Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic)

Arden Roy Bashforth; Jana Drábková; Stanislav Opluštil; Martin R Gibling; Howard J. Falcon-Lang

doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic)

Arden Roy Bashforth, Jana Drábková, Stanislav Opluštil, Martin R Gibling, Howard J. Falcon-Lang

54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We reconstruct the spatial heterogeneity and community ecology of riparian vegetation preserved in fluvial deposits of the upper Asturian to middle(?) Cantabrian (upper Moscovian) Nỳřany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic. Poorly fossiliferous channel sandstone and conglomerate dominate at the four localities studied, but fine-grained intercalations, representing abandoned channels, floodplains, and shallow lakes, yielded rich megafloral and palynological assemblages. Sedimentological evidence indicates that high-energy flow characterized a braided-river plain prone to avulsion and flooding. Taphonomic observations and multivariate analysis of 41 quadrats containing mostly (par)autochthonous megafloral assemblages reveal that riparian vegetation comprised a collage of monospecific to low-diversity communities, with patchiness prevalent at local and regional scales. The vertical arrangement of megafloral assemblages provides evidence for ecological succession at some localities, with pioneering sphenopsid-dominated seres being replaced by marattialean tree ferns and then by medullosalean pteridosperms as ponded waters shallowed and exposure increased. At other localities, the composition and structure of megafloral assemblages remains unchanged through thin stratigraphic intervals, indicating short-term persistence and resilience of communities. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling exposes habitat partitioning between different plant groups, which were organized along ecological gradients controlled by the drainage and stability of substrates. Better-drained and stable channel margins supported long-lived site-occupiers, such as cordaitaleans and monospecific stands of medullosalean pteridosperms. Application of the Patch Dynamics Concept, which predicts patterns of community recovery after disturbance, indicates that these species assemblages were 'dominance-controlled' (i.e., contained one or more K-selected species that were competitively superior to all others). Pioneering vegetation comprising fast-growing, opportunistic taxa, particularly ferns and sphenopsids, was most common on wetter, shifting substrates of frequently flooded abandoned channels, low-lying floodplains, and lake margins. In these 'founder-controlled' communities, several r-selected species had similar competitive abilities. Ferns, sphenopsids, and various lycopsids dominated swamps, marshes, and ephemeral mires on distal floodplains. The heterogeneous distribution of riparian plants is consistent with that of modern, disturbance-dominated fluvial environments, although Pennsylvanian species richness was much lower. A review of floristic patterns in latest Middle Pennsylvanian vegetation of Euramerica confirms that arborescent ferns proliferated across clastic wetlands during the late Asturian, although medullosalean pteridosperms remained the most important component of most communities. The Nỳřany Member seems to be an exception, as pteridosperm relative abundance may have declined dramatically at a level coincident with the fern radiation.

Original language	English
Journal	Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Volume	163
Issue number	3-4
Pages (from-to)	153-189
Number of pages	37
ISSN	0034-6667
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001
Publication status	Published - Jan 2011
Externally published	Yes

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Bashforth, A. R., Drábková, J., Opluštil, S., Gibling, M. R., & Falcon-Lang, H. J. (2011). Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 163(3-4), 153-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic). / Bashforth, Arden Roy; Drábková, Jana; Opluštil, Stanislav et al.

In: Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Vol. 163, No. 3-4, 01.2011, p. 153-189.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Bashforth, AR, Drábková, J, Opluštil, S, Gibling, MR & Falcon-Lang, HJ 2011, 'Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic)', Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, vol. 163, no. 3-4, pp. 153-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

Bashforth AR, Drábková J, Opluštil S, Gibling MR, Falcon-Lang HJ. Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 2011 Jan;163(3-4):153-189. doi: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

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abstract = "We reconstruct the spatial heterogeneity and community ecology of riparian vegetation preserved in fluvial deposits of the upper Asturian to middle(?) Cantabrian (upper Moscovian) Nỳ{\v r}any Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic. Poorly fossiliferous channel sandstone and conglomerate dominate at the four localities studied, but fine-grained intercalations, representing abandoned channels, floodplains, and shallow lakes, yielded rich megafloral and palynological assemblages. Sedimentological evidence indicates that high-energy flow characterized a braided-river plain prone to avulsion and flooding. Taphonomic observations and multivariate analysis of 41 quadrats containing mostly (par)autochthonous megafloral assemblages reveal that riparian vegetation comprised a collage of monospecific to low-diversity communities, with patchiness prevalent at local and regional scales. The vertical arrangement of megafloral assemblages provides evidence for ecological succession at some localities, with pioneering sphenopsid-dominated seres being replaced by marattialean tree ferns and then by medullosalean pteridosperms as ponded waters shallowed and exposure increased. At other localities, the composition and structure of megafloral assemblages remains unchanged through thin stratigraphic intervals, indicating short-term persistence and resilience of communities. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling exposes habitat partitioning between different plant groups, which were organized along ecological gradients controlled by the drainage and stability of substrates. Better-drained and stable channel margins supported long-lived site-occupiers, such as cordaitaleans and monospecific stands of medullosalean pteridosperms. Application of the Patch Dynamics Concept, which predicts patterns of community recovery after disturbance, indicates that these species assemblages were 'dominance-controlled' (i.e., contained one or more K-selected species that were competitively superior to all others). Pioneering vegetation comprising fast-growing, opportunistic taxa, particularly ferns and sphenopsids, was most common on wetter, shifting substrates of frequently flooded abandoned channels, low-lying floodplains, and lake margins. In these 'founder-controlled' communities, several r-selected species had similar competitive abilities. Ferns, sphenopsids, and various lycopsids dominated swamps, marshes, and ephemeral mires on distal floodplains. The heterogeneous distribution of riparian plants is consistent with that of modern, disturbance-dominated fluvial environments, although Pennsylvanian species richness was much lower. A review of floristic patterns in latest Middle Pennsylvanian vegetation of Euramerica confirms that arborescent ferns proliferated across clastic wetlands during the late Asturian, although medullosalean pteridosperms remained the most important component of most communities. The Nỳ{\v r}any Member seems to be an exception, as pteridosperm relative abundance may have declined dramatically at a level coincident with the fern radiation.",

author = "Bashforth, {Arden Roy} and Jana Dr{\'a}bkov{\'a} and Stanislav Oplu{\v s}til and Gibling, {Martin R} and Falcon-Lang, {Howard J.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001",

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T1 - Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic)

AU - Bashforth, Arden Roy

AU - Drábková, Jana

AU - Opluštil, Stanislav

AU - Gibling, Martin R

AU - Falcon-Lang, Howard J.

PY - 2011/1

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N2 - We reconstruct the spatial heterogeneity and community ecology of riparian vegetation preserved in fluvial deposits of the upper Asturian to middle(?) Cantabrian (upper Moscovian) Nỳřany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic. Poorly fossiliferous channel sandstone and conglomerate dominate at the four localities studied, but fine-grained intercalations, representing abandoned channels, floodplains, and shallow lakes, yielded rich megafloral and palynological assemblages. Sedimentological evidence indicates that high-energy flow characterized a braided-river plain prone to avulsion and flooding. Taphonomic observations and multivariate analysis of 41 quadrats containing mostly (par)autochthonous megafloral assemblages reveal that riparian vegetation comprised a collage of monospecific to low-diversity communities, with patchiness prevalent at local and regional scales. The vertical arrangement of megafloral assemblages provides evidence for ecological succession at some localities, with pioneering sphenopsid-dominated seres being replaced by marattialean tree ferns and then by medullosalean pteridosperms as ponded waters shallowed and exposure increased. At other localities, the composition and structure of megafloral assemblages remains unchanged through thin stratigraphic intervals, indicating short-term persistence and resilience of communities. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling exposes habitat partitioning between different plant groups, which were organized along ecological gradients controlled by the drainage and stability of substrates. Better-drained and stable channel margins supported long-lived site-occupiers, such as cordaitaleans and monospecific stands of medullosalean pteridosperms. Application of the Patch Dynamics Concept, which predicts patterns of community recovery after disturbance, indicates that these species assemblages were 'dominance-controlled' (i.e., contained one or more K-selected species that were competitively superior to all others). Pioneering vegetation comprising fast-growing, opportunistic taxa, particularly ferns and sphenopsids, was most common on wetter, shifting substrates of frequently flooded abandoned channels, low-lying floodplains, and lake margins. In these 'founder-controlled' communities, several r-selected species had similar competitive abilities. Ferns, sphenopsids, and various lycopsids dominated swamps, marshes, and ephemeral mires on distal floodplains. The heterogeneous distribution of riparian plants is consistent with that of modern, disturbance-dominated fluvial environments, although Pennsylvanian species richness was much lower. A review of floristic patterns in latest Middle Pennsylvanian vegetation of Euramerica confirms that arborescent ferns proliferated across clastic wetlands during the late Asturian, although medullosalean pteridosperms remained the most important component of most communities. The Nỳřany Member seems to be an exception, as pteridosperm relative abundance may have declined dramatically at a level coincident with the fern radiation.

AB - We reconstruct the spatial heterogeneity and community ecology of riparian vegetation preserved in fluvial deposits of the upper Asturian to middle(?) Cantabrian (upper Moscovian) Nỳřany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic. Poorly fossiliferous channel sandstone and conglomerate dominate at the four localities studied, but fine-grained intercalations, representing abandoned channels, floodplains, and shallow lakes, yielded rich megafloral and palynological assemblages. Sedimentological evidence indicates that high-energy flow characterized a braided-river plain prone to avulsion and flooding. Taphonomic observations and multivariate analysis of 41 quadrats containing mostly (par)autochthonous megafloral assemblages reveal that riparian vegetation comprised a collage of monospecific to low-diversity communities, with patchiness prevalent at local and regional scales. The vertical arrangement of megafloral assemblages provides evidence for ecological succession at some localities, with pioneering sphenopsid-dominated seres being replaced by marattialean tree ferns and then by medullosalean pteridosperms as ponded waters shallowed and exposure increased. At other localities, the composition and structure of megafloral assemblages remains unchanged through thin stratigraphic intervals, indicating short-term persistence and resilience of communities. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling exposes habitat partitioning between different plant groups, which were organized along ecological gradients controlled by the drainage and stability of substrates. Better-drained and stable channel margins supported long-lived site-occupiers, such as cordaitaleans and monospecific stands of medullosalean pteridosperms. Application of the Patch Dynamics Concept, which predicts patterns of community recovery after disturbance, indicates that these species assemblages were 'dominance-controlled' (i.e., contained one or more K-selected species that were competitively superior to all others). Pioneering vegetation comprising fast-growing, opportunistic taxa, particularly ferns and sphenopsids, was most common on wetter, shifting substrates of frequently flooded abandoned channels, low-lying floodplains, and lake margins. In these 'founder-controlled' communities, several r-selected species had similar competitive abilities. Ferns, sphenopsids, and various lycopsids dominated swamps, marshes, and ephemeral mires on distal floodplains. The heterogeneous distribution of riparian plants is consistent with that of modern, disturbance-dominated fluvial environments, although Pennsylvanian species richness was much lower. A review of floristic patterns in latest Middle Pennsylvanian vegetation of Euramerica confirms that arborescent ferns proliferated across clastic wetlands during the late Asturian, although medullosalean pteridosperms remained the most important component of most communities. The Nỳřany Member seems to be an exception, as pteridosperm relative abundance may have declined dramatically at a level coincident with the fern radiation.

U2 - 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

DO - 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.10.001

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0034-6667

VL - 163

SP - 153

EP - 189

JO - Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

JF - Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

IS - 3-4

ER -

Landscape gradients and patchiness in riparian vegetation on a Middle Pennsylvanian braided-river plain prone to flood disturbance (Nýrany Member, Central and Western Bohemian Basin, Czech Republic)

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