Format: ORAL

Zoltn Btori, Kata Frei, Gbor Li, Csaba Tlgyesi

University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

Karst landscapes cover about 1520% of the Earths terrestrial surface, providing high topographic complexity that may facilitate the persistence of plant species despite unfavourable macro-environmental changes. Enclosed depressions (i.e. dolines) are the most common and typical landforms in karst landscapes. Microhabitats in dolines, such as bottoms, north-facing, south-facing, east-facing, and west-facing slopes, may act as microrefugia for many endangered and highly specialized plant species (e.g., species listed in the IUCN regional and/or global Red Lists). Notable examples include Cerastium dinaricum (Slovenia), Dracocephalum ruyschiana (Hungary and Serbia), Biebersteinia orphanidis, Horstrissea dolinicola (Greece), and Magnolia aromatica (China). Dolines also have the potential to maintain natural and restricted vegetation types (e.g., beech forest patches at low altitudes in Central Europe). Our aim is to provide an overview about the ecological factors of dolines in general, to discuss the mechanisms underpinning their role as microrefugia, and to highlight research priorities that will advance our understanding of plant diversity in dolines. Firstly, we illustrate the importance of geomorphology on ecological factors (such as air temperature, relative air humidity, and soil properties) within dolines, and the long-term stability of these factors. Secondly, we evaluate the effects of these factors on local and regional biodiversity, highlighting the role of dolines as past, present and potential future microrefugia. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to improve our knowledge on the effects of various stressors (e.g., temperature increase, drought, and forestry management) on the refugial capacity of dolines.