Conservation and ecological interactions of Astragalus bozakmanii Podlech (Fabaceae)

Abstract

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.