Soil properties and plant species can predict population size and potential introduction sites of the endangered orchid Cypripedium calceolus.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

To counteract the ongoing worldwide biodiversity loss, conservation actions are required to re-establish populations of threatened species. Two key factors predominantly involved in finding the most suitable habitats for endangered plant species are the surrounding plant community composition and the physicochemical parameters of the soil rooting zone. However, such factors are likely to be context- and species-dependent, so it remains unclear to what extent they influence the performance of target species.

Methods

We studied large and small Swiss populations of the endangered orchid Cypripedium calceolus. We measured functional traits related to C. calceolus plant and population performance (clonal patch area, plant height, number, of leaf,

SUBMITTER: Rusconi O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10272267 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature