Abstract
Survival of broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.) plants exposed to grass competition in unmanaged grassland in Central Europe was investigated. Individual plants (n = 244) were marked in 1999 and their mortality recorded twice a year, until 2007. Eight years of unrestricted competition with grass killed nearly all dock plants. Both winter mortality (October–April) and summer mortality (May–September) varied greatly between years. The numbers of plants dead during each of the periods were regressed against five meteorological factors that might affect dock mortality. Summer mortality increased with warm weather (mean temperature of 20 hottest days over summer period) and winter mortality increased with drought (number of days without precipitation during winter period). Water deficiency thus may be an important factor contributing to mortality of dock plants subjected to competition with grass.
Zusammenfassung
Auf nicht bewirtschaftetem Grünland in der Tschechischen Republik wurde die Überdauerung von Stumpfblärttrigem Ampfer (Rumex obtusifolius L.) in Gegenwart konkurrierender Gräser untersucht. Einzelne Pflanzen (n = 244) wurden 1999 gekennzeichnet und ihre Mortalität zweimal jährlich bis einschließlich 2007 bestimmt. Acht Jahre uneingeschränkter Konkurrenzdruck durch Gräser ließ fast alle Ampferpflanzen absterben. Die Mortalität während der Winter- (Oktober bis April) und Sommerperioden (Mai bis September) variierte stark zwischen den Versuchsjahren. Im Rahmen einer Regressionsanalyse wurde die Anzahl der in den einzelnen Versuchsperioden abgestorbenen Pflanzen mit fünf meteorologischen Parametern verglichen, die die Mortalität der Ampferpfanzen beeinflusst haben könnten. Die Sommersterblichkeit stieg bei warmem Wetter (mittlere Tagestemperatur der 20 wärmsten Tage während der Sommerperiode), während die Wintersterblichkeit mit zunehmender Trockenheit anstieg (Anzahl der Tage ohne Niederschläge während der Winterperiode). Wassermangel könnte daher ein wichtiger Faktor sein, der die Mortalität von Ampferpflanzen unter Konkurrenzdruck von Gräsern beeinflusst.
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Martinkova, Z., Honek, A., Pekar, S. et al. Weather and survival of broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.) in an unmanaged grassland. J Plant Dis Prot 116, 214–217 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03356313
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03356313