relationship between climatic conditions and generative reproduction of a lowland population of Pulsatilla vernalis: the last breath of a relict plant or a fluctuating cycle of regeneration?

• Published in: Plant ecology Vol. 215; no. 4; pp. 457 - 466
• Main Authors: Grzyl, Andrzej, Kiedrzyński, Marcin, Zielińska, Katarzyna M, Rewicz, Agnieszka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.04.2014; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alpine ecosystems; Analysis; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied Ecology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate change; Climate models; Climate science; climatic factors; Community & Population Ecology; Ecology; flowering; Flowers & plants; Forest soils; Fruiting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; Global temperature changes; habitats; Life Sciences; longevity; Lowlands; Nuclear radiation; Plant Ecology; Plant reproduction; Plants; Population growth; Population parameters; Protection and preservation; Pulsatilla; recruitment; reproduction; Seedlings; Seeds; shoots; solar radiation; temperature; Terrestial Ecology; water balance; Water balance (Hydrology); Europe; Fruiting; Alpine-boreal plant; Germination; Climatic conditions; Seedling survival; Flowering; Effective recruitment; Relict species; Plant juvenile growth stage; Plant ecology; Survival; Climatic condition; Regeneration; Alpine vegetation; Population; Lowland; Fructification
• ISSN: 1385-0237; 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/s11258-014-0316-0

The alpine-boreal plants which have survived in Central European lowlands during glacial periods depend both on the preservation of their refugial habitat, and their capability for vegetative and generative reproduction and dispersion. Pulsatilla vernalis (L.) Mill. is a model species which occurs throughout most of the European alpine system, as well as in isolated populations in the lowlands. At present, the relict lowland localities of this species often have a historic character. In the Polish lowlands, only the population located in Rogowiec is characterized by effective recruitment. It presents a large number of rosettes and a diversified demographic structure, with plants in all stages of development. The study examines the population in Rogowiec from 2002 to 2008 with regard to the number of flowering and fruiting shoots, new seedlings, and loss of juvenile rosettes, and the obtained data are correlated with climatic conditions. Three years were found to demonstrate effective recruitment, with numerous seedlings and little loss of juvenile rosettes. No significant relationship was found between seedling dynamics and the flowering–fruiting process. However, correlations were found between effective renewal and some climatic factors. Temperature, water balance, and solar radiation were found to have a limiting effect on the reproduction and regeneration of the analyzed relict population. Due to the longevity of the rosettes, favorable climatic conditions occurring every few years are sufficient for survival of the species in this location. However, serious threats are posed by the climate change trends expected in Europe over the coming decades, and the fact that due to its small-scale dispersal ability, the analyzed species occupies only a small area in Rogowiec.