Dynamics of the Demographic Structure of Coenopopulations of Tulipa suaveolens Roth (Liliaceae, Magnoliophyta) in the Lower Volga Region

The demographic structure of 39 coenopopulations of Tulipa suaveolens Roth in the Lower Volga region was studied. It has been shown that they occupy an area from 0.01 to 20,000 ha and more. Small-area populations grow mainly closer to the northern border of the species’ range. The density of all individuals (1.6–240.7 PCs/m²) and the number of generative plants (0.1–58.2 PCs/m²) at the interpopulation level varied over a wide range, but changed significantly over years mainly in the populations exposed to recreational load or grazing. The fraction of generative individuals ranged from 2 to96%. In 2013–2016 there was a significant negative correlation between the geographical latitude corresponding to the place of growth of a coenopopulation, and the proportion of plants of generative state therein. On the contrary, in 2017–2018 in the South and West of the surveyed part of the habitat the plants of the pregenerative period prevailed while the share of flowering plants significantly decreased. The observed dynamics correlates well with the weather conditions of the growing season of tulips. In 2013–2016, in the southern part of the territory studied, arid conditions were formed just in the spring and seedlings fell out at an early stage of their development. The spring periods of 2017 and 2018 were wetter there, and seedlings successfully passed through the early stages of ontogenesis. That is, cyclical fluctuations of weather conditions significantly affect the demographic structure of T. suaveolens coenopopulations. Accordingly, the contribution of different years to the renewal of populations is different. The populations in the southern regions maintain a high number of individuals and occupy larger areas mainly due to their long life. Rare seasons with favorable weather conditions provide outbreaks of juvenile plants. In the northern regions of the studied territory, more favorable conditions for the development of sprouts of this species are formed, and fluctuations in the demographic structure of coenopopulations are less pronounced.

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