A subarctic-boreal relict species, Salix lapponum, found within the area of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lakeland (Eastern Poland), is particularly threatened with extinction due to the southern limit of its range and the specific conditions of its occurrence. This conclusion is evidenced by a systematic reduction in the number of its locations, which is accompanied by a decrease in the numbers of individuals making up its populations. The aim of the present study was to determine habitat conditions of the occurrence of Salix lapponum populations on the basis of an analysis of physico-chemical factors of groundwater at the sites associated with various stages of succession taking place in small peatland water bodies. The results of this study confirm the trend that the stands and population numbers of this species are decreasing with the intensification of ecological succession and the degree of its progress and at the same time show that this species exhibits a wide amplitude of many of the investigated factors. Among the groundwater parameters under investigation, the low level of total nitrogen, phosphorus fraction and DOC as well as the high level of Ca, pH and electrolytic conductivity can be considered to be a set of conditions that promote the maintenance of Salix lapponum populations. On the other hand, in the case of nitrates, nitrites, sulphates as well as the Na, K and Mg ions, the Kruskal-Wallis statistical test showed that the distribution of their values was invariant in relation to the studied habitats, which is probably evidence that they do not determine the development or extinction of the investigated populations in these habitats.
Anthropogenic transformations of habitat conditions in moderate climate peatlands frequently cause a decrease in the number of sites of occurrence and the size of the population of many valuable plant species, including the boreal relic Betula humilis. The objective of this paper was an attempt to relate the specifics of the occurrence of the glacial relic Betula humilis in the peatlands of Central-Eastern Poland, which developed under moderate climate conditions, to the conditions of the natural environment identified through research into the physical and chemical parameters of the groundwater, as well as botanical research into its habitat. The study results confirm that shrub birch has a broad range of ecological tolerance to the majority of the studied factors and can therefore be an indicator of habitat transformation. Important environmental factors affecting its abundance are water relations and the contribution of calcium hydroxide and phosphorus fractions. A condition favouring the proper functioning of individuals of the studied species is TP values lower than other obtained values, in the following range: 0.08-0.32; P-PO 4 : 0.1; TN: 2.2-21.2; N-NH 4 : 0.1-0.46; DOC: 24.6-55.9 (mg·dm −3 ), as well as higher than average pH values, in the following range: 5.34-5.95; Ca: 5.67-28.1; Mg: 0.56-2.41 (mg·dm −3 ) and EC: 72.1-142.3 (µS·cm −1 ).
A b s t r a c tThis research, carried out in the years 2011-2013, aimed to evaluate Salix lapponum stands in the peat bogs of Polesie Lubelskie Region as well as to determine the condition of the population and the changes that have taken place since the 1950's. An inventory carried out in 25 stands of S. lapponum known from the literature shows that the number of its stands has decreased by 80% in Polesie Lubelskie Region. In all the confirmed locations, a decrease in population numbers was also found in relation to the data known from the literature since the 1950's. In the majority of the population locations that were considered to be extinct, there were no significant changes in habitat conditions, and ecological succession and changes in hydrological conditions could have been the cause of habitat changes only at a few sites. In the light of the study, the preservation of the S. lapponum population in Polesie Lubelskie seems to be impossible if appropriate active conservation measures are not taken immediately. Because area-based conservation, which covers most of the habitats of the studied species, does not bring the expected results, the possibility of ex situ conservation and enlargement of the populations existing in the natural environment in peat bog ecosystems in Polesie should be explored.
Changes in habitat conditions in the area of Eastern Poland (Polesie Podlaskie), often associated with anthropopressure, cause a reduction in the number of locations and population size of valuable and rare bog plant species, including a Pleistocene boreal relict, Salix myrtilloides. The aim of this study was to determine the current conditions of occurrence of this species based on the physico-chemical parameters of peatland piezometric groundwater. The results confirm the declining trend in the number of locations and abundance of this species in the past few decades, but at the same time they confirm the wide range of amplitude of the many investigated factors. Among the groundwater parameters studied, the low level of nitrogen fractions, phosphorus fractions, cations, and DOC can be considered to be a set of conditions promoting the preservation of the Salix myrtilloides population. The higher concentrations of phosphates, sulfates, Na, Ca, and Mg as well as higher pH and electrolytic conductivity can be considered to be presumably unfavorable. The lack of significant differences in the values of the piezometric water factors investigated for the sites with different population sizes of the studied species requires the identification of other limiting factors and the implementation of programs for its active protection in Poland.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.