High-altitude vegetation of the Western Carpathians — a syntaxonomical review

Abstract

This paper presents a survey of high-altitude plant communities which occur in the Western Carpathians with an enumeration of the characteristic, transgressive and differential species of the individual alliances, orders and classes. It describes the tall-herb vegetation (Mulgedio-Aconitetea) and communities of the subalpine shrubs (Betulo carpaticae-Alnetea viridis), the montane and alpine calcareous swards (Elyno-Seslerietea), the wind-exposed cryophilous swards on ridge edges with low snow cover (Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii), the chionophilous communities of snow beds and snow fields (Salicetea herbaceae), the arctic-boreal dwarf-shrub heathlands (Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea), the alpine acidophilous grasslands (Caricetea curvulae) and the high-mountain mat-grass swards of the alliance Nardion strictae (Nardetea strictae). This study summarises the results of the syntaxonomical and nomenclatural revisions of various types of high-altitude vegetation in the Western Carpathians and the longstanding research in the field. The aim of this paper is to amass knowledge about the nomenclatural features, such as the synonyms, original diagnoses and nomenclatural types of the higher syntaxa in the Western Carpathians, that will be important and useful for a forthcoming vegetation survey of highrank syntaxa of Europe (EuroChecklist). It reflects the current status of knowledge regarding the floristic composition and distribution of high-altitude (alpine) non-forest communities in Slovakia. The fourth volume of Plant Communities of Slovakia, which discusses high-altitude vegetation, was recently published. This paper, however, contains some corrections and improvements to the concepts. It is presented in a compact form and in English, which makes it more accessible by international readership.

Distribution of Doronicum clusii and D. stiriacum (Asteraceae) in the Alps and Carpathians

“…In contrast, Vierhapper (1900) and Cavillier (1907) did not indicate the taxon for the Nízke Tatry, and Dostál (1989Dostál ( : 1046 Townson (1797: 365, 492) and subsequently by Wahlenberg (1814: 273) for the Western and the High Tatras. Since then, the occur-rence of D. stiriacum has been well documented for this mountain region, where it is fairly frequent (Kotula 1889-1890: 325-326, Sagorski & Schneider 1891: 234-235, Pax 1898: 198, Vierhapper 1900: 206, Győrffy 1909, Krajina 1933, Rechinger & Scheffer 1933, Hadač 1956, Kucowa 1971: 314-315, Mirek & Piekoś-Mirkowa 1992b, Dostál 1989: 1046, Zając & Zając 2001, Kliment et al 2010. Lists of localities can be found in Wcis lo (1951: 150) for Polish Territory as well as in Vierhapper (1900: 206), Kotula (1889Kotula ( -1890; as D. hirsutum) and in Appendix 1 for Polish and Slovakian territory.…”

The Fate of Endangered Rock Sedge (Carex rupestris) in the Western Carpathians—The Future Perspective of an Arctic-Alpine Species under Climate Change

“…The nomenclature of the taxa generally follows the Checklist by Marhold and Hindák [39], taxa not used in this work are quoted with the author citation. The names of syntaxa follow the outline of Kliment et al [40,41] and Jarolímek and Šibík [42].…”

A new pygmy leafmining moth, Stigmella tatrica sp. n., from the alpine zone of the Tatra Mountains (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae)

“…In the Eastern Tatra it was found in the Belianske Tatra Mountains (Belianske Tatry), Zadné Jatky Mountain and Bujačí Vrch Mountain at an altitude of 1800-2010 m. In the Western Tatra it was taken in the Red Mountains (Červené Vrchy), Stoly Rocks at Temniak Mountain, near the Slovak-Polish border at an altitude of about 1800-1900 m. The Belianske Tatra Mountains and the Red Mountains are both karst areas, built of limestone and dolomite with a dominance of subalpine or alpine grasslands with many different plants growing there, many of which are endemic, rare or endangered species. The vegetation at the type locality could belong to the Caricion firmae Gams association, with the following higher plant species commonly present: Carex firma Host ( (Šibík et al 2004;Kliment et al 2010).…”

“…Zadné Jatky, 1950-2010 20°13.50'E, 30.vii.2016, Zdenko Tokár leg. ", "HOLOTYPE Stigmella tatrica Tokár, Laštůvka & van Nieukerken" (red label), coll.…”