Vegetation ecology of Central Europe. Volume II, Ecology of Central European non-forest vegetation : coastal to alpine, natural to man-made habitats

This handbook in two volumes synthesises our knowledge about the ecology of Central Europe’s plant cover with its 7000-yr history of human impact, covering Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Based on a thorough literature review with 5500 cited references and nearly 1000 figures and tables, the two books review in 26 chapters all major natural and man-made vegetation types with their climatic and edaphic influences, the structure and dynamics of their communities, the ecophysiology of important plant species, and key aspects of ecosystem functioning. Volume I deals with forests and scrub vegetation and analyses the ecology of Central Europe’s tree flora, whilst Volume II is dedicated to the non-forest vegetation covering mires, grasslands, heaths, alpine habitats and urban vegetation. The consequences of over-use, pollution and recent climate change over the last century are explored and conservation issues addressed. This is a comprehensive handbook in two volumes covering the heart of the continent, including Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Based on a thorough literature review with 5500 cited references and illustrated with nearly 1000 informative figures and tables, all vegetation types of this region are analysed in terms of their climatic and edaphic influences, the structure and dynamics of their communities, the ecophysiological constitution of the main plant species, important aspects of ecosystem functioning, and recent conservation issues. This volume deals with all types of non-forest vegetation in Central Europe, from the mostly natural coastal, mire, freshwater and alpine formations to the broad array of man-made habitats including managed grasslands, heathlands and arable fields, as well as ruderal and urban ecosystems. A key topic is human impact, which has influenced and shaped these ecosystems over the last 7000 years. The 14 chapters are arranged in a sequence from the natural non-forest formations to the purely anthropogenic ones, starting with coastal ecosystems (Chapters 1 and 2: salt marshes and dunes), followed by semi-aquatic ecosystems (Chapters 3 and 4: mires and freshwater systems) and alpine and nival ecosystems (Chapter 5). The subsequent group of anthropogenic systems starts with heathlands (Chapter 6) and managed dry or mesic to wet grasslands (Chapters 7 and 8) and proceeds to the vegetation of heavy metal-rich soils (Chapter 9), ruderal wet or mesic to dry habitats (Chapters 10 and 11), ending up with the heavily disturbed vegetation (Chapters 12 and 13: vegetation of arable land and urban areas). The summarising chapter (14) gives an overview of the most important plant communities of Central Europe. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxxiv Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Salt Marshes and Inland Saline Habitats (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 3-61 Sand Dunes and Their Vegetation Series (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 63-115 Mires (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 117-187 Vegetation of Freshwater Habitats (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 189-269 Vegetation of the Alpine and Nival Belts (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 271-431 Front Matter ....Pages 433-433 Dwarf Shrub Heaths and Nardus Grasslands (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 435-494 Nutrient-Poor Dry Grasslands (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 495-596 Agricultural Grassland on Mesic to Wet Soils (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 597-731 Communities on Heavy Metal-Rich Soils (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 733-749 Banks, Shorelines and Muddy Habitats Influenced by Man (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 751-764 Ruderal Communities on Drier Soils (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 765-778 Vegetation of Arable Fields, Gardens and Vineyards (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 779-839 Vegetation of Human Settlements (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 841-860 Syntaxonomic Overview of the Vascular Plant Communities of Central Europe: Non-Forest Formations (Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg)....Pages 861-872 Back Matter ....Pages 873-1093