Identifying population thresholds for flowering plant reproductive success: the marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) as a flagship species of humid meadows and heathland

• Published in: Biodiversity and conservation Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 891 - 905
• Main Authors: Pierce, Simon, Spada, Alberto, Caporali, Elisabetta, Puglisi, Filippa, Panzeri, Andrea, Luzzaro, Alessandra, Cislaghi, Simona, Mantegazza, Lia, Cardarelli, Elisa, Labra, Massimo, Galimberti, Andrea, Ceriani, Roberta M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Age composition; Analysis; Animal reproduction; Biodiversity; Biological fertilization; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding success; Capacity; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Conservation Biology/Ecology; demographic statistics; Demographics; Demography; Ecology; Environmental protection; Environmental restoration; Fens; Fertilization; flagship species; Flowering; Flowering plants; Flowers; Fluorescence; Fluorescence microscopy; Fragmentation; Fragments; Gentiana pneumonanthe; geographic information systems; Geographical information systems; Germination; habitat conservation; Habitat fragmentation; Habitats; heathlands; juveniles; Life Sciences; Marshes; Meadows; Moors and heaths; Original Paper; ovules; pistil; Pistils; Plant reproduction; Plant reproductive structures; Pollen; pollen tubes; Pollination; Population; Population decline; population dynamics; Population number; population size; Populations; Rare species; Reproduction; reproductive success; Restoration; risk; Seed germination; seed set; Species; Surveys; Demographics; Dispersal; Habitat fragmentation; Ovule fertilization; Pollen limitation; Plant conservation; Pollination

The threshold below which population declines impact the effectiveness of plant reproduction is essential for the identification of populations that can no longer spontaneously recover following habitat management or restoration, below the minimum viable population (MVP) size. We hypothesized that r...