Data to the management of the Adriatic lizard orchid populations in Hungary
Abstract
The effective protection of species requires a detailed knowledge of their biology. The Adriatic Lizard orchid (Himantoglossum adriaticum H. Baumann) is a Natura 2000, CITES species, and a strictly protected plant in Hungary. This orchid has four larger and one smaller populations in Hungary (other satellite locations are also known). We counted the flowering individuals in all of the larger populations in Hungary between 2013 and 2017. Altogether 1903 inflorescences were tagged to record the height of the flowering stalk, the length of inflorescence and the number of flowers and fruits. We found 34–179 flowering shoots in each population per year. The reproductive success varied between 9.2 and 61.7% (mean=33.5±15.6, n=20) in the populations. There were lower (typically around 20% annual averages) fruit set in Keszthely and Sümeg, and higher in Kőszeg and Nagytevel (around 30–60% annual averages). Among the traits, the height of the shoot and the length of the inflorescence were not independent from each other, accordingly they changed in the same way: they differed significantly between places and years too, and the interaction of years and places was also significant. The smallest variability was shown by the number of flowers: only the Sümeg population differed from the others, the flower number was significantly lower here. The number of fruits and reproductive success also differed significantly between years and places. On the basis of the Corine surface cover, the Keszthely and Sümeg populations occur in forested areas or in forested and scrubland mosaic, while the population of Kőszeg and Nagytevel grow in a complex of meadow and cultivated areas. The number of the flowers in the inflorescences is a stable trait, but reproductive success is influenced by the location and the environmental factors of the given year. Recognizing these background factors is a key task for preserving populations.
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