PJB-2013-64
POPULATION SIZE OF THE MONOCARPIC PERENNIAL PEUCEDANUM ARENARIUM WALDST. ET KIT. WITH REGARD TO EXPERIMENTALLY TESTED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
BOŽENA ŠERÁ1*, DARINA VÁLKOVÁ2, EVA KOCIANOVÁ3, MICHAL ŠERÝ4, VIERA FERÁKOVÁ5 AND IVA HODÁLOVÁ5
Abstract
The monocarpic perennial Peucedanum arenarium is a critically endangered plant species in Slovakia, growing only in several micro-localities on the Sandberg hill near Bratislava (NNR Devínska Kobyla). Disturbances such as grazing and fire were excluded from possible management measures on the dry, sandy slopes of the Sandberg hill. Three types of treatments (selective clipping, full clipping, and raking) were tested as possible management methods for the preservation of P. arenarium during a 10 year period. Two types of clipping treatments showed a positive effect on the population size. The most useful treatment for the management of P. arenarium was the spring clipping of all non-P. arenarium individuals and the removal of biomass from the plot (selective clipping). This treatment was correlated with a more than 100% increase in the total number of P. arenarium between 2000 and 2009. In contrast, the raking of dry biomass had a negative effect when compared to the abandoned plots. Evaluation of the population size of P. arenarium showed a five year temporal fluctuation. This fluctuation was connected with a high or low number of small vegetative individuals. The presented management and realities may be effective for in situ conservation of monocarpic perennial species growing on sand or dry habitats with sparse vegetation (Ferula sadleriana).
To Cite this article:
Download
