Ecological and biological aspects of Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo coenopopulations in northern taiga conditions

Abstract

Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó is rare and protected in 25 districts of Russian Federation; it is also included in the IUCN Red List of threatened species. In studied conditions populations of D. maculata are confined to herbaceous and sedge-gramineous marshy meadows of different anthropogenic disturbance. In studied communities the species is characterized by medium quantity and relatively high variability of age groups. Average age spectrum of studied coenopopulations of D. maculata is incomplete double-humped with maximum on immature plants and local peak on generative plants. It was defined that young individuals prevail in ontogenetic spectrum of D. maculata and post-generative fraction is absent. Probably, the peculiarity is one of adaptive mechanisms of the species in conditions of anthropogenic influence and ecological status of typical biotopes in the North-East of Russia. Relatively high values of demographic and morphological parameters are defined for the plants on overgrowing technogenic area with medium disturbance. According to the hemeroby parameter, D. maculata is a species capable of tolerating moderate human impact. The results obtained in studied populations of D. maculata prove favorable conditions for the species in northern taiga ecosystems exposed to moderate or significant recreational stress, as well as sufficient reserves of the species’ stability towards anthropogenic and abiotic factors. Further monitoring of D. maculata is an essential measure necessary for determining ecological-biological peculiarities and range of the species’ tolerance towards different impacts in close-to-critical environmental conditions, which will promote conservation of the populations.