scholarly journals Propagation and Introduction ofArnica montanaL. into Cultivation: A Step to Reduce the Pressure on Endangered and High-Valued Medicinal Plant Species

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuta Sugier ◽  
Piotr Sugier ◽  
Urszula Gawlik-Dziki
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Medicinal Plant Species ◽  
Plant Propagation ◽  
Reproduction Mode ◽  
The Impact

Arnica montana(L.) is an endangered and endemic medicinal plant species in Europe. The pressure on natural sources of this plant is alleviated by a suitable use of arnica resources in the European region and introduction into cultivation. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of different ways of plant propagation and introduction on the growth and reproduction mode of this species. During the six consecutive years of the field experiment, the vegetative and reproductive traits were monitored, and survival time was assessed. The particular ways of arnica plant propagation and introduction determined all the intrinsic species traits and plant survival. The values of the characteristics studied indicated good acclimatization of the arnica ecotype to the climatic conditions of eastern Poland. Practical implications from the data presented here include the possibility of using the presented modes of arnica propagation and introduction in the short- and long-term perspective of arnica cultivation, which can give a possibility of better adjustment of raw material production.

scholarly journals Evaluation of species inter-relations and soil conditions in Arnica montana L. habitats: a step towards active protection of endangered and high-valued medicinal plant species in NE Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Sugier ◽  
Aleksander Kołos ◽  
Dan Wołkowycki ◽  
Danuta Sugier ◽  
Andrzej Plak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Strong Acid ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Medicinal Plant Species ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Arnica Montana ◽  
Active Protection ◽  
Forest Habitats

<em>Arnica montana</em> L. is a critically endangered and highly valued medicinal plant species in Europe. We show the inter-relationships between arnica and accompanying plant species, as well as soil factors, that promote the persistence of the studied forest arnica populations in terms of active protection of this species in the northeast region of Europe. The population characteristics and plant species composition were assessed during a field study. Additionally, soil samples were taken and analyzed to assess variation in soil conditions in the habitats of arnica populations. Correlations between population characteristics and soil properties were highlighted. The forest habitats of arnica presented in this study differ from those described in other European mountain and submountain areas. The sandy and very poor soils are characterized by a very low content of macro- and microelements, and a strong acid reaction. The positive correlation between population characteristics and Ca and K indicates an important role of these macroelements in flower head production. Acidity, K, Ca, the sum of exchangeable bases, and base saturation play crucial roles in the persistence of arnica populations in pine forests. The level of acidity and its consequences result from soil-forming processes and climatic conditions rather than air pollution. When planning active protection scenarios, special attention should be paid to the frequency and cover of <em>Vaccinium myrtillus</em>, which can act as a competitor in forest habitats. Assessment of soil conditions that favor the persistence of the studied arnica populations and species relationships is important for improving knowledge of the ecology of the species and for the active protection of endangered plant species.

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants in Semi-Natural Grasslands: Impact of Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Kose ◽  
Indrek Melts ◽  
Atsushi Ohwaki ◽  
Kei Uchida ◽  
Katrin Heinsoo
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Medicinal Plant Species ◽  
Species List ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Wooded Meadows ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Semi-natural grasslands as valuable ecosystems are significant for their high biodiversity, cultural importance and landscape values. Quantitative information about medicinal plants in semi-natural grasslands facilitates the evaluation of ecosystem services of these plant communities. Methods: Different literature sources and floristic inventory databases were used to assess the ratio and frequency of medicinal plant species in several Estonian grassland types and the impact of management on these values assessed both in Estonian and Japanese case studies. Lists of medicinal plant species according to different definition scenarios is included as Supplementary Material. Principal Component Analysis was applied for environmental preferences of medicinal plant species compared to other vascular plant species in the semi-natural grasslands.Results: The ratio of medicinal plant species in local total plant species list was the largest in alvars, followed by floodplain and wooded meadows. The average number of medicinal plant species per study plot in wooded meadows and alvars was about twice that found in naturally growing broadleaved forest (according to the most detailed MP species list 7.2, 7.8 and 4.3, respectively). Fertilization of Estonian wooded meadows had no significant impact on medicinal plant species ratio, but decreased the proportion of medicinal plant biomass in total yield. Estonian coastal meadows had a short list of medicinal plant species and the impact of management quality depended therefore on adopted definition scenario. In Japanese Miscanthus sinensis grassland case mowing or burning+mowing combination should be preferred to favor medicinal plant species number. Principal Component Analysis revealed that MP species are more drought-tolerant, common and anthropophyte than the rest of studied grassland species.Conclusions: Alternative usage of herbaceous plant species from semi-natural grasslands is a promising option to achieve sustainable development goals and increase public awareness. Further close cooperation of ecologists, economists and pharmacists is required to guarantee fair and sustainable trade of this ecosystem service in the future.

scholarly journals Dormancy break in seeds of "quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St.-Hil.)

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Vasconcelos ◽  
M.A. Rodrigues ◽  
S.C. Vasconcelos Filho ◽  
J.F. Sales ◽  
F.G. Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sulfuric Acid ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Gibberellic Acid ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Boiling Water ◽  
Medicinal Plant Species ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Germination Speed

"Quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St. Hil) is a medicinal plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado. As its seeds show dormancy, they were subjected to the treatments pre-cooling at 5ºC during 7 days, pre-heating at 40ºC during 7 days, pre-soaking in sulfuric acid PA during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in boiling water during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in 100 and 200 ppm gibberellic acid during 48 h, pre-soaking in distilled water during 24 and 48 h, and mechanical scarification to break dormancy. Counts were daily conducted from the 2nd day after the experiment implementation until the germination stabilization at the 65th day. The germination speed index (GSI) and the germination percentage were evaluated. Germination rates above 96% were reached in seeds pre-soaked in water during 48 h and substrate moistened with water or KNO3.

scholarly journals Ecological Impacts of Megaprojects: Species Succession and Functional Composition

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2411
Author(s):  
Hamada E. Ali ◽  
Solveig Franziska Bucher
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Natural Vegetation ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Imperata Cylindrica ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Large Scale Disturbance ◽  
The Impact

Land-use changes have huge impacts on natural vegetation, especially megaprojects, as the vegetation layer is destroyed in the course of construction works affecting the plant community composition and functionality. This large-scale disturbance might be a gateway for the establishment of invasive plant species, which can outcompete the natural flora. In contrast, species occurring in the area before the construction are not able to re-establish. In this study, we analyzed the impact of a pipeline construction on a wetland nature reserve located in northern Egypt. Therefore, we analyzed the plant species occurrence and abundance and measured each plant species’ traits before the construction in 2017 as well as on multiple occasions up to 2 years after the construction had finished on altogether five sampling events. We found that the construction activity led to the establishment of an invasive species which previously did not occur in the area, namely, Imperata cylindrica, whereas five species (Ipomoea carnea, Pluchea dioscoridis, Polygonum equisetiforme, Tamarix nilotica, and Typha domingensis) could not re-establish after the disturbance. The functionality of ecosystems assessed via the analysis of plant functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content) changed within species over all sampling events and within the community showing a tendency to approximate pre-construction values. Functional dispersion and Rao’s quadratic diversity were higher after the megaproject than before. These findings are important to capture possible re-establishment and recovery of natural vegetation after construction and raise awareness to the impact of megaprojects, especially in areas which are high priority for conservation.

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