In the monograph
author adressed important questions to community ecology: (1) if any repeated
patterns of ruderal vegetation in the Silesian Uplands exist, (2) what are the
main abiotic and biotic factors which shape the floristic composition of
ruderal vegetation?
The performed
classification of dataset based on floristic composition and Rother criteria
such as: physiognomy, habitat preferences of species enabled 26 vegetation
units of the ruderal habitats to be delimited. Two independent environment al
gradients responsible for differentiation of species were revealed: one marked
by the calcium content in the soils, available nutrients, total nitrogen and
organic carbon and a second one connected with the granulometric composition of
soils and soil reaction. Along these gradients are filtered species traits
connected with competition, dispersal, regeneration what enabled to distinguish
some functional groups. A detailed partition of variance in species data
revealed that species composition of ruderal vegetation was primarily shaped by
differences in competitive traits, dispersal traits and to a lesser extent by
soil variables. A large percentage of residual variation may be related to
historical events (land use), stochastic processes (disturbances, long-distance
seed dispersal, etc), complex species responses to environmental gradients, as
well as variables not included into the model.
Dr Agnieszka
Kompała-Baba is a doctor of Biology In the Department of Geobotany and Nature
Protection, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection of the University
of Silesia. She takes an interest in geobotany, community ecology,
environmental protection and issues related to environmental management and
renewable energy sources. Her research focuses on vegetation of cities and its
transformation, assembly rules, the role of alien species in the plant
communities, as well as and mechanisms of colonisation of brownfield areas and
ecological restoration. She is an author of dozens of scientific papers and
conference reports on natural and anthropogenic vegetation of the Silesian and
Kraków-Częstochowa Uplands.
