Publication details
Vývoj technologie pro pěstování osiva poloparazitických rostlin a jejich aplikace při redukci invazních druhů nížinných lučních mokřadů: Přednáška pro XXII. seminář z ekologie mokřadů a hydrobotaniky.
| Title in English | Development of technology for growing seeds of semi-parasitic plants and their application in the reduction of invasive species of lowland meadow wetlands: Talk for XXII. seminar on wetland ecology and hydrobotany. |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | In the past, wetlands functioned as an important water reservoir in the landscape, as a natural air conditioning system and were also known for the occurrence of colourful wetland communities that are now highly endangered. In recent decades, however, they have become highly endangered biotopes that are negatively affected by overgrowth. They are also clearly among the biotopes most threatened by the spread of aggressive invasive and expansive species, to which we can add, for example, the reed Phragmites australis, the asters Symphyotrichum lanceolatum and the goldenrod Solidago sp. As a result, the community as a whole is turning into monodominant stands with minimal diversity of the original biota. The proposed project will bring a new solution in the field of environmental management, especially for the degrading lowland meadow wetlands, which are threatened in the long term by the lack of proper management. They often represent a potentially very valuable biotope with diverse habitats and characteristic communities. The proposed project includes the control of plant invasion and reed overgrowth in eutrophic lowland wetland habitats with the semi-parasitic species Odontites vernus and Melampyrum arvense. The project will also monitor the development of plant and animal community biodiversity in wetlands threatened by plant invasions. These semi-parasites are a natural component of wetlands, meadows and pastures in lowlands throughout Central Europe. Their use is therefore an example of biotic resistance to biological invasions. We hypothesise that the use of semi-parasites to control invasive species in combination with mowing or cattle grazing is a much more effective measure than these support measures alone. This is because grazing and mowing only removes the above-ground biomass of the invasive species, whereas semi-parasitic plants draw resources from the underground organs of the hosts, which can be lethal to the invasive plants. At the same time, we expect to promote native plant species in the wetlands and increase biodiversity at the wetland community level. This will contribute to the restoration of the disturbed landscape and strengthen its ecological stability. A multidisciplinary approach will allow for comprehensive monitoring of biodiversity and thus provide an important measure for evaluating the impact of the measures implemented and subsequently utilising the knowledge gained in the management of other wetlands. |
| Related projects: |