck3~ 1984;Hus~ikov~i 1988;Krop~iE 1988;Richter 1989;Schamin6e, Stortelder & Westhoff 1990;Gregor 1992, etc.). Closely connected with the analysis of syngenetic relationships are also the synecological and synchronological aspects contained in this classification approach Hus~ikov~i 1978Hus~ikov~i -1986Ullmann et al 1988;Ullmann & Heindl 1989;Richter 1989;Heindl 1992, etc.). The complexity of the syngenetic, synecological and synchronological relationships among individual communities and their groups comes forward particularly when the anthropogenic vegetation is studied.…”

The role of bioclimatic origin, residence time and habitat context in shaping non-native plant distributions along an altitudinal gradient

“…nutrient availability) and biotic conditions (e.g. competition) for non-native species' establishment success are relatively constant along road verges over the whole altitudinal gradient (Ullmann and Heindl 1989;Wilson et al 1992). Finally, efficient anthropogenic dispersal along roads makes it unlikely that the altitudinal limits of species are dispersal limited but rather are in equilibrium with their climatic limits (e.g.…”

How do alien plants distribute along roads on oceanic islands? A case study in Tenerife, Canary Islands

“…It has been frequently found that road-edge vegetation shelter a great number of both native and alien species and that species richness along edges is often higher compared with adjoining areas (Ullmann and Heindl 1989;Ullmann et al 1995). Edge type has been shown to explain significant variation in alien-species richness of roadside communities (With 2002;Pauchard and Alaback 2006).…”