How to Protect Natural Habitats of Rare Terrestrial Orchids Effectively: A Comparative Case Study of Cypripedium calceolus in Different Geographical Regions of Europe.

Anna Jakubska-Busse,Zdenka Křenová,Michał Śliwiński,Spyros Tsiftsis,Pavel Lustyk,Karel (C.A.J.) Kreutz,Sebastian Hennigs,Corina Steiu,Vladan Djordjević,Marta Kolanowska,Petr Efimov

doi:10.3390/plants10020404

Abstract

In this article we present and discuss the main factors that threaten natural populations of Cypripedium calceolus (lady’s slipper orchid) in Europe, and we propose conservation strategies and directions for protective actions of its population on a regional scale. European C. calceolus populations have decreased significantly in the last two decades, in both number and size. A key result of the present study is an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network across the European Union (EU) countries. Northern and/or mountainous countries present higher percentages of potentially suitable areas within the Natura 2000 network. Finland and the United Kingdom are the exceptions to this rule. It is predicted that, due to global warming, the coverage of niches suitable for C. calceolus will decrease in countries in which now-healthy colonies exist. However, as plant species can occur in micro-sites with suitable environmental conditions (e.g., microclimate, vegetation, soil factors) which cannot be predicted as suitable at coarser spatial resolutions, conservation efforts should be focused on management of local healthy populations. For the effective protection of C. calceolus in Natura 2000 sites, the participation of experts in botany, including orchid biology, is necessary at several stages.

Highlights

Since the end of the 18th century, it has been realized that anthropogenic effects on the natural environment are often destructive, and that action should be taken to conserve animal and plant species
Its altitudinal range starts from the mid-elevation zone (e.g., Serbia, 1350–1650 m a.s.l.; Croatia, 500–1700 m a.s.l.); it occurs at higher altitudes in southern countries (e.g., Bulgaria: 1340 m a.s.l.), while towards the northern European countries it can be found from the lowlands up to 2200 m a.s.l. [25]; e.g., Finland, 10–262 m a.s.l.; Denmark, 75 m a.s.l.; Britain, 150–260 m a.s.l.; Poland, 77–1046 m a.s.l.; Germany, 10–1540 m a.s.l.)
The species is present, or has been recorded, in 35 countries or areas, including the European part of Russia and in Crimea, whereas it has never been recorded in seven countries, where it is, considered absent (Iceland, Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal, North Macedonia, and Malta)

Summary

Introduction

Since the end of the 18th century, it has been realized that anthropogenic effects on the natural environment are often destructive, and that action should be taken to conserve animal and plant species. The European Union (EU) Natura 2000, a network of protected areas designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives More than 1000 animal and plant species, as well as 200 habitat types, as listed in the Directives’ Annexes, should be protected and appropriately managed to conserve EU biodiversity [1]. Of the orchids that have been recorded in EU countries, four species are listed in Annex. II of the Habitats Directive: Cephalanthera cucullata Boiss and Heldr., Cypripedium calceolus L., Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., and Ophrys lunulata Parl. L. loeselii is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere but is found only in fens, bogs, and dune slacks; its habitat specialization makes it extremely rare and threatened [3]

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