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Ecophysiological performance of the rare terrestrial orchid Platanthera integrilabia across contrasting habitats

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Abstract

Platanthera integrilabia is a rare terrestrial orchid species generally associated with semi-open forested wetlands in the southeastern US. It has been suggested that P. integrilabia has restrictive abiotic resource requirements; however, these requirements have not been implicitly studied despite their potential application to species conservation. We investigated the influence of light and soil moisture on P. integrilabia at landscape and local scales and population and organismal levels across and within four occurrences with contrasting canopy openness. We also evaluated the potential for leaf-level physiological responses to light and soil moisture to reflect habitat suitability and influence performance. At landscape scales, light and soil moisture were not associated with P. integrilabia density or individual size. Across sites, measures of photosynthetic light response and water-use efficiency indicated that P. integrilabia can maximize photosynthetic efficiency and energy gain in contrasting light and soil moisture environments. Minimal associations of these measures with abiotic variations within sites suggested that the capacity for adjustments across small spatial and/or temporal scales may be limited. Preservation of existing habitats associated with viable P. integrilabia occurrences is warranted, but the leaf-level ecophysiology of this species indicates that its habitat suitability also could include more open and drier sites. For populations of P. integrilabia experiencing declines in habitats with recent disturbance, we suggest the possibility that well-managed modifications to canopy cover may be beneficial.

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Acknowledgments

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided the primary funding support for this project. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga provided supplemental funding and logistical support. We thank Adam Dattilo, Tara Littlefield, and Marie Tackett for orienting us to the study sites, assisting us with site access permissions, and providing invaluable information about our study species from their personnel experiences. We also appreciate Matt Richards for sharing his experience with ongoing species conservation efforts. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the U.S. Forest Service.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA

    Jennifer N. Boyd & Gregory A. Raymond

  2. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Ecological Services Field Office, 446 Neal Street, Cookeville, TN, 38501, USA

    Geoff P. Call

  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest, Cleveland, TN, 37312, USA

    Mark J. Pistrang

Authors
  1. Jennifer N. Boyd
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  2. Gregory A. Raymond
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  3. Geoff P. Call
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  4. Mark J. Pistrang
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Correspondence to Jennifer N. Boyd.

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Communicated by T.L. Pons.

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Boyd, J.N., Raymond, G.A., Call, G.P. et al. Ecophysiological performance of the rare terrestrial orchid Platanthera integrilabia across contrasting habitats. Plant Ecol 217, 1259–1272 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-016-0653-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-016-0653-2

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