See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317889495 The occurrence of Spiraea crenata and other rare steppe plants in Pannonian graveyards Article in Biologia · May 2017 DOI: 10.1515/biolog-2017-0060 CITATIONS READS 0 14 9 authors, including: Attila Molnár V. Adam Lovas-Kiss University of Debrecen University of Debrecen 145 PUBLICATIONS 462 CITATIONS 16 PUBLICATIONS 15 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Ecology, dispersal and migration of Eurasian Spoonbill View project Herbaria as tools of ecological and environmental researches View project All content following this page was uploaded by Attila Molnár V. on 26 June 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. 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Biologia 72/5: 500—509, 2017 Section Botany DOI: 10.1515/biolog-2017-0060 The occurrence of Spiraea crenata and other rare steppe plants in Pannonian graveyards* Attila Molnár V.1,2**, Viktor Loki¨ 1, András Máté4, Attila Molnár5, Attila Takács 1,2, Timea Nagy6,ÁdámLovas-Kiss1, Balázs András Lukács3, Gábor Sramkó1,2 &JácintTok¨ olyi¨ 7 1Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1,H-4032, Debrecen, Hungary; e-mail: [email protected] 2MTA-DE “Lend¨ulet” Evolutionary Phylogenomics Research Group, Egyetem tér 1., H-4032, Debrecen, Hungary 3Department of Tisza River Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, Bem tér 18/C, H-4026, Debrecen, Hun- gary. 4H-6000 Kecskemét, Hársfa u. 7,Hungary 5 Institute of Biology and Ecology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1,H-4032, Debrecen, Hungary 6Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty, H-8360 Keszthely, Festetics u. 7,Hungary 7MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1,Hungary Abstract: Spiraea crenata was categorised as a species extinct from Hungary at the end of the 20th century. This steppe- relic species was rediscovered in 2000 in a rural graveyard (Pusztamonostor). As a result of our recent survey of 294 Pannonian graveyards, we found further 12 localities of S. crenata. We also found 27 populations of further protected plant species, mainly with pontic, pontic-pannonian, Eurasian or continental distribution. We found that the total scrub cover of graveyards with S. crenata was significantly higher than graveyards without this species; this is obviously related to the fact that the individuals of S. crenata were found mostly in edges of the graveyards, where they could survive mowing among high and dense scrubs or small trees. Other factors (geographic position, altitude above sea level, area of graveyards, proportion of grasslands, and proportion of territory covered by graves) were not related to the presence of the species. The total number of other protected species was significantly higher in graveyards with S. crenata.MostofthesiteswithS. crenata functioned as graveyards during the 2nd Military Survey of the Austrian Empire (1806–1869; 10 out of 13 sites), and the 3rd Military Survey (1869–1887; 12 of 13 sites). The long usage history of these graveyards suggests that the S. crenata individuals – along with other remarkable species – might be remnants of the original steppe vegetation rather than the result of plantations for ornamental purposes. Our results highlight the role of graveyards in the preservation of steppe flora, one of the most endangered component of the European flora. Key words: cemetery; flora of Central Europe; Pannonian Ecoregion; Red List species; relic species; steppe species. Introduction of Spiraea crenata subsp. crenata were the former (ex- tinct) Hungarian occurrences (Fig. 1.). Spiraea crenata L. (scalloped spirea, syn.: S. crenifolia Localities in Central and Southeastern Europe are C. A. Meyer, S. sawranica Bess.) is a medium height very few—the species is known only in Romania (Sˆarbu (0.5–1 m), deciduous shrub. It is mainly distributed et al. 2013), Slovakia (Holub 1999), Ukraine (Do- throughout the western and central Eurasian steppe brochaeva 1954), Bulgaria (Vladimirov 2014), Kosovo zone; its native range extends from Southeast Europe to (Josifovi´c 1972), and Hungary (Bartha et al. 2004). The the Caucasus and Altai Mountains (Kurtto et al. 2004, plant was found in a few locations in the southeastern Fig. 1.). The area of S. crenata, however, is discontin- parts of its area: in Iran (Sch¨onbeck-Temesy 1969) and uous especially on the western part; the westernmost Turkey (Davis et al. 1965). The species was considered locations of the plant are in Spain, where a distinct extinct in Bulgaria (Peev & Vladimirov 2011), but a endemic taxon [subsp. parvifolia (Pau) Romo] was de- new site was found in 2012 (Vladimirov et al. 2014). scribed (Gamarra & González 1997). Based on the map The species is protected by law in Hungary (Király of Kurtto et al. (2004), the westernmost known sites 2007) and in Slovakia (Eliáš et al. 2015). * Electronic supplementary material. The online version of this article (DOI: 10.1515/biolog-2017-0060) contains supple- mentary material, which is available to authorized users. ** Corresponding author c 2017 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences Brought to you by | University of Debrecen Authenticated Download Date | 6/26/17 1:11 PM TheoccurrenceofrareSpiraea crenata in graveyards 501 Fig. 1. Distribution of Spiraea crenata in Europe as presented in Atlas Florae Europaea (reproduced with the kind permission of the Committee for Mapping the Flora of Europe & Societas Biologica Fennica Vanamo, Helsinki). Spiraea crenata was categorised as extinct in Hun- 1994). They can play significant role in conserving gary (Németh 1989; Bartha 1989, 1996, 1999; Bartha plant species, even for centuries (McBarron et al. 1988). & Nagy 2004; Kurtto 2009). Based on historical data Burial places are appropriate for tallgrass prairie rem- (Kitaibel in Gombocz 1945; Janka 1866; Vrabélyi 1868; nants in North America (Could 1941), and they can be Kerner 1869), S. crenata was obviously a native ele- suitable for orchids in Eurasia (L¨oki et al. 2015; Mol- ment of the Pannonian flora, but nowadays it is prac- nár V. et al. 2017a). These territories are mostly undis- tically absent from preserved natural steppe habitats turbed, sacred areas where the land is exempted from in Hungary. In 2000, Udvardy (2004) found one spec- the vast majority of land transformation activities. Al- imen in the graveyard of the village Pusztamonostor. though their importance is now recognised, our knowl- Three years later, two more polycormons were found in edge about the conservation values of graveyards is in- the same location (Bartha et al. 2004), together with complete. The importance of graveyards in conserving several rare and valuable steppe species (Amygdalus steppe plants and animal species is getting more impor- nana L., Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit. and Allium tant due to drastic changes of the natural landscapes rotundum L.). These individuals were considered the worldwide (Barrett & Barrett 2001). last three polycormons of a nearly extinct species in On 5 May 2015, during a botanical survey of Pan- Hungary. nonian graveyards, two of the authors of this paper The Pannonian Plain, located in Central Europe found a specimen of Spiraea crenata in the grave- in the arc of the Carpathians with Hungary in its cen- yard of Tiszaszentimre-Újszentgy¨orgy (Eastern Hun- tre, is the westernmost part of the Eurasian steppe gary). Since this was the second modern recording of zone (Bohn et al. 2003). Although today it is charac- the species in a Hungarian graveyard, we performed terised by agricultural lands with large areas of arable a systematic search of the species in graveyards within fields, there is paleontological evidence of a significant its former distribution area in the Pannonian Ecoregion steppe biota during the Holocene (Magyari et al. 2010; and some neighbouring areas. Two hypotheses were for- Németh et al. 2016). Furthermore, a meta-analysis of mulated. 1. Ancient graveyards established at the time the phylogeographic patterns of steppe plants and ani- when the species was more widespread can serve as mals in Central-Eastern Europe found evidence of long- refuges for Spiraea crenata. 2. Graveyards with S. cre- term survival of steppe organisms with specific linages nata harbour higher number of valuable plant species developed locally (Kajtoch et al. 2016). Therefore, de- than burial grounds without S. crenata. spite the profound transformation of steppe flora and fauna in the Pannonian Plain (Molnár et al. 2012), the remaining steppe biota includes unique lineages and Material and methods deserves high conservation attention and botanical re- We evaluated 294 graveyards between June 2015 and May search activity. 2016 (See supplementary data Table S1). We focused our Graveyards can be refuges for different kinds of research on lowland areas in the Pannonian Ecoregion, es- organisms worldwide (Barrett & Barrett 2001; Laske pecially in the regions where previous historical occurrences Brought to you by | University of Debrecen Authenticated Download Date | 6/26/17 1:11 PM 502 A. Molnár et al. Table 1. Data of occurrences of Spiraea crenata in surveyed graveyards. No. of Spiraea Other plant species of Settlement Geographic position Alt. (m) crenata individuals