Key environmental variables affecting the distribution of Elatine hungarica in the Pannonian Basin.

Attila Takács 1 , András Schmotzer 2 , Gusztáv Jakab 3 , Tamás Deli 4 , Attila Mesterházy 5 , Gergely Király 6 , Balázs A. Lukács 7 , Boglárka Balázs 8 , Ranko Perić 9 , Pavol Eliáš 10 , Gábor Sramkó 11 , Jácint Tökölyi 12 & Attila Molnár 1

Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., Hungary
  2. Bükk National Park Directorate, H-3304 Eger, Sánc u. 6., Hungary
  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Water and Environmental Management, Szent István University, Szabadság u. 1–3., H-5540 Szarvas, Hungary
  4. Directorate of Békés County Museums, H-5600 Békéscsaba, Széchenyi u. 7., Hungary
  5. Hunyadi u. 55., H-9500 Celldömölk, Hungary
  6. West Hungarian University, Faculty of Forestry, Institute of Sylviculture and Forest Protection H-9400 Sopron, Ady E. u. 5, Hungary
  7. Department of Tisza Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research-BLI-HAS), Bem tér. 18/C, H-4026, Debrecen, Hungary
  8. Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., Hungary
  9. Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina province, Radnička 20a, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  10. Department of Botany, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
  11. MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary
  12. MTA-DE “Lendület” Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary

Published: 21 April 2013

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Abstract

Elatine hungarica Moesz is a small wetland ephemerophyte that occurs and is classified as extinct, data deficient or a very rare and endangered taxon in most countries in eastern and central Europe. Based on literature and herbarium data, supplemented by 160 field records collected between 1998 and 2011, we present the currently known distribution of this species in the Pannonian Basin, which mostly but not exclusively includes Hungary. Within the Pannonian Basin this species is distributed throughout Hungary, with sporadic occurrences in Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. The temporal distribution of floristic records is very uneven. This species was recorded only in 27 years during the last 213 years (1798–2011). When examining presence/absence data for most of the 20th century, we found a significant correlation between the number of records of this species in a given year and two key, but not independent, environmental variables: rainfall and the extent of the area inundated in the same year. In the more intensively documented period between 1998 and 2010, there is only a significant correlation between the numbers of records of this species and the extent of flooding, which is because there is a delay in the effect of an increase in rainfall. The peak occurrence of records in the 1940s and 1950s is associated with extensive rice production in Hungary. Today, most records are for agricultural fields that are subject to flooding and becoming temporary wetlands. The comparison of recent and past distributions of E. hungarica reveals a consistent and marked regional difference; whereas this species is not rare along the Tisza river and its tributaries, it is markedly scattered in similar habitats near the Danube.

Keywords

ephemerophyte, flooding, Hungary, inland water, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Elatinaceae, mapping, rainfall, rice weeds, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, temporary ponds

How to cite

Takács A., Schmotzer A., Jakab G., Deli T., Mesterházy A., Király G., Lukács B. A., Balázs B., Perić R., Eliáš P. jun., Sramkó G., Tökölyi J. & Molnár V. A. (2013) Key environmental variables affecting the distribution of Elatine hungarica in the Pannonian Basin. – Preslia 85: 193–207