Population dynamics of the climate‐sensitive endangered perennial Ferula sadleriana Ledeb. (Apiaceae)

Abstract

Ancient plant species surviving in isolated small populations are particularly vulnerable to extinction, therefore understanding their population dynamics is necessary for conservation. The iteroparous perennial relic endemic Ferula sadleriana Ledeb. (Apiaceae) is restricted to seven distant localities in the Carpathian Basin, where it inhabits rocky hills. We monitored the species' largest population on the Pilis Hill, Hungary, over 14-19 years (depending on trait) between 1979 and 2010, and relationships were sought between climatic properties and population attributes. The population of 4000 Ϯ 1509 emergent individuals underwent large interannual fluctuations, with the vegetative stage displaying sevenfold and the reproductive stage twenty-eight-fold differences. Spring and early summer precipitation had a marked influence on abundances and seed set. Alternating years of high and low counts of reproductive plants suggest costs of reproduction that most probably incur prolonged dormancy and retrogression to the vegetative stage. Seed set was positively influenced by number of reproductive plants over years and by plant size within a year. Ungulates nullify yearly reproductive output by grazing on reproductive individuals. This is particularly intense in dry summers, when reproductive output is already low. The strong precipitation response of abundance, absence of clonal propagation and soil seed bank, and geographical isolation of the populations place F. sadleriana at considerable risk under an increasingly variable and extreme climate. Management should seek to maintain the species' original habitat mosaic (potentially compensating for climate variation), minimize grazing damage and anthropogenic disturbance, and establish ex situ conservation programs to provide propagules for eventual reintroduction.

High-resolution palynology reveals the land use history of a Sami renvall in northern Sweden

“…Pollen samples from LPAZs AKK D-1c and -3a cluster in this section of ordination space. Taxa that correlate with the negative end of axis 1 include B. nana, Rubus chamaemorus and Apiaceae; these are considered by some to be grazing-sensitive (Scott 2001;Lendvay and Kalapos 2014;Landi et al 2016) and may reflect periods when reindeer herding was inactive. A caveat is required, however, because Poaceae also records a negative score on axis 1.…”

Is there a massive glacial–Holocene flora continuity in Central Europe?

“…Although So o (1964) and Borhidi (2004) suggested that the floristic differences between subregions of the Carpathian Basin are of Holocene origin, many of these differences may actually be older [see Cie slak (2014) and Kajtoch et al (2016) for grasslands]. Endemic species such as Hepatica transsilvanica (Laczk o & Sramk o, 2020), Linum dolomiticum (Dobolyi, 2003) and Ferula sadleriana (Lendvay & Kalapos, 2014), as well as endemic subspecies or local variants, may also pre-date the LGM.…”

The effect of disturbance and drought on Hairy Jointgrass (Arthraxon hispidus) in north coast New South Wales: Understanding threatened species populations in a dynamic landscape

“…It is becoming apparent that the impact of broad climatic factors on plant population dynamics may override or interact with the local effects of site disturbance, altering optimal management approaches (Bernado et al 2016; Morris et al . 2006; Ureta & Martorell 2009; Lendvay & Kalapos 2014). Over the coming century, available models indicate that north coast NSW may experience more extreme cycles in seasonal rainfall, including extended periods of drought (CSIRO 2015).…”