Abstract
Fritillaria meleagris L. is a rare species mainly associated with floodplain forests and meadows. Conservation of populations of this species needs to consider a key aspect of its life history – prolonged dormancy (PD). In F. meleagris, this was observed during 8-years monitoring of individual plants on the protected ancient Lugg Meadow in the UK. One-year PD was most frequently observed in the population, followed by 2-year PD. Seven-year dormancy was the longest recorded. Twenty two percent of plants didn’t display PD during the observation period. Large variability in the patterns of individual plants submerging and re-emerging from dormancy in different years, suggested individual genetic heterogeneity as the main factor driving PD of the species. Three morphological states were identified in dormant plants of F. meleagris including a false dormancy in individuals which carried on growing below ground. Patterns of PD in rare species need to be studied on individually monitored plants and applied to models of population dynamics for species conservation purposes
Highlights
According to the dictionary, dormancy is the state in which a plant is alive but not actively growing
In 2012, two hundred and three adult plants of Fritillaria meleagris were recorded in 126 location points on Lugg Meadow, in the area occupied by the population of the species
Prolonged dormancy as an element of life-history, is not new for genus Fritillaria. It was previously recorded in Fritillariа meleagroides, a closely related species to F. meleagris, in experimental conditions where maximum length of prolonged dormancy (PD) was observed for 3 years [Markov, Idrisova, 1998]
Summary
Dormancy is the state in which a plant is alive but not actively growing. The concept of plant dormancy (seeds, buds, individuals) is built on the assumption that continuous growth for plants is the norm, and a break in growth is an enforced state evolved under harsh conditions associated with a season unfavourable for vegetation [Anderson et al, 2010]. If plants stayed below ground for longer than the season unfavourable for growth, sometimes up to several years, prolonged dormancy (PD) is the state achieved [Lesica, Steele, 1994]. By 2018, 108 species from 58 genera and 21 families were shown to have PD [Zhmylev et al, 2018]. This included observations on taxa in which plants were recorded as having no above ground organs during their vegetation season. There has been little recognition of the terminological controversy concerning species with a life cycle and growth that largely occur below ground (e.g., mycotrophic orchids): they were classified as ‘dormant’ because of the absence of above ground organs [Shefferson et al, 2018]
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