Population strengthening
Small, isolated populations of Jurinea cyanoides face a high risk of inbreeding depression, reduced pollinator attraction, and subsequent extinction. To reverse this trend, this action focuses on increasing genetic diversity and population sizes. Following habitat restoration measures, target populations in both Czechia and Germany will be systematically strengthened through repeated seed sowing and plant translocations over the project’s duration.
Material Preparation, Sowing, and Transplanting
Aim: To strengthen 12 Jurinea cyanoides populations in Germany and 2 in Czechia by sowing at least 6,700 seeds and transplanting 250 individuals.
- Secure seed sources from natural populations, existing ex-situ cultures, and newly established local gardeners and botanical garden collections.
- Initiate discussions with nature conservation authorities in Czechia regarding the potential use of non-native seed material (if WP 3 results recommend regional mixing over native-only plants).
- Process and clean harvested seeds, selecting ripe seeds for direct sowing and controlled germination testing (under WP 8).
- Germinate seeds in growth chambers and cultivate seedlings in IBOT to maximize survival rates for Czech populations.
- Transplant cultivated juvenile plants to target sites (at least 50 tagged individuals per site in DE and CZ) to evaluate transplantation effectiveness.
- Sow seeds in structured grid-cell plots, 50 seeds per plot, and mark with wooden sticks in March across target sites.
- Establish unseeded control plots in identical layouts to evaluate natural vs. assisted germination success (under WP 8).
- Sow additional seeds in multi-row patterns at designated experimental sites.
- Tag established plants with individual numbers to track long-term growth, fitness, and survival rates.
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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.