Abstract
The paper presents results of geobotanical and taxonomic studies on the distribution and habitat requirements of <em>Nymphaea candida</em> in southern Poland. The researches were conducted in southern Poland in 2003-2009, in the provinces of Lower Silesia, Lublin, Małopolska, Opole, Silesian province as well as, in southern parts of Mazowieckie and Lubuskie. Flowers, leaves and fruits of <em>Nymphaea</em> species were collected from 27 locations. Altogether pollens from 73 populations of <em>N. candida</em> and 18 of <em>N. alba</em> from all the researched area were measured. The trophic level of an ecosystem was evaluated according to the results of the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, transparency and biological parameters. As the result of the studies of more than 200 water bodies, 57 localities of <em>N. candida</em> were documented within the investigation area. The populations of <em>N. candida</em> occupy mid-forest water bodies and river ox-bow lakes. A significant number of populations was also found in artificial reservoirs - fish ponds. The most suitable habitat conditions for <em>N. candida</em> occur in shallow waters in the shore zone with the amplitude of the water column vary from 0.5 to 2 m. Regarding the trophy level, <em>N. candida</em> occupies different habitats, mainly mesotrophic and also eutrophic with high content of organic matters. Considering the 15 checked morphological parameters, especially the stigma diameter, the number of carpellary teeth, flower and pollen diameters, the found and collected specimens of <em>N. candida</em> significantly differ from <em>N. alba</em>. The study confirms that <em>N. candida</em> ocurrs in whole lowland Poland without any regional distribution gaps. According to the IUCN guidelines to species assessment the data gathered during the presented study do not allow to classify <em>N. candida</em> as a vulnerable species in Poland. Still existing populations for more than 150 years, numerous stable locations, abundant populations, a habitat accessibility, a biotope extent, an ecological amplitude against the trophy level and direct human impacts suggest, that the species should be regarded as a least concern (LC) taxon.
Highlights
N. candida was reported from southern Poland by Polish and German botanists in the 19th and early 20th centuries
Authors of the present paper have found the individuals of water lily in southern Poland, identified in the field as N. candida, based on the botanical key of Rutkowski (1998) or Kubát (2002)
The successive aims of the present study were: 1) to provide old, published floristic data on the distribution of N. candida in southern Poland; 2) to present the current distribution of the species in the discussed area; 3) to stimulate further molecular researches on infraspecific hybridisation in the genus in the area of co-occurrence of the two species representing the genus Nymphaea; 4) to provide data on habitat preferences of N. candida from selected localities, and 5) to discuss the present threat status of N. candida in Poland
Summary
According to Wayda (2000), N. candida occurs in Poland only in the northern part of the country reaching there the southern limit of its general continuous range. It is worth mentioning that the data published by German botanists were based on careful plant examinations. Most of their floristic reports have been later confirmed, so they are regarded as a credible source of botanical information. These data were questioned by Wayda (2000), and in result not included in the “Atlas of Vascular Plants of Poland” (Zając and Zając 2001). That N. candida occurs in other regions of central and southern Poland (Nobis 2007; Nowak and Nowak 2007)
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