Short-term population dynamics of <i>Helianthemum caput-felis</i>, a perennial Mediterranean coastal plant: a key element for an effective conservation programme

Sulis, Elena; Bacchetta, Gianluigi; Cogoni, Donatella; Fenu, Giuseppe

doi:10.1080/14772000.2018.1492469

Cited by 10 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…A recent demographic study carried out considering the whole population of this plant species highlighted that, despite inter-annual fluctuations mainly related to the reproductive traits, the population was at equilibrium under the simulated environmental stochasticity. In fact, the population dynamics of H. caput-felis followed the general pattern typical for long-lived Mediterranean plants: populations with growth rates closer to the equilibrium in the long term, the determinant role of the survival-growth transitions for the population growth rate, slow growth and stasis, longevity of established individuals, shrinkage of medium-large plants, low recruitment rate, high generation times and mean long lifespans (Sulis et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Demographic censuses were carried out during two consecutive transitions (i.e. plant Detailed information and a precise map on the investigated populations are reported in Sulis et al (2018) change-in terms of growth, stasis or reduction in size-from t in a year to t ? 1 in the consecutive year; cycles hereafter), covering a total of 3-year period (2013-2015).…”

Section: Data Collectingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All new seedlings that appeared inside the plots were also counted, measured, and mapped. Demographic data have been collected following the same methodology reported in Sulis et al (2018). Specifically, surveys took place three times per year.…”

Section: Data Collectingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zuidema et al 2010;Nicolè et al 2011;Ferrer-Cervantes et al 2012), especially in the Mediterranean Basin (e.g. Belaid et al 2018;Sulis et al 2018;Cogoni et al 2019). Indeed, although much interest has been devoted to the Mediterranean vascular flora (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Médail and Quézel 1997;Nikolić et al 2008;Bacchetta et al 2012;Iliadou et al 2014), demographic studies on endemic and/or threatened plant populations are uncommon, even more so at the local level (e.g. Pino et al 2007;Iriondo et al 2009;Pisanu et al 2012;Cursach et al 2013;Cursach and Rita 2014;Belaid et al 2018;Sulis et al 2018;Marrero et al 2019;Gauthier et al 2019;Cogoni et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From global to local scale: where is the best for conservation purpose?

et al. 2020

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Demographic analysis of plant populations represents an essential conservation tool allowing to identify the population trends both at global and at the local level. In this study, the population dynamics of Helianthemum caput-felis (Cistaceae) was investigated at the local level by monitoring six populations distributed in Sardinia, Balearic Islands and Ibero-Levantine coast (Alicante). Demographic data for each population were analysed by performing Integral Projection Models (IPMs). Our results showed that, although the local trend of the main basic demographic functions was similar, vital rates and demographic dynamics varied among populations indicating high variability. In fact, asymptotic growth rate in Spanish populations widely varied both between years and populations (some populations growth, decline or strongly decline), while Sardinian populations showed greater equilibrium or a slight increase. Also, the typical pattern of a long-lived species was not supported by the results at the local scale. These results indicated that different populations of the same species can present extremely different population dynamics and support the belief that, for conservation needs, local studies are more informative than global ones: the conservation status of H. caput-felis could notably vary at a small spatial scale and, accordingly, the conservation efforts must be planned at the population level and supported by local analysis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Data Collectingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Collectingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From global to local scale: where is the best for conservation purpose?

et al. 2020

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Demographic responses of hybridizing cinquefoils to changing climate in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

Carscadden

Doak

Oldfather

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Hybridization between taxa generates new pools of genetic variation that can lead to different environmental responses and demographic trajectories over time than seen in parental lineages. The potential for hybrids to have novel environmental tolerances may be increasingly important in mountainous regions, which are rapidly warming and drying due to climate change. Demographic analysis makes it possible to quantify within‐ and among‐species responses to variation in climate and to predict population growth rates as those conditions change. We estimated vital rates and population growth in 13 natural populations of two cinquefoil taxa (Potentilla hippiana and P. pulcherrima) and their hybrid across elevation gradients in the Southern Rockies. Using three consecutive years of environmental and demographic data, we compared the demographic responses of hybrid and parental taxa to environmental variation across space and time. All three taxa had lower predicted population growth rates under warm, dry conditions. However, the magnitude of these responses varied among taxa and populations. Hybrids had consistently lower predicted population growth rates than P. hippiana. In contrast, hybrid performance relative to P. pulcherrima varied with population and climate, with the hybrid maintaining relatively stable growth rates while populations of P. pulcherrima shrank under warm, dry conditions. Our findings demonstrate that hybrids in this system are neither intrinsically unfit nor universally more vigorous than parents, suggesting that the demographic consequences of hybridization are context‐dependent. Our results also imply that shifts to warmer and drier conditions could have particularly negative repercussions for P. pulcherrima, which is currently the most abundant taxon in the study area, possibly as a legacy of more favorable historical climates. More broadly, the distributions of these long‐lived taxa are lagging behind their demographic trajectories, such that the currently less common P. hippiana could become the most abundant of the Potentilla taxa as this region continues to warm and dry.

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