Assessment of ecological conditions of rare and medicinal plants in the vicinity of Puvočiai

• DOI: 10.5200/gm.2023.3
• Publication Date: 2024-11-04T13:43:36Z
• Authors: Vasarė Tamašauskaitė; Rasa Šimanauskienė

The habitats of rare and medicinal plants are characterized by specific conditions: climatic, edaphic, orographic, biotic complexes influence the distribution of plants, their appearance, and chemical properties. The surroundings of Puvočiai are characterized by high biodiversity and an abundance of different natural habitats and biotopes. Continental sand dunes, various types of swamps, conifer forests (heaths), meadows, the valleys of the Merkys, Grūda, Skroblus rivers are shelters for rare and medicinal plant species. Prevailing postglacial river sands led to the fact that species of plants that like sandy soils, which are rarely found in other parts of Lithuania, came to this region from Southeast and Central Europe. The valleys of the Nemunas, Merkys and other rivers of their tributaries contributed to the emergence of these species. On the other hand, the territory also faces certain problems of landscape and land cover transformation. Active land cover changes are taking place in the Varėna district municipality in the forests that fall into the category of commercial forests. The mentioned land cover changes: forest change with clear cutting and renaturalization of the territory. Hence, it is important to understand that in the context of forest change and logging, it is important to investigate what ecological conditions allow rare and medicinal plants to thrive.

This study aims to evaluate the ecological conditions of rare and medicinal plants in the vicinity of Puvočiai. Based on Ellenberg-type indicator values for European native plants, first of all, the diversity of rare and medicinal plant species is evaluated according to the need for ecological environmental factors. Also, according to the calculation data of Fisher’s alpha index, the factors that have the most significant influence on the distribution of rare and medicinal plants and the diversity of species in the vicinity of Puvočiai are distinguished. Based on the indicator values, models (maps) of the distribution of ecological factors are created and its analysis is carried out.

The results of the study revealed that most plant species are light-loving, indifferent to air temperature, prefer moderately moist, neutral or weakly alkaline, low-nitrogen soil. Based on the Fisher alpha index, soil factors: fertility (nitrogen content in the soil) (=3.483), soil moisture (=2.982), pH reaction (=2.982), have the most significant influence on the distribution of rare and medicinal plants and species diversity in the vicinity of Puvočiai. In addition, the theoretical modeling of ecological factors revealed that the model of light (R2=0.41) and temperature (R2=0.27) have, respectively, moderate and weak correlations, and the models of soil moisture, pH and nitrogen content in the soil (moisture – R2= – 0.01, pH – R2= – 0.05, nitrogen content – R2= – 0.07) did not reveal a close relationship between the examined species and the model values.