Abstract
Small balsam Impatiens parviflora DC. (Balsaminaceae) is the invasive species that colonises natural European forest. The morphological and physiological traits of the species under different natural conditions were analysed. The studies were carried out in the forest communities in the National Park (Ojców National Park – Southern Poland) with the known history of the plot: P1 – bottom of the valley, Alno-Ulmion Br.-Bl. et R.Tx. 1943, P2 – terrace of the valley, Tilio-Carpinetum Tracz. 1962 stachyetosum, P3 – south slope of the valley, Tilio-Carpinetum Tracz. 1962 typicum. The plots differed with the soil parameters and microclimatic conditions as well as with species richness, species composition and cover of I. parviflora. The significant statistical differences in the length of the aboveground parts of collected small balsam specimens on the studied plots were showed. The longest shoots among specimens growing in plot P1, and the shortest in plot P3 were observed. In the above ground part of plants, the highest values of water content among the specimens on plot P1 and the lowest on plot P3 were revealed. The highest percentage of electrolytes leakage among the specimens from the plot P2 and the lowest of the plot P1 were observed. The significant differences of the chlorophyll a fluorescence of I. parviflora leaves on the plot P2 were observed, compared to specimens from the two remaining plots. The results pointed that disturbance light availability in dense forest canopy could influence on abundance the local population of small balsam.
Highlights
Impatiens parviflora DC. is an invasive annual herb in Europe originated from mountain areas of central Asia
The P1 plot was characterised by the lowest air temperature and the highest relative air humidity: + 14.18 °C and 87.84% respectively
The P2 soil reaction was close to neutral, while in the case of the P1 plot was clearly alkaline (Table 1)
Summary
Impatiens parviflora DC. (small balsam) is an invasive annual herb in Europe originated from mountain areas of central Asia. From the end of the 19th century began its expansion, mainly in forest communities (Trepl, 1984) It grows in diverse plant communities – both disturbed and natural ones (Obidziński and Symonides, 2000; Chmura and Sierka, 2007; Towpasz and StachurskaSwakoń, 2011; Chmura, 2014), in the National Parks areas (Łysik, 2008; Sołtys-Lelek and Barabasz-Krasny, 2010). Most it invades disturbed forest with depauperate herbal layer. Its habitat requirements have a wide ecological amplitude and seems to be variable in different parts of Europe (Godefroid and Koedam, 2010)
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