Studia botanica hungarica

Author(s): Pacsai, B., Szabó, E., Biró, É., Gerencsér, B., Kuczkó, A. & Bódis, J.
Title: Some demographic characteristics of Fritillaria meleagris (Liliaceae) in Hungary.
Year: 2019
Volume: 50
Pages: 365-378.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17110/StudBot.2019.50.2.365

Abstract: Fritillaria meleagris is an endangered Eurasian species with declining populations in most of its distribution area. The significance of the present study is to provide details for improving methods, how age-state structure can be identified in a population. This could help finding the appropriate way of site-management where this species occurs. We investigated two F. meleagris populations in the western part of Hungary (Gyékényes, Tüskeszentpéter). We grouped the recorded plants into five age-state categories: dormant, juvenile, subadult, vegetative- and reproductive adult. We investigated different plant traits such as plant height, number of leaves, leaf width and leaf length. The relative frequencies of leaf numbers differed significantly between the two sites each year. Generally, the majority of the flowering plants had 5-6 leaves at both sites. Only plant height was positively related to plant reproductive success, but there were no clear trends in leaf width and leaf length. There are considerable differences in age-state ratios between our sampling sites. The proportion of reproductive plants was noticeably higher in both years in Tüskeszentpéter. Transition into dormant state was regular from all age groups at both sites.
Keywords: leaf numbers, plant traits, age-state, population flux, fritillary, wet meadows

Journal: Studia botanica hungarica
Journal abbreviation: Studia bot. hung.
ISSN: 0301-7001
Publisher: Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
Editor(s): Barina, Z.