Syntaxonomical revision of the <i>Triseto flavescentis-Polygonion bistortae</i> alliance in the Carpathians

This phytosociological study of the Carpathian species-rich mesophilous mountain hay meadows (Triseto flavescentis-Polygonion bistortae alliance, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class) presents the first unified large-scale classification system in four countries: Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. The starting dataset contained relevés of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Mulgedio-Aconitetea and Nardetea strictae classes. Numerical classification and semi-supervised classification by K-means method were used for the analyses. An electronic expert system and diagnostic species for grassland vegetation served for identification of a priori groups in K-means method. The final dataset contained 612 relevés. Altitude, climatic data and Ellenberg indicator values were used for ecological differentiation of syntaxa. The main gradients in floristic composition were analysed by Detrended Correspondence Analysis. Finally, the eight well-differentiated associations and one newly described association were determined: Campanulo glomeratae-Geranietum sylvatici, Geranio sylvatici-Trisetetum flavescentis, Crepido mollis-Agrostietum capillaris, Geranio-Alchemilletum crinitae, Alchemillo-Deschampsietum caespitosae, Phyteumo (orbicularis)-Trifolietum pratensis, Astrantio-Trisetetum flavescentis, Trollio altissimi-Knautietum dipsacifoliae and Violo declinatae-Agrostietum capillaris ass. nova. The differences in vegetation diversity of mountain hay meadows between particular countries were confirmed: Alchemillo-Deschampsietum caespitosae occurs in all studied territories, Campanulo glomeratae-Geranietum sylvatici occurs predominantly in Slovakia and the newly described association Violo declinatae-Agrostietum capillaris ass. nova could be found only in Ukraine.本植物社会学研究针对喀尔巴阡山脉物种丰富的中生山地干草甸展开，涵盖黄花三毛草-拳参群丛联盟（Triseto flavescentis-Polygonion bistortae alliance）与高禾草甸群纲（Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class），是首个覆盖斯洛伐克、波兰、罗马尼亚、乌克兰四国的统一大型分类系统。初始数据集包含高禾草甸群纲、乳苣-乌头群纲（Mulgedio-Aconitetea class）与硬草群纲（Nardetea strictae class）的样方记录（relevés）。分析采用数值分类法（numerical classification）与K均值（K-means）半监督分类方法；借助电子专家系统（electronic expert system）与草地植被特征种（diagnostic species），完成K均值聚类中先验组（a priori groups）的识别。最终数据集共包含612个样方记录。本研究采用海拔、气候数据与埃伦伯格指示值（Ellenberg indicator values）对植被分类单元（syntaxa）开展生态分化分析，并通过除趋势对应分析（Detrended Correspondence Analysis）解析植物区系组成（floristic composition）的主要梯度。最终确定8个区分度良好的群丛（association）与1个新描述群丛（ass. nova），分别为：聚花风铃草-林老鹳草群丛（Campanulo glomeratae-Geranietum sylvatici）、林老鹳草-黄花三毛草群丛（Geranio sylvatici-Trisetetum flavescentis）、软还阳参-细茎剪股颖群丛（Crepido mollis-Agrostietum capillaris）、老鹳草-细齿羽衣草群丛（Geranio-Alchemilletum crinitae）、羽衣草-丛生发草群丛（Alchemillo-Deschampsietum caespitosae）、圆叶穗花风铃草-红车轴草群丛（Phyteumo (orbicularis)-Trifolietum pratensis）、大花星芹-黄花三毛草群丛（Astrantio-Trisetetum flavescentis）、高金梅草-川续断蓝盆花群丛（Trollio altissimi-Knautietum dipsacifoliae）与斜萼堇菜-细茎剪股颖新群丛（Violo declinatae-Agrostietum capillaris ass. nova）。本研究证实了不同国家间山地干草甸植被多样性的差异：羽衣草-丛生发草群丛（Alchemillo-Deschampsietum caespitosae）在所有研究区域均有分布，聚花风铃草-林老鹳草群丛（Campanulo glomeratae-Geranietum sylvatici）主要分布于斯洛伐克，而新描述的斜萼堇菜-细茎剪股颖新群丛（Violo declinatae-Agrostietum capillaris ass. nova）仅见于乌克兰。