Management of three endangered plant species in dynamic Baltic seashore meadows

Abstract

Question: Arctophila fulva var. pendulina, Primula nutans var. jokelae and Puccinellia phryganodes are threatened early successional species growing in the seashore meadows of the northern Baltic Sea. Patches formed by these species are destined to be replaced by other species during primary succession and in order to persist in the area they have to continuously colonize new areas. We studied whether the displacement of the species could be slowed down and their sexual and/or vegetative reproduction enhanced by management targeted to surrounding vegetation. Location: Bothnian Bay, Baltic Sea, W Finland. Methods: Vegetation surrounding patches of all study species was mown in four successional growing seasons. Moreover, the impact of additional soil turning on creating new favourable growing sites was tested for A. fulva. Results: Deterioration of suitable habitats of A. fulva and P. nutans was markedly slowed down by management and the vegetative and/or sexual reproduction of these species was enhanced. In the case of P. phryganodes, however, no positive response to management was obtained. Conclusions: In order to improve the long-term persistence of these three species successional vegetation changes should be slowed down and their dispersal and colonization success improved by continuous management of the populations. We further suggest that the colonization of new areas should be aided by transplantations to the non-vegetated islets, which have recently risen from the sea and cannot be reached by means of dispersal.

Addressing potential local adaptation in species distribution models: implications for conservation under climate change

“…The main populations of both species were possibly separated into their geographically distinct populations during the last glacial retreat (Mäkinen andMäkinen 1964, Gompert et al 2008). Further, they have been sufficiently studied (Grundel et al 1998, Gompert et al 2006, Rautiainen et al 2009, Kreivi et al 2011 to provide distributional data and biological information useful in niche model interpretation. However, we do not know if populations of these species are locally adapted.…”

Invasive species, management for conservation and remote sensing

“…The journal's scope includes management for the conservation of threatened species, so long as this is seen within a community context. For example, Rautiainen et al (2007) discuss the difficult problem of three threatened early-successional species, which depend for their continued existence on the maintenance of disturbed areas. The authors experimented with mowing, shrub removal and soil perturbation as types of disturbance.…”