Carex secalina (Cyperaceae), a critically endangered species of Europe: historic and new localities in Poland

Marlena Lembicz,Agnieszka Bogdanowicz,Waldemar Żukowski,Julian Chmiel

doi:10.5586/asbp.2009.041

Marlena Lembicz, Agnieszka Bogdanowicz + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.2009.041

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Abstract

Carex secalina, a species recognized as extinct in Poland for 40 years, was re-discovered in 2000 and it’s natural populations covered by monitoring. From among nine historic localities, only for two - Jacewo and Turzany, in the vicinity of Inowrocław - the occurrence of the species was confirmed. In the course of the field studies, six new localities, not previously recorded in literature, were discovered. The sedge occupies sub-halophytic habitats in which it occurs along with halophytic species (particularly, such as Glaux maritima and Pucinellia distans) and a group of ruderal taxons. One of the newly discovered localities of C. secalina comprises an anthropogenic habitat. On the whole, the population sizes ranged from 20 to 350 individuals. The studies revealed a positive correlation between the size of a population and cattle pasturing, i.e. C. secalina forms the largest populations in the habitats remaining under the intense pressure of grazing and treading. Moreover, it was found that the high generative reproduction rate compensates the damage caused by animal grazing. The results suggest that an active protection of the sedge populations through the agricultural use of its habitats is the only effective way of securing it’s further occurrence in Poland, while including the sub-halophytic pastures with C. secalina in the agricultural and environmental program should be a priority task in the nearest future.

Highlights

IntroductionCarex secalina Willd. ex Wahlenb. 1803 (weeping alkaligrass) is one of three species representing the section Secalinae
Carex secalina Willd. ex Wahlenb. 1803 is one of three species representing the section Secalinae
From among 8 historical localities, only for two in Jacewo and Turzany the occurrence of Carex secalina has been confirmed (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Carex secalina Willd. ex Wahlenb. 1803 (weeping alkaligrass) is one of three species representing the section Secalinae 1803 (weeping alkaligrass) is one of three species representing the section Secalinae Lang) Kuk. 1909 of the subgenus Carex, in the family Cyperaceae (Egorova 1999). It is a halophyte with the disjunctive Euro-Siberian sub-Irano-Turanian distribution range (Meusel et al 1965). Throughout the whole area of its occurrence, it is considered a rare species, growing in scattered and isolated localities of Europe and Asia. Its Asian portion consists of isolated localities, scattered from the southern Ural Mts. in the west, through Kazakhstan and up to Lake Baikal in the east (Meusel et al 1965; Egorova 1999)

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