Ecology and Genetics of Cyperus fuscus in Central Europe—A Model for Ephemeral Wetland Plant Research and Conservation

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Authors

KÚR Pavel PÍŠOVÁ Soňa TREMETSBERGER Karin DŘEVOJAN Pavel KĄCKI Zygmunt BÖCKELMANN Jörg BERNHARDT Karl-Georg HROUDOVÁ Zdenka MESTERHÁZY Attila ŠUMBEROVÁ Kateřina

Year of publication 2021
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Water
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091277
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13091277
Keywords chromosome number; climatic niche; distribution trends; ecological niche; fishpond habitats; genome size; genetic diversity; Isoëto-Nanojuncetea; soil seed bank; species diversity
Description The ecology and species diversity of ephemeral wetland vegetation have been fairly well studied, but the biology of its characteristic species has rarely been investigated holistically. Here we combine previous results on the genetic diversity of a suitable model species (the diploid Cyperus fuscus) with new data on its historical and recent occurrence, its ecological and climatic niche, and the associated vegetation. Analysis of phytosociological relevés from Central Europe revealed a broad ecological niche of C. fuscus with an optimum in the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea class, extending to several other vegetation types. Overall species composition in the relevés highlight C. fuscus as a potential indicator of habitat conditions suitable for a range of other threatened taxa. Analysis of historical records of C. fuscus from the Czech Republic showed an increasing trend in the number of localities since the 1990s. It seems that recent climate warming allows the thermophilous C. fuscus to expand its range into colder regions. Isoëto-Nanojuncetea and Bidentetea species are well represented in the soil seed bank in both riverine and anthropogenic habitats of C. fuscus. Vegetation diversity has a weak negative effect and anthropogenic (compared to riverine) habitats have a strong negative effect on genetic diversity in this species.
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