Ferns in a new role as a frequent constituent of railway flora in Central Europe

Abstract

Summary Mention of fern populations at railway stations are extremely rare in the literature. Some older publications go so far as to expressly state that ferns do not occur at railway stations. Nevertheless, an inventory of fern species carried out at 63 railway stations in Central Europe has shown that this statement is no longer valid: ferns were found at more than 90% of the railway stations examined. An average of two fern species were found at each railway station, with up to six species detected at some locations. The most frequently encountered species were Dryopteris filix-mas , Asplenium ruta-muraria and A. trichomanes . The species found at railway stations included species of the Red List for Germany or at least for the individual German states. A repeat study performed in the Rhine-Main region shows that the number of fern species at railway stations has distinctly increased in recent years. The factors which are possibly responsible for this increase include the decreasing use of herbicides to combat weeds, the increasing age of the walls and platforms, and the changed emission situation.