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MONITORING OF TWO THREATENED BULBOUS SPECIES OF
CYPRUS: Scilla morrisii AND Chionodoxa lochiae
MARIOS ANDREOU 1, PINELOPI DELIPETROU, KYRIACOS GEORGHIOU
1 Department
of Botany, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15784, Greece; email: [email protected]
This paper presents the first results of plant monitoring which is part of the Ph.D. Thesis by the first author and also part of the actions of the LIFE-NATURE-2004 project “Conservation
Management in NATURA 2000 sites of Cyprus”.
Scilla morrisii and Chionodoxa lochiae are priority plants of Annex II Directive 92/43/EEC. They are both endemic to Cyprus and classified as Endangered and Vulnerable, respectively in the Red
Data Book of Cyprus. Monitoring plans have been implemented for two years (2006-2007).
Scilla morrisii
Chionodoxa lochiae
•Perennial bulbous herb, up to 35 cm high.
•Leaves 3, all basal, linear, up to 70 x 1.4 cm.
•Flowers 2-5, perianth campanulate, segments milky white, tinged lilac or blue,
subconnivent.
•The typical Scilla morrisii (sensu Meikle 1985) occurs at 3 locations (about 1000 plants), with
one subpopulation at Agia Moni and Vouni Panagias and one near AgiosNeofytos
Monastery, under Quercus infectoria subsp. veneris or Pistacia terebinthus in open maquis,
cultivations or cypress forest margins, at altitude 400-980 m.
•Threatened by habitat loss due to the expansion of agricultural areas, road construction,
internal factors and by predators. Part of the subpopulation at Agia Moni has been recently
destroyed during road works in the area.
•Bulbous, perennial herb, with flowering stems up to 30 cm high.
•Leaves synanthous, 2-3, linear, lustrous green, tinged bronze. Flowers 1-4, with a bright-blue
•perianth.
•Confined at Troodos, in organic, moist soils, usually in Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana and Pinus
brutia forest, at altitude 900-1500 m.
•Ten known locations (3,000 plants), of which 7 are either in state forest or in the Troodos
National Forest Park (a proposed Natura 2000 site). Seven of the subpopulations are not
threatened, but the rest may be threatened by habitat loss due to expansion of built-up areas.
Most of the population may also be threatened, to a small extent, by overcollection and by
intrinsic factors such as poor reproduction.
Map of the Plant Distribution in Cyprus
(UTM, WGS84); Grid : 20 x 20 Km
Map of the Plant Distribution in Cyprus
(UTM, WGS84); Grid : 20 x 20 Km
Number of Mature Individuals was estimated by direct count for each
subpopulation in 2006 and 2007. Previous data are presenting, too.
Comparative data of Relative Reproductive
Success (RRS) for SC1a patch throughout the
years.
Relative Reproductive Success (RRS) was
estimated by monitoring throughout the growth
period randomly selected and marked
individuals for most of the subpopulations. The
SC5 subpopulation was found in 2006.
ƒThe population of mature individuals shows considerable interannual variation which
cannot be accounted for by consumption.
ƒRRS is high and shows less variation (73-97 %) than C. lochiae .
ƒHabitat loss is the major threat for S. morrisii. Several patches have been lost in the last
five years.
Habitat loss due to the expansion of agricultural areas. Photo of SC2e patch in
2005 and 2007, respectively.
References
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5.
Andreou M., Delipetrou P., Georghiou K. 2006. Monitoring of four priority plant species in Cyprus: Planning and implementation. Poster in the 3rd Conference ‘Ecology and Conservation Biology’, Ioannina.
Delipetrou P., Andreou M. 2005. Monitoring plans for Plant Species of Directive 92/43/ EEC Annex II in Cyprus. University of Athens. Athens.
Kadis C. 1995. On the reproduction biology of the strictly protectedplants of Cyprus. Phd Thesis. NKUA, Athens.
Meikle R. D. 1977, 1985 Flora of Cyprus. Vol. I and II. Bentham – Moxon Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN: 0-9504876-3-5 and 0-9504876-4-3.
Tsintides T, Christodoulou C. S., Delipetrou P., Georghiou K. 2007. The Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus. Cyprus Forestry Association, Nicosia.
Number of Mature Individuals was estimated by direct count
for each subpopulation in 2006 and 2007. Previous data are
presenting, too.
Relative Reproductive Success (RRS) was estimated
by monitoring throughout the growth period randomly
selected and marked individuals for most of the
subpopulations
Consumed individuals were estimated by direct counting at
random squares without individual following. The chart
shows the average results for mature individuals from the
same 20 samples? from the subpopulation CH2 in years
2006 and 2007.
Consumed individuals were estimated by direct
counting for the whole CH9 subpopulation. The
chart shows the results for mature individuals in
2007.
ƒThe population of mature individuals shows
considerable interannual variation which cannot be
accounted for by consumption.
ƒRRS is low and shows significant interannual and
inter-subopopulation variation (2-53 %).
ƒMost of the population each year consists of seedlings
and young individuals and these two stages seem to
have the higher yearly mortality.
ƒThe percentage of the consumed individuals vary, as it
seems from the first results. Although, higher
consumption have the mature individuals.
The distribution of the population in three stages
(seedling, young individual, mature individual)
was estimated by direct counting at random
squares without individual following. The chart
shows the average results from 20 samples? from
the subpopulation CH2 in years 2006 and 2007.
Consumed individuals were estimated by direct
counting at random squares without individual
following. The chart shows the average results for
young individuals from the same 20 samples? from
the subpopulation CH2 in years 2006 and 2007.