1. Introduction to Vegetation Classification and the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification System (2) FRST 211: Forest Classification and Silvics

2. Climate Most important determinant of nature of terrestrial ecosystems (regional climate) Best represented by temperature and precipitation

5. Global pattern of plants species richness Kier et al. (2005)

7. Status of World’s Forests (2009)

8. Scales of classification World (e.g., Biomes) Regional (e.g., BEC zones) Local (e.g., forest cover stand types, BEC site series)

9. Scales of classification World (e.g., Biomes) Regional (e.g., BEC zones) Local (e.g., forest cover stand types, BEC site series)

10. Types of Classification Schemes Focus on structural versus functional groups

11. 1) Functional Classification Based on plant function –E.g., Grime’s plant strategies where you categorize communities based on C-S-R composition C=competitors S=stress tolerators R=ruderal (weeds, invaders) High StressLow Stress High disturbance Ruderal Low disturbance Stress tolerator (e.g., rock outcrop) Competitor

12. 2) Structural Classification based on stand structure (species composition, physical structure) –Clustering (put similar sites into groups based on species composition) Physiognomic Methods (Structure, Life forms, phenology) Properties of the vegetation (Floristic Methods) Properties combining vegetation and environment (Site Classification Methods)

13. Physiognomic Method focuses on outward appearance or physiognomy of vegetation physiognomy refers to the structure, life forms, phenology coarse scale of classification, often world-wide classifications basic unit is ‘formation’, which is the community type defined by the dominance of a given growth form in the upper stratum of the community often expressions of macroclimate, soils, and vegetation –e.g., cold-deciduous alluvial forests –evergreen subdesert shrublands –alpine meadows

14. Examples of Physiognomic Classifications USDA World Biomes (climate, vegetation) UNESCO System for classifying vegetation (Ellenberg and Mueller-Dombois) –climate, vegetation, soils International Vegetation Classification –climate, vegetation, disturbance

15. Physiognomic Method: World Biomes (USDA)

17. Physiognomic Method: UNESCO (climate, life forms, soils)

18. World Crop Potential: Tundra: not much, caribou Evergreen coniferous: wood Temperate deciduous: fruits, nuts Temperate grassland: millet, hemp, wheat, sunflower Desert: date palm Dry woodland: wheat, barley, pea, rapeseed Tropical evergreen forest: Wood, tall diverse forests Tropical deciduous forest: sugarcane, banana & plantain, orange, mango, cacao Tropical savanna: maize, rice, sorghum, cassava, sweet potato, bean, peanut, yams Tropical highland: coffee Centres of crop origin: Roughly centres of diversity Now targets for breeding programs Introduction of food germplasm

19. Scales of classification World (e.g., Biomes) Regional (e.g., BEC zones) Local (e.g., forest cover stand types, BEC site series)

21. Climate data is scarce for the range of ecosystems at smaller scales, so zonal ecosystem concept links climate and ecosystem (concept of zonal ecosystems)

24. Zonal ecosystem Best reflects regional climate of an area Integrated influence of climate on an ecosystem is most strongly expressed in ecosystems least influenced by local relief and soil parent material –Middle slope position in meso-slope –Slope position, gradient, aspect, location that does not result in strong modifying influence of climate –Gentle slope (5-30%) –Soils deep, loamy, freely drained, no restricting horizon Because zonal ecosystems are characteristic of regional climate, they are used to characterize biogeoclimatic units

25. Climax and Succession Succession: Progressive development of ecosystems through time following a disturbance Sere/seral stage: One in a sequence of successional stages Climatic Climax: dynamic equilibrium with climate; members are in dynamic balance; pant species self- perpetuating (shade tolerant) and in all stages of development Many of BC forests have escaped large-scale disturbances and therefore are at climatic climax Some frequently disturbed and never reach climax

26. Ecological Equivalence The same climax vegetation can occur over a range of sites because of the compensating effects of environmental factors on plants Therefore, a climax plant association may represent ecosystems in different regional climates with different soils Also, plant communities within an ecosystem can vary due to chance, site, disturbance, time

28. Floristic Methods Floristic method characterizes the species themselves, whereas physiognomic methods emphasize patterns of dominant species groups Basic unit is ‘association’ = a plant community of definite floristic composition and growing in a uniform habitat Some methods take into account all species, some emphasize indicator species Phytosociological methods Ordination methods

29. Floristic Methods Phytosociological methods –Useful for classifying vegetation types and mapping –Subjective sampling (purposeful), qualitative –European, e.g., Braun-Blanquet method best

30. Phytosociology is the branch of science dealing with plant communities, their composition and development, and the relationships between the species within them. A phytosociological system is a system for classifying these communities. The aim of phytosociology is to characterize vegetation units that contain unique and well-defined combinations of plant taxa. The basic phytosociological unit of is the plant "association". The association is defined by its characteristic combination of plant taxa, habitat features, physiognomy, and biogeographical area, role in ecological succession, etc … Associations can be grouped into larger ecological conceptual units, leading to the development of a hierarchical classification system

31. Floristic Method: Braun-Blanquet Basis for Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification Based on floristic associations repeated across the landscape Reconnaissance essential Based on 3 main ideas: 1. The full species compositions of communities better express their relationships to one another and to their environments than any other characteristic. 2. Amongst the species that make up the floristic composition of a community, some are more sensitive expressions of a given relationship than others. For practical classi- fication (and indication of environment) the approach seeks to use those species whose ecological relationships make them the most effective indicators. 3. Diagnostic species are used to organize communities into a hierarchical classification of which the plant association is the basic unit.

32. Three Phases of Braun-Blanquet Field plots (relevés) Analytical (table shuffling) Naming of associations

33. Field Phase: Relevé Relevé (fr.)=collection of data Focus just on plants (sometimes other components of ecosystem as well) Qualitative (estimates of cover-frequency classes) Quantitative (full species lists) Subjective (purposeful location of replicates)

34. Relevé Sample in centre of homogenous community (not ecotones) Permanent plots

35. Relevé : determine cover of all species

36. Braun Blanquet Qualitative estimate of percent cover

37. BEC Vegetation Relevé Form

38. Braun-Blanquet Method can include other factors such as soils and site factors: BEC Soil Relevé Form

39. BEC Site Relevé Form Assign a rough plant community class in the field

40. Analytical Phase: Table Shuffling Prepares a table that organizes relevé data in a manner that clearly shows species patterns –Species listed in same order for every relevé –Relevé plots grouped into recognized units –Species common to several relevé plots are identified and grouped together. These become the differential and diagnostic species. –Five steps….

41. Step 1: Construct Raw Table Columns=relevé number Rows=species Courtesy of Anja Kade

42. Summary of Braun-Blanquet Steps Field Phase: Releve Analytical Phase: Table shuffling method –1) Raw Table (plots in column, species in rows) –2) Constancy Table (species ordered by constancy)

43. Step 2: Construct Constancy Table Shuffle relevé plots Arrange species in order of constancy (frequency) Courtesy of Anja Kade

44. Summary of Braun-Blanquet Steps Field Phase: Releve Analytical Phase: Table shuffling method –1) Raw Table (plots in column, species in rows) –2) Constancy Table (species ordered by constancy) –3) Ordinated Partial Table (Identify differential species)

45. Step 3: Ordinated Partial Table Identify groups of differential species that characterize the various plant communities Order differentiated groups so that they occur diagonally from top left to bottom right across a moisture gradient Courtesy of Anja Kade

46. Summary of Braun-Blanquet Steps Field Phase: Releve Analytical Phase: Table shuffling method –1) Raw Table (plots in column, species in rows) –2) Constancy Table (species ordered by constancy) –3) Ordinated Partial Table (Identify differential species) –4) Differentiated Table (Differential groups clustered, rare and constant species moved to bottom, environmental features across top)

47. Step 4: Differentiated Table Final order of differentiated species, with constant and rare species across bottom (or top) Within each class of plants, species are ordered from top to bottom by constancy Environment and other data across top Preliminary names given to each community type Courtesy of Anja Kade

48. Example of Differentiated Table

49. Differentiated Table for CWHdm site series

50. Summary of Braun-Blanquet Steps Field Phase: Releve Analytical Phase: Table shuffling method –1) Raw Table (plots in column, species in rows) –2) Constancy Table (species ordered by constancy) –3) Ordinated Partial Table (Identify differential species) –4) Differentiated Table (Differential groups clustered, rare and constant species moved to bottom, environmental features across top) –5) Naming of the plant associations

51. Step 5: Naming plant associations Basic unit is ‘plant association’ = a plant community of definite floristic composition, presenting a uniform physiognomy, and growing in a uniform habitat Follow rules of nomenclature for classification system Show relationship within classification hierarchy (class, order, alliance, association, series, phase)

52. Differentiated Table for Coastal subzones

53. Naming of Site Series CWHdm=subzone=plant association CHHdm/01=site series=plant subassociation