ENSCONET Slovakia Field Trip 2011

Gentiana fatrae

Gentiana fatrae is endemic to the West Carpathians mountains. It was one of the 42 species collected during a seed collecting expedition in the Veľká Fatra and Nízke Tatry Mountain of Slovakia in Autumn 2011.

The international collecting team

This collecting trip was made up of an international team from Austria, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Slovakia and the UK and part of the activities of the European Native Seed Bank Network (ENSCONET) Consortium. The Institute of Botany, who have been part of the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership for 6 years, organised the trip.

Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum

Thistle species like Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum are commonly under represented in gene bank collections because of their prickliness and high insect infestations. Experience has shown the Slovakian team that it is better to harvest younger heads as these are more likely to have intact seeds.

Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum

Old heads like this one are likely to be heavily infested with only a few of the hundred seeds uneated.

Field Data Collection

Data collection in the field is essential.

Sampling the population

At Kráľova studňa (altitude ca. 1280) the team spread out to ensure that they sampled the population evenly. The team is careful not to collect more than 20% of the available seed.

Voucher Collection

Collection of representative specimens can be a prickly job!

Preparing to clean fruits

When a high insect infestation is found the seeds need to be cleaned as soon as possible. Here at the start of the evening the team are enthusiastic about removing the seed from Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum heads.

Infested seed head

Infested Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum head. Asteraceae seed heads are often heavily infested and it is difficult to find uneaten seed.

Seed cleaning

The team extracts seeds of Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum late into the night.

Cirsium cleaning after 30 minutes

Half an hour into the cleaning work for Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum a small amount of good seed has been recovered.

Cirsium cleaning after 1 hour

An hour later work is still slow extracting seeds of Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum.

Cirsium cleaning after 2 hours

After two hours a good number of whole Cirsium eriophorum subsp. eriophorum seeds have been recovered.

Bryndzové halušky, traditional Slovakian meal

A traditional Slovakian meal, bryndzové halušky (sheep cheese gnocchi), kept the team going.

Protected Areas

Slovakia has nine national parks and a large network of protected areas. National Park Veľká Fatra was declared in 2002. National Park Low Tatras, designated in 1978, is the largest single protected area in Slovakia.

Do not pick the flowers!

Special permits are required from the Ministry of Environment in order to collect seed within the National Parks and from rare and endemic species.

Collecting Euphrasia arctica subsp. slovaca

Collection of the tiny eyebright Euphrasia arctica subsp. slovaca.

Voucher preparation

Specimens are pressed and dried.

Trifolium pratense subsp. kotulae collection

Trifolium pratense subsp. kotulae is a Carpathians endemic with its main stronghold in Slovakia.

Rhinathus pulcher collection

A collection of Rhinanthus pulcher seeds spread out for initial assessment of number and quality.

Rhodiola rosea collection

Collection techniques differ according to fruiting structures. As Rhodiola rosea has tiny seeds it is easiest to collect fruiting heads in the field and extract the seeds later.

Inspection of Inula ensifolia seed

Seeds are assessed for quality, quantity and moisture content and dried where needed.

Drying Lunaria rediviva

Drying Lunaria rediviva. Once dried and cleaned samples will be sent to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank in the UK for duplication.

Cleaning Polygonatum odoratum

Polygonatum odoratum. Another evening’s work cleaning, this time with fleshy fruits.Seeds are removed from the fleshy fruit for drying.

Cleaning Polygonatum odoratum

Another evening’s work cleaning, this time with fleshy fruits of Polygonatum odoratum.

Kráľova Hoľa

Kráľova Hoľa - Grassy legendary topped mountain is the highest peak in the eastern part of the Nízke Tatry Mountains.

Collecting Gentianella amarella subsp. reussii

Collecting the endemic Gentianella amarella subsp. reussii. The photo does not show how cold it was.

Succisa pratensis

Succisa pratensis. The wet meadows at the base of the eastern Nízke Tatry Mountains are one of the most threatened habitats in Slovakia. They are also the home to many rare species.

End of a busy collecting day

This important conservation work will carry on.