State of the Population of Gladiolus imbricatus L. in a Molinia Meadow after Extensive Management and Abandonment

Abstract

The abandonment of seminatural Molinia meadows observed in Central and Eastern Europe during the 20th century started the secondary succession and threatened the state and persistence of populations of numerous meadow species. Considering this, the aims of the presented investigations were to study the abundance and selected traits of individuals of Gladiolus imbricatus L. in extensively used (EM) and unmanaged for at least 15 years (UM) Molinia meadows (Southern Poland, Central Europe). Altogether, 125 juvenile individuals, 21 vegetative individuals, and 119 generative individuals of Gladiolus imbricatus were investigated. The field studies showed positive correlation among the height of shoots and other traits of generative individuals in both study patches. Moreover, the greater abundance of population of Gladiolus imbricatus (especially the greater number of juveniles), as well as the greater dimensions of leaf blades, shoots, inflorescence, and number of capsules in the patch UM, indicates the appropriate state of the population. These data indicate a positive influence of abandonment and evolving secondary succession on the Gladiolus imbricatus population within the Molinia meadows.