Marsh gladiolus flowers prefer to bloom in forests rather than in meadows - Reproductive characteristics of forest and meadow populations in Hungary

Vivien Lábadi ¹, Sándor Csete ², Bálint Pacsai ¹, Judit Bódis ²

Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation AND Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Festetics Doctoral School ¹, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation ²

The endangered status of the marsh gladiolus (Gladiolus palustris Gaud.) is reflected in its status as a species of Community interest (EU Habitats Directive). Although it has been on the European Red List since 2011 (as Data Deficient), its populations tend to decline. Although significant part of the global population is located in Hungary, few information have been published on these populations yet. The original habitats of the species may have been open forests but nowadays the largest Hungarian populations are found in secondary meadows. For species that reproduce by seed, as Gladiolus does, understanding their reproductive characteristics is essential to determine the viability of a population. Our studies focused on the differences in reproductive characteristics between the meadow and forest populations of Gladiolus palustris. We selected sample sites in that three regions where the species occurs, both in meadows and forests in 2024: in Balaton-felvidék and in North Kiskunság one-one meadow and one-one open forest population; in South Kiskunság three meadow populations. We recorded the proportion of vegetative and reproductive individuals in 1x1 m random quadrats, and some characteristics of flowering individuals randomly selected in the populations: plant height, number of flowers, number of fruits. The results showed that the proportion of flowering individuals varied in the populations studied. It was higher in forest populations (66–73%) than in meadow populations (27–62%). The height of flowering individuals was larger in more closed habitats. Within the forest populations there was a statistically confirmed difference in mean height between the Balaton-felvidék (69.20 ± 9.92 cm) and the North Kiskunság (60.82 cm ± 11.43) populations. There was no significant difference in mean height between the three meadow populations of the South Kiskunság region. Both the average number of flowers and the fruit set of individuals were found to be significantly dependent on the habitat (meadow or forest) and also on population. In the meadow populations of South Kiskunság the average lower individuals produced on average fewer flowers (2.40–4.00). This was inversely related to the reproductive success (58%–70%), where the average fruit set was also highest. The average number of flowers was higher in the forest populations (4.60–5.90), however the fruit set was lower (21%–54%). In the meadows of Balaton-felvidék and North Kiskunság, the mean height and the mean number of flowers of the replicates are in between. To summarise the reproductive success of Gladiolus palustris, the meadow populations of South Kiskunság had the highest fruit set, but the average number of flowers was lower. On the other hand, in the forest population of Balaton-felvidék the average number of flowers was higher and the fruit set was also relatively high. Unfortunately, only two forest populations remain in Hungary, and one in which the number of individuals is critically low. In the case of Gladiolus palustris, forest habitat loss may be a serious limiting factor, but the species quite successfully adapted to meadow habitats, allowing it to survive.

Main author career stage: PhD student

Contribution type: Poster

First choice session: 3. Biodiversity and global change

Second choice session: 2. Ecology