Takács A. et al. (2013) Preslia

Takács A., Schmotzer A., Jakab G., Deli T., Mesterházy A., Király G., Lukács B. A., Balázs B., Perić R., Eliáš P. jun., Sramkó G., Tökölyi J. & Molnár V. A. (2013): Key environmental variables affecting the distribution of Elatine hungarica in the Pannonian Basin. – Preslia 85: 193–207.


Abstract
Elatine hungarica Moesz is a small wetland ephemerophyte that occurs and is classified as extinct, data deficient or a very rare and endangered taxon in most countries in eastern and central Europe. Based on literature and herbarium data, supplemented by 160 field records collected between 1998 and 2011, we present the currently known distribution of this species in the Pannonian Basin, which mostly but not exclusively includes Hungary. Within the Pannonian Basin this species is distributed throughout Hungary, with sporadic occurrences in Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. The temporal distribution of floristic records is very uneven. This species was recorded only in 27 years during the last 213 years (1798–2011). When examining presence/absence data for most of the 20th century, we found a significant correlation between the number of records of this species in a given year and two key, but not independent, environmental variables: rainfall and the extent of the area inundated in the same year. In the more intensively documented period between 1998 and 2010, there is only a significant correlation between the numbers of records of this species and the extent of flooding, which is because there is a delay in the effect of an increase in rainfall. The peak occurrence of records in the 1940s and 1950s is associated with extensive rice production in Hungary. Today, most records are for agricultural fields that are subject to flooding and becoming temporary wetlands. The comparison of recent and past distributions of E. hungarica reveals a consistent and marked regional difference; whereas this species is not rare along the Tisza river and its tributaries, it is markedly scattered in similar habitats near the Danube.


Keywords
ephemerophyte, flooding, Hungary, inland water, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Elatinaceae, mapping, rainfall, rice weeds, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, temporary ponds

Lukács et al. (2013) Biological Conservation

Lukács B. A. – Sramkó G. – Molnár V. A. (2013): The plant diversity and conservation value of continental temporary pools. Biological Conservation 158: 393–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.08.024

Abstract

Temporary pools are unusual habitats because they share features of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are habitats of community interests according to the Natura 2000 network (Natura code: 3130 and 3170), and can be found in several climatic regions where they harbours various wetland habitats. Whereas Mediterranean temporary pools are well studied, only a few papers deal with their continental counterparts, probably because they are mainly found on arable fields often displaying decades-lasting dormancy. This study aims at filling this gap in our knowledge by evaluating plant species composition, habitat types and diversity of temporary pools in a region of continental climate. We analysed data from 185 phytosociological relevés (79 historical and 106 contemporary data) from different types of waterlogged arable fields, including rice paddy fields, from the Pannonian Ecoregion. We found significant differentiations of rice paddy fields from ‘other’ waterlogged arable fields according to ordination, classification and regression analyses. Diversity partitioning of species abundance data showed that these habitats have a very high alpha (species number, Simpson and Shannon) and beta diversity, which means that all the sites have high importance in habitat conservation. We found many vascular plants listed in IUCN and national red lists among the indicator and characteristic species of continental temporary pools. Our results demonstrate the conservation importance of continental temporary pools in relation to habitat and biodiversity management and conservation planning.

Keywords

Agriculture, Additive diversity partitioning, Elatine, Habitat types, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Lindernia procumbens, Temporary ponds, Vascular plants