ALDONA K. UZIĘBŁO, ZBIGNIEW KUC (authors of photographs)
ALDONA K. UZIĘBŁO (project manager)

University of Silesia,
Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection,
Department of Geobotany and Nature Protection;
Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice
e-mail: uzieblo@us.edu.pl

Description popularizing the research project

Butterbur does not have high requirements. On the contrary - the worse the conditions are, the better. It feels good in areas after floods, avalanches, landslides and heavy storms. Where the ground is totally devastated, where it may slide any moment, where the sun is scorching the soil, it is where you can observe the plant. Nothing can stop it as there are no species which could compete with it in such harsh conditions. Boundless it covers the whole areas of screes and rubbles. Then the rest of plants join in the party. Unfriendly ground overgrown with the roots of butterbur gets stability required by other montane species growing on slopes and in river valleys. Willows, alders and other plants start growing around the brave butterbur, forming multispecies communities. What about the modest butterbur? It disappears in the crowd losing its dominant position, but it will never be totally driven from the habitat. Its position in the undergrowth is not endangered. And when a disaster comes, leaving bare land behind, it will be the first one to colonize the inhospitable area. The unrewarding role of the unimpressive plant is hard to overestimate in high mountains conditions. Fortunately the species is common in all the ranges of the Giant Mountains and the Carpathian Mountains. It blooms in early spring for a short time, later on we can observe only its broad leaves growing near rivers. Tourists know the plant by sight, but geobotanists made friends with it.
Butterbur with its nice name and incredible abilities is a colorful subject caught in a black and white photo.

Abstract

Butterbur (Petasites kablikianus) is an utterly montane species. It occurs in subalpine and both forest zones, in the Giant Mts, in the whole Carpathians, including the Bieszczady Mts. Its specific habitat requirements influence the distribution and a role of its populations in the environment. Preliminary results of studies indicate that butterbur is a pioneer species, which initiates succession, stabilizes the substratum and takes part in creating the habitat. In connection with its great capabilities for colonization of the initial habitats, it appears on gravel heaps in stream valleys, on landslides and gravel roadsides. The common characteristics of habitats of these type are: scattered soil substratum, quite high relative humidity, good light conditions, shortage of competition. Sometimes butterbur is the main species in forming a new plant community. Subsequently, it gives back the space for the next generation of various species, and becomes an admixture in the herb layer. As a share-species it is awaiting until the settling down a new habitat is possible again. Long-lasting rainfalls, or brief but heavy ones, causing floods in stream valleys and landslides are the main factors enabling the species the colonization process.
The main aims of the research are among other determination of life strategies used by the species in restoration of plant cover and dynamics of the process on initial habitats, created by floods (investigations are carried out on 5 permanent plots localized in the Babiogórski and the Gorczański National Parks). Moreover, the presentation of phytocoenotic spectrum of the species within its whole range (on the basis of analysis of physicochemical properties of soils and phytosociological database collected with Braun-Blanquet's approach). Finally, syntaxonomic arrangement of phytocenoses, in which Petasites kablikianus occurs as a dominant species will be presented.