Patterns of orchid species richness and composition in relation to geological substrates

0520257 - ÚVGZ 2020 RIV AT eng J - Journal Article
Djordjevič, V. - Tsiftsis, Spyros
Patterns of orchid species richness and composition in relation to geological substrates.
Wulfenia. Roč. 26, DEC 2019 (2019), s. 1-21. ISSN 1561-882X
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1415
Institutional support: RVO:86652079
Keywords : biological flora * calcareous grasslands * niche analysis * southern part * serpentine * diversity * conservation * vegetation * ecology * silicon * Orchidaceae * bedrock types * diversity * flora * Serbia * Balkan Peninsula
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 0.512, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://www.multidisciplinarywulfenia.org/archive/index.php/?volume=26&issue=1

Terrestrial orchids in Europe are known for their great species richness that occurs on calcareous geological substrates. However, the knowledge of orchids that grow on other bedrock types is limited. In this paper, the richness and composition of orchid species in relation to geological substrates in the central Balkans (western Serbia) were investigated. For identification of floristic similarities among the geological substrates, the clustering method based on Jaccard distances and unweighted pair-group average hierarchical sorting strategy (UPGMA) was used. In addition, multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP) was applied to analyse the differences in orchid composition between bedrock types. Orchid species and subspecies were recorded on ten bedrock types. The greatest number of orchids was recorded on limestone-dolomite (52 species and subspecies), ophiolitic melange (40) and schists-gneiss-phyllites (31). However, a significant number of orchid species and subspecies were recorded on carbonate clastites, ultramafics, andesite-dacite-porphyrite and Quaternary sediments. On the other hand, a smaller number of orchid species were recorded on acidic igneous rocks (quartz latite and granodiorite), indicating that they are less favourable for orchids. The cluster analysis of floristic similarities allowed the identification of seven sets of geological substrates. The greatest floristic similarity was identified between limestone-dolomite and ophiolitic melange as well as schists-gneiss-phyllites and ultramafics. However, an analysis of the composition of orchid flora in terms of abundance and frequency of orchids indicated that carbonate substrates (limestone-dolomite and carbonate clastites) differ statistically from the highest number of bedrock types. Cephalanthera damasonium, C. longafolia, Dactylorhiza sambucina, Epipactis helleborine, Gymnadenia conopsea, Neottia nidus-avis and Platanthera bifolia were found to grow on nine bedrock types, suggesting their great ecological plasticity and adaptability. This study emphasizes the important role of geological substrates in the richness, composition and distribution of orchid species in the central Balkans, pointing out that many species, known to date to occur exclusively on calcareous substrates, also grow on different silicate substrates and ultramafics. The results indicate that differences in the species richness and composition of orchids which are related to the geological substrates of their habitats should be taken into account when designing orchid conservation and management strategies.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0304958