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Pollination patterns i.e. the proportions of entomophilous, anemophilous, autogamous and hydrophilous plant species and those useful for the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) in the flora and vegetation of northern Croatia have been determined. The survey included 507 plant taxa, belonging to 95 plant families. The results show that most plant species depend on insect pollination (73.6%), followed by self-pollination (30%), wind (25%) and water pollination (0.6%). For some plant species there are one, two or more modes of pollination; the largest group consists of pure insect pollination (43%), followed by both insect and self-pollination (27%), pure wind pollination (22%), insect and wind pollination (2.6%), and so on. Overall, 54% of plant species useful to European honey bees were found, of which 51% provide pollen and 47% nectar. These results suggest that A. mellifera could be a potential pollinator for about half of the flora. Analysis shows significant differences in pollination patterns among habitat types and that most entomophilous plant taxa are found in grassland, forest and ruderal sites, indicating that these habitats are most important for pollinators. Other characteristics of plant species, such as flowering time, plant family, life form and origin, were also analysed to determine a possible relationship with pollination.

Motivation: Indicator values are numerical values used to characterize the ecological niches of species and to estimate their occurrence along gradients. Indicator values on climatic and edaphic niches of plant species have received considerable attention in ecological research, whereas data on the optimal positioning of species along disturbance gradients are less developed. Here, we present a new data set of disturbance indicator values identifying optima along gradients of natural and anthropogenic disturbance for 6382 vascular plant species based on the analysis of 736,366 European vegetation plots and using expert-based characterization of disturbance regimes in 236 habitat types. The indicator values presented here are crucial for integrating disturbance niche optima into large-scale vegetation analyses and macroecological studies. Main types of variables contained: We set up five main continuous indicator values for European vascular plants: disturbance severity, disturbance frequency, mowing frequency, grazing pressure and soil disturbance. The first two indicators are provided separately for the whole community and for the herb layer. We calculated the values as the average of expert-based estimates of disturbance values in all habitat types where a species occurs, weighted by the number of plots in which the species occurs within a given habitat type. Spatial location and grain: Europe. Vegetation plots ranging in size from 1 to 1000 m2. Time period and grain: Vegetation plots mostly sampled between 1956 and 2013 (= 5th and 95th quantiles of the sampling year, respectively). Major taxa and level of measurement: Species-level indicator values for vascular plants. Software format: csv file. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Datos disponibles en https://github.com/fmsabatini/sPlotOpen_Code, EU H2020 project BACI, Grant No. 640176 (...), Sabatini, F.M., Lenoir, J., Hattab, T., Arnst, E.A., Chytrý, M., Dengler, J., De Ruffray, P., Hennekens, S.M., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Kattge, J., Levesley, A., Pillar, V.D., Purschke, O., Sandel, B., Sultana, F., Aavik, T., Aćić, S., Acosta, A.T.R., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M.A.S., Arroyo, L., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Banerjee, A., Bauters, M., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A.D., Bonari, G., Bondareva, V., Brunet, J., Čarni, A., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Ćušterevska, R., De Bie, E., de Gasper, A.L., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dolezal, J., Dziuba, T., El-Sheikh, M.A.E.-R.M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fazayeli, F., Field, R., Finckh, M., Gachet, S., Galán-de-Mera, A., Garbolino, E., Gholizadeh, H., Giorgis, M., Golub, V., Alsos, I.G., Grytnes, J.-A., Guerin, G.R., Gutiérrez, A.G., Haider, S., Hatim, M.Z., Hérault, B., Hinojos Mendoza, G., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Hubau, W., Indreica, A., Janssen, J.A.M., Jedrzejek, B., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kapfer, J., Karger, D.N., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Khanina, L., Killeen, T., Korolyuk, A., Kreft, H., Kühl, H.S., Kuzemko, A., Landucci, F., Lengyel, A., Lens, F., Lingner, D.V., Liu, H., Lysenko, T., Mahecha, M.D., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Moeslund, J.E., Monteagudo Mendoza, A., Mucina, L., Müller, J.V., Munzinger, J., Naqinezhad, A., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G.E., Pärtel, M., Pauchard, A., Peet, R.K., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Peyre, G., Phillips, O.L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rivas-Torres, G., Rodwell, J.S., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Shan, H., Shirokikh, P., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Sklenář, P., Škvorc, Ž., Sparrow, B., Sperandii, M.G., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J.-C., Tang, Z., Tang, C.Q., Tsiripidis, I., Vanselow, K.A., Vásquez Martínez, R., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A.C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D.A., Waller, D.M., Wang, H.-F., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T.J.S., Willner, W., Wiser, S.K., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zobel, M., Bruelheide, H.

Climate change and nitrogen (N) deposition are among the most important drivers of biodiversity change at a global scale. Although commonly considered separately in applied research, conservation, and policy development, both empirical evidence and modelling studies indicate that these two stressors may act synergistically and trigger a more pronounced biodiversity loss than each of them alone. Interactive effects thus need to be considered in biodiversity conservation. In this study, we propose a new method for jointly assessing risk from both stressors to habitats by combining climate envelope modelling and the evaluation of exceedance of empirical critical loads for eutrophication through N deposition. Based on this approach we can calculate a combined risk metric, which is the scaled exceedance of the N critical load and climatic thresholds in the three-dimensional space of N deposition, temperature, and water limitation. We use a habitat map to project this risk metric for 34 EUNIS habitat types across Austria. Resulting risk maps indicated that about 16 % of the area of these natural and semi-natural habitat types is currently at risk from either N exceedance, drought or warming. Using combinations of future climatic (RCP2.5 and RCP8.5) and N deposition (business as usual, current legislation and maximum feasible reduction) scenarios, we predict that the area at risk might increase to up to 19% until 2050, with risk from N-deposition decreasing and risk from climate change increasing. Combined impacts of both stressors affect only up to 2% of the entire evaluated area, but are much more frequent in particular habitat types such as oligotrophic bogs and subalpine to alpine grasslands. We conclude that this method provides a useful screening procedure to identify and compare areas and habitats under combined risk from both stressors and to thus support prioritization and decision making in biodiversity conservation.

Pouteau, R., et al., [Aim] The number of naturalized (i.e. established) alien species has increased rapidly over recent centuries. Given the differences in environmental tolerances among species, little is known about what factors determine the extent to which the observed size of the naturalized range of a species and hence the extent to which the observed richness of naturalized species of a region approach their full potential. Here, we asked which region- and species-specific characteristics explain differences between observed and expected naturalizations. [Location] Global. [Time period] Present. [Major taxa studied] Vascular plants. [Methods] We determined the observed naturalized distribution outside Europe for 1,485 species endemic to Europe using the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database and their expected distributions outside Europe using species distribution models. First, we investigated which of seven socio-economic factors related to introduction pathways, anthropogenic pressures and inventory effort best explained the differences between observed and expected naturalized European floras. Second, we examined whether distributional features, economic use and functional traits explain the extent to which species have filled their expected ranges outside Europe. Results: In terms of suitable area, more than 95% of expected naturalizations of European plants were not yet observed. Species were naturalized in only 4.2% of their suitable regions outside of Europe (range filling) and in 0.4% of their unsuitable regions (range expansion). Anthropogenic habitat disturbance primarily explained the difference between observed and expected naturalized European floras, as did the number of treaties relevant to invasive species. Species of ornamental and economic value and with large specific leaf area performed better at filling and expanding beyond their expected range. Main conclusions: The naturalization of alien plant species is explained by climate matching but also by the regional level of human development, the introduction pressure associated with the ornamental and economic values of the species and their adaptation to disturbed environments., Robin Pouteau was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 31901176) and Taizhou University (2018YQ001). Carsten Meyer acknowledges funding by the Volkswagen Foundation through a Freigeist Fellowship (A118199), and additional support by iDiv, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG–FZT 118, 202548816). Petr Pyšek and Jan Pergl were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (EXPRO grant 19-28807X) and the Czech Academy of Sciences (long-term research development project RVO 67985939). Idoia Biurrun and Juan Antonio Campos were supported by the Basque Government (IT936-16). Gianmaria Bonari, Milan Chytrý, Ilona Knollová, Anna Kuzemko and Corrado Marcenò were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (19-28491X). Rosario G. Gavilán was supported by Madrid Government project REMEDINAL (P2018/EMT-4338). Jens-Christian Svenning considers this work a contribution to his VILLUM Investigator project ‘Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World’ funded by VILLUM FONDEN (16549). Mark van Kleunen was supported by the German Research Foundation DFG (264740629). The authors appreciate the helpful comments by three anonymous referees and the Handling Editor, Melodie A. McGeoch.

Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment. The previous versions of the expert system and related reports were produced within a contract from the European Environment Agency to Wageningen Environmental Research and Masaryk University. The opinions expressed are those of the contractor and do not represent the Agency's official position. EVA data management and preparation of this paper were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19-28491X to MC, LT, IK, TP, CM, JDa, MH, PN, DZ, GB, AJ, AKu, ZL and DV). IB and JAC were supported by the Basque Government (project no. T936-16). TB, ET, and LK were supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (TB and ET project no. AAAA-A18-118052590019-7; LK project no. AAAA-A19-119012490096-2).

Aims: To create a comprehensive, consistent and unequivocal phytosociological classification of European marsh vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Location: Europe. Methods: We applied the Cocktail method to a European data set of 249, 800 vegetation plots. We identified the main purposes and attributes on which to base the classification, defined assignment rules for vegetation plots, and prepared formal definitions for all the associations, alliances and orders of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea using formal logic. Each formula consists of the combination of “functional species groups”, cover values of individual species, and in the case of high-rank syntaxa also of “discriminating species groups” created using the Group Improvement (GRIMP) method. Results: The European Phragmito-Magnocaricetea vegetation was classified into 92 associations grouped in 11 alliances and six orders. New syntaxa (previously invalidly published according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature) were introduced: Bolboschoeno maritimi-Schoenoplection tabernaemontani, Glycerio maximae-Sietum latifolii, Glycerio notatae-Veronicetum beccabungae, Schoenoplectetum corymbosi and Thelypterido palustris-Caricetum elongatae. Based on a critical revision, some other syntaxa were rejected or excluded from the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Conclusions: This work provides the first consistent classification of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea at the European scale, which is an important tool for nature conservation. Our classification largely respects previously existing concepts of syntaxa, but it also proposes modifications to the recently published EuroVegChecklist. This work also provides a protocol that can be used for extending the current classification to new syntaxa and geographical regions.

Intenzivnim razvojem industrije, poljoprivrede i urbanizacije dolazi do pretjerane emisije teških metala u okoliš koji zbog svojih svojstava bioakumulacije mogu imati negativan utjecaj na sve sastavnice okoliša. U okviru ovoga rada je istražena prisutnost pojedinih teških metala u uzorcima tla i biljaka na sjeverozapadu Hrvatske, uz tok rijeke Drave. Ukratko su razmotrene i predložene mogućnosti uklanjanja teških metala iz tla. U svrhu utvrđivanja stvarne prisutnosti akumuliranih teških metala na obalnom području rijeke Drave u travnju 2014. godine pristupilo se prikupljanju uzoraka tla i biljaka na ukupno sedam lokacija na području Varaždinske županije. Ta područja su povremeno izložena poplavama zbog izlijevanja rijeke Drave i nanosa mulja onečišćenog teškim metalima koji su u rijeku dospjeli kao posljedica antropogenih i prirodnih procesa na uzvodnim dijelovima toka Drave u Sloveniji i Austriji. U uzorcima biljaka i tla određene su koncentracije arsena (As), bakra (Cu), kadmija (Cd), kroma (Cr), kobalta (Co), cinka (Zn), željeza (Fe), mangana (Mn), nikla (Ni), olova (Pb) i žive (Hg). Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju da na pojedinim lokacijama koncentracije nekih teških metala premašuju zakonom propisane maksimalno dopuštene koncentracije (MDK). Utvrđeno je prekoračenje MDK za kadmij, olovo, cink, bakar i nikal. Biljke krasolika, maslačak, zlatošipka i lucerna su pokazale vrlo dobar fitoakumulacijski, fitoeksploatacijski i indikatorski potencijal za daljnja opažanja i istraživanja., Intensely developing industry and agriculture as well as urbanization have led to excessive heavy metal emissions into the environment that, due to their bioaccumulation properties, may have a negative impact on all components of the environment. The paper explores the presence of certain heavy metals in the soil and plant samples taken along the Drava River course in northeast Croatia. The possibilities of heavy metal removal from the soil are briefly considered and proposed. In order to determine the actual presence of accumulated heavy metals in the Drava riverbank area, soil and plant sampling was carried out at seven Varaždin County locations in April 2014. These areas are occasionally exposed to flooding by the Drava River, which includes its bedload polluted with heavy metals that entered the river consequential to anthropogenic and natural processes in the upstream Drava sections in Slovenia and Austria. The concentrations of arsenic (As), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) have been determined in the plant and soil samples. The obtained results indicate that the concentrations of certain heavy metals exceed the legally prescribed maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) in some locations. The MPC exceedances were determined for cadmium, lead, zinc, copper and nickel. The plants fleabane, dandelion, goldenrod and alfalfa showed very good phytoaccumulation, phytoexploitation and indicator potentials for further observation and exploration., Die intensive Entwicklung von Industrie und Landwirtschaft sowie Urbanisierung führen zur hohen Umweltbelastung mit Schwermetallen, die wegen ihrer Fähigkeit zur Bioakkumulation eine negative Auswirkung auf alle Bestandteile der Umwelt haben können. In dieser Studie wurden Konzentrationen einzelner Schwermetalle in Boden- und Pflanzenproben entlang des Flusses Drau im Nordwesten Kroatiens bestimmt. Überblicksartig werden die Möglichkeiten zur Entfernung von Schwermetallen aus dem Boden in Betracht gezogen und dargestellt. Zum Zwecke der Bestimmung der akkumulierten Schwermetalle im Ufergebiet der Drau fand in April 2014 die Entnahme von Boden- und Pflanzenproben an insgesamt sieben Standorten im Landkreis Varaždin statt. Diese Standorte werden gelegentlich dem Hochwasser ausgesetzt, wenn die Drau bei Hochwasser über die Ufer tritt, und der mit Schwermetallen verschmutzte Schlamm abgelagert wird. Die Schwermetalle gelangen in den Fluss infolge sowohl anthropogener als auch natürlicher Prozesse, die flussaufwärts in Slowenien und Österreich stattfinden. In den Boden- und Pflanzenproben wurden die Konzentrationen von Arsen (As), Kupfer (Cu), Kadmium (Cd), Chrom (Cr), Kobalt (Co), Zink (Zn), Eisen (Fe), Mangan (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Blei (Pb) und Quecksilber (Hg) bestimmt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass an einigen Standorten die Konzentrationswerte einiger Schwermetalle (Kadmium, Blei, Zink, Kupfer und Nickel) die gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen maximalen erlaubten Konzentrationen überschreiten. Die Pflanzen Feinstrahl, Löwenzahn, Riesen-Goldrute und Luzerne weisen eine sehr gute Fähigkeit zur Phytoakkumulation und -ausnutzung sowie Anzeigefähigkeit für weitere Untersuchungen auf.

European semi-dry grasslands are among the most species-rich vegetation types in the northern hemisphere and form an important part of the habitat mosaics in the forest-steppe zone. However, there is no comprehensive evaluation of the variation in their composition and the phytosociological classification of these grasslands. For the syntaxonomic revision, we used a dataset of 34, 173 vegetation plot records (relevés) from central and eastern Europe, which were assigned to the class Festuco-Brometea using the diagnostic species listed in the EuroVegChecklist. To determine the diagnostic species of the orders, we used a TWINSPAN classification of the whole dataset. Of the total dataset, 15, 449 relevés were assigned to the order Brachypodietalia pinnati, which corresponds to semi-dry grasslands. This subset was again classified using TWINSPAN. Formal definitions of the following alliances were established: Mesobromion erecti, Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati (incl. Fragario-Trifolion montani, Agrostio-Avenulion schellianae, Scabioso ochroleucae-Poion angustifoliae and Adonido vernalis-Stipion tirsae), Scorzonerion villosae and Chrysopogono-Danthonion. Another alliance, Armerion elongatae (= Koelerio-Phleion phleoidis p.p.), is transitional towards the class Koelerio-Corynephoretea and its status needs further evaluation. We also established formal definitions of all of the associations of Mesobromion and Cirsio-Brachypodion within the area studied. Associations were identified using (i) a TWINSPAN classification of the whole order, (ii) TWINSPAN classifications of regionally restricted datasets (usually all Brachypodietalia plots in one country) and (iii) existing national classification schemes. All formal definitions were written in the expert system language of the JUICE program. To obtain a more complete picture of the floristic similarities and gradients, we performed a DCA ordination of the associations. Our results revealed that meadow steppes in the forest-steppe zone in eastern Europe are very similar to semi-dry grasslands in central Europe.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are used to project how suitable ranges of species shift under a warming climate. Conservation management, however, commonly targets habitat types rather than individual species. Such habitat types are often defined by the co-occurrence of a set of characteristic species. Here, we develop a co-occurrence-based index (CRI); which measures how the representation of habitat types in a particular area may change in a future climate. The index is based on stacking projections of distribution models of characteristic species and accounts for changes both in potential range size of each species individually and in spatial range overlap among characteristic species, i.e. co-occurrence patterns. We illustrate the approach by modelling the changing representation of 68 habitat types in Austria under two different climate scenarios. We base index calculations on SDM projections under either the assumption of unrestricted mobility (‘full-dispersal’) or of complete immobility (‘no-dispersal’) of individual species. Moreover, we compare results to those achieved with a simpler occurrence-based index (OI); which only accounts for change in species’ range sizes. All three alternative index calculations suggest that most modelled habitat types will lose area (in particular mires, wetlands and siliceous alpine grasslands) and only a minority will profit from a warming climate (in particular forests of dry and warm sites). ‘Full-dispersal’ CRI and OI are closely, but not perfectly correlated. Importantly, for more than half of the habitat types, accounting for changing co-occurrence patterns amplifies projected losses. The ‘no-dispersal’ CRI (CRInd) delivers the most alarming projections, indicating considerable spatial turn-over of sites suitable to the habitat types. Taken together, our results suggest that modelling re-distribution of habitat types which are defined by species combinations needs to account for modifications of co-occurrence patterns. Moreover, conservation should acknowledge that novel combinations of species will likely emerge under a warming climate.

False indigo (Amorpha fruticosa L.) is an invasive exotic plant introduced to Europe in the early 18th century. Its spread has been rapid, particularly in disturbed wetland habitats, where it forms dense impermeable monospecific stands and modifies habitat conditions. The impact of Amorpha fruticosa on native plant communities has been well analyzed, however knowledge concerning the possible effects on soil invertebrates and particularly carabid beetles is completely lacking. This study analyzed the impact of an Amorpha fruticosa invasion on carabid beetles and other soil invertebrates. Soil fauna was sampled by pitfall traps at natural habitats, initially colonized by Amorpha fruticosa, and habitats largely invaded by Amorpha fruticosa. In total 2, 613 carabid beetles belonging to 50 species and 72, 166 soil invertebrates were collected. The invasion of Amorpha fruticosa strongly affected the carabid beetle species composition, which clearly differed between all studied sites. Widespread euritopic carabid beetle species showed positive responses to Amorpha fruticosa invasion, while the activity density of open habitat species strongly declined. Mean individual biomass was significantly higher at invaded sites due to increased incidence of large carabids (genus Carabus Linné, 1758). Carabid beetle activity density and abundance of soil invertebrates were considerably higher at invaded sites than in natural sites. Conversely, the impact of Amorpha fruticosa on carabid beetle species richness and diversity was less pronounced, most likely due to immigration from adjacent habitats. Changes in carabid beetle species composition and abundance of soil invertebrates were most likely due to changes in vegetation structure and microclimate. The results suggest that Amorpha fruticosa invasion considerably affected carabid beetles, an insect group that is only indirectly related to plant composition. Therefore, severe future changes can be expected in invertebrate groups that are closely related to plant composition, since Amorpha fruticosa cannot be completely removed from the habitat and covers relatively large areas.

The present study was aimed at the estimation of heavy metal content in vegetables sold at the city market of one of the densely populated Croatian cities, Varaždin, and to establish the relationship between their levels and possible sources of contamination. Twenty-eight samples of the most common diet vegetables (red and white potato, onion, carrot, common bean, lettuce, and cabbage) were randomly bought at the market in September and October 2013. Using the atomic absorption spectrometry method, concentrations of nine heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were measured in the selected samples. The results showed that, in five out of 28 samples analysed, six concentrations exceeded the maximum levels provided for in the regulations: five for Pb and one for Cd. Maximum regulated levels for Pb were exceeded in two samples of red potato, two samples of common bean, and one sample of carrot (17.9 %), and for Cd in a sample of red potato (3.6 %). In conclusion, the cause of the overstepping of the maximum levels for Pb and Cd in the vegetables analysed was most likely the contaminated soil. The possible sources of soil contamination include traffic, nearby industry, floodwaters of rivers and streams, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers in agricultural production., Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti sadržaj teških metala u povrću dostupnom na gradskoj tržnici jednog od gušće naseljenih hrvatskih gradova, Varaždina, te ispitati povezanost koncentracija teških metala s mogućim izvorima onečišćenja. Ukupno 28 uzoraka često konzumiranog povrća (crveni i bijeli krumpir, luk, mrkva, grah, salata i kupus) nasumično je kupljeno na Varaždinskoj tržnici u rujnu i listopadu 2013. godine. Koncentracije devet teških metala (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb i Zn) izmjerene su metodom atomske apsorpcijske spektrometrije. U pet od 28 ispitanih uzoraka povrća, šest je koncentracija teških metala bilo iznad najvećih dopuštenih količina: pet za Pb i jedna za Cd. Najveće dopuštene količine Pb prekoračene su u dva uzorka crvenog krumpira, dva uzorka graha i jednom uzorku mrkve (17,9 %), a Cd u jednom uzorku crvenog krumpira (3,6 %). Uzrok prekoračenja najvećih dopuštenih količina Pb i Cd u uzorcima povrća onečišćeno je tlo. Mogući uzroci onečišćenja tla uključuju promet, blizinu industrije, poplavne vode rijeka i potoka te upotrebu pesticida i mineralnih gnojiva u poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji.

Biurrun, Idoia/0000-0002-1454-0433; Rojo, Maria Pilar Rodriguez/0000-0001-5449-9386; Ermakov, Nikolai/0000-0001-7550-990X; De Sanctis, Michele/0000-0002-7280-6199; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Virtanen, Risto/0000-0002-8295-8217; Agrillo, Emiliano/0000-0003-2346-8346; Onyshchenko, Viktor/0000-0001-9079-7241; Marceno, Corrado/0000-0003-4361-5200; Willner, Wolfgang/0000-0003-1591-8386; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Federico/0000-0003-1234-4065; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Swacha, Grzegorz/0000-0002-6380-2954; Dengler, Jurgen/0000-0003-3221-660X; Guarino, Riccardo/0000-0003-0106-9416; Sopotlieva, Desislava/0000-0002-9281-7039; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Chytry, Milan/0000-0002-8122-3075; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Danihelka, Jiri/0000-0002-2640-7867; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Gavilan, Rosario G./0000-0002-1022-445X; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Wohlgemuth, Thomas/0000-0002-4623-0894; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Sibik, Jozef/0000-0002-5949-862X; Casella, Laura/0000-0003-2550-3010; Lenoir, Jonathan/0000-0003-0638-9582; Attorre, Fabio/0000-0002-7744-2195; Kacki, Zygmunt/0000-0002-2241-1631; Jandt, Ute/0000-0002-3177-3669; Carni, Andraz/0000-0002-8909-4298; Jirousek, Martin/0000-0002-4293-478X; GARCIA-MIJANGOS, ITZIAR/0000-0002-6642-7782; Campos, Juan Antonio/0000-0001-5992-2753; Fanelli, Giuliano/0000-0002-3143-1212; Haveman, Rense/0000-0001-9127-4549; Acic, Svetlana/0000-0001-6553-3797; De Bie, Els/0000-0001-7679-743X; Font, Xavier/0000-0002-7253-8905; Moeslund, Jesper Erenskjold/0000-0001-8591-7149; Martynenko, Vasiliy/0000-0002-9071-3789; Jimenez-Alfaro, Borja/0000-0001-6601-9597; Ejrnaes, Rasmus/0000-0003-2538-8606; Carlon Ruiz, Luis/0000-0003-3442-8710; Angelini, Pierangela/0000-0002-5321-9757; Silc, Urban/0000-0002-3052-699X; Landucci, Flavia/0000-0002-6848-0384; Ewald, Jorg/0000-0002-2758-9324; Dziuba, Tetiana/0000-0001-8621-0890 WOS: 000368074600018 The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation-plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database. Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS) [14-36079G] Our major thanks go to thousands of European vegetation scientists of several generations who collected the original vegetation-plot data in the field, published them or made their unpublished data available to others, and to those who spent myriad hours digitizing data and managing the contributing databases. EVA data management has been partly funded by the Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS, 14-36079G).

Marshland vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea in the Krapina river valley was investigated during 2006 and 2007, and some sporadic investigations were made earlier. Phytosociological studies were carried out in accordance with the standard Braun-Blanquet methodology. As a result of the field work, and a small amount of data from the literature, 120 relevés were collected and 18 communities were established. For the purposes of comparison, the relevés were also classified using numerical methods. The clusters obtained mostly correspond to specific associations, but do not confirm the division into traditional vegetation alliances and orders. In the analysis of the ecological factors it is established that separation of the relevés is influenced by nutrient content, soil reaction, soil moisture, depth of water, and type of management. Analysis of the plant life forms shows, in all marshland communities, a prevalence of hemicryptophytes, geophytes and hydrophytes. The most widespread marshland communities of the investigated area are: Phalaridetum arundinaceae, Phragmitetum australis and Galio palustris-Caricetum ripariae. Furthermore, Carex randalpina community is recorded for the first time in Croatia. The most threatened marshland communities could be considered to be: Carex randalpina community, Caricetum vesicariae, Leersietum oryzoidis and Oenantho-Rorippetum. They are selected because of their very small surfaces in the investigated area and the small number of known localities within the territory of Croatia. The most invasive alien plant species in the Krapina river valley is Solidago gigantea. It spreads in potential habitats of marshland vegetation, and it is recorded in the species composition of many marshland communities. For the preservation of marshland vegetation, and especially threatened types, it is necessary to maintain the water regime of the habitats, to not remove natural plant cover due to spreading of neophytes, and to provide occasional mowing and burning.

Brachinus crepitans Linnaeus 1758 is a species of dry, open habitats. Previous studies have shown that in Croatia, this species inhabits open habitats, but is not restricted to dry habitats. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution and seasonal dynamics of B crepitans at four sites with varying vegetation types around a small, shallow aquatic area. Pitfall traps and the capture-recapture methods were used. The results show that B crepitans prefers open, periodically flooded habitats, though it was also found in dense, closed complexes with Amorpha fruticosa. Seasonal dynamics varied from those observed in Central Europe. Population density was estimated at 1.42 beetles m -2 .

In this paper, 450 releves of grassland vegetation of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class in northwest Croatia have been classified using the agglomerative Ward’s Method in the PC-ORD program. In the process of classification, the following seven groups were obtained: 1. Bromus erectus-Arrhenatherum elatius, 2. Arrhenatherum elatius, 3. Crepis biennis-Arrhenatherum elatius, 4. Luzula campestris-Holcus lanatus, 5. Deschampsia cespitosa-Betonica officinalis, 6. Equisetum palustre, 7. Oenanthe silaifolia-Alopecurus pratensis. The results of the classification for the most part correspond to the traditional syntaxonomic system. The plant communities with the largest number of releves in the data set are the association Arrhenatheretum elatioris “typicum” (group 2) and the association Holcetum lanati (group 4). They represent the most anthropogenically influenced grasslands of the study area. In the analysis of the ecological factors by PCA in the CANOCO program it is established that separation of the releves is influenced most greatly by moisture, followed by humus, temperature, light and soil reaction. From the standpoint of nature conservation, the wet meadows of the Molinietalia order are the most valuable, because of the notable diversity of species and communities, as well as a considerable number of threatened plant species.

Coastal ecosystems of Croatia have recently become highly threatened because of the sudden increase in tourism, building by the shore and other anthropogenic activities. Based on the phytosociological research so far, 20 plant communities of halophilous vegetation have been established, sorted into 10 classes. Presented in this paper, for the first time, are 129 taxa of vascular flora typical of the coastal belt. To each species are assigned: conservation status, endemic status, affinity to habitat type, plant community preference and site frequency. Because of the karstic geological substrate, the coastal region of the eastern Adriatic consists predominantly of maritime rocks. Among the most endangered habitat types are sandy shores, maritime shingle and saltmarshes.

The marshland vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea in Croatia is presented in a single place for the first time. All the available relevés from the literature have been assembled and supplemented with the results of field research. Thirty-three communities have been established, shown in a synoptic table drawn up on the basis of 486 relevés. The communities are understood according to the traditional syntaxonomic system based on the dominant or diagnostic species. For the purposes of comparison, the marshland vegetation is classified using numerical methods as well. The results obtained show that most clusters correspond to specific associations, but do not confirm the division into vegetation alliances and orders. The marshland communities with the most relevés in the dataset, and that therefore can be considered the most widespread in Croatia, are: Phragmitetum australis, Caricetum gracilis, and Galio palustris-Caricetum ripariae. The marshland vegetation is also analysed from the standpoint of nature conservation. In the dataset studied, 59 taxa from the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Croatia are identified as threatened, the 15 most endangered marshland communities are separated, and 10 neophytes and one neophyte association, Acoretum calami, are registered. The diversity of marshland vegetation, and of the associated plant species, is considerably higher in inland Croatia than along the Adriatic coast, which is probably a result of the geological bedrock, climate and, in some places, halophile conditions.

Although the fens and bogs of Croatia have already been acknowledged as the nation's most endangered habitats by Croatia's National Strategy on Biodiversity Protection, the situation continues to become worse rather than better. Fens and bogs are still rapidly deteriorating and even disappearing. A primary factor appears to be changes in climate since original formation of these peatlands, particularly in recent times. This results in progressive changes in vegetation and finally overgrowth of these habitats by forest vegetation. In many cases human activities, whether directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, have also led to destruction of such habitats. Looking at all mire types as a whole, acidophilous mires are now nearly extinct in Croatia. Basophilous fens are endangered but not critically so. This is because alkaline waters and associated mineral deposits are relatively widespread through Croatia. Some species have already disappeared from the Croatian flora. The status of other mire plant species is doubtful because there are no records for them in recent decades, while it seems very likely that some of the known surviving species could be lost from Croatia in the near future.

In this paper, the Vulpia myuros community is noted for the first time in inland Croatia. It has become established in ruderal habitats along railway tracks in skeletal and sandy soils. This is an annual, mainly therophytic community with a small number of species in its floristic composition, dominated by the grass Vulpia myuros (L.) C. C. Gmelin. Phytosociologically, it is assigned to ruderal vegetation of the order Sisymbrietalia J. Tx. in Lohm. et al. 1962 and the class Chenopodietea Br.-Bl. 1951., U ovome radu je po prvi puta zabilježena zajednica vrste Vulpia myuros u kontinentalnoj Hrvatskoj. Utvrđena je na ruderalnim staništima uzduž željezničkih pruga na skeletnom i pjeskovitom tlu. To je jednogodišnja, uglavnom terofitska zajednica s malim brojem vrsta u flornom sastavu među kojima dominira trava Vulpia myuros (L.) C. C. Gmelin. Fitocenološki pripada ruderalnoj vegetaciji reda Sisymbrietalia J. Tx. in Lohm. et al. 1962 i razreda Chenopodietea Br.-Bl. 1951.

The archaeobotanical samples analysed derive from a well-preserved well dated to the Early Iron Age (Hallstatt) according to pottery found in the sampled layers and on a radiocarbon dating (720–520 cal B.C.) of the wooden construction of the well. Cultivated plants (Panicum miliaceum, Linum usitatissimum, Papaver somniferum and Camelina sativa) were recorded in relatively small numbers whereas primary cereals are lacking. Together with quite a large number of accompanied weeds they suggest agriculture activities, but a mixture of weeds and ruderal plants was probably also growing inside the relatively large settlement complex and could have been included in the assemblages just by chance. The plant species composition indicates local vegetation developed under strong anthropogenic influence and on mainly moist and nitrogen-rich soils. Grassland plants and an almost complete lacking of tree and shrub species characteristic for the climax vegetation (deciduous mesophilous mixed forests) of the region also indicate at least local human activity.

Background and Purpose: The carabid beetle fauna was studied in a traditional family garden in Konjščina (northwest Croatia). The garden was surrounded by different crop types, various habitat types, including a small marshland area, and a nearby railroad. The aim of our study was to determine the carabid beetle assemblage in a traditionally managed garden, to establish the seasonal dynamics of the dominant carabid species and to analyze carabid beetle fauna according to their ecological and habitat preferences, and geographical distribution. Material and Methods: Carabid beetles were collected by pitfall traps. Zoogeographical distributions and species ecological characteristics were taken from the literature. Results: A total of 547 specimens of carabid beetles belonging to 37 species were recorded. The dominant species were: Pterostichus niger, Poecilus cupreus, Harpalus rufipes, Bembidion quadrimaculatum and B. properans. Hygrophilous species prevailed over xerophilous and mesophilous. The majority of the species were spring breeders. Three rare carabid species were captured: Clivina collaris, Drypta dentata and Oodes helopioides. The majority of species had fully developed wings and are active fliers. Conclusions: Carabid species diversity and abundance in the traditional garden were markedly determined by the diversity of habitats found on a relatively small surface area. The vicinity of a small marshland area had the main influence on the carabid beetle fauna, which mainly consisted of widely distributed hygrophilous species with good flight ability. The current study shows that traditional gardens may enhance biodiversity on a small scale level.

The species Anredera cordifolia was recorded in the beginning of 20th century as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks in south Croatia. In this paper, it is noted as being naturalised along the roadside in the composition of ruderal vegetation near Baćina. The species was established for the first time in 2006, and again at the same locality during the following two years. So far, the species can be characterised as having escaped from culture and become naturalised, but not invasive, the case with this species in other warm parts of the world., Vrsta Anredera cordifolia zabilježena je već početkom 20. stoljeća kao ukrasna biljka vrtova i parkova južne Hrvatske. U ovome je radu zabilježena kao samonikla uz cestu u sastavu ruderalne vegetacije kod mjesta Baćina. Vrsta je prvi puta utvrđena 2006. godine, a potom je na istom lokalitetu opažena i sljedeće dvije godine. Zasad se vrsta može okarakterizirati kao pobjegla iz kulture i naturalizirana, ali ne kao invazivna, što je slučaj s ovom vrstom u drugim toplim krajevima svijeta.

Tijekom botaničkih istraživanja 2008. i 2009. godine na jednom dijelu Babine gore u Kordunu ustanovljena je 191 svojta vaskularne flore. Najzastupljenija vrsta je bukva (Fagus sylvatica L.). Zabilježene svojte pripadaju u 55 biljnih porodica, od kojih su s najvećim brojem svojti zabilježene: Asteraceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae. Među florom nije utvrđena niti jedna ugrožena vrsta. Međutim, zabilježeno je osam vrsta neofita (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Epilobium ciliatum Rafin., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., Juncus tenuis Willd., Oxalis stricta L., Phytolacca americana L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Solidago gigantea Aiton), čiji broj i pokrovnost su vrlo često povezani sa stupnjem antropogenog djelovanja na biljni pokrov. Analiza životnih oblika pokazuje da prevladavaju hemikriptofiti, različite drvenaste vrste (makrofanerofiti, nanofanerofiti, hemifanerofiti, pseudofanerofiti) i geofiti. Radi boljeg razumijevanja flore, na istom području ustanovljeno je 10 tipova vegetacije, među kojima prevladavaju šumske zajednice, a najčešća je bukova šuma na kiselom tlu (as. Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel 1937)., During botanical investigations in 2008 and 2009, on one part of Babina Gora, in Kordun, 191 plant taxa of vascular flora were established. The most frequent species is beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The plant taxa recorded belong to 55 families, of which those with the greatest number of species noted are: Asteraceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae. No threatened plant species was found. However, eight neophytes were recorded (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Epilobium ciliatum Rafin., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., Juncus tenuis Willd Oxalis stricta L., Phytolacca americana L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Solidago gigantea Aiton), whose numbers and cover values are very often connected with a level of anthropogenic influence on plant cover. Analysis of plant life forms shows a predominance of hemicryptophytes, various woody species (macrophanerophytes, nanophanerophytes, hemiphanerophytes, pseudophanerophytes) and geophytes. Due to a better understanding of flora composition, vegetation was also investigated. As a result, 10 vegetation types have been established, with a predominance of forest communities, and the best represented is beech forest on acid soil (ass. Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel 1937).

In this paper, the species Carex randalpina is confirmed for the flora of Croatia. It was found in 2006, 2007 and 2008, in northwest Croatia, at four localities in the Krapina river valley (Bedekovčina, Kupljenovo, Luka, Pojatno – Novi Dvori). The species grows in dense stands which are, in this paper, described as the association Filipendulo ulmariae-Caricetum randalpinae ass. nov. hoc loco. The association belongs to marshland vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. It develops in shallow depressions of the terrain, in moist habitats. The association is recorded in this paper for the first time in Croatia., U ovome radu potvrđena je dosad dvojbena nazočnost vrste Carex randalpina u Hrvatskoj. Vrsta je pronađena 2006., 2007. i 2008. godine, u sjeverozapadnoj Hrvatskoj, na četiri lokaliteta u dolini rijeke Krapine (Bedekovčina, Kupljenovo, Luka, Pojatno – Novi Dvori). Vrsta raste u gustim sastojinama koje su u ovome radu opisane kao asocijacija Filipendulo ulmariae-Caricetum randalpinae ass. nov. hoc loco. Asocijacija pripada močvarnoj vegetaciji razreda Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Razvija se u plitkim udubljenjima terena, na vlažnim staništima. Asocijacija je u ovome radu po prvi puta zabilježena za Hrvatsku.

U radu je prvi put za Hrvatsku zabilježena asocijacija Lolietum multiflorae Dietl et Lehmann 1975. Utvrđena je na tri lokaliteta u sjeverozapadnom dijelu zemlje. Uglavnom se razvija na zasijanim livadama. Radi se o intenzivno antropogeno utjecanoj travnjačkoj vegetaciji koja se kosi četiri do šest puta godišnje i vrlo često gnoji. U flornom sastavu kao karakteristična i dominantna vrsta raste trava talijanski ljulj - Lolium multiflorum. Zajednica pripada svezi Arrhenatherion elatioris, redu Arrhenatheretalia i razredu Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. Vrlo je siromašna vrstama. Usporedba sastojina asocijacije Lolietum multiflorae iz Hrvatske, Švicarske i Austrije pokazuje vrlo sličan sastav vrsta., In the paper, the association Lolietum multiflorae Dietl et Lehmann 1975 is noted in Croatia for the first time. It has been established at three sites in the northwest part of the country. The community develops mostly on surfaces of sown meadows. This is intensively anthropogenically influenced grassland vegetation which is mown four to six times per year and often manured. In the flora composition, Lolium multiflorum grows as a characteristic and dominant species. Syntaxonomically, the association is assigned to the Arrhenatherion elatioris alliance, to the Arrhenatheretalia order and to the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class. It is poor in species. Comparison of stands of Lolietum multiflorae from Croatia, Switzerland and Austria shows very similar species composition.

The vegetation communities of the trampled habitats in the Plitvice Lakes National Park were studied during 2005 and 2006. With the numerical classification of the relevés, six clusters were obtained, corresponding to the following specific communities: cluster 1 – ass. Matricario-Polygonetum arenastri – the community of intensively trampled and grazed habitats ; cluster 2 – ass. Matricario-Polygonetum arenastri – the community of only intensively trampled habitats ; cluster 3 – ass. Coronopodo-Polygonetum arenastri – stands of very intensively trampled and grazed farmyards ; cluster 4 – Trifolium fragiferum community – the trampled surfaces of moist habitats ; cluster 5 – ass. Lolietum perennis – the moderately trampled surfaces of roads and yards ; cluster 6 – ass. Prunello-Ranunculetum repentis – trampled surfaces of forest roads. The first three clusters belong to the vegetation of intensively trampled habitats of the class Polygono arenastri-Poetea annuae and the last three clusters belong to moderately trampled habitats of the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. In the analysis of the ecological factors it is established that separation of the relevés is influenced most greatly by the trampling intensity observed in the field, and of the Ellenberg indicator values, the most important are light, moisture, soil reaction and temperature. Using the analysis of the plant functional traits it is established that therophytes, annuals, biennials, species resistant to trampling and grazing, neophytes and archeophytes prevail in the intensively trampled habitats. In contrast, hemicryptophytes, perennials, and indigenous plant species mostly prevail on the moderately trampled habitats. Representation of the C-S-R plant functional types shows also that trampling as a disturbance factor has a large influence on the differences in the relevés. In the intensively trampled habitats, there is a large proportion of ruderals, while in the moderately trampled habitats there is a large proportion of competitors.

There are some records in the older botanic literature that the species Festuca pulchella is present in Croatia, but the localities are not mentioned. In this paper the species is confirmed for the flora of Croatia. It was found at two localities, on Snježnik (Risnjak National Park) and on Zavižan (North Velebit National Park), above the altitude of 1400 m a.s.l., in the composition of non-forest vegetation., U starijoj botaničkoj literaturi postoje zapisi da je vrsta Festuca pulchella prisutna u Hrvatskoj, međutim ne navode se lokaliteti. U ovome radu je vrsta potvrđena za floru Hrvatske. Utvrđena je na dva lokaliteta, na Snježniku (Nacionalni park Risnjak) i na Zavižanu (Nacionalni park Sjeverni Velebit). Vrsta je zabilježena na nadmorskoj visini iznad 1400 m i to u sastavu nešumske vegetacije.

In this paper, the association Caricetum buekii is noted for the first time in Croatia. It has been established in wet habitats in the valleys of the Korana and Radonja rivers. Phytosociologically, it belongs to marshland vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. The present paper also makes a contribution to the knowledge of the distribution of Carex buekii in Croatia. The species has been found at three new localities south of Karlovac: in Vukmanićki Cerovec, Tušilović and Krnjak., U ovome radu je po prvi puta zabilježena asocijacija Caricetum buekii za Hrvatsku. Utvrđena je na vlažnim staništima u dolini rijeke Korane i Radonje. Fitocenološki pripada močvarnoj vegetaciji razreda Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Ovim radom je također dat doprinos poznavanju rasprostranjenosti vrste Carex buekii u Hrvatskoj. Vrsta je ustanovljena na tri nova nalazišta južno od Karlovca: u Vukmanićkom Cerovcu, Tušiloviću i Krnjaku.

The association Eleocharitetum palustris is a marshland community that has been insufficiently investigated in Europe as a whole. In this paper 22 relevés from Croatia are presented. The association is characterized by its dominant species, Eleocharis palustris and poor floristic composition. The stands develop in very wet habitats alongside the banks of freshwater marshes and in shallow microdepressions of terrain. Habitats are flooded for most of the year. The community is also adapted to grazing, trampling and mowing. A comparison of the stands from the continental and Mediterranean parts of the country shows a higher species richness in the stands in continental Croatia. Based on the differences in floristic composition, the association was divided into two geographic variants: continental and Mediterranean. A comparison of Eleocharitetum palustris from Croatia and some other European countries shows similar species composition and mostly the same common plant taxa., Asocijacija Eleocharitetum palustris je vrlo slabo istražena močvarna zajednica u čitavoj Europi. U ovome radu su prikazane 22 fitocenološke snimke iz Hrvatske. Asocijaciju karakterizira dominantna vrsta Eleocharis palustris i siromašan florni sastav. Sastojine se razvijaju na vrlo vlažnim staništima uzduž obala slatkovodnih močvara i u plitkim mikrodepresijama terena. Staništa su poplavljena veći dio godine. Zajednica je dobro prilagođena paši, gaženju i košnji. Usporedba sastojina iz kontinentalnog i mediteranskog dijela zemlje pokazuje veći broj vrsta u sastojinama iz kontinentalne Hrvatske. Na osnovi razlika u flornom sastavu, asocijacija je podijeljena u dvije geografske varijante: kontinentalnu i mediteransku. Usporedba asocijacije Eleocharitetum palustris iz Hrvatske i nekih europskih zemalja pokazuje sličan sastav vrsta i uglavnom iste česte biljne svojte.

This paper reports on some known as well as some new localities of the Datura innoxia Miller and Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. species. Among the neophytes spreading through Croatia recently, those of both North and South American origin can be found (americanoneophytes), such as Datura innoxia and Solanum elaeagnifolium. So far, Datura innoxia has been found in the following regions: the island of Šipan (M. HEĆIMOVIĆ, 1981), Brač (ŠTAMOL & MARKOVIĆ, 1985; Zi. PAVLETIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1990), Murter, Lošinj, Hvar (FRANJIĆ, 1993), Vis (FRANJIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1996), Kornati (PANDŽA & STANČIĆ, 1995), Kaprije (FRANJIĆ & PANDŽA, 1996), Zlarin (PANDŽA, 1998), Požeška valley (FRANJIĆ, 1993), Opatija, Makarska, Zagreb, Čaglin, Šodići and Trsat (FRANJIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1996). The newly found localities are (north to south): Crikvenica, Rovanjska near Starigrad, Zadar, Sv. Filip i Jakov, Pakoštane, Pirovac, Srima, Tribunj, Vodice, Šibenik, Grebaštica, Bila near Primošten, Primošten, Rogoznica, Trogir, Kaštela, Solin, Split, Stobreč, Baška voda and the island of Žirje and in inland Croatia near Prelog. Solanum elaeagnifolium has been known from the islet of Plavnik – Kvarner littoral region (GAŽI-BASKOVA & ŠEGULJA, 1978) and from the village of Podšpilje on the island of Vis (PAVLETIĆ et al., 1978). New localities have been found in the Šibenik region (Luka and Donje polje)., U radu se iznose nova i dosad poznata nalazišta vrsta Datura innoxia Miller i Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. Među neofitima koji se u zadnje vrijeme šire Hrvatskom su i oni podrijetlom iz obje Amerike (amerikanoneofiti), kao što su Datura innoxia i Solanum elaeagnifolium. Dosad je Datura innoxia bila poznata s otoka: Šipana (M. HEĆIMOVIĆ, 1981), Brača (ŠTAMOL & MARKOVIĆ, 1985; Zi. PAVLETIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1990), Murtera, Lošinja, Hvara (FRANJIĆ, 1993), Visa (FRANJIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1996), Kornata (PANDŽA & STANČIĆ, 1995), Kaprija (FRANJIĆ & PANDŽA, 1996), Zlarina (PANDŽA, 1998) te iz Požeške kotline (FRANJIĆ, 1993), Opatije, Makarske, Zagreba, Čaglina, Šodića i Trsata (FRANJIĆ & TRINAJSTIĆ, 1996). Novootkrivena nalazišta su (od sjevera prema jugu): Crikvenica, Rovanjska u blizini Starigrada, Zadar, Sv, Filip i Jakov, Pakoštane, Pirovac, Srima, Tribunj, Vodice, Šibenik, Grebaštica, Bila pored Primoštena, Primošten, Rogoznica, Trogir, Kaštela, Solin, Split, Stobreč, Baška voda i otok Žirje te iz kontinentalnog dijela Hrvatske – u blizini Preloga. Solanum elaeagnifolium do sada je bio poznat s otočića Plavnika – Kvarnersko primorje (GAŽI-BASKOVA & ŠEGULJA, 1978) i iz komiškog sela Podšpilje na otoku Visu (PAVLETIĆ et al., 1978). Nova nalazišta su u Šibeniku (Luka i Donje polje).

The snake’s-head (Fritillaria meleagris L.) is an endemic European plant. It is more widespread in Croatia than was previously known. Most of its localities lie in the river valleys of northern Croatia, and there are just three localities on Velebit, in southern Croatia (Fig. 1). The phytosociological and ecological amplitude of the snake’s-head is much wider in Croatia than in the northern parts of its area. It grows in swamp and moist grasslands (Magnocaricetalia, Molinietalia and Arrhenatheretalia), in moist hedges (Prunetalia spinosae) and flood forests of peduncular oak (Alno-Quercion roboris, Fagetalia) (Tabs. 1,2). The snake’s-head is in Croatia, as well as elsewhere in Europe, an endangered species and thus protected by law., Kockavica (Fritillaria meleagris L.) je u Hrvatskoj nađena na oko 110 lokaliteta. Preko polovice od tih su nova, dosad neobjavljena nalazišta. Na nekim je lokalitetima iz ranijih razdoblja kockavica uništena ili znatno prorijeđena. S velikom se sigurnošću može pretpostaviti da na novijim nalazištima (od 1980. do danas) ta biljka još uvijek raste. Takvih nalazišta je na popisu više od 90. Može se zaključiti da je kockavica, ugrožena biljka navedena u Crvenoj knjizi biljnih vrsta Republike Hrvatske i zaštićena zakonom 1958, u Hrvatskoj rasprostranjena znatno više nego što je dosad bilo poznato, a pretpostavljamo da našim istraživanjima zasigurno nisu utvrđeni svi lokaliteti na kojima kockavica danas raste. Većina nalazišta leži u riječnim nizinama sjeverne Hrvatske, osobito u sjeverozapadnoj i istočnoj Hrvatskoj. U južnoj Hrvatskoj kao eksklava poznata su samo dva novija i jedno starije nalazište s južnog Velebita (v. popis nalazišta i kartu, si. 1). Nalazišta navedena u literaturi za Dalmaciju odnose se vjerojatno na vrstu F. tenella MB. Značajno je da u Hrvatskoj, kao i u drugim područjima jugoistočne Europe, kockavica ima znatno širu fitocenološko-ekološku amplitudu nego u sjevernim područjima njezina areala u Europi. U nas raste u močvarnim zajednicama visokih šaševa reda Magnocaricetalia (Phragmitetea), u močvarnim travnjacima reda Molinietalia i vlažnim travnjacima reda Arrhenalheretalia (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea). Njezina su staništa također vlažne živice reda Prunetalia spinosae, poplavne lužnjakove i lužnjakovo-grabove šume svezeAlno- Quercion roboris (Fagetalia) (tab. 1 i 2). Budući da Fritillaria meleagris rano cvjeta (ožujak-travanj), a nakon razvitka plodova (travanj -svibanj) obamiru nadzemni dijelovi biljke, kockavica dosad gotovo da nije bila zastupljena u fitocenološkim snimkama iz Hrvatske. To vrijedi i za mnoge druge proljetnice u kopnenim, a osobito u primorskim područjima. Stoga takvim vrstama u florističkim i fitocenološkim istraživanjima valja posvetiti veću pozornost, osobito u zajednicama u kojima bi se mogle očekivati. Na poznatim pak nalazištima kockavice valjalo bi kontinuirano pratiti stanje njenih populacija, kako bi se pravodobno moglo odrediti efikasne mjere njezine zaštite u slučaju nepovoljnih promjena na staništu.

Impatiens balfourii Hooker fil. (= I. insubrica Beauverd), eine in Süd- und Mitteleuropa schon lang bekannte Adventivpflanze, wurde in Kroatien erst in den letzten Jahren gefunden. In diesem Beitrag werden die bisherigen un neuen Fundorte dargestellt (Abb. 1)., Vrsta Impatiens balfourii Hooker (Balsaminaceae), neofit podrijetlom iz Himalaje, zabilježena je kao podivljala biljka u Hrvatskoj tek u najnovije vrijeme (Pericin 1992) u Istri. Otprilike istodobno nađena je i u sjeverozapadnoj Hrvatskoj u Krapinskim Toplicama i Kraljevcu kraj Budinšćine u Hrvatskom zagorju, te u Zelengaju i na Jelenovcu u Zagrebu. Širi se u nitrofilnoj vegetaciji pretežito uz šumske rubove, ceste i potoke. Dosadašnja nalazišta prikazana su na karti (sl. 1), a planirano je daljnje praćenje njezina rasprostranjivanja i stanišnih prilika u Hrvatskoj., The adventive plant species Impatiens balfourii Fiooker fil. (Balsaminaceae) was noted for the first time for Croatia by Pericin (1992) in Istria. Probably at the same time Impatiens balfourii was found also in the interior of Croatia. Several new records are now presented from the northwestern part of Croatia, in Hrvatsko Zagorje (Krapinske Toplice and Kraljevec near Budinšćina) and Zagreb (Zelengaj and Jelenovac). Impatiens balfourii is found here in the nitrophilic vegetation, mostly on wood-margins and roadsides. The authors show the present state of its distribution in the territory of Croatia (Fig. 1). Observation of its spreading in Croatia is continuing.

Taxonomy of the genus Quercus L. is very complicated and often controversial because of its great variability and intense gene flow among the related species. The purpose of this research was to determine morphological and molecular variation, relationships and taxonomic status of the Croatian populations of Quercus pubescens Willd. using morphological analysis of the leaves and RAPD-PCR technique. The results of the morphological and molecular analyses were very similar, both showing differentiation of the southern (Mediterranean) from the northern (Continental) pubescent oak populations. These two groups were clearly separated and the estimated gene flow among the populations that belong to different groups (Nm=1.38) is significantly less than among the populations that belong to the same group (Nm=3.70). The obtained results were compared to the available studies. This study confirms a high variability of the Q. pubescens populations, but differences were not so big to confirm the opinion of existence of several species in this area. The conclusion is that the southern Croatian populations could be pure Q. pubescens populations, while the peculiarities of the northern Croatian populations originate probably from the Q. petraea introgression.

Questions: What are the main floristic patterns in the Pannonian and western Pontic steppe grasslands? What are the diagnostic species of the major subdivisions of the class Festuco- Brometea (temperate Euro-Siberian dry and semi- dry grasslands)? Location: Carpathian Basin (E Austria, SE Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, N Croatia and N Serbia), Ukraine, S Poland and the Bryansk region of W Russia. Methods: We applied a geographically stratified resampling to a large set of relevés containing at least one indicator species of steppe grasslands. The resulting data set of 17 993 releves was classified using the TWINSPAN algorithm. We identified groups of clusters that corresponded to the class Festuco- Brometea. After excluding relevés not belonging to our target class, we applied a consensus of three fidelity measures, also taking into account external knowledge, to establish the diagnostic species of the orders of the class. The original TWINSPAN divisions were revised on the basis of these diagnostic species. Results: The TWINSPAN classification revealed soil moisture as the most important environmental factor. Eight out of 16 TWINSPAN groups corresponded to Festuco-Brometea. A total of 80, 32 and 58 species were accepted as diagnostic for the orders Brometalia erecti, Festucetalia valesiacae and Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis, respectively. In the further subdivision of the orders, soil conditions, geographic distribution and altitude could be identified as factors driving the major floristic patterns. Conclusions: We propose the following classification of the Festuco- Brometea in our study area: (1) Brometalia erecti (semi-dry grasslands) with Scabioso ochroleucae-Poion angustifoliae (steppe meadows of the forest zone of E Europe) and Cirsio- Brachypodion pinnati (meadow steppes on deep soils in the forest-steppe zone of E Central and E Europe) ; (2) Festucetalia valesiacae (grass steppes) with Festucion valesiacae (grass steppes on less developed soils in the forest-steppe zone of E Central and E Europe) and Stipion lessingianae (grass steppes in the steppe zone) ; (3) Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis (rocky steppes) with Asplenio septentrionalis- Festucion pallentis (rocky steppes on siliceous and intermediate soils), Bromo-Festucion pallentis (thermophilous rocky steppes on calcareous soils), Diantho-Seslerion (dealpine Sesleria caerulea grasslands of the Western Carpathians) and Seslerion rigidae (dealpine Sesleria rigida grasslands of the Romanian Carpathians).

WetVegEurope is a research project (http://www.sci.muni.cz/botany/vegsci/wetveg) whose goal is to provide a synthesized formalized classification of the aquatic and marsh vegetation across Europe at the level of phytosociological associations. In order to achieve the project objective, a WetVegEurope database has been created (GIVD ID: EU-00-020, http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-00-020), which currently contains 375,212 vegetation plots of aquatic, marsh and wet vegetation types from 33 European countries. The WetVegEurope database includes datasets from pre-existing national and thematic databases and also 10,616 plots previously not digitalized or even unpublished. This database offers an extensive source of data for future studies on aquatic and marsh plant species and vegetation types at the European scale.