Recent vegetation history of the North Adriatic grasslands: Expansion and decay of an anthropogenic habitat

Kaligarič, Mitja; Culiberg, Metka; Kramberger, B.

doi:10.1007/bf02904940

Cited by 56 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…However, no single study has sampled the high number of species demonstrated in the present work. This observation confirms the anthropo-zoogenic origin of these grassland habitats [52] which owe their existence to a very specific kind of land-use -mostly grazing by sheep [6].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…But why not also vice-versa? The species-rich NW Balkan karstic dry grasslands are associated with epizoochoric dispersal [5,6]. This means that dispersal in space -the movement of dispersal units away from parent plants -enables species not only to re-colonize unoccupied sites, but also to colonize suitable new habitats [57].…”

Section: Comparison Of the Sampling Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Huge areas in the Mediterranean Basin and its edges were severely deforested and converted to extensive dry and semi-dry grasslands in the early times of human settlement. Deforestation reached its peak in the Middle Ages and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century when abandonment started [6,7]. Today we can see the remains of large grasslands already affected by fragmentation processes (i.e., increased isolation and reduced habitat size) in all three large peninsulas of the Mediterranean: the Pyrenean, Apennine and Balkan peninsulas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High potential of sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands for sheep epizoochory

Kaligarič

Brecl²,

Škornik

2016

Open Life Sciences

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There is a general decline of grasslands across Europe due to habitat loss and degradation. Ensuring plant dispersal thus becomes a key process for preserving grassland patches in all scales. We examined diaspore dispersal by sheep epizoochory in the pastures of the North Adriatic Karst (NW Slovenia) and determined the qualitative and quantitative features of diaspores in fur. We recorded 25,650 diaspores of 141 plant taxa (with 107 taxa and 23,350 diaspores determined to species level), using three different methods: (i) the "whole-coat method", (ii) the "part-of-thecoat method" and (iii) a "seedling emergence method". A comparison of these techniques revealed that the "wholecoat method" provided the highest number of diaspores and plant species. All diaspores were clustered into five emergent groups based on seven functional traits (diaspore weight, length, width, height, volume, specific weight and the diaspore surface structure). Our research revealed that sheep represent an important dispersal vector, since about half of the plant species recorded in the pastures were found as diaspores in fur. This study contributes to knowledge about the modes of seed dispersal in seminatural grasslands. Taking into account that livestock play a key role in vegetation dynamics, understanding their effects on seed dispersal is essential for conservation and restoration of these species-rich grassland communities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Comparison Of the Sampling Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High potential of sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands for sheep epizoochory

Kaligarič

Brecl²,

Škornik

2016

Open Life Sciences

Self Cite

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“…Grasslands are species-rich communities established over centuries of permanent grazing (KALIGARI^et al 2006, CATORCI et al 2012. As well as by grazing, grasslands in the Mediterranean area are also maintained by periodic fires (KAVGACI et al 2010, TÜRKMEN andDÜNZENLI 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early spring ephemeral therophytic non-nitrophilous grasslands as a habitat of various species of romulea in the southern balkans

Čarni¹,

Matevski²,

Šilc³

et al. 2014

Acta Botanica Croatica

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-The work deals with habitats of Romulea bulbocodium and Romulea linaresii ssp. graeca in the southern Balkans. Both species appear in early spring ephemeral therophytic non-nitrophilous grasslands in regions under the influence of the Mediterranean climate. These communities are classified within the Romulion alliance, which encompasses such communities from the eastern Mediterranean area. It was established that the main climatic factor causing the diversity of these communities is seasonality in precipitation and temperature. Two associations are presented, as Lagopo-Poetum bulbosae and Romuleo graecae-Poetum bulbosae.

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“…Many studies have been conducted in Europe that have attempted to understand and evaluate changes in landscape (Skanes and Bunce 1997;Ani~i} and Perica 2003;Eetvelde and Antrop 2004;Urbanc et al 2004; Kaligari~ et al 2006;Schneeberg et al 2006;Sirami et al 2010;Persson et al 2010;Tempesta 2010;Ignacio-Diaz et al 2011, Pau{i~ and^arni 2012). These studies have also dealt with the landscape indicators that drive changes in land use and landscape structure and even determine the appearance of the landscape as a whole, therefore the spatial heterogeneity that indicates the variability of the system's properties in spatial terms (the landscape structure) (Calvo-Iglesias et al 2006;Sirami et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape transformation in the low karst plain of Bela krajina (SE Slovenia) over the last 220 years

Paušič¹,

Čarni²

2012

AGS

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The changes in land use, landscape structure and heterogeneity in Bela krajina were compared over a time interval of 220 years and linked to the socioeconomic factors. A significant increase of forested areas in the past 220 years is evident, which has led to forestation of open pastures. Until 1913, the landscape was agricultural. After human emigration at the beginning of the 20 th century and World War I, the land was partly abandoned. During and after the World War II local inhabitants migrated from the region. The land structure changed and became of a transitional type. The third wave of emigration started in the 1960s. By around 1980, the study area had become completely forested. After 1981, the number of inhabitants again increased in settlements near traffic routes but people were employed in other economic activities. This trend had no significant impact on the landscape. The study shows that the present landscape structure is substantially different from those in past and reflects the current social and economic features.

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Recent vegetation history of the North Adriatic grasslands: Expansion and decay of an anthropogenic habitat

Cited by 56 publications

References 25 publications

High potential of sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands for sheep epizoochory

High potential of sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands for sheep epizoochory

Early spring ephemeral therophytic non-nitrophilous grasslands as a habitat of various species of romulea in the southern balkans

Landscape transformation in the low karst plain of Bela krajina (SE Slovenia) over the last 220 years

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