Status of Four Orchid Species at Silver Lake Fen Complex

Authors

Sara Carroll, Creighton University
Robert L. Miller, Creighton University
Paul D. Whitson, University of Northern IowaFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Dickinson County, Iowa, Fen orchids, Orchidaceae, Silver Lake Fen, Species Biology

Abstract

The native orchids Liparis loeselii and Spiranthes romanzoffiana inhabit hydric-mesic sapric histosol soils supporting three distinct fen vegetation zones at Silver Lake Fen State Preserve. Platanthera hyperborea and Cypripedium candidum primarily inhabit adjacent mesichydric aquoll mollisols supporting wetland and marsh vegetation. The fen orchids possessed shallow subterranean storage organs and perennating buds bathed in shallow water, while the non-fen orchids exhibited deep storage organs and perennating buds above a deep water table. Ramet census demonstrated all orchids possessed reproductive efforts greater than 90%, except C. candidum which exhibited 52% effort, probably due to low pollination. Genet analyses suggest L. loeselii and S. romanzoffiana total 267 and 22 individuals respectively, while C. candidum and P. hyperborea respectively total 666 and 2797. The fen orchid populations are smaller, but the larger non-fen species populations may be declining due to encroachment and competition from Fraxinus, Typha and Phragmites.

Publication Date

December 1984

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

91

Issue

4

First Page

132

Last Page

139

Copyright

©1984 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Carroll, Sara; Miller, Robert L.; and Whitson, Paul D. (1984) "Status of Four Orchid Species at Silver Lake Fen Complex," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 91(4), 132-139.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol91/iss4/5