The differences in morpho-anatomical, ecological and biochemical traits of Cyclamen coum subsp. coum, threatened plant listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) have been investigated in the central Black Sea region of Turkey in the context of its distribution at different altitudes. We found that shoot length, bulb width, leaf width and length, number of branches and flowers were significantly different along elevation gradient, whereas length of tubers, number of living and dead leaves, number of nodes, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf mass area (LMA) values, did not differ significantly, PCA analysis revealed that leaf length and width, the number of branches, soil organic matter content and available potassium concentration and N concentrations of above and belowground parts and reproductive effort (RE3) played significant role in differentiation of the studied populations, while several other studied factor were found not significant. The reproductive effort of individuals from the sea level was higher. We suggest that significant differences in the studied traits may indicate the ecotypic differentiation among populations.
Detailed data on the response of plants to different climatic conditions could gain insight into the early impacts of climate change upon functioning ecosystems especially alpine ones, the most specialized. Petasites kablikianus (Asteraceae) is a species with montane and disjunctive distribution range, and it is one of the best objects to such investigations. In Polish high mountains, it is represented the best on the northern slopes of the Babia Góra massif (the Babiogórski National Park) and it occurs in two, independent zones: subalpine (landslides, rock rubbles) and lower montane zone (gravels on stream banks). The climatic differences between these two zones result in a morphological differentiation of specimens but mainly in differences in the dynamics of the life history of both populations. Detailed phenological observations and biometrical measurements were made on five plots on both gynodynamic and androdynamic shoots in their natural environment and after transplantation. The most important result is a fact that the subalpine population is completely phenologically isolated. Moreover the differences in the dates of beginning vegetation and in the duration and dynamics of particular stages of development and in morphological structure of individuals between the upper and lower populations were also stated. The results show that the adaptability of the species present a great potential to respond to the possible effects of global warming by modifying the life history and extending of distribution range for low-lying areas.