Introduction
Materials and methods
Study area
Methods
Statistical analyses
Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA)
Structural equation modeling (SEM)
Results
The fern population, flora and environmental factors relationships in a river valley
1_oNRd rt | 2_oNRd rt | 3_oNRd rv | 4_oNRd rb | 5_oNRd rv | 6_oNRd rv | 7_NR rv | 8_NR rv | 9_NR rv | 10_NR rt | 11_NR rb | 12_ oNRu rv | 13_oNRu rv | 14_oNRu rv | 15_oNRu rt | 16_oNRu rb | 17_oNRu rt | Frequency (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matteuccia struthiopteris
| 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
Aegopodium podagraria
| 4 | 3 | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | – | – | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 71 |
Urtica dioica
| 2 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 65 |
Rumex hydrolapathum
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 53 |
Hypnum cupressiforme
| – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 53 |
Platygyrium repens
| – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 47 |
Myosoton aquaticum
| 1 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 47 |
Equisetum pratense
| 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 41 |
Alnus glutinosa
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 4 | 41 |
Corylus avellana
| – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 41 |
Oxalis acetosella
| – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 41 |
Aconitum variegatum
| – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 35 |
Glechoma hederacea
| – | – | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 35 |
Rubus idaeus
| – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 35 |
Fagus silvatica
| – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | – | – | 4 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 35 |
Berula erecta
| – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | 35 |
Brachythecium rivulare
| – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
Brachythecium rutabulum
| 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 35 |
Nasturcium officinalis
| 2 | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 35 |
Chaerophyllum aromaticum
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 29 |
Solanum dulcamara
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | 1 | 29 |
Ulota crispa
| – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 29 |
Mnium hornum
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 29 |
Plagiomnium undulatum
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 29 |
Conocephalum conicum
| 4 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 4 | 29 |
Poa nemoralis
| 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 29 |
Impatiens parviflora
| – | – | 4 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 24 |
Anemone nemorosa
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | – | – | – | – | 24 |
Asarum europaeum
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 24 |
Scutellaria galericulata
| 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
Veronica anagalis–aquatica
| – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 24 |
Veronica beccabunga
| – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 24 |
Phalaris arundinacea
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
Hygroamblystegium tenax
| 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 24 |
Deschampsia cespitosa
| – | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 24 |
Padus avium
| 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 18 |
Neottia nidus-avis
| – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
Daphne mezereum
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 18 |
Fraxinus excelsior
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 18 |
Scrophularia nodosa
| 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
Scrophularia umbrosa
| 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
Quercus robur
| – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
Hygrohypnum luridum
| – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 18 |
Warnstorfia exannulata
| – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 18 |
Leptodictyum riparium
| – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 18 |
Dicranum scoparium
| 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 |
Circaea lutetiana
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 |
Platanthera bifolia
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 |
Actaea spicata
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 12 |
Cardamine flexuosa
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 12 |
Lysimachia thyrsiflora
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 12 |
Campanula latifolia
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
Hygrohypnum luridum
| 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
mCan
| 10 | 45 | 35 | 40 | 35 | 45 | 35 | 40 | 60 | 60 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 60 | 70 | 60 | 90 |
Indicator value | Statistics | Plots | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1_oNRd rt | 2_oNRd rt | 3_oNRd rv | 4_oNRd rb | 5_oNRd rv | 6_oNRd rv | 7_NR rv | 8_NR rv | 9_NR rv | ||
Moisture F
| Min | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Max | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | |
Median | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | |
MAD | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | |
Trophy N
| Min | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Max | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | |
Median | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | |
MAD | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
Indicator value | Statistics | Plots | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10_NR rt | 11_NR rb | 12_oNRu rv | 13_oNRu rv | 14_oNRu rv | 15_oNRu rt | 16_oNRu rb | 17_oNRu rt | ||
Moisture F
| Min | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
Max | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | |
Median | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | |
MAD | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | |
Trophy N
| Min | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 |
Max | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | |
Median | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | |
MAD | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
Variables | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DCA ax 1 | 1 | −0.69 | −0.57 | −0.65 | −0.50 | −0.64 | ||||||||
DCA ax 2 | 2 | −0.58 | 0.63 | |||||||||||
Number of rootstocks (n
r) | 3 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 0.49 | 0.82 | |||||||||
Mean sporophyll height (mh
s) | 4 | 0.71 | 0.59 | 0.71 | 0.65 | 0.60 | −0.64 | |||||||
Mean height of trophophyll (mh
t) | 5 | 0.87 | 0.88 | 0.71 | −0.75 | 0.73 | 0.68 | 0.80 | −0.67 | |||||
Mean number of trophophylls (mn
t) | 6 | 0.75 | 0.70 | −0.56 | 0.65 | 0.54 | 0.82 | −0.60 | ||||||
Mean rootstock diameter (md
r) | 7 | 0.65 | −0.56 | 0.69 | 0.59 | 0.82 | ||||||||
Number of sporophylls (n
s) | 8 | 0.82 | 0.84 | 0.77 | −0.49 | |||||||||
Number of rootstocks with trophophylls shorter than 60 cm (n
60) | 9 | 0.89 | 0.64 | |||||||||||
Number of rootstocks with trophophylls taller than 120 cm (n
120) | 10 | |||||||||||||
Total number of fertile rootstocks (n
f) | 11 | 0.60 | −0.57 | |||||||||||
Number of rootstocks with the diameter greater than 10 cm (d
10) | 12 | −0.55 | ||||||||||||
Mean landscape position (mLp) | 13 | |||||||||||||
Canopy cover at plots (mCan) | 14 |
Structural Equation Model of Matteuccia struthiopteris population environmental-morphological relationships
Variables | Landscape position | Canopy cover | Rootstock diameter | Number of trophophylls | Number of sporophylls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rootstock diameter | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Number of trophophylls | 0.07 | −0.24 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Number of sporophylls | 0.01 | −0.07 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Height of sporophylls | 0.01 | −0.07 | 0.06 | 0.14 | 0.00 |
Height of the tallest trophophyll in the rootstock | 0.09 | −0.36 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 |