Lotus sanguineus is one of the endemic taxa from Mediterranean Region of Turkey. It has hitherto been known from type locality and was assessed under VU and EN categories despite the lack of information on the population size, number of location and habitat quality. This study aims to determine the global conservation status and conservation strategies of the narrow endemic species. We collected all available data and evaluated them with the field studies. We reported the sizes of populations, altitude, coordinates, habitat types and the threats it faces for each locality. GeoCAT analyses at global levels indicate the extent of occurrence 19.965 km2 and area of occupancy 9 km2 and there could be an inferred decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation of the original population, suggesting this species might be classified as Critically Endangered, based on criterium B1ab (i, ii, iii) + 2ab (i, ii, iii) in the Red List categorization. Conservation priorities include life history and ecology studies, in-situ conservation, population monitoring and ex-situ conservation to prevent the destruction of the existing gene pool.
The genus Phelypaea includes three holoparasite species with one of the most intense red flowers among all plants worldwide. So far, there are few references to other colour taxa of this genus. We describe a new yellow-coloured form, Phelypaea boissieri f. lutea, from Hakkari province in the Cilo Mountains of SE Turkey, found at an altitude of 2,470 m. In typical P. boissieri, here typified by us, the flowers are deeply red, and stems, calyx and scales are red to brown, or rarely pale-brown, whereas in the entire population of f. lutea the corolla, calyx, and scales are yellow to orange with black folds in the corolla, while only the stem is brownish.
Background and aims – Campanula vardariana (Campanulaceae) is a critically endangered endemic chasmophyte with a single population situated in the west of Turkey. Very little is known about the reproductive biology of C. vardariana and more information is needed to develop a sound conservation strategy for this endemic species.Material and methods – Floral traits such as flower morphology, nectar, and sugar concentration, as well as pollen viability and stigma receptivity were measured in different floral phases. We observed insect visitations to the flowers and identified pollinators. Additionally, we investigated the effect of cross and self-pollination on fruit and seed production.Key results – The flowers of C. vardariana are protandrous. The length of the styles, which were 8.74 mm during the pollen loading phase, reached 11.35 mm during the pollen presentation phase. The visitor observations made on the C. vardariana flowers revealed 11 visitor species from 5 families: 5 Halictidae, 3 Apidae, and one species each from Megachilidae, Colletidae, and Bombyliidae. Lasioglossum spp. touched the anthers and stigma using several parts of their bodies and were significant pollinators of C. vardariana. Under natural conditions, the mean number of seeds per fruit was around 60 after cross pollination, while no fruits were formed when pollinators were excluded.Conclusion – Campanula vardariana is entirely dependent on pollinators for its reproductive success, and bees, especially Halictidae and to a lesser extent Apidae, play an important role. Campanula vardariana is restricted to cracks in calcareous rocks and its population is threatened by goat overgrazing and mining activities (quarry formation). Since seed production is abundant in this population, anthropogenic activities currently form the biggest threat to its existence.
Astragalus bozakmanii Podlech, an endemic plant species to Turkey, was investigated to provide an understanding the conservation status of this species and to fill the gap in the knowledge of habitat of this species. Field studies were carried out randomly by sampling 2 × 2 m sizes, 10 quadrats from each region. The number of individuals was estimated by calculating the average individual numbers in small quadrats and extrapolating this result for approximate population area. Reproductive success was evaluated using the mean number of seeds per fruit and the number of ovules per flower. A. bozakmanii prefers saltless soils whose pH values range from 7.48 and 8.33. The seed set was 45.8% of the ovules. In this study, we observed that the flowers of A. bozakmanii were visited by Oxythyrea cinctella to feed on their reproductive parts, thus rendering them infertile. Considering all these findings, the global and national conservation status for Astragalus bozakmanii was assessed as Endangered (EN) B1ab (i, ii, iii) + 2ab (i, ii, iii) according to the new IUCN Red List criteria. In conclusion, appropriate conservation actions need to be developed so that natural enemies of agricultural pests can re-enter their habitats.
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