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Glacial relicts in the Alps: the decline and conservation strategy for Nuphar pumila (Nymphaeaceae)

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Abstract

The Alps played an important role in the biogeography of European plants and acted as a refugium for numerous species during the interglacial cycles. We investigated Nuphar pumila, one of the most emblematic glacial relicts of the Alps, by carrying out exhaustive literature and field surveys to collect relevant data on its distribution and threats. We further evaluated the level of introgression with the closely related N. lutea based on microsatellite data from natural populations across the Alps as well as from all ex situ collections and reintroductions in Switzerland. According to our results, more than 60% of the known N. pumila populations went extinct, and the species currently presents 37 natural populations in the investigated area. A large number of populations were affected by eutrophication (69%) and hybridization with N. lutea (53%). Priority should be given to the in situ conservation of genetically pure populations, while ex situ cultures should be applied to nearly extinct populations and the genetically pure individuals still present in hybrid populations. N. pumila is an excellent representative of the wetland/aquatic glacial relicts that are particularly affected by the combination of climate change and habitat degradation. International integration of research and conservation programs is needed to limit the decline of such rare species in the Alps.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

modified from Roweck (1988) and Padgett (2007); b the investigated populations in the Alps and neighboring mountain ranges; and c the historical and present populations of N. pumila and its hybrids (N × spenneriana). Black circles: pure populations of N. pumila. White circles: hybrid populations of N × spenneriana. White circles with a black dot: N. pumila and N × spenneriana coexisting. Black squares: introductions. Background maps: https://d-maps.com/

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the following persons and institutions for their precious help, collaboration and/or issue of permissions: Switzerland—Botanical Gardens of St-Gall, Zürich, Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg; Benoît Clément, Botanical Garden of the University of Fribourg; Marius Achermann and Francesca Cheda, Service de la Nature et du paysage de l’Etat de Fribourg; Dr. Andreas Keel, Amt für Landschaft- und Naturschutz, Kanton Zürich; Claudia Huber, UNA, Bern; Rolf Heeb and Christian Peisker, Kantonsschule Wattwil; Luca Champoud and Valentine Kam, Collège du Sud, La Frasse; François Genoud, Auberge du Lac des Joncs, Les Paccots; Coordination régionale pour la protection de la flore (FR-GE-NE-VD); Dr. Stephan Eggenberg, Info Flora. France—Eric Brugel and Julien Guyonneau, Conservatoire botanique national de Franche-Comté; Sophie Daucourt, Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement et du Logement de Franche-Comté (DREAL); Alain David, Office National de l’Eau et des Milieux Aquatiques (ONEMA); Alain Piot, Hôtel et lac de l’Abbaye, Grande-Rivière; owners of the pond Bachetey, Haute-Saône. Austria—Michaela Messner, Bezirkshauptmannschaft Reutte; municipalities of Grän and Nesselwängle, Tirol. Germany—Günter Riegel, Regierungsbezirk Schwaben; Dr. Klaus Neugebauer, Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern; Hans Lampartner, Regierungspräsidium Tübingen; Bertrand Schmidt, Landratsamt Ravensburg; Dr. Ulrich Weiland, Zweckverband Allgäuer Moorallianz; Dr. Stephanie Socher, Bayerischen Landesamt für Umwelt in Augsburg; Naturpark Südschwarzwald; Sigrid Rossiwal, Regierung von Oberbayern, Uwe Grabner, Starnberg; Josef Kunsler, Bad Endorf; NSG Eggstätt-Hemhofer Seenplatte; Bernadette Zimmermann, Regierungspräsidium Freiburg. We thank the Natural History Museum Fribourg (Switzerland) and the Fonds de recherche of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland, Project number 516) for their logistic and financial support. Nils Arrigo was funded by an SNSF Ambizione research Grant (PZ00P3_148224).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural History Museum Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

    Sébastien Bétrisey, Emanuel Gerber & Gregor Kozlowski

  2. Department of Biology and Botanical Garden, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

    Sébastien Bétrisey & Gregor Kozlowski

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Nils Arrigo & Julia Bilat

  4. Kantonsschule Wattwil, Näppisuelistrasse 11, 9630, Wattwil, Switzerland

    Larissa Graf

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  1. Sébastien Bétrisey
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  2. Nils Arrigo
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  3. Larissa Graf
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  4. Julia Bilat
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Contributions

GK and SB developed the research ideas; SB, LG, and EG collected the data and samples; NA and JB carried out molecular analyses; SB, NA, and GK analyzed the data and led the writing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Gregor Kozlowski.

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Bétrisey, S., Arrigo, N., Graf, L. et al. Glacial relicts in the Alps: the decline and conservation strategy for Nuphar pumila (Nymphaeaceae). Alp Botany 130, 89–99 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-020-00232-9

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