PALACKÝ UNIVERZITY OLOMOUC FAKULTY OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY Anna Heinken-Šmídová Study of factors influencing population dynamics of the plant species Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass. PhD. THESIS Supervisor: Doc. RNDr. Zuzana Münzbergová, Ph.D. Olomouc 2012 Bibliografická identifikace Jméno a příjmení autora: Anna Heinken-Šmídová Název práce: Studie faktorů ovlivňující dynamiku druhu Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass. Typ práce: doktorská Pracoviště: Katedra botaniky – UP Olomouc; Botanický ústav akademie věd ČR Studijní program: Biologie Studijní obor: Botanika Školitel: Doc. RNDr. Zuzana Münzbergová, Ph.D. Rok obhajoby: 2012 Abstrakt: Dobrá znalost populační biologie, genetické variability a stanovištních charakteristik je nezbytná pro efektivní ochranu vzácných druhů rostlin. Pro svou studii jsem si zvolila kriticky ohrožený druh chráněný směrnicí o stanovištích (příloha II), Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass.. Hlavním cílem studie bylo stanovit genetickou variabilitu, hlavní stanovištní charakteristiky lokalit studovaného druhu a zhodnotit jejich význam spolu s velikostí populací pro populační dynamiku L. sibirica v České republice a na Slovensku. Populační dynamika byla studována pomocí populačních přechodových matic po dobu čtyř let. Většina sledovaných populací prospívá dobře a pouze populace rostoucí na odvodněných stanovištích mají klesající trend. Analýzy elasticity ukázaly, že přechody, které nejvíce přispívají k růstové rychlosti populací, se liší dle zachovalosti stanoviště. Genetická variabilita byla stanovena pomocí metody isoenzymů. Výsledky ukázaly, že populace L. sibirica jsou schopny uchovat dostatek genetické variability a že se většina této variability nachází uvnitř populací. Nalezena byla také pozitivní korelace mezi genetickou variabilitou a velikostí populací druhu. Výsledky dále ukázaly, že L. sibirica má schopnost růst v široké škále na živiny různě bohatých stanovištích. Populace druhu rostoucí na stanovištích chudých na živiny prosperují lépe než populace rostoucí na stanovištích bohatých na živiny, a to i přesto, že je velikost jedinců menší a mají nižší produkci semen. Nakonec jsem regresní analýzou zjistila, který ze studovaných faktorů (genetická variabilita, stanovištní podmínky nebo velikost populace) ovlivňuje vitalitu populací L. sibirica. Ukázalo se, že tímto faktorem jsou stanovištní podmínky. Výsledky ukazují, že malá velikost populace a nižší genetická variabilita prozatím nejsou hlavní problém při ochraně druhu Ligularia sibirica. Ochrana tohoto vzácného druhu by se měla zaměřit především zachování vhodných stanovištních podmínek a na obnovení stanovištních podmínek odvodněných lokalit. Klíčová slova: Ligularia sibirica; vzácný rostlinný druh; životaschopnost populací; genetická variabilita; velikost populací; kvalita stanoviště Počet stran: 133 Jazyk: anglický 3 Bibliographic identification Author’s first name and surname: Anna Heinken-Šmídová Title of the Thesis: Study of factors influencing population dynamics of the plant species Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass. Type of Thesis: Ph.D. Thesis Department: Department of Botany – UP Olomouc; Institute of Botany of the ASCR Study program: Biology Field of Study: Botany Supervisor: Doc. RNDr. Zuzana Münzbergová, Ph.D. Year of defence: 2012 Abstract: Good knowledge of population biology, genetic diversity, and environmental factors is necessary for efficient conservation of rare species. For my study I chose Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass., a critically endangered plant species protected under the EU Habitats Directive (Annex II). The main aim of the study was to estimate the genetic diversity and the main habitat conditions of the localities, and assess their importance together with population size for the population dynamics of L. sibirica in the Czech and Slovak Republic. The population dynamics was studied for four years using population transition matrices. Most of the studied populations of L. sibirica were performing well and only those growing in deteriorating habitats due to drainage showed a decreasing trend. Analyses of elasticity showed that transitions that most contribute to the population growth rate vary with habitat conditions. The genetic diversity was estimated using allozyme electrophoresis. The findings suggest that populations can retain sufficient amount of genetic variability and that most of the variability is within populations. However, the results also revealed a significant positive correlation between genetic diversity and population size. Further, the results showed that L. sibirica has the ability to grow and compete under various nutrient regimes. Populations growing in nutrient-poor habitats were performing better than populations growing in nutrient-rich habitats, even though the individuals are smaller and have lower seed production in nutrient-poor conditions. Comparing the importance of habitat conditions, population size and genetic diversity for the performance of the L. sibirica population, the habitat conditions were identified as the most important factor. The results indicate that small population sizes and low/reduced genetic diversity are not yet a major problem for Ligularia sibirica and protection of this species should focus on preserving habitat conditions of nutrient-poor sites and restoring habitat conditions of drained localities. Key-words: Ligularia sibirica; rare plant species; population viability; genetic diversity; population size; habitat quality Number of pages: 133 Language: English 5 Declaration I hereby declare that I made this thesis independently, using the listed references, or in the co- operation with other authors of the papers. I did submit neither the thesis nor any part of it to acquire any other academic title. Anna Heinken-Šmídová Contributions of the co-authors Chapter I: Heinken-Šmídová A. & Münzbergová Z.: Population dynamics of the endangered, long-lived perennial species, Ligularia sibirica. – accepted to Folia Geobotanica A. Heinken-Šmídová collected the field data, performed their analyses and wrote the chapter. Z. Münzbergová gave advices on methodology and statistical analyses, reviewed the chapter and her comments helped to improve the manuscript. Chapter II: Šmídová A., Münzbergová Z. & Plačková I. (2011): Genetic diversity of a relict plant species, Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass. (Asteraceae). – Flora 206: 151-157. A. Heinken-Šmídová collected the field data, participated on the laboratory work, performed the analyses and wrote the chapter. Z. Münzbergová gave advices on methodology and statistical analyses, reviewed the chapter and her comments helped to improve the manuscript. I. Plačková conducted the laboratory allozyme analyses and gave advices for the evaluation of the results. Chapter III: Heinken-Šmídová A. & Münzbergová Z.: The habitat requirements of the endangered wetland species Ligularia sibirica. – Manuscript. A. Heinken-Šmídová collected the field data, performed their analyses and wrote the chapter. Z. Münzbergová gave advices on methodology and statistical analyses, reviewed the chapter and her comments helped to improve the manuscript. The soil and leaf biomass analyses were performed in the soil laboratory of the Institute of Botany of the ASCR. Chapter IV: Heinken-Šmídová A. & Münzbergová Z.: Habitat conditions are better determinants of population performance of the perennial herb Ligularia sibirica than population size and genetic diversity. – Manuscript. A. Heinken-Šmídová performed the statistical analyses and wrote the chapter. Z. Münzbergová gave advices on statistical analyses, reviewed the chapter and her comments helped to improve the manuscript. Given the co-authorship of Zuzana Münzbergová who reviewed all chapters and her comments helped to improve the manuscripts, I will use the first person plural in the following. All authors are aware of the above text. They agree with the wording of the statement. 7 Acknowledgements I would like to thank to my supervisor, Zuzana Münzbergová for her help, advices and securing the funding of this study, and to Vlastík Rybka for inspiring me to study Ligularia sibirica. I have to thank to A. Leskovjanská from the National Park Slovensky raj, E. Gojdičová from the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, Prešov and P. Turis from the National Park Nizke Tatry who provided me with all information about the Slovak localities and helped me very much with my field work in the Slovak Republic. I also thank the workers in the protected areas of the Czech Republic in which Ligularia sibirica occurs for providing me with information about the localities. My thanks also go to the members, especially to Ivana Plačková, of the isozyme laboratory in the Institute of Botany, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic in Průhonice for introducing me into the allozyme analyses. My thanks belong to my family for supporting me in various ways. Last but not least I would like thank my husband Thilo for his great help with the field work, scientific advices and ideas to my work and that he stood by me all the time and encouraged me to continue in the work. Finally I must thank my daughter Klara, born 24th November 2011, for giving me a few moments to finish the last lines of the thesis. This thesis was supported by the research project from the Czech Ministry of Education 2B06178 and partly also 0021620828 and by the research project from the Grant Agency of Academy of Science AV0Z60050516. Due to the conservation status of Ligularia sibirica, the author obtained research permission from the Ministries