Abstract
We studied the impact of secondary succession in xerothermic grasslands on a population of Pulsatilla patens, a species of European Community interest. We established two permanent plots with a high number of individuals of P. patens in a xerothermic grassland in Southern Poland. We compared two areas, the first in open grassland (plot A), and the second with overgrowing vegetation (plot B). We assessed the population structure as well as the individual traits of the species. The total abundance of P. patens in the open xerothermic grassland was five times higher than in the overgrowing xerothermic grassland. A randomly clustering distribution was noted only in plot A; in plot B a random type of distribution occurred. The density structure of the rosettes was higher in plot A. The mean number of leaves in rosettes of P. patens as well as dimensions of intermediate stems and leaves of the species is strongly correlated with habitat conditions. The shadowing caused by shrubs and trees and high weeds observed in the overgrowing xerothermic grassland negatively impacted on the number of individuals, distribution, structure and morphology of P. patens.
Highlights
Light is a significant factor in the formation of varied plant communities [1,2], as well as playing a fundamental role for different plants species [3,4]
The plots are located on the same soil type and the soil properties showed no difference between the two plots (Table 1). This suggests that the differences between the population structure and individual traits are connected with other factors
Lack of gaps and more compacted herb layer influences the structure of Pulsatilla patens—on overgrowing grassland, no juvenile individuals occurred; the total abundance of species was 5 times lower, compared with open grassland; in distribution type, no clusters were noted, and the leaf rosettes were smaller than in the open xerothermic grassland (Figure 1)
Summary
Light is a significant factor in the formation of varied plant communities [1,2], as well as playing a fundamental role for different plants species [3,4]. One of the major factors affecting plant growth is light intensity [6]. The ecological effects of changes in light intensity are most clearly visible in non-forest semi-natural plant communities, i.e., meadows or grasslands [7]. In these communities, changes in access to light for herb species are correlated with secondary succession [8,9]. After the cessation of usage (mowing or grazing), the overgrowing secondary succession species like Rhamnus cathartica and Pinus sylvestris intensify the shadowing [10,11]
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