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We investigated the flowering probability and flower production in relation to plant size in a terrestrial orchid, Dactylorhiza majalis at 10 meadow sites in central and southwestern Poland. These sites differed in altitude (low, high) and management (presence or absence of mowing). At all sites, concentrations of nutrients in the soil were also measured. The probability of flowering increased significantly with the size of the plant in all populations, indicating that individuals do not flower until they reach a threshold size. Populations at high altitudes and the unmown sites had significantly lower threshold sizes for reproduction and showed sharp increase in flowering probability with plant size, compared to other populations. The threshold sizes for reproduction tended to decrease at sites rich in N and Mg and poor in P and S. Flower production was also size-dependent in all populations. Considerable between-site differences were found in the slope and the intercept of the regression between plant size and flower production. Flower production at some sites, at high altitudes, increased more steeply with plant size than at other sites. However, no pattern in size-dependent flower production was found relative to the measured environmental variables. Most of the size-dependent components of flowering probability were related to each other but not with the size-dependent flower production.

The study objects were Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., an endangered species and fifty five water sites in Poland. The aim of the present work was to test the Self-Organizing Feature Map in order to examine and predict water properties and type of trophicity for restoration of the rare plant. Descriptive statistical parameters have been calculated, analysis of variance and cluster analysis were carried out and SOFM model has been constructed for analysed sites. The results of SOFM model and cluster analysis were compared. The study revealed that the ordination of individuals and groups of neurons in topological map of sites are similar in relation to dendrogram of cluster analysis, but not identical. The constructed SOFM model is related with significantly different contents of chemical water properties and type of trophicity. It appeared that sites with A. vesiculosa are predominantly distrophic and eutrophic waters shifted to distrophicity. The elevated model showed the sites with chemical properties favourable for restoration the species. Determined was the range of ecological tolerance of the species in relation to habitat conditions as stenotopic or relatively stenotopic in respect of the earlier accepted eutrophic status. The SOFM appeared to be a useful technique for ordination of ecological data and provides a novel framework for the discovery and forecasting of ecosystem properties constituting a validation of the SOFM method in this type of studies.

Variation in vegetative and reproductive performance and leaf mineral composition among 25 populations of Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron) from soils derived from six parent materials (limestone, marl, sandstone, greenstone, melaphyre and serpentine) in southwestern Poland has been investigated. The plant size (PS), total le-af area (TLA), leaf shape (LS), number of fruits per plant (NFP), number of seeds per plant (NFP), total weight seed per plant (TWSP) were estimated, and concentrations of seventeen elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, Mo) were analyzed in leaf and soil samples. In soil samples, also soil pH, organic matter content and sand, silt and clay content were determined. All soils (except melaphyre soil) contained elevated levels of Cr. Concentrations of soil Ni and Zn, Pb, Cd in serpentinite soil and polluted marl soils (respectively) were significantly higher than those of other examined soils. Meadow saffron leaves from all sites (except marl sites) contained elevated levels of Cr, Co and Ni. Statistical analysis, carried out with principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that a good correlation exists between the element content in leaves and plant performance traits and soil environment. The leaf Ca content and NFP were correlated and were much higher in populations from metal (except Cr) and nutrient-poor marl soils than in those from metal (except Ni in serpentine soil)and nutrient moderate rich soils derived from melaphyre, greenstones, serpentinite, limestones and sandstones and in those from metal-rich and nutrient-poor polluted marl soils. Meadow saffron plants tended to take up higher amounts of N, P, K, Mn, Cu and Na and lower amounts of S and had much higher TLA in populations from sandstone soils than those in populations from serpentinite, melaphyre, greenstone, marl and limestone soils. The leaf Co, Ni, Cr, Mg concentrations were correlated and were much higher in populations from serpentinite, melaphyre, greenstone, polluted marl and limestone soils than those from marl and sandstone soils. The pattern of variation in NFP and TLA across the different soil types was the opposite of that for leaf N, Cu, Na, Ni, Mg and S concentrations. Redundancy analysis (RDA) enables identification of the soil variables that best explain the variance pattern of plant response. The variation explained by the soil variables (15 soil elements and soil pH) was high (79%). The forward selection of soil variables identified soil Co, Mo, Ni, Ca and Zn concentrations as significantly influencing the ordination plant traits. The variation explained by these selected variables was 55%. Thus the five soil variables appeared to be the main factors determining the pattern variation of vegetative, reproductive and nutrient traits of Colchicum autumnale.

The frequency distribution and density of three life stages as well as fitness components of the perennial plant Colchicum autumnale growing in the unmanaged road verges and in the extensive mown and grazed meadows in the Sudeten Mts. were studied. Furthermore, investigated were the effects of population size and plant size (measured as number of flowers) on reproductive success and explored if variation in reproductive and vegetative traits of adults could be associated with soil characteristics. The t-test indicated that proportions of subadults and reproductive adults were significantly lower in verge than in meadow populations, and of vegetative adults significantly higher. The plant density of reproductive adults and the reproductive adults to all adults ratio were significantly lower in verge populations compared to meadow populations. Although habitat type accounted for significant variation in stage structure, no significant difference was found between vegetative and reproductive traits in adult plants, except for the number of flowers. In verge populations the number of flowers was significantly lower as compared to meadow populations. The traits related to reproduction were not significantly influenced by population size. However, the proportion of flowers setting fruit decreased significantly with increasing number of flowers. The stepwise multiple regression revealed significant relationships between soil characteristics and number of fruits per plant, fruit set, number seeds per plant and number of leaves in vegetative adults. The results suggest that the creation of the low and relatively open vegetation cover could increase the chance of persistence of C. autumnale living in verge habitats by promoting of seed germination, seedling establishment and flowering, and they also show that the reproductive success and vegetative components of fitness are most likely influenced by habitat quality.

The paper shows the use of Kohonen's network for classification of basaltoides on the base of chemical properties of soils and Polypodium vulgare L. The study area was Lower Silesia (Poland). The archival data were: chemical composition of types of basaltoides from 89 sites (Al2O3, CaO, FeO, Fe2O3, K2O, MgO, MnO, Na2O, P2O5, SiO2 and TiO2), elements contents in soils (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) and leaves of P. vulgare (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Ni, P, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) from 20 sites. Descriptive statistical parameters of soils and leaves chemical properties have been shown, statistical analyses using ANOVA and relationships between chemical elements were carried out, and SOFM models have been constructed. The study revealed that the ordination of individuals and groups of neurons in topological maps of plant and soil chemical properties are similar. The constructed models are related with significantly different contents of elements in plants and soils. These models represent different chemical types of soils and are connected with ordination of types of basaltoides worked out by SOFM model of TAS division. The SOFM appeared to be a useful technique for ordination of ecological data and provides a novel framework for the discovery and forecasting of ecosystem properties.