30 years monitoring and managing of Typha minima Hoppe at the Tyrolean Lech river – a key species of alpine rivers

Norbert Müller

University of Applied Sciences Erfurt - Dep. Landscape Management & Restoration Ecology

5th June 2018 - Forum alpinum 2018 – A- ,

1 30 years monitoring and managing of Typha minima Hoppe at the Tyrolean Lech river – a key species of alpine rivers

1 Typha minima Hoppe - a key species of alpine rivers

2 Former and current distribution in the Alps

3 Managing the Lech population since 1988

4 Conservation status and -efforts in the Alps

5 Lessons

6 Literature

Acknowledgements

2 Cover Photo Toni Vorauer 1 Typha minima Hoppe - a key species of alpine rivers

Key species: • high indicator value on the quality of an ecosystem, • easy identifiable • highly endangered

3 1 Typha minima Hoppe - a key species of alpine rivers

Key species of alpine rivers

4 1 Typha minima Hoppe - a key species of alpine rivers

7240* Alpine Pioneer-formations with Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae Veg. - Priority Habitat within the EU-Habitat-Directive

5 1 Typha minima Hoppe - a key species of alpine rivers

Areal of Typha minima Hoppe (from Müller 1991)

6 2 Former and current distribution in the Alps

from Prunier et al. 2010

7 2 Former and current distribution in the Alps

Lech - Schongau - Andreas Bresinsky 1958 Lech Schongau – Norbert Müller 1989

8 2 Former and current distribution in the Alps

Lech Unter-Pinswang Kieswerk 28.7.89

Rhine – estuary Bodensee (1989) – until today - largest population in

9 2 Former and current distribution in the Alps

Giffre - Taninges, France 7.7.2011

Durance - Ebrum, France 06.2016

10 3 Managing Lech population – discovery 1989

Kieswerk U- Pinswang 7.1989

11 3 Managing Lech population – Kick off species action program

Kieswerk U- Pinswang 5.2003

12 3 Managing Lech population – species action program 2003

Aims

1. Protect and manage the last Typha minima Lech population

2. Reintroduction 3 populations with at least 2000 individuals each

Typha minima Hoppe (Müller 1990) 13 3 Managing Lech population – species action program 2003

Implementation

1. Inventory and risk assessment 2. Management of the 2 natural sub-populations 3. Ex-situ culture 4. Research population biology incl. genetics 5. In-situ culture gravel pit Unter-Pinswang 6. Reintroduction with cultivated plants (1 year) & seeds 7. Monitoring  Natural Populationen 2003 9. Documentation and publication  Reintroductions since 2003 10. Environmental education and public relations 14 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

Management of the 2 natural sub-populations

2003 Unterpinswang 2004 Deforestation 2008 15 2008 3 Managing Lech population – species action program 2003

Ex-situ culture

Research population biology

Gewächshaus der FH Erfurt (2017)

16 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

In-situ culture gravel pit Unter- Pinswang

17 6-Jahre alte In-situ Kultur im Kieswerk Unter Pinswang (2010))

18 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

15 12 Lech 17 Zürich 16 18 11 Rhein 10 8 9 Drau Glenner 13 Population biology & genetics 19 14 2021 Rhone Giffre 5 6 7

Dora Riparia 4 3

Durance 1 2

Genetische Gruppen innerhalb der untersuchten Rohrkolbenbestände, gegliedert in acht genetische Gruppen. Die Farben illustrieren in jedem Balken die entsprechende Zuordnungswahrscheinlichkeit für jedes Individuum eines Bestandes. Zahlen: Populationsnummern; 17: Kieswerk Unterpinswang; 18: Unterpinswanger Au.

19 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

15 12 Lech 17 Zürich 16 18 11 Rhein 10 8 9 Drau Glenner 13 Population biology & genetics 19 14 2021 Rhone Giffre 5 6 7

Dora Riparia 4 3

Durance 1 2

• Each river system own genetic group

• At rivers with small populations - clonality reproduction is dominating

• Small sub-populations reduced genetic diversity and reduced fittness

20 3 Managing Lech population

Reintroduction method with seeds cultivated plants

21 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

Monitoring subpopulations and permanent plots

1989 2003 2004 2005 2006 Tp 0 Ehemaliger 1. Kieswerk Unterpinswang Kiesteich 200 0 0 0 Tp 1 Alter Kiesteich 3900 280 300 250 Tp 2 a Umlaufgrab en 1600 50 290 920 Tp 3 - estimating shoot Auwald (spontane number Ausbreitung ) 0 30 180 450

Tp 5 unterhalb - counting Sohlrampe (spontane blossom cobs Ausbreitung seit 2008l) 00 0 0 1. Kieswerk Unterpinswang nat 5700 360 770 1620

1. Kieswerk Unterpinswang Tp 2 b In situ (Anpflanz. Insitu 2004 (114) 224 273 262 Tp 2 b In situ (Anpflanz. 2006 (180) 0 360 Tp 2 b In situ (Anpflanz. 2007 (60) Tp 4 Umlaufgraben (Ansaat 2004) 50 65 1. Kieswerk Unterpinswang Insitu 224 323 687

Tp 1 22 südl.Schnei 2. Unter-Pinswang Aue se 100 800 820 2000 Tp 2 nördl. 3 Managing Lech population – species action program

Monitoring sub-populations - summarized

23 Lech near Weißenbach 2006

24 4 Conservation status and - efforts in the Alps

Foundation of the International Typha minima Group Bregenz - 07.07.2010

25 4 Conservation status and -efforts in the Alps

Natural and reintroduced populations of Typha minima the Alps (Müller 2016)

26 4 Conservation status and -efforts in the Alps

Evaluation of documented reintroduction projects in the Alps for Typha minima and Myricaria

27 5 Lessons

• Biology of Typha minima

• Reintroduction of key species

• River restoration

• Restoration ecology

28 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species

29 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species

Habitat quality – natureless, seize & connectivity -> metapopulation

Tiroler Lech Foto © Toni Vorauer

30 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species Reintroduction method – seeds, rhizomes (cuttings Myricaria) young plants?

31 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species

Reintroduction method – planting design

32 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species

• Origin, quality and quantity of plant material

Rhein (8) Rhein (11) Rheinmündung (12) Lech (17) Lech (18) Drau (20)

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R 20 R 33 O F F F F F D D D D D P D O G A A A A A F F F F F

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D 48 22 27 K F F F F F H D D D D A A A A A J H B D J 33 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species Origin, quality and quantity of plant material at least 100 young plants each gravel bar

34 5 Lessons for the reintroduction of key species

Frequence of reintroduction (vgl. Goidefroid et al 2010)

35 5 Lessons for river restoration

Implementation of the EU Habitat and Water Directive

1924 1992 2025 ??

36 5 Lessons for river restoration

Central question of river restoration – can we reach the goal?

Minimum viable population seize??? Minimum seize of dynamic floodplains ??? Minimum habitat seize for key species ???

37 5 Lessons for river restoration

Lech – 2 Life projects Drau - 2 Life projects

38 6 Literature

• Baur P A, Egger G, Lautsch E & Schmidtlein S (2015) Ökologie und Entwicklung des Zwerg- Rohrkolbens (Typha minima Funk ex Hoppe): Die Wiederansiedlung im Europaschutzgebiet Obere Drau (Österreich). Tuexenia 37: 163-177. • Csencsics D & Müller N (2015) Die Bedeutung der genetischen Vielfalt bei Wiederansiedelungsprojekten - Untersuchungen am Zwerg-Rohrkolben (Typha minima) im Naturpark Tiroler Lech. ANLiegen Natur 37: 9-15. • Goidefroid S et al. (2011) How successful are plant species reintroductions? Biological Conservation 144: 672-682. • Harzer R, Müller N, Reich M & Kollmann J (2018) Potentialstudie zur Wiederansiedlung von Wildflussarten. Im Auftrag des WWF Deutschland, Berlin 58 S und Anhang online https://www.alpenflusslandschaften.de/files/downloads • Müller N (1991) Verbreitung, Vergesellschaftung und Rückgang des Zwergrohrkolbens (Typha minima Hoppe). - Hoppea 50: 323-341. • Müller N (1995) Wandel von Flora und Vegetation nordalpiner Wildflußlandschaften unter dem Einfluß des Menschen. Ber. ANL 19: 125-187. • Müller N (2007) Zur Wiederansiedelung des Zwergrohrkolbens (Typha minima Hoppe) in den Alpen - eine Zielart alpiner Flusslandschaften. Natur in Tirol, Bd. 13: 180-193. 39 Acknowledgements

2007 2013

2015 2014 40