Journal of Ecology and Protection of the Coastline 40 th academic year of the University Vol. 14 pp

ISBN 1643-0115 ISBN 1643-0115 B A L T I C C O A S T A L Z O N E Journal of Ecology and Protection of the Coastline 40 th academic year of the University Vol. 14 pp. 17-23 2010 Problems of metaplantation of protected species a case study of Sea Holly... 17 Copyright by Institute of Biology and Environmental Protection of the Pomeranian University in Słupsk Original research paper Received: Accepted: 31.08.2009 12.10.2009 PROBLEMS OF METAPLANTATION OF PROTECTED SPECIES A CASE STUDY OF SEA HOLLY (ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM L.) AND DARK RED HELLEBORINE (EPIPACTIS ATRORUBENS (HOFFM.) BESSER) Katarzyna śółkoś*, Renata Afranowicz, Joanna Bloch-Orłowska, Julita Minasiewicz Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, University of Gdańsk, al. Legionów 9, 80-441 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail:*biokz @ univ.gda.pl Abstract In June 2005 metaplantation of Eryngium maritimum and Epipactis atrorubens, from the build area of the Gdańsk Container Terminal into Sobieszewska Island was carried out. The reason for that immediate action was the unreliable report of the influence of investment on the environment, in which the mentioned above species have not been included. Metaplantation was conducted during one day time, by 21 volunteers. Altogether, 146 individuals of Sea Holly and 184 ones of Dark Red Helleborine have been translocated. Detailed measurements of each individual were made. On the new site, all planted individuals were permanently labelled. The newly constituted populations have been taken under monitoring. With regard to species of special concern, metaplantation of threatened populations seems to be the most beneficial form of nature compensation expected from the investors. Still, there are no unambiguous procedures for its executing. Key words: Eryngium maritimum, Epipactis atrorubens, metaplantation, nature compensation, maritime ecosystems INTRODUCTION Economic development followed by constantly growing anthropopressure often causes important alternations of natural environment on different levels of its organisations: ecosystemal, biocenotic or even species one. Due to obliging in Poland politics of sustainable development, the changes, quite often inevitable, should be preceded by the operations that minimalize their negative effects. Thus, different actions of the active nature protection are being undertaken. One of those methods,

18 Katarzyna śółkoś, Renata Afranowicz, Joanna Bloch-Orłowska, Julita Minasiewicz which concerns preservation of vanishing and threatened plant species, is metaplantation. According to Sudnik-Wójcikowska and Stebel (2004) metaplantation is a method of preservation of endangered species, by translocation of plants and animals from the threatened natural sites into substitutional localities. Good examples of species, which populations are disappearing as a result of intensified anthropopressure, are Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum L.) and Dark Red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser). Nowadays, the most dangerous factor for these plants, next to devastation and picking, is an intensive process of management and transformation of the seashore, especially its building up, hardening of the access areas of the beach, building of boardwalks or overplanting dunes with willows. The occurrence of Sea Holly in Poland is limited to the narrow, sandy Baltic shore (Stasiak 1988). Its populations at the Gulf of Gdańsk were protected by law as first in Europe, due to The Police ordinance concerning Sea Holly (Przypomnienie... 1922). At present, it is under strict law protection (Rozporządzenie 2004). In Western Pomerania Sea Holly gets the status of a vulnerable species V (śukowski and Jackowiak 1995), and in Gdańsk Pomerania is regarded as a near threatened taxon NT (Markowski and Buliński 2004). Presence of Dark Red Helleborine is recorded in different parts of Poland. Most of its localities are concentrated in the north and south of the country. The species grows in various plant communities, in fertile beech forests (pine and mixed ones), as well as in the clearings and on coastal dunes (Szlachetko 2001). Dark Red Helleborine is a vulnerable species V,VU in both: Western Pomerania (śukowski and Jackowiak 1995) and Gdańskie Pomerania (Markowski and Buliński 2004). The main aim of this publication is to present problems of metaplantation of the special concern species (protected and threatened ones), which populations are endangered due to human activity. As an example of such problem, metaplantation of two species: Eryngium maritimum and Epipactis atrorubens has been described. STUDY AREA Metaplantation of Eryngium maritimum and Epipactis atrorubens was performed in June 2005, from the area of the building yard of the Gdańsk Container Terminal in the Port of Gdańsk into Sobieszewska Island (Fig. 1). Metaplantation was proceded by the inspection of several sections of the seashore in order to find the most favourable place of destination for the threatened populations. Finally, the area covering a part of dunes, close to the access to the beach No 2, near Świbno, on Sobieszewska Island was chosen. It is a section of the seashore, where both, Dark Red Helleborine and Sea Holly, have their natural sites. UNDERTAKEN STEPS Metaplantation was carried through in the course of one day (6 th June 2005) by 21 volunteers, among which there were employees and students of University of

Problems of metaplantation of protected species a case study of Sea Holly... 19 Fig. 1. Location of the Gdańsk Container Terminal and the area of the new locality of both species; 1 roads, 2 watercourses, 3 forests, 4 buildings Fig. 2. Exemplary specimens of the registered Dark Red Helleborine (A) and Sea Holly (B) individuals

20 Katarzyna śółkoś, Renata Afranowicz, Joanna Bloch-Orłowska, Julita Minasiewicz Gdańsk, members of Waterbird Research Group KULING and a representative of the Office of Provincial Nature Conservator in Gdańsk. Metaplantation of both species was performed with the permit of the Minister of the Environment. The first stage of the undertaken activities was to demarcate the border lines of the container terminal area, on which the individuals of both species grew. As next, the location of each Dark Red Helleborine and Sea Holly individual was marked with the use of permanent, numbered labels. Plants, after digging out, were registered and measured (the length of stem and roots, number of leaves and shoots see Fig. 2), then secured and prepared for transportation. At the new place all the individuals were watered and permanently labelled (on the northern side, in a distance of circa 10 cm from the plant s shoot, a plastic label with the burned number of the individual was dug into the depth of 10 cm). Additionally, a sketch of distribution of planted specimens was made. Altogether 146 of Sea Holly individuals, representing different development stages (from juvenile to mature plants) were dug out. With the regard to Dark Red Helleborine, 184 individuals, which made a great majority of its abundant population, were metaplanted from the area of the planned investment. Alike Sea Holly, Dark Red Helleborine individuals were in different stages of development (from vegetative rosettes to individuals with developed inflorescences). In case of both species, they were planted in the area, where the individuals of the same species have already grown, though it should be mentioned that Dark Red Helleborine population was quite abundant, while Sea Holly was represented only by several specimens. Newly set populations have been taken under a three year monitoring. The results of monitoring will be presented in another publication. DISCUSSION Problem of metaplantation presented in the accessible bibliographic sources concerns mainly vanishing and threatened species e.g. Aldrovanda vesiculosa (Kamiński 1995), Cochlearia polonica (Kwiatkowska 2001), Dianthus gratianopolitanus (Węglarski and Jańczyk-Węglarska 2000), Echium russicum, Irys aphylla and Polemonium coeruleum (Dąbrowska et al. 1995, 1997). Occasionally, also threatened or protected species at the areas under spatial law protection (most often in national parks and reserves) are metaplanted, e.g. Linnaea borealis (Kurowski 2004, Witosławski 2004). Still, there is a shortage of works, which describe the process of preservation of plant populations from the areas of architectonical enterprises, such as: motorways, spatial architecture or industrial infrastructure. This may be connected with, quite often, vague and unreliable reports of the investment influence on the environment, in which protected, rare or threatened species are not mentioned. The example of such situation is described above case of Sea Holly and Dark Red Helleborine, metaplanted from the building site of Gdańsk Container Terminal. The report of the influence of that investment on the environment did not include any information about the presence of both species. Therefore only after an independent field verification of this document, building works were temporarily discontinued

Problems of metaplantation of protected species a case study of Sea Holly... 21 and the efforts to save at least a part of Sea Holly and Dark Red Helleborine populations were started. For that reason preparation and carrying through the act of metaplantation had to be completed in a very short time. Due to more and more intensive economic development and related to it growing anthropopressure, some areas and existing there populations of plants and animals are doomed to devastation and extinction. The Act on Environmental Protection Law (Ustawa 2001) imposes upon the investor an obligation of nature compensation, but the definition of such compensation is not very precise and allow the investor to interpret it freely to a great extent. It seems that with the regard to species of special concern (including the protected ones), the most advantageous form of compensation is metaplantation of the endangered populations. In order to realize such forms of active protection, it is necessary to introduce appropriate organizational and legal solutions into Polish legislation. They should have a form of clearly defined procedures, suitable for various elements of ecosystems threatened by an investment, similarly as, for example, guidelines elaborated for the purpose of restitution (see Makomaska-Juchiewicz 1999). Project of metaplantation principles, including practical recommendations, was presented during the 47 th Polish Botanical Society Assembly in Łódź in 1986, by Professor Romuald Olaczek (Olaczek 1986). Unfortunately, up to now the project has not been taken into consideration in our legislation. Preservation of the existing populations, in spite of the disappearance of their primeval locations, is of great importance for preventing the vanishing of species as well as for preservation of their genetic variability in the scale of Poland and the whole Europe. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to express their gratitude to all volunteers, who participated in metaplantation: students of University of Gdańsk, members of Waterbird Research Group KULING and also to Monika Urbanowicz, Dorota Siemion, Michał Malinga and Maciek Afranowicz. REFERENCES Dąbrowska K., Franszczak-Być M., Sawicki R., 1995. Metaplantacja i restytucja Echium russicum J. F. Gmel. i Iris aphylla L. W: Szata roślinna Polski w procesie przemian. Materiały konferencji i sympozjów 50 Zjazdu Polskiego Towarzystwa Botanicznego, Kraków 26.06-01.07.1995. (Metaplantation and restitution of Echium russicum and Iris aphylla L. In: Plant cover of Poland in the process of changes). (Eds) Z. Mirek, J.J. Wójcicki, Polskie Towarzystwo Botaniczne, Oddział Krakowski, Instytut Botaniki im. W. Szafera, PAN, Kraków, 77, (in Polish). Dąbrowska K., Franszczak-Być M., Sawicki R., 1997. Czynna ochrona wybranych gatunków roślin chronionych i ginących na Lubelszczyźnie. (Active protection of chosen protected and endangered plant species of Lubelszczyzna region). Biul. Ogr. Bot., 6, 11-27, (in Polish).

22 Katarzyna śółkoś, Renata Afranowicz, Joanna Bloch-Orłowska, Julita Minasiewicz Kamiński R., 1995. Reintrodukcja Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. na Pojezierzu Łęczyńsko-Włodawskim. (Reintroduction of Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. on Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland). Acta Univ. Wrat., Pr. Bot., 67, 157-166, (in Polish). Kurowski J.K., 2004. Metaplantacja zimoziołu północnego Linnaea borealis L. w rezerwacie Jaksonek w Polsce Środkowej. (Metaplantation of the twinflower Linnea borealis L. in the Jaksonek nature reserve in Central Poland). Chr. Przyr. Ojcz., 60(4), 5-16, (in Polish). Kwiatkowska A., 2001. EW Cochlearia polonica Fröhlich Warzucha polska. W: Polska Czerwona Księga Roślin. Paprotniki i rośliny kwiatowe. (EW Cochlearia polonica Fröhlich Polish scurvy-grass. In: Polish Red Data Book of Plants. Pteridophytes and flowering plants). (Eds) R. Kaźmierczakowa, K. Zarzycki, PAN, Instytut Botaniki im. W. Szafera, Instytut Ochrony Przyrody, Kraków, 166-167, (in Polish). Makomaska-Juchiewicz M., 1999. Wytyczne do restytucji (zaaprobowane na 41 spotkaniu Rady w maju 1995 r.). (Guidelines for restitution (approved on the 41 st meeting of the IUCN Council in May 1995). Chr. Przyr. Ojcz., 55(1), 60-70, (in Polish). Markowski R., Buliński M., 2004. Ginące i zagroŝone rośliny naczyniowe Pomorza Gdańskiego. (Endangered and threatened vascular plants of Gdańskie Pomerania). Acta Bot. Cassub., Monogr., 1, 1-75, (bilingual in Polish and English). Olaczek R., 1986. Projekt zasad metaplantacji, czyli ochrony zasobów genowych roślin w warunkach naturalnych ex situ. Manuskrypt referatu przedstawionego na 47 Zjeździe Polskiego Towarzystwa Botanicznego, Łódź, 3-6 IX 1986 r. (Project of metaplantation rules, or protection of plant genes resources in natural conditions ex situ. Manuscript of the lecture presented on 47 th Polish Botanical Society Assembly, Łódź, 3-6 September 1986), (in Polish). Przypomnienie rozporządzenia policyjnego dotyczącego ochrony rośliny Mikołajek (Stranddistel), 1922. (Reminder of the police ordinance concerning protection of the plant Sea Holly, Ochr. Przyr., 3, 93, (in Polish). Rozporządzenie Ministra Środowiska z dnia 9 lipca 2004 r. w sprawie gatunków dziko występujących roślin objętych ochroną. DzU Nr 168, poz. 1764 z dnia 28 lipca 2004 r. (Minister of Environment: the Act of 9 th July 2004 on wild plant species under law protection. Official Journal of 28 th July 2004, No. 168, item 1764), (in Polish). Stasiak J., 1988. [V] Eryngium maritimum L. W: Materiały do poznania gatunków rzadkich i zagroŝonych Polski. Cz. I. ([V] Eryngium maritimum L. In: Materials for knowledge of the rare and endangered species of Poland. Part I). (Ed.) A. Jasiewicz, Fragm. Flor. Geobot., 33(3-4), 355-368, (in Polish). Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Stebel A., 2004. Aneks 1. Słownik waŝniejszych terminów botanicznych. W: Poradnik ochrony siedlisk i gatunków Natura 2000 podręcznik metodyczny. Tom 9. Gatunki roślin, (Annex 1. Dictionary of more important botanical terms. In: Guide to protection of Natura 2000 habitats and species a methodical manual. Vol. 9. Plant Species). (Eds) B. Sudnik-Wójcikowska, H. Werblan-Jakubiec, Ministry of the Environment, Warsaw, 207-215, (in Polish). Szlachetko D.L., 2001. Flora Polski. Storczyki (Flora of Poland. Orchids). MULTICO Oficyna Wydawnicza, Warszawa, (in Polish). Ustawa z dnia 27 kwietnia 2001 r. Prawo ochrony środowiska. 2001. DzU Nr 62, poz. 627 z dnia 20 czerwca 2001 r. (The Act of 27 th April 2001 on Environmental Protection Law, Official Journal of 20 th June 2001, No. 62, item 627), (in Polish). Węglarski K., Jańczyk-Węglarska J., 2000. Aktywna ochrona gatunku zagroŝonego wymarciem na przykładzie Dianthus gratianopolitanus Vill. z rezerwatu Goździk siny w Grzybnie (woj. wielkopolskie). (Active protection of the endangered species on the example of Dianthus gratianopolitanus Vill. in Goździk siny w Grzybnie reserve (Wielkopolskie voivodship). Bad. Fizjogr. Pol. Zach., B., 49, 157-172, (in Polish).

Problems of metaplantation of protected species a case study of Sea Holly... 23 Witosławski P., 2004. Stanowisko zastępcze zimoziołu północnego Linnaea borealis L. w rezerwacie Jawora. (Replacement locality of twinflower Linnaea borealis L. in Jawora reserve). Chr. Przyr. Ojcz., 60(2), 105-107, (in Polish). śukowski W., Jackowiak B., 1995. Lista roślin naczyniowych ginących i zagroŝonych na Pomorzu Zachodnim i w Wielkopolsce. W: Ginące i zagroŝone rośliny naczyniowe Pomorza Zachodniego i Wielkopolski. (List of endangered and threatened vascular plants in Western Pomerania and Wielkopolska (Great Poland). In: Endangered and threatened vascular plants of Western Pomerania and Wielkopolska). (Eds) W. śukowski, B. Jackowiak. Pr. Zakł. Taks. Rośl. UAM w Poznaniu, 3, 1-96, (bilingual in Polish and English). PROBLEMY METAPLANTACJI GATUNKÓW CHRONIONYCH NA PRZYKŁADZIE MIKOŁAJKA NADMORSKIEGO (ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM L.) I KRUSZCZYKA RDZAWOCZERWONEGO (EPIPACTIS ATRORUBENS (HOFFM.) BESSER) Streszczenie Rozwój gospodarczy i związana z tym nasilająca się antropopresja powodują istotne przekształcenia środowiska przyrodniczego na róŝnych poziomach jego organizacji: ekosystemalnym, biocenotycznym i gatunkowym. Zgodnie z obowiązującą w Polsce polityką zrównowaŝonego rozwoju zmiany te, często nieuniknione, powinny być poprzedzone działaniami minimalizującymi ich skutki. W związku z tym podejmowane są działania czynnej ochrony przyrody. Jedną z tych metod, która dotyczy ochrony ginących i zagroŝonych gatunków roślin, jest metaplantacja. Według Poradnika ochrony siedlisk i gatunków Natura 2000 (Sudnik-Wójcikowska i Stebel 2004) metaplantacja to: metoda ochrony gatunków ginących, polegająca na przenoszeniu roślin i zwierząt z zagroŝonych stanowisk naturalnych na stanowiska zastępcze. W czerwcu 2005 roku przeprowadzona została metaplantacja populacji Eryngium maritimum i Epipactis atrorubens z terenu budowy terminalu kontenerowego Portu Północnego w Gdańsku na Wyspę Sobieszewską. Przygotowanie i przeprowadzenie metaplantacji musiało odbyć się bardzo szybko ze względu na rozpoczęte juŝ prace budowlane. Tak późne rozpoczęcie starań o uratowanie lokalnych populacji obu gatunków wynikało z nierzetelnie sporządzonego raportu oddziaływania inwestycji na środowisko, w którym wyŝej wymienione gatunki nie zostały uwzględnione. Metaplantację przeprowadzono w ciągu jednego dnia, a wzięło w niej udział 21 wolontariuszy. Ogółem przeniesiono 146 okazów mikołajka nadmorskiego i 184 kruszczyka rdzawoczerwonego. Wykonano szczegółowe pomiary kaŝdego przenoszonego okazu. Na nowym stanowisku posadzono i trwale oznakowano wszystkie przeniesione rośliny. Nowo powstałe populacje objęte zostały monitoringiem. W przypadku gatunków szczególnej troski metaplantacja zagroŝonych populacji wydaje się najkorzystniejszą formą kompensacji przyrodniczej, wymaganej od inwestorów. Nadal brak jest jednak jasno określonych procedur jej przeprowadzania.

24 Katarzyna śółkoś, Renata Afranowicz, Joanna Bloch-Orłowska, Julita Minasiewicz