New localities of the royal fern Osmunda regalis L. near Koszêcin in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland)

139 New-localities-of-the-royal-fern-Osmunda-regalis-L.-near-Koszêcin 139 New localities of the royal fern Osmunda regalis L. near Koszêcin in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland) ADAM ROSTAÑSKI 1, STANIS AW CABA A 2 Universyty of Silesia, 1) Department of Plant Systematics, 2) Department of Ecology, ul. Jagielloñska 28, PL-40-032 Katowice, Poland; e-mail: adam.rostanski@us.edu.pl ABSTRACT: Osmunda regalis is a strictly protected fern species, which is dispersed in Polish lowlands; there are also less frequent localities in Polish highlands. It usually grows in damp forest habitats, which are quite often thinned out. It also occurs in the places which have been shaped by man such as forest ditches and forest roadsides. Data on several localities of the royal fern in Upper Silesia was given previously. The aim of this article is to present two localities of the species, which have not been reported until now. These localities were documented in 2007 in the area of the Boronów Forestry in the Koszêcin Forestry District of the Regional Management of the State- Owned Forests in Katowice. Populations of the royal fern occur in the Leucobryo-Pinetum molinietosum community, which slightly varies in the composition and the quantity of individual species between different patches. Examined populations of Osmunda regalis are in good condition, they spore profusely, and the spores germinate well, forming new specimens. ABSTRAKT: Osmunda regalis gatunek paproci objêty w Polsce ochron¹ œcis³¹, wystêpuje w rozproszeniu na polskim ni u, posiada tak e mniej liczne stanowiska na terenie wy yn polskich. Zajmuje zazwyczaj wilgotne siedliska leœne, czêsto przeœwietlone. Bywa tak e spotykany w miejscach przekszta³conych przez cz³owieka (rowy leœne i pobocza dróg leœnych). D³ugosz królewski podawany by³ wczeœniej z kilkunastu stanowisk na terenie Górnego Œl¹ska. Przedmiotem prezentowanego artyku³u jest przedstawienie nieznanych w literaturze naukowej 2 stanowisk tej paproci. Stanowiska zinwentaryzowano w roku 2007 na terenie lasów w Leœnictwie Boronów (Nadleœnictwo Koszêcin, Rejonowa Dyrekcja Lasów Pañstwowych w Katowicach). Populacje d³ugosza królewskiego wystêpuj¹ w zbiorowisku Leucobryo-Pinetum molinietosum, ró ni¹cym siê w poszczególnych p³atach nieznacznie sk³adem gatunkowym i udzia³em iloœciowym poszczególnych gatunków. Badane populacje Osmunda regalis s¹ w dobrej kondycji, obficie zarodnikuj¹, a zarodniki dobrze kie³kuj¹ tworz¹c nowe osobniki. KEY WORDS: Osmunda regalis, protected fern, new localities, Leucobryo-Pinetum ROSTAÑSKI A., CABA A S. 2008. New localities of the royal fern Osmunda regalis L. near Koszêcin in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland). In: E. Szczêœniak, E. Gola (eds), Club mosses, horsetails and ferns in Poland resources and protection. Institute of Plant Biology, University of Wroc³aw, Wroc³aw, p. 139 146.

140 Adam-Rostañski,-Stanis³aw-Caba³a 140 Introduction Upper Silesia is one of the best floristically recognized regions of our country. The research on the plant and animal resources has been performed for over 150 years. The detailed flora examination and monitoring, which started in the 2 nd half of the 20th century and are still continued, resulted in discovery of many rare plant species. These findings are very often essential to maintain the heritage of the biological diversity of the country. Osmunda regalis is strictly protected in Poland (Minister of Environment 2004). Its stands are spread in Polish lowlands and less frequently in highlands (Zaj¹c, Zaj¹c 2001). The royal fern usually grows in damp forest habitats, which are quite often thinned out. It can also occur in places which have been shaped by man such as forest ditches and forest roadsides (Bary³a, Pietras 1982; Piêkoœ-Mirkowa, Mirek 2003). Several locations of the royal fern in Upper Silesia were given previously (Bary³a 1979; Bary³a, Pietras 1982; Urbisz 1996; Piêkoœ-Mirkowa, Mirek 2003; Urbisz 2001; Jêdrzejko, Walusiak 2003; Zaj¹c, Zaj¹c 2001 ATPOL-data). Two new localities of the royal fern, Osmunda regalis, unknown so far, were found in 2006 and documented in 2007 in the area of the Boronów Forestry in the Koszêcin Forestry District of the Regional Management of the State-Owned Forests in Katowice. 1. Methods Two new localities of the royal fern, Osmunda regalis, discovered in 2006 by a forester, Adam Krakowski, in the Koszêcin Forest District (Mielczarek 2007) were confirmed in 2007. To characterize the phytocoenoses, in which clusters of the royal fern occur, a phytosociological research according to a generally accepted Braun-Blanquet method (1964) was performed in 2008. Based on the analysis of the phytosociological relevés the general table of the plant community composition was prepared and presented (Tab. 1). A scientific nomenclature of the vascular plant species is given after Mirek et al. (2002), the moss species after Ochyra et al. (2003), and the plant communities according to Matuszkiewicz (2001). 2. Results Two new localities of Osmunda regalis presented here (Fig. 1) occur in the wet sub-community of fresh pine forest, Leucobryo-Pinetum molinietosum (Tab. 1), which slightly varies in the composition of species and the quantitative contribution of individual species.

141 New-localities-of-the-royal-fern-Osmunda-regalis-L.-near-Koszêcin 141 Fig. 1. A map of the distribution of Osmunda regalis populations in the area of the Koszêcin Forestry District (Katowice); 1 stand 1; 2 stand 2 Rys. 1. Mapa rozmieszczenia populacji Osmunda regalis na terenie nadleœnictwa Koszêcin (RDLP Katowice); 1 stanowisko 1; 2 stanowisko 2 In the first location (the 136i unit) in the Boronów Forestry there were 3 groups of the royal fern found not very far from one another. The largest one consisted of 17 clumps, 14 of them were producing spores in 2008 (Fig. 2). Generally, the stand is well formed and managed although in some places it

142 Adam-Rostañski,-Stanis³aw-Caba³a 142 Fig. 2. Osmunda regalis L. population in the area of the Boronów Forestry, in the locality 1 (phot. A. Rostañski) Rys. 2. Populacja Osmunda regalis L. na terenie le nictwa Boronów, na stanowisku 1 (fot. A. Rostañski) was substantially thinned out in 2007. Trees in this stand, which are of the 4th age class, give 60% of the cover. They are mostly pine trees, Pinus sylvestris, mixed with few specimens of Betula pendula. The shrubs cover the stand in 30% and are mainly represented by Quercus robur with a small addition of Sorbus aucuparia, Frangula alnus and Padus serotina. The herb layer, which makes 80% of the cover, is well developed and contains as much as 20 species. Among them, the largest contribution have Vaccinium myrtillus, Molinia caerulea, Pteridium aquilinum, Deschampsia flexuosa and Trientalis europaea (Tab. 1). Also, the moss layer is well developed covering the stand in 50%. This layer, for the most part, consists of Pleurozium schreberi and Pseudoscleropodium purum. Nearly identical in terms of the structure and the stage of development are the forest patches, where the second cluster of Osmunda regalis with 4 clumps producing spores, and the third one with only one clump giving spores occur. At this location the tree cover is slightly higher than in the first stand, reaching 70%. Trees are also represented by Pinus sylvestris and few specimens of Betula pendula. Pine trees are in the 4 th age class and reach 30 45 cm of diameter and over 20 m of height. The shrub layer is less developed than in

143 New-localities-of-the-royal-fern-Osmunda-regalis-L.-near-Koszêcin 143 Tab. 1. An overall table of plant communities with Osmunda regalis population Tab. 1. Tabela zbiorcza zbiorowisk roœlinnych z populacj¹ Osmunda regalis Succesive No. of relevé (Numer kolejny zdjêcia) 1 2 3 4 Date (Data) 28.07.2008 28.07.2008 28.07.2008 28.07.2008 Area of relevé (m 2 )(Powierzchnia) 200 200 150 200 Cover of tree layer a (%) 60 70 70 80 (Zwarcie warstwy drzew) a (%) Cover of schrub layer b (%) 30 10 5 30 (Zwarcie warstwy krzewów) b (%) Cover of herb layer c (%) (Pokrycie warstwy zielnej) c (%) 80 90 80 90 50 80 Cover of moss layer d (%) 50 5 5 (Pokrycie warstwy mszystej) d (%) Number of species in 1 relevé 25 19 15 18 (Liczba gatunków w 1 zdjêciu) Geographical coordinates (Wspó³rzêdne geograficzne) N 50º 682 E 18º 880 N 50º 682 E18º 8879 N 50º 682 E 18º 879 N 50º 702 E 18º 871 Ch. et D* Ass. Leucobryo-Pinetum, All. Dicrano-Pinion, O. Cladonio-Vaccinietalia, Cl. Vaccinio-Piceetea Pinus sylvestris a.4 4.4 4.4 5.5 c +. +. Picea abies b... 1.1 c... + * Sorbus aucuparia b 1.1 + +. c +.. + Vaccinium myrtillus 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4 * Deschampsia flexuosa 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 Trientalis euopaea 1.1 2.3 1.1 1.1 Vaccinium vitis-idea. +.. Pleurozium schreberi d 3.3... Sciuro-hypnum oedipodium d +. +. Accompanying species (Towarzysz¹ce): Betula pubescens a + + 1.1. b... + c. +. + Quercus robur b 3.3 2.2 1.1. c 1.1 + + + Frangula alnus b 1.1 1.1 1.1 3.3 c 1.1 + + 1.1 Osmunda regalis 1.3 17 indiv., 14 spor. +.3 4 indiv., 4 spor. +.3 1 indiv., 1 spor. 1.3 5 indiv., 3 spor. Molinia caerulea 3.3 3.3 4.4 2.3 Oxalis acetosella 1.3 +.3 2.3 +.3 Pteridium aquilinum 3.3 3.3. 3.3 Rubus idaeus + 1.3 1.3. Dryopteris dilatata +.3 + +. Calamagrostis epigejos + +.. Holcus mollis +. +. Rubus hirtus + +.. Pseudoscleropodium purum d +.3. 1.2.

144 Adam-Rostañski,-Stanis³aw-Caba³a 144 the first stand and makes only 5% of the cover. However, in both cases it is formed by the same species, i.e. Quercus robur, Sorbus aucuparia and Frangula alnus. The herb layer is well developed and gives about 90% of the density. Yet still, the crucial role play the same species: Vaccinium myrtillus, Molinia caerulea, which even dominates in the third patch, Deschampsia flexuosa, Trientalis europaea, and Pteridium aquilinum; the last species is not present in the third patch. The moss layer was not present in the second patch, and only poorly developed in the third one, reaching 5% of the density. The second locality of the royal fern was also found in the Boronów Forestry (the 85i unit). There is only one population that is adjacent to the division line and consists of 5 clumps, among which 3 are producing spores, and one individual growing 10 m away from the main group on the division road (Fig. 3). The habitat of this population is similar to the previously described locality. It is also a wet sub-community, Leucobryo-Pinetum molinietosum (Tab. 1). Its developmental stage is similar to that described above. The vertical structure and floristic composition are typical of this type of pine forest. The trees of the 3 rd age class cover the stand in 80%. They are mainly Pinus sylvestris trees with a small contribution of Picea abies. The shrub layer makes 30% of the cover and is composed mostly of Frangula alnus with a minimal contribution of Picea abies and Betula pubescens. The herb layer is well developed, however, quite poor floristically and contains 15 species. Vaccinium myrtillus, Pteridium aquilinum, Deschampsia flexuosa and Molinia caerulea are predominant species here. Vaccinium vitis-idea and Trientalis europaea also play a significant role. The moss layer is hardy developed and its density is only about 5%. The substrate of these patches is sandy, not very fertile, similar to the typical community habitat of Leucobryo-Pinetum but quite wet resulting in the abundant occurrence of Molinia caerulea in all patches. Because of that, the discussed community can be classified to the inland wet forest, Molinio-Pinetum W. Mat. et J. Mat. 1973. All specimens of Osmunda regalis are in good condition, producing numerous spores, which have good germination potential. New individuals were observed in 2007, when the experiment with sowing the spores collected from the first locality was conducted. In August 2008, a whirlwind swept through the Koszêcin Forest District close to the localities of the royal fern, and caused extreme damages of the forest area of about 700 ha. Fortunately, the Osmunda regalis population and its surrounding were not damaged. Acknowledgement. This project was partly accomplished thanks to the grant from the Polish Biodiversity Information Network (Pol-BIN KSIB), a part of Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

145 New-localities-of-the-royal-fern-Osmunda-regalis-L.-near-Koszêcin 145 Fig. 3. Osmunda regalis L. in the Boronów Forestry in the locality 2 (phot. A. Rostañski) Rys. 3. Osmunda regalis L. na terenie le nictwa Boronów na stanowisku 2 (fot. A. Rostañski) References BARY A J. 1979. D³ugosz królewski Osmunda regalis na Górnym l¹sku. Chroñmy Przyr. Ojcz. 35(4): 55 60. B ARY A J., P IETRAS B. 1982. D³ugosz królewski Osmunda regalis L. w Polsce. Ochrona Przyrody 44: 111 143. B RAUN -B LANQUET J. 1964. Pflanzensoziologie, Grundzuege der Vegetationskunde. 3 Aufl. Springer Verl., Wien-New York.

146 Adam-Rostañski,-Stanis³aw-Caba³a 146 JÊDRZEJKO K., WALUSIAK E. 2003. Nowe stanowisko d³ugosza królewskiego Osmunda regalis na Wy ynie Œl¹skiej. Chroñmy Przyr. Ojcz. 59(6): 92 94. MATUSZKIEWICZ W. 2001. Przewodnik do oznaczania zbiorowisk roœlinnych Polski. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa, 540 pp. MIELCZAREK J. 2007. Kwiat paproci? Trybuna Leœnika 10: 26. MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT 2004. Rozporz¹dzenie z dnia 9 lipca 2004 r. w sprawie gatunków dziko wystêpuj¹cych roœlin objêtych ochron¹. Dz. Ust. Nr 168, poz. 1764, z dnia 28 lipca 2004. MIREK Z., PIÊKOŒ-MIREK H., ZAJ C A., ZAJ C M. 2002. Flowering plants and pteridophytes of Poland. A checklist. W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Science, Kraków, 442 pp. OCHYRA R., ARNOWIEC J., BEDNAREK-OCHYRA H. 2003. Census Catalogue of Polish Mosses. Polish Academy of Science. W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Kraków, 372 pp. PIÊKOŒ-MIRKOWA H., MIREK Z. 2003. Flora Polski, Atlas Roœlin Chronionych. Multico Oficyna Wydawnicza, Warszawa, p. 490 491. URBISZ AL. 2001. Atlas rozmieszczenia roœlin naczyniowych po³udniowo-zachodniej czêœci Wy yny Katowickiej. Wyd. Uniwersytet Œl¹ski, Katowice, p. 1 235. URBISZ AN. 1996. Flora naczyniowa P³askowy u Rybnickiego na tle antropogenicznych przemian tego obszaru. Scripta Rudensia 6: 1 175. ZAJ C A., ZAJ C M. (eds) 2001. Distribution Atlas of Vascular Plants in Poland. Laboratory of Computer Chorology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian Univ., Kraków, 716 pp. Nowe stanowiska d³ugosza królewskiego Osmunda regalis L. w okolicach Koszêcina na Górnym Œl¹sku (Po³udniowa Polska) Osmunda regalis gatunek paproci objêty w Polsce ochron¹ œcis³¹ (Minister Œrodowiska 2004), wystêpuje w rozproszeniu na polskim ni u, posiada tak e mniej liczne stanowiska na terenie wy yn polskich. Zajmuje zazwyczaj wilgotne siedliska leœne, czêsto przeœwietlone. Bywa tak e spotykany w miejscach przekszta³conych przez cz³owieka (rowy leœne i pobocza dróg leœnych). D³ugosz królewski podawany by³ wczeœniej z kilkunastu stanowisk na terenie Górnego Œl¹ska. Przedmiotem prezentowanego artyku³u jest przedstawienie nieznanych w literaturze naukowej 2 stanowisk tej paproci. Stanowiska te stwierdzono w 2006 roku i zinwentaryzowano w roku 2007 na terenie lasów w Leœnictwie Boronów Nadleœnictwa Koszêcin Rejonowej Dyrekcji Lasów Pañstwowych w Katowicach. Na podstawie analizy wykonanych zdjêæ fitosocjologicznych stwierdzono, e populacje d³ugosza królewskiego wystêpuj¹ w zbiorowisku Leucobryo-Pinetum molinietosum ró ni¹cym siê w poszczególnych p³atach nieznacznie sk³adem gatunkowym i udzia³em iloœciowym poszczególnych gatunków (Tab. 1). Badane populacje Osmunda regalis s¹ w dobrej kondycji, paprocie obficie zarodnikuj¹, a zarodniki dobrze kie³kuj¹ tworz¹c nowe osobniki.