succession in road bank vegetation

Succession in Road Bank VegetationAuthor(s): Leoš KlimešSource: Folia Geobotanica & Phytotaxonomica, Vol. 22, No. 4 (1987), pp. 435-440Published by: SpringerStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4180801 .

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Leos Klimes

Department of Hydrobotany, Institute of Botany, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 379 82 Tfebon, Czechoslovakia

Succession in Road Bank Vegetation

Keywords

Succession, Vegetation, Road bank, Ordination

Abstract

KlimeS L. (1987): Succession in road bank vegetation. ? Folia Geobot. Phytotax., Praha, 22: 435 ? 440. ? On a newly created road bank in Eastern Bohemia, during the first 7 years vegetation developed at the highest rate in the lower zone of the slope, due to favourable moisture and the supply of nutrients. On the upper slope succession was slowed down by multiple disturbance, while plants in the ditch were stressed by excessive flooding.

INTRODUCTION

In Czechoslovakia, the network of roads covers an area of more than 400 OOO ha, that is about one half of the size of all meadows (Jtjva et al. 1975). A substantial

portion of this territory is covered by accompanying road and railway vegetation which has a great, but not yet acknowledged importance.

Vegetation along roads and railways has been studied from the viewpoint of weed expansion, many authors have dealt with the classification of the plant communities concerned, some of them examined general ecological properties of road

verges, including the impact of salt spray on vegetation. Some authors observed

changes of road bank vegetation in the course of several years (e.g. Eldering et Liem 1975, Kameyama 1979, Runge 1985, Schmidt 1986).

This study presents the results of seven year's investigation of succession on a bank of a recently built road connecting Hradec Kralove and Pardubice, two

important cities of Eastern Bohemia.

METHODS

The area was sampled by phytosociological releves, the cover estimated by means of Braun-Blanquet's 7-degree scale (Braun-Blanquet 1964). The values obtained were transfor? med to percentage values (after Ellenberg 1979) for the calculation of an index of diversity



436 I'OLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 22, 1987

(fl" = ? 2 pt log2 pi, where pi is an importance value of-i-th species). The releves were evaluated by a simple ordination technique ? polar ordination (Orloci 1978). On the recently created road bank (summer 1979), about 5 km to the south-east of Hradec Kralove, a permanent plot of 50 m2 was established in spring 1980. At an altitude of 270 m, with 7.8 ?C average annual temperature, the bank consisted of sandy clay soil, the surface inclined between 10 and 15? and orientation to NWW. The successional phases marked Stage li, 12 and 13, were analysed during the first year of observation, the denomination of other stages refers to successive years of observation.

RESULTS

In autumn 1979, before the establishment of the permanent plot, the soil surface of the locality was bare, though to the end of that year a few annual weeds started germinating. One of them, Stellaria media, became the first dominant species (Stage li), lasting from March to the beginning of May 1980. At the beginning of summer 1980 it was suppressed by Capsella bursa-pastoris (Stage 12), a species later becoming dominant due to favourable climatic conditions (Stage 13). In the autumn of 1980, perennial species appeared and have dominated since 1981

(Stage 2). Cirsium arvense was the first perennial dominant species (Stage 2 and 3),

THEROPHYTES

HEMICRYPTOPHYTES

VX ft -RI ^ PHANEROPHYTES

_Ej3_??L_ -,-,-,-,-,-p t| 12 13 2 3 4 5 6 7 STAGE

Fig. 1. Life-forms occurring during the succession.

CHENOPODIETEA

^ 0

^_^

_?3_ra_ezs_?2i_ PLANTAGINETEA

VA r* fy_E3_?L__?ZL_ MOLINIO- ARRHENATHERETEA

QUERCO-FAGETEA

_,-,-*f,-Epa-sp.-Ep_ 2 3 4 5 6 7 STAGE

Fig. 2. Participation of various groups of species corresponding to particular classes of the phytosocio? logical system.



KLIMESY SUCCESSION IN ROAD BANK VEGETATION 437

followed and temporarily predominated by Coronilla varia (Stage 3 to 5). From this time onwards, graminoid life forms of Elytrigia repens and Festuca rubra s.l.

expanded and quickly suppressed other species (Stage 5 to 7). Shrubs were rare in

the 4th year of observation, but since the 5th year Salix caprea, S. viminalis, Rosa sp. and others have been important; their coverage was 5% in the 7th year (see Fig. 1 and Table 1).

Table 1. Cover values of main vascular species during the succession on the road bank near Hradec Kralove (according to the 7-degree Braun-Blanquet scale)

Stage li

Veronica persica Senecio vulgaris Stellaria media Capsella bursa-pastoris Lamium purpureum Lamium amplexicaule Thlaspi arvense

Myosotis arvensis Fallopia convolvulus

Galium aparine Alopecurus pratensis Symphytum officinale Artemisia vulgaris Cirsium arvense Elytrigia repens CoronUla varia Potentilla argentea Rumex acetosella Festuca rubra s.l. Calamagrostis epigejos Glechoma hederacea Lotus corniculatus

3 1 2 + 1

+ r 2 3 2 1 1

+ 1 r + 3 1 + + 2

+ r

r +

1 2 1 2 1 1 1

+ r

+ + r 1 2 1 2 1 + 2

r + r + 2 2 3 + + 2 +

+ r

r 1 + + 1 3 1 + r 3 + r

r 1 -f r + 3 + 4- r 3 1 1 +

DISCUSSION

The above described development is similar to the succession observed in abandoned mesic fields of the Central Europe (e.g. Schmidt 1981). In our case the communities changed from ruderal stands with annual Stellaria media and

Capsella bursa-pastoris, via stands with perennial Cirsium arvense and Coronilla varia to graminoid stands with Elytrigia repens and Festuca rubra, and to scrub

represented by Rosa sp., Salix sp. div., etc. The high rates of change of dominant

species during the first period of the succession were probably stimulated by the seed bank of potentially dominant species, already present at the beginning of the successi? on. Stellaria media is able to germinate in the late autumn under low temperatures, thus preparing its eruption in the early spring of 1980. A relatively warm and dry spring caused the early disappearance of Stellaria media, and at the same time



438 FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 22, 1987

supported the development of the next dominant Capsella bursa-pastoris. Owing to its inability to germinate in a close stand (Thompson- in Geime 1979), Stellaria media became an insignificant species after Stage 12, although its fertility was very high. Capsella bursa-pastoris finished its life cycle during the summer, perennial Coronilla varia, Cirsium arvense and, sporadically, some grasses already predominated in autumn 1980. The cover of the stand was not continuous and, therefore, during the winter and the following early spring, water erosion disturbed the habitat, leached out nutrients and fine fractions of soil from the upper slope, and accumulated them in the lower zone and the depression of the ditch.

(%) 100

50

40

20

~i-t-1-1-r- PLANT COVER

l I_1 1_L_

SPECIES NUMBER*"

_J_I_l_~_I I

DIVERSITY

_?-^>

?r-1-1-1-j-1-1-1-1- 1i 1_ 13 2 3 4 5 6 7 STAGE

Fig. 3. Changes in plant cover, species number and species diversity during the succession.

V j Q j Q I 0 JAjDl

Fig. 4. Polar ordination of samples. Numbers indicate the stages; particular symbols correspond to the position of samples along the slope of the lower figure; dashed lines correspond to the probable course of succession through stages which were not sampled annually.

The result of these changes was a temporary predomination of Rumex acetosella, a species of oligotrophic ecotopes (Stage 2 and 3), and remarkable differentiation of plant communities along the slope. On the top of the bank exposed to winter

saltspray, trampling and dust (see Fig. 4), semi-ruderal species Achillea millefolium, Poa pratensis s.l., Taraxacum officinale agg., Potentilla argentea, Plantago lanceolata,



KLIMES: SUCCESSION IN ROAD BANK VEGETATION 439

TussUago farfara, Glechoma hederacea, etc. appeared. Over the inclined upper slope the presence of species with high demand on light and tolerance to dryness increased (Myosotis arvensis, Lactuca serriola, Scleranthus annuus, Carduus acanthoides, Hypericum perforatum, Potentilla argentea, Coronilla varia, Arabidopsis thaliana). On the lower part of the slope and in the ditch, species requiring a high amount of moisture and nutrients predominated (Lathyrus pratensis, Lythrum salicaria, Iris

pseudacorus, Anthriscus sylvestris, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Galium boreale). That trend increased until the 7th year of the succession when other hygrophilous species ap? peared (Colchicum autumnale, Caltha palustris, Filipendula ulmaria, etc.)

The changes of life forms (Fig. 1), as well as the share of species belonging to

particular syntaxa (Fig. 2), changes of total coverage, number of species, and

species diversity (Fig. 3) corresponded with the experience from other localities

(e.g. Maarel et Werger 1978, Schmidt 1981). The differentiation of ecotopes along the slope resultes in differing rates of

succession. From the 6th year onwards, four species of shrubs became significant on the lower slope above the ditch, and here the succession quickly tended to scrub

stages. In places with the highest moisture, stands developed to tall grasses and

sedges, and the rate of succession decreased (Fig. 4). A similar trend occurred in the upper zone of the slope owing to the insufficient supply of nutrients and water. On the disturbed road verge, no changes were noted since the 6th year. In the middle

part of the slope with a close stand of Elytrigia repens and Festuca rubra, there were no changes in the dominant composition, in contrast to accompanying species. Very well documented by polar ordination (Fig. 4), the decreasig rate of development is the characteristic feature of the whole locality.

The course of vegetational changes suggests the mechanism of the responsible factors of the succession. Changes during the initial phases (Stage li to 2) can be described by means of the tolerance model (Connel et Slatyer 1977) where the substitution of dominant species results from their autecology. Later development corresponds with the inhibition model (op. cit.) where those species already present make the establishment of others difficult.

The sequence of the initial phases (Stage li to 2) is more probabilistic, depending more on the variability of environmental changes than the succession in the later

phases (Stage 3 to 7) which is more deterministic. The concrete change of species is affected by other factors, e.g., the presence of diaspores at an appropriate time, heterogeneity of the micro-environment, species interactions, etc., which determine the species composition and the way in which species take part in the successional sere.

Acknowledgement

I thank Doc. Ing. Jan Jenik, CSc. for correction of the English text, and Dr. Karel Prach, CSc. for his helpful comments.



440 FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 22, 1987

LITERATURE CITED

Braun-Blanquet J. (1964): Pflanzensoziologie. Grundztige der Vegetationskunde. ? Wien and New York.

Connel J. H., Slatyer R. O. (1977): Mechanisms of succession in natural communities and their role in community stability and organization. ? Amer. Natur., Chicago, 111: 1 119-1 144.

Eldering P. M. N., Liem A. S. N. (1975): Sukzessionsforschung in einer anthropogenen Mittel- streifenvegetation. ? ^In: Schmidt W. [red.], Sukzessionsforschung, pp. 435?444, Vaduz.

Ellenberg H. (1979): Zeigerwerte der Gefasspflanzen Mitteleuropas. 2. Auflage. ? Ser. Geobot., Gottingen, 9: 1-122.

Grime J. P. (1979): Plant strategies and vegetation processes. ? Chichester, etc. Juva K. et al. (1975): Puda podel komunikaci. ? In: Juva K. et al., Pudni fond CSSR

(Ochrana, vyuzitf a zvelebeni), pp. 409 ? 413, Praha and Bratislava. Kameyama A. (1979): Zur Entwicklung von Vegetation der Boschungen an Autobahnen

in Japan. ? In: Miyawaki A., Okuda S., [eds.], Vegetation und Landschaft Japans. ? Bull. Yokohama Phytosoc. Soc. Japan, Yokohama, 16: 439?450.

Maarel E. van der et Werger M. J. A. (1978): On the treatment of succession data. ?

Phytocoenosis, Warszawa and Bialowieza, 7: 257 ? 278. Orloci L. (1978): Multivariate analysis in vegetation research. ? The Hague and Boston. Runge F. (1985): Die Veranderungen der Vegetation zweier Strassenbankette bei Munster

(Westf.) zwischen 1977 und 1984. - Decheniana, Bonn, 138: 60-65. Schmidt W. (1981): Ungestorte und gelenkte Sukzession auf Brachackern. ? Ser. Geobot.,

Gottingen, 15: 1-199. Schmidt W. (1986): Strassenbegleitende Vegetation ? Zur Erfassung, Bewertung und Lenkung

einer extrem anthropogenen Vegetation. ? In: Schubert R., Hilbig W., Weinert E. [eds.], Abstracts. Internationales Symposium tiber Erfassung und Bewertung anthropogener Vegetationsveranderungen. 23.-28. Marz 1986, Halle(Saale), p. 128.

Received 19 January 1987



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