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Factors Affecting Reproductive Success in Three Entomophilous Orchid Species in Hungary

Acta Biologica Hungarica volume 66, pages 231–241 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The reproductive success of orchids is traditionally estimated by determining the fruit-set of individuals. Here, we investigated both the fruit and the seed production of three orchid species and the factors that may affect individual fruit-set, like pollination strategy, individual traits or the annual amount of precipitation. The species [Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soó, Dactylorhiza majalis (Rchb.) P. F. Hunt & Summerhayes and Platanthera bifolia (L.) L. C. M. Richard] were studied in three consecutive years (2010–2012) in the Bükk Mountains, Hungary. All three species were proved to be non-autogamous by a bagging experiment. Data analyses showed significant differences between seed numbers but not between fruit-sets of species. There was no statistical difference in individual reproductive success between wet and dry years, however, the effect of the annual amount of precipitation is significant on the population level. Comparison of published fruit-set data revealed accordance with our results in P. bifolia, but not in D. sambucina and D. majalis. We assume that the surprisingly high fruit-set values of the two Dactylorhiza species may be due to the fact that the pollination crisis reported from Western European countries is not an actual problem in the Bükk Mountains, Hungary.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Tisza Research, Danube Research Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Debrecen, Hungary

    Anna E. Vojtkó & Balázs András Lukács

  2. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

    Judit Sonkoly

  3. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

    Attila Molnár V.

Authors
  1. Anna E. Vojtkó
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  2. Judit Sonkoly
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  3. Balázs András Lukács
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  4. Attila Molnár V.
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Correspondence to Anna E. Vojtkó.

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Vojtkó, A.E., Sonkoly, J., Lukács, B.A. et al. Factors Affecting Reproductive Success in Three Entomophilous Orchid Species in Hungary. BIOLOGIA FUTURA 66, 231–241 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1556/018.66.2015.2.9

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Keywords

  • Dactylorhiza majalis
  • Dactylorhiza sambucina
  • fruit-set
  • Platanthera bifolia
  • pollination crisis