Article

Vito A. Romano, Dr., Department of Science in the Basilicata University (85100, Italy, Potenza, Via Ateneo lucano 10); e-mail: vitoantonio_romano@libero.it
Leonardo Rosati, Dr., aggr. Professor of School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences in the Basilicata University (85100, Italy, Potenza, Via Ateneo lucano 10); e-mail: leonardo.rosati@unibas.it
Simonetta Fascetti, Dr., Professor of School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences in the Basilicata University (85100, Italy, Potenza, Via Ateneo lucano 10); e-mail: simonetta.fascetti@unibas.it

Romano V.A., Rosati L., Fascetti S. 2020. Trends in population size of Ophrys argolica subsp. biscutella in the Appennino Lucano-Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese National Park (Italy). Nature Conservation Research 5(Suppl.1): 155–164. https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2020.058

Electronic Supplement 1. Between-years comparison of reproductive features of the Ophrys argolica subsp. biscutella population (Link)
Electronic Supplement 2. Between-years comparison of mortality rate in the studied Ophrys argolica subsp. biscutella population (Link)
Electronic Supplement 3. Daily temperatures of spring 2011 during 21 April – 12 May 2011 in the monitored area (Link)

In this study we focused on population monitoring of Ophrys argolica subsp. biscutella, an orchid endemic to the south of the Italian Peninsula belonging to the section Araniferae. The study concerned its main detected population located within the Appennino Lucano-Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese National Park (Basilicata Region, South Italy). Ten permanent plots of 10 × 10 m were annually surveyed from 2010 to 2015 using total counts of flowering plants. The following characters were measured: height of inflorescences, number of flowers, lost plants, fruiting plants and fruit set. Percentage cover of trees, shrubs, herbs and bare rocks were visually estimated in 1 × 1 m subplots and an accurate vegetation map of each plot was drawn. In regards to plant height and reproductive variables, no significant differences between the plots were detected. Similarly, with respect to population variables, no significant correlations with vegetation and environmental features (i.e. slope, aspect) emerged. On the contrary, a strong negative trend in the population size was observed (from 237 individuals in 2010 to 61 in 2015) and the number of plants per plot decreased from 23.7 individuals to 6.1 individuals. Reproductive variables (i.e. number of flowers, fruit set) showed a similar decreasing pattern. As for the lost of individuals we detected a higher incidence in 2011 (average number of lost plants per plot was 16.6) with 75% of lost spikes and fruit set amounting to zero. Although grazing management can heavily influence demographic parameters of Ophrys populations, there was no evidence of any kind of land cover or land use change. No appreciable differences were observed in vegetation cover, grazing type or grazing load. Moreover, no significant disturbance events occurred in this area. Finally, the inspection of meteorological data recorded during the monitoring interval lead to argue that the strong demographic decline of the Ophrys argolica subsp. biscutella population in the Appennino Lucano-Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese National Park must be mainly related to the late frost event that occurred in the spring of 2011.

demography, endemic species, late frost, Orchidaceae, population dynamics, Protected Area, rare plant species

Received: 06.04.2020. Revised: 07.09.2020. Accepted: 11.09.2020.

Bateman R.M., Sramkó G., Paun O. 2018. Integrating restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) with morphological cladistic analysis clarifies evolutionary relationships among major species groups of bee orchids. Annals of Botany 121(1): 85–105. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx129
Bartolucci F., Peruzzi L., Galasso G., Albano A., Alessandrini A., Ardenghi N.M.G., Astuti G., Bacchetta G., Ballelli S., Banfi E., Barberis G., Bernardo L., Bouvet D., Bovio M., Cecchi L., Di Pietro R., Domina G., Fascetti S., Fenu G., Festi F., Foggi B., Gallo L., Gottschlich G., Gubellini L., Iamonico D., Iberite M., Jiménez-Mejías P., Lattanzi E., Marchetti D., Martinetto E. et al. 2018. An updated checklist of the vascular flora native to Italy. Plant Biosystems 152(2): 179–303. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2017.1419996
Bullock J. 1996. Plants. In: W.J. Sutherland (Eds.): Ecological census techniques: a handbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. P. 111–138.
Cortis P., Vereecken N.J., Schiestl F.P., Lumaga M.R.B., Scrugli A., Cozzolino S. 2009. Pollinator convergence and the nature of species' boundaries in sympatric Sardinian Ophrys (Orchidaceae). Annals of Botany 104(3): 497–506. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcn219
Delforge P. 2016. Orchidés d'Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et do Proche-Orient. 4^th ed. Paris: Delachaux et Niestle. 544 p.
Devey D.S., Bateman R.M., Fay M.F., Hawkins J.A. 2008. Friends or relatives? Phylogenetics and species delimitation in the controversial European orchid genus Ophrys. Annals of Botany 101(3): 385–402. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcm299
European Union. 1992. Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 may 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. Available from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31992L0043
Fascetti S., Pirone G., Ciaschetti G., Franceschi M., Mazzilli V., Navazio G., Pompili M., Romano V.A. 2006. Il “Faggeto" di Moliterno, Oasi Naturalistica dell'Appennino Lucano. Moliterno: Valentina Porfidio Editore. 111 p.
Fascetti S., Pirone G., Rosati L. 2013. The vegetation of the Maddalena Mountains (Southern Italy). Plant Sociology 50(2): 5–37. DOI: 10.7338/pls2013502/01
Gervasi D.D.L., Selosse M.A., Sauve M., Francke W., Vereecken N.J., Cozzolino S., Schiestl F.P. 2017. Floral scent and species divergence in a pair of sexually deceptive orchids. Ecology and Evolution 7(15): 6023–6034. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3147
Hammer Ø., Harper D.A.T., Ryan P.D. 2001. PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4(1): 9.
Hennecke M. 2013. Morphologisches Dendrogramm der Ophrys-Sektionen. Berichte aus den Arbeitskreisen Heimische Orchideen 30(2): 90–108.
Hutchings M.J. 1987a. The Population Biology of the Early Spider Orchid, Ophrys Sphegodes Mill. I. A Demographic Study from 1975 to 1984. Journal of Ecology 75(3): 711–727. DOI: 10.2307/2260201
Hutchings M.J. 1987b. The Population Biology of the Early Spider Orchid, Ophrys Sphegodes Mill. II. Temporal Patterns in Behaviour. Journal of Ecology 75(3): 729–742. DOI: 10.2307/2260202
Hutchings M.J. 2010. The population biology of the early spider orchid Ophrys sphegodes Mill. III. Demography over three decades. Journal of Ecology 98(4): 867–878. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01661.x
Johnson S.D., Schiestl F.P. 2016. Floral mimicry. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 176 p.
Kull T. 2002. Population dynamics of north temperate orchids. In: T. Kull, J. Arditti (Eds.): Orchid Biology: Review and Perspectives. Vol. 8. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. P. 139–165.
Médail F., Myers N. 2004. Mediterranean Basin. In: R.A. Mittermeier, P. Robles Gil, M. Hoffmann, J. Pilgrim, T. Brooks, C.G. Mittermeier, J. Lamoreaux, G.A.B. da Fonseca (Eds): Hotspots revisited: Earth's biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions. Monterrey: Conservation International, Washington and Agrupacion Sierra Madre. P. 144–147.
Pellegrino G., Bellusci F. 2014. Effects of human disturbance on reproductive success and population viability of Serapias cordigera (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of Linnean Society 176(3): 408–420. DOI: 10.1111/boj.12204
Pfeifer M., Wiegand K., Heinrich W., Jetschke G. 2006. Long-term demographic fluctuations in an orchid species driven by weather: implications for conservation planning. Journal of Applied Ecology 43(2): 313–324. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01148.x
Pignatti S. 1982. Flora d'Italia. Vol. 3. Bologna: Edagricole. 780 p.
Pridgeon A. 1992. The Illustrated encyclopedia of orchids. Portland: Timber Press. 304 p.
Romolini R., Souche R. 2012. Ophrys d'Italia. Saint-Martin-de-Londres: Société Occitane d'Orchidologie. 575 p.
Rosati L., Romano V., Bartolucci F., Bernardo L., Bouvet D., Cancellieri L., Caruso G., Conti F., Faraoni F., Banfi E., Galasso G., Lattanzi E., Lavezzo P., Peccenini S., Perrino E.V., Salerno G., Sciandra A., Soldano A., Stinca A., Totta C., Fascetti S. 2017. Contribution to the floristic knowledge of the Maddalena Mountains (Basilicata and Campania, southern Italy). Italian Botanist 3: 73–82. DOI: 10.3897/italianbotanist.3.12519
Rosati L., Coppi A., Farris E., Fascetti S., Becca G., Peregrym M., Tan K., Selvi F. 2019a. The genus Gymnospermium (Berberidaceae) in Italy: Identity and relationships of the populations at the western limit of the genus range. Plant Biosystems 153(6): 796–808. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2018.1549613
Rosati L., Romano V.A., Cerone L., Fascetti S., Potenza G., Bazzato E., Cillo D., Mecca M., Racioppi R., D'Auria M., Farris E. 2019b. Pollination features and floral volatiles of Gymnospermium scipetarum (Berberidaceae). Journal of Plant Research 132(1): 49–56. DOI: 10.1007/s10265-018-1073-2
Rosati L., Fascetti S., Romano V.A., Potenza G., Lapenna M.R., Capano A., Nicoletti P., Farris E., de Lange P.J., Del Vico E., Facioni L., Fanfarillo E., Lattanzi E., Cano-Ortiz A., Marignani M., Fogu M.C., Bazzato E., Lallai E., Laface V.L.A., Musarella C.M., Spampinato G., Mei G., Misano G., Salerno G., Esposito A., Stinca A. 2020. New Chorological Data for the Italian Vascular Flora. Diversity 12(1): 22. DOI: 10.3390/d12010022
Sala O.E., Chapin F.S., Armesto J.J., Berlow E., Bloomfield J., Dirzo R., Huber-Sanwald E., Huenneke L.F., Jackson R.B., Kinzig A., Leemans R., Lodge D.M., Mooney H.A., Oesterheld M., Poff N.L., Sykes M.T., Walker B.H., Walker M., Wall D.H. 2000. Global Biodiversity Scenarios for the Year 2100. Science 287(5459): 1770–1774. DOI: 10.1126/science.287.5459.1770
Swarts N.D., Dixon K.W. 2009. Terrestrial orchid conservation in the age of extinction. Annals of Botany 104(3): 543–556. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp025
Vogt-Schilb H., Geniez P., Pradel R., Richard F., Schatz B. 2013. Inter-annual variability in flowering of orchids: lessons learned from 8 years of monitoring in a Mediterranean region of France. European Journal of Environmental Sciences 3(2): 129–137. DOI: 10.14712/23361964.2015.16
Vogt-Schilb H., Munoz F., Richard F., Schatz B. 2015. Recent declines and range changes of orchids in Western Europe (France, Belgium and Luxembourg). Biological Conservation 190: 133–141. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.002
Waite S. 1989. Predicting popolution trends in Ophrys sphegodes Mill. In: W. Pritchard (Ed.): Modern Methods in Orchid Conservation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. P. 117–127.
Waite S., Hutchings M.J. 1991. The effects of different management regimes on the population dynamics of Ophrys sphegodes: analysis and description using matrix models. In: T.C.E. Wells, J.H. Willems (Eds.): Population Ecology of Terrestrial Orchids. The Hague: SPB Publishing. P. 161–175.
Wells T.C.E., Cox R. 1991. Demographic and biological studies on Ophrys apifera: some results from a 10 years study. In: T.C.E. Wells, J.H. Willems (Eds.): Population Ecology of Terrestrial Orchids. The Hague: SPB Publishing. P. 47–62.
Whigham D.F., Willems J.H. 2003. Demographic studies and life-history strategies of temperate terrestrial orchids as a basis for conservation. In: K.W. Dixon, S.P. Kell, R.L. Barrett, P.J. Cribb (Eds.): Orchid Conservation. Sabah, Borneo: Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu. P. 137–158.
Wotavová K., Balounová Z., Kindlmann P. 2004. Factors affecting persistence of terrestrial orchids in wet meadows and implications for their conservation in a changing agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 118(3): 271–279. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2003.09.005