This article, which is the first contribution in a series on the ruderal vegetation of the city of Kyiv, presents results of our studies of Stellarietea mediae plant communities occurring in the city. Their current state and phytocoenotic diversity has been determined. Based on modern methods of statistical data analyses, a classification scheme of Stellarietea mediae vegetation in the study area was developed and the leading factors of territorial and ecological differentiation of phytocoenoses were identified. It has been established that within Kyiv City, this class is represented by 24 associations and 3 basal communities belonging to 8 alliances and 4 orders. Their territorial distribution determines the types and intensity of anthropogenic disturbances, as well as the types of soil and its mechanical structure. Selected syntaxa are characterized and compared with their equivalents from other areas of Ukraine. It has been found that the main differences are at the level of co-occurring species, the composition of which mostly correlates with the types of anthropogenic disturbances and availability of water and mineral nutrients. According to the results of the ordination, it has been found that the distribution patterns of plant communities of Stellarietea mediae occur along the salt regime gradient of the edaphotope, as well as of ombro-, cryo-, and thermal regimes of the climate. Based on the phytoindication analysis, the ecological optimums of the plant communities in relation to the leading ecological factors were determined. The performed research supplements the available information about the presence and distribution of such associations as: Digitarietum ischaemii, Setario viridis-Erigeronetum canadensis, and Ambrosietum artemisiifoliae, in the territory of Ukraine. The proposed syntaxonomic scheme should become a basis of typological developments for strategic planning and practical implementation of activities for optimizing the urban environment and for sustainable development of the Kyiv urban agglomeration.

Supplementary Material. Electronic Supplement (Table E1, e1) is available in the online version of this article.

Keywords: ordination, phytoindication, syntaxonomy, Ukraine, urboecosystems

Full text: PDF (Eng) 1.58M

1. Abramova L.M. 2012. Izvestia of Samara Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 14(1–4): 945–949.
2. Anioł-Kwiatkowska J. 1990. Zbiorowiska segetalne Wału Trzebnickiego. Florystyczno-ekologiczne stadium porównawcze. In: Floristic and ecological comparative study. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, pp. 46–230.
3. Arepieva L.A. 2017. Vegetation of Russia, 30: 3–28. https://doi.org/10.31111/vegrus/2017.30.3
4. Arepieva L.A. 2019. Diversity of plant world, 2(2): 18–37. https://doi.org/10.22281/2686-9713-2019-2-18-37
5. Bagrikova N.A. 2004. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A, 1(21): 1–188.
6. Braun-Blanquet J. 1964. Pflanzensoziologie. Grundzuge der Vegetationskunde. 3 Aufl. Wien; New York: Springer-Verlag, 865 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-8110-2
7. Bredikhina Yu.L. Spontanna roslynnist m. Melitopolya: syntaksonomiya, fitomelioratyvne znachennya i shchlyakhy optymizatsii: Cand. Sci. Diss. Abstract. Lviv, 2015, 18 pp.
8. Bulokhov A.D., Ivenkova I.M., Panasenko N.N. 2019. Vestnik of Tver State University. Series: Biology and Ecology, 2(54): 103–122. https://doi.org/10.26456/vtbio75
9. Chokha O.V. 2005. Hazonni pokryttya m. Kyeva. Kyiv: Phytosociocenter, 82 pp.
10. Chokha O.V. 2007. Ecology and noospherology, 18(1–2): 36–50.
11. Chytrý M., Tichý L., Holt J., Botta-Dukát Z. 2002. Determination of diagnostic species with statistical fidelity measures. Journal of Vegetation Science, 13: 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2002.tb02025.x
12. Chytrý M., Danihelka J., Kaplan Z., Wild J., Holubová D., Novotný P., Řezníčková M., Rohn M., Dřevojan P., Grulich V., Klimešová J., Lepš J., Lososová Z., Pergl J., Sádlo J., Šmarda P., Štěpánková P., Tichý L., Axmanová I., Bartušková A., Blažek P., Chrtek J. Jr., Fischer F. M., Guo W.-Y., Herben T., Janovský Z., Konečná M., Kühn I., Moravcová L., Petřík P., Pierce S., Prach K., Prokešová H., Štech M., Těšitel J., Těšitelová T., Večeřa M., Zelený D., Pyšek P. 2021. Pladias Database of the Czech Flora and Vegetation. Preslia, 93: 1–87. https://doi.org/10.23855/preslia.2021.001
13. Didukh Ya.P. 2011. The ecological scales for the species of Ukrainian flora and their use in synphytoindication. Kyiv: Phytosociocentre, 176 pp.
14. Didukh Ya.P., Chumak K.V. 1992. Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 49(6): 22–27.
15. Dubyna D.V., Dziuba T.P., Iemelianova S.M., Bagrikova N.O., Borysova O.V., Borsukevych L.M., Vynokurov D.S., Gapon S.V., Gapon Yu.V., Davydov D.A., Dvoretskyi T.V., Didukh Ya.P., Zhmud O.I., Kozyr M.S., Konishchuk V.V., Kuzemko A.A., Pashkevych N.A., Ryff L.E., Solomakha V.A., Felbaba-Klushyna L.M., Fitsailo T.V., Chorna H.A., Chorney I.I., Shelyag-Sosonko Yu.R., Iakushenko D.M. 2019. Prodrome of the Vegetation of Ukraine. Eds D.V. Dubyna, T.P. Dziuba. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 782 pp.
16. Dubyna D.V., Ennan A.A., Dziuba T.P., Vakarenko L.P., Kiriushkyna H.M., Shykhaleeva H.M. 2018. Chornomorskyi Botanical Journal, 14 (3): 562–573. https://doi.org/10.14255/2308-9628/18.143/4
17. Dubyna D.V., Neuhäyslova Z., Dziuba T.P., Shelyag-Sosonko Yu.R. 2004. Klasyfikatsiya ta prodromus roslynnosti vodoym, perezvolozhenykh terytoriy ta aren Pivnichnoho Prychornomor'ya. Kyiv: Phytosociocenter, 200 pp.
18. Dziuba T.P., Dubyna D.V., Tymoshenko P.A., Iemelianova S.M. 2019. In: Synanthropization of the vegetation cover of Ukraine: III All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference: book of scientific articles. Kyiv, pp. 42–47.
19. Dziuba T.P., Solomakha T.D., Tymoshenko P.A. 2010. Roslynni uhrupovannya. In: Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi. Pryroda: roslynnyi svit; Eds. V.P. Kotsur, V.M. Dzhuran, M.M. Fedoronchuk, M.V. Shevera. Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi: FOP Maydanchenko I.S., pp. 86–95.
20. Epikhin D.V. 2006. Ekosistemy Kryma, ikh optimizatsiya i okhrana, 16: 127–135.
21. eVeg – a database upon European vegetations. Available at: https://www.e-veg.net/app/15021 (Accessed 15 June 2020).
22. Golovanov Ya.M., Abramova L.M. 2018. Samarskaya Luka: problemy regionalnoy i globalnoy ekologii, 27(4): 137–143. https://doi.org/10.24411/2073-1035-2018-10102
23. Goncharenko I., Yatsenko G. 2020. Phytosociological study of the forest vegetation of Kyiv urban area (Ukraine). Hacquetia, 19/1: 99–126. https://doi.org/10.2478/ hacq-2019-0012
24. Goncharenko I.V., Kozyr M.S., Senchylo O.O. 2020. Classification of the floodplain meadows of the Seym and the Dnieper river valleys in the north-eastern part of Ukraine. Biologia (Bratislava), 75 (1): 53–70. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00361-5
25. Goncharenko I.V., Holyk G.M. 2015. Phytodiversity of Eastern Europe, 9(4): 129–158.
26. Grechyshkina Yu.V. 2010. The Native Flora of Kyiv City: Cand. Sci. Diss. Abstract. Kyiv, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany NAS of Ukraine, 23 pp.
27. Hamor F.D. 1987. Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 44 (5): 36– 43.
28. Hennekens S.M., Schaminée J. 2001. TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data. Journal of Vegetation Science, 12: 589– 591. https://doi.org/10.2307/3237010
29. Hill M.O., Gauch H. 1980. Detrended correspondence analysis, an improved ordination technique Vegetatio, 42: 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00048870
30. Holyk G.M., Goncharenko I.V. 2017. Ecology and noospherology, 28(1-2): 49–63. https://doi.org/10.15421/031705
31. Gomlya L.M. 2005. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A, 1(22): 1–187.
32. Ishbirdin A.R., Mirkin B.M., Solomeshch A.I., Sakhapov M.T. 1988. Sintaksonomiya, ekologiya i dinamika ruderalnikh soobshchestv Bashkirii. Ufa, 161 pp.
33. Kopecký K., Hejný S. 1974. A new approach to the classification of anthropogenic plant communities. Vegetatio, 29: 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390892
34. Kozyr M.S. 2013. Ekosystemy, yikh optymizatsiya ta okhorona, 8: 71–77.
35. Kozyr M.S., Zhyhalenko O.A., Kalyta H.O. 2017. Chornomorskyi Botanical Journal, 13 (1): 57– 71. https://doi.org/10.14255/2308-9628/17.131/5
36. Kozyr N.S. 2012. In: Populyatsiyna ekolohiya roslyn: suchasnyi stan, tochky rostu. Sumy: Sumskyi natsionalnyi ahrarnyi universytet, pp. 65–70.
37. Kucheryavyi V.O., Solomakha V.A., Solomakha T.D., Shelyag-Sosonko Yu.R., Kramarets V.O. 1991.Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 48 (3): 48–55.
38. Küzmič F., Šilc U., Lososová Z., Mucina L. & numerous data contributors. 2018. An overview of the European annual weed vegetation In: Vegetation survey 90 years after the publication of Braun-Blanquet's textbook – new challenges and concepts: Book of Abstracts. 27^th Congress of the European Vegetation Survey. Wrocław, p. 126.
39. Landucci F., Šumberová K., Tichý L., Hennekens S., Aunina L., Bită-Nicolae C., Borsukevych L., Bobrov A., Čarni A., De Bie E., Golub V., Hrivnák R., Iemelianova S., Jandt U., Jansen F., Kącki Z., Lájer K., Papastergiadou E., Šilc U., Sinkevičienė Z., Stančić Z., Stepanovič J., Teteryuk B., Tzonev R., Venanzoni R., Zelnik I., Chytrý M. 2020. Classification of the European marsh vegetation (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea) to the association level. Applied Vegetation Science, 23: 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12484
40. Levon O.F. 1999. The synanthropic vegetation of the territory of Great Yalta: Cand. Sci. Diss. Abstract. Kyiv, M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, 16 pp.
41. Ługowska M., Skrajna T. 2013. Weed communities in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) crops of the Mazowiecki landscape park. Acta Agrobotanica, 66(1): 119–134. http://doi.org/10.5586/aa.2013.014
42. Marceno C., Guarino R., Loidi J., Herrera M., Isermann M., Knollová I., Tichý L., Tzonev R., Acosta A.T.R., FitzPatrick Ú., Iakushenko D., Janssen J.A.M., Jiménez-Alfaro B., Kącki Z., Keizer-Sedláková I., Kolomiychuk V., Rodwell J.S., Schaminée J.H.J., Šilc U., Chytrý M. Classification of European and Mediterranean coastal dune vegetation. 2018. Applied Vegetation Science. 21 (1): 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12379
43. McCune B., Mefford M.J. 2006. PC-ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological data. Version 5. Gleneden Beach, Oregon, U.S.A.: MjM Software, 24 pp.
44. Mirkin B.M., Rozenberg G.S., Naumova L.G. 1989. Slovar ponyatiy i terminov sovremennoy fitotsentologii. Moskva: Nauka, 223 pp.
45. Mochnacký S. 1982. Burinové spoločenstvá Východoslovenskej níţiny. Záverečná správa, mscr. Depon. in Ústav krajinnej ekológie SAV, Bratislava.
46. Mosyakin S., Fedoronchuk M. 1999. Vascular plants of Ukraine. A nomenclatural checklist. Kiev, 345 pp.
47. Mosyakin S.L., Yavorska O.H. 2002. The nonnative flora of the Kyiv (Kiev) Urban Area, Ukraine: A checklist and brief analysis. Urban Habitats, 1(1): 45–65. Available at: http://www.urbanhabitats.org/v01n01/nonnativekiev_pdf.pdf
48. Mucina L., Bültmann H., Dierßen K. Theurillat J.-P., Raus T., Čarni A., Šumberová K., Willner W., Dengler J., Gavilán García R., Chytrý M., Hájek M., Di Pietro R., Iakushenko D., Pallas J., Daniëls F.J.A., Bergmeier E., Santos Guerra A., Ermakov N., Valachovič M., Schaminée J.H.J., Lysenko T., Didukh Y.P., Pignatti S., Rodwell J.S., Capelo J., Weber H.E., Solomeshch A., Dimopoulos P., Aguiar C., Hennekens S.M., Tichý L. 2016. Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. Applied Vegetation Science, 19 (1): 1–783. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12257
49. Nazarov M, Vassilev K, Gecheva G, Mardari C., Velev N. 2019. Syntaxonomical diversity of Strazhata hill in the central part of north Bulgaria. In: Vegetation Diversity and Global Change: Book of Abstracts. 28^th Meeting of the European Vegetation Survey. Madrid, 34 p.
50. Oliynyk M.P., Gubar L.M. 2019. Syntaxonomy of plant communities with diagnostic species of genus Elytrigia. Chornomorskyi Botanical Journal, 15(1): 26–35. https:// doi.org/10.32999/ksu1990-553X/2019-15-1-3
51. Onyshchenko V.A. 2011. Scientific Herald of Chernivtsi University. Biology (Biological Systems), 3(1): 56–75.
52. Onyshchenko V.A. 2013a. Scientific Herald of Chernivtsi University. Biology (Biological Systems), 5(1): 93– 116.
53. Onyshchenko V.A. 2013b. Scientific Herald of Chernivtsi University. Biology (Biological Systems), 5(3): 395–403.
54. Osypenko V.V. 1996. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A, 2(2): 88–92.
55. Osypenko V.V. 1997. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A. 2(7): 89–95.
56. Osypenko V.V. 1999. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A, 3(14): 107–122.
57. Osypenko V.V. Spontanna roslynnist m. Cherkasy: Cand. Sci. Diss. Abstract. Kyiv, 2006, 20 pp.
58. Osypenko V.V., Shevchyk V.L. 2001. Ukrainian Phytosociological Collection. Series A, 1(17): 104–121.
59. Otte A. 1984. Bewirtschaftungsgradienten in Sandmohn-und Fingerhirse-Gesellschaften (Papaveretum argemone, Digitarietum ischaemi) im Tertiären Hügelland (Oberbayern). Tuexenia, 4: 103–124.
60. Papucha I.V. 1991. Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 48(2): 39–41.
61. Pashkevych N.A. 2012. In: Synanthropization of the vegetation cover of Ukraine: II All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference: book of scientific articles. Kyiv; Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, pp. 71–74.
62. Roleček J., Tichý L., Zelený D., Chytrý M. 2009. Modified TWINSPAN classification in which the hierarchy respects cluster heterogeneity. Journal of Vegetation Science, 20: 596–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2009.01062.x
63. Shmidt V.M. 1980. Statisticheskie metody v sravnitelnoy floristike, Leningrad, 176 pp.
64. Smetana M.H. 2002. Syntaksonomiya stepovoi ta ruderalnoi roslynnosti Kryvorizhzhya. Kryvyi Rih: I.B.I. Publ., 131 pp.
65. Sørensen T.J. 1948. A method of establishing groups of equal amplitude in plant sociology based on similarity of species content and its application to analyses of the vegetation of Danish commons. Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Biologiske Skrifter, 5(4): 1–34.
66. Soroka M.I. 2008. Roslynnist Ukrainskoho Roztochchya. Lviv: Svit, 434 pp.
67. Stetsyuk V.V., Romanchuk S.P., Shchur Yu.V., Dmytruk O.Yu., Hutsal V.O. 2001. Kyiv yak ekolohichna systema: pryroda – lyudyna – vyrobnytstvo – ekolohiya. Kyiv: Tsentr ekol. osvity ta informatsii, 315 pp.
68. Tichý L. 2002. JUICE, software for vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science, 13: 451–453. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2002.tb02069.x
69. Tokaryuk A.I. 2019. Biological systems, 11(2): 228–242.
70. Tsap'yuk L.M. 2012. In: Synanthropization of the vegetation cover of Ukraine: II All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference: book of scientific articles. Kyiv; Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, pp. 83–84.
71. Tsukanova G.O. 2005. Floristic and conotic diversity of the Dnieper islands within Kyiv and its protection: Cand. Sci. Diss. Abstract. Kyiv, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany NAS of Ukraine, 20 pp.
72. Tüxen R. 1950. Grundriß einer Systematik der nitrophilen Unkrautgesellschaften in der Eurosibirischen Region Europas. Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft, 2: 94–175. https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Mitt-flori-soz-Arb_NF_2_0094-0175.pdf
73. Viţălariu Gh. 1973. Contribuţii la cunoaşterea vegetaţiei ruderale din Moldova. Studii şi Comunicări, Muzeul de Ştiinţele Naturii Bacău, 23(5): 333–342.
74. Weber H.E., Moravec J., Theurillat J.-P. 2000. International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 3rd ed. Journal of Vegetation Science, 11: 739–768. https://doi.org/10.2307/3236580
75. Whittaker R.H. 1978. Approaches to classifying vegetation on classification of plant communities (Ed. R.H. Whittaker). 2nd ed. The Hague: Junk, 31 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9183-5
76. Yavorska O.H., Mosyakin S.L. 2001. Naukovi zapiski Natsionalnoho universytetu "Kievo–Mohylyanska akademiya". Seriya: Biologiya ta Ekolohiya, 19: 55– 68.
77. Yeremenko N.S. 2018. Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 75(4): 356–372. https://doi.org/10.15407/ukrbotj75.04.356