Abstract
The family of orchids involves a number of critically endangered species. Understanding of drivers of their landscape distribution could provide a valuable insight into their decline. Our objectives were to develop models predicting distribution of selected orchid species—four co-occurring forest orchid species, Cephalanthera rubra, Epipactis atrorubens, E. helleborine, and Neottia nidus-avis—at a landscape scale using a wide range of habitat characteristics. Subsequently, we compared the model predictions with species occurrence and the results of the field germination experiment while considering two germination stages—asymbiotic (early stage) and symbiotic. And finally, we attempted to identify possible drivers of species’ landscape distribution (i.e., dispersal, availability of habitat patches, or fungal associates). We have discovered that different habitat characteristics determined the distribution of different orchids. The species also differed in terms of availability of suitable habitat patches and patch occupancy (the highest being E. atrorubens with 80%). Landscape distribution of the species was primarily restricted by the availability of fungal associates (the most important factor for C. rubra) and by the availability of suitable habitat patches (the most important in case of N. nidus-avis). Despite expected easy dispersal of spores, orchid distribution seems to be limited by the availability of fungal associates in the landscape. In contrast, the availability of orchid seeds does not seem to limit their distribution. These results can provide useful guidelines for conservation of the studied species.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to express thanks to P. Dostál, I. Husáková, V. Latzel, B. Stojanova, and two anonymous reviewers for useful comments on the previous version of this work.
Funding
This work was supported by GAČR no. 31-16-05677S. This work was also partly supported by the long-term research development project no. RVO 67985939 at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS).
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ZM and JJ conceived the ideas. MKotilínek, MKonečná, and RP recorded vegetation data, MKotilínek, and TT realized and evaluated the field germination experiment, LH performed GIS analyses, JK preselected orchid localities using archival distribution data. LH analyzed the data. LH and MKotilínek wrote the manuscript. JJ, TT, JK, and ZM contributed critically to the drafts. All authors gave final approval for publication.
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Communicated by Catherine Gehring.
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Hemrová, L., Kotilínek, M., Konečná, M. et al. Identification of drivers of landscape distribution of forest orchids using germination experiment and species distribution models. Oecologia 190, 411–423 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04427-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04427-8