ISSN: 2067-533X INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE Volume 9, Issue 4, October-December 2018: 821-834 www.ijcs.uaic.ro THE CAUSES OF DISAPPEARANCE OF SWORD LILY GLADIOLUS IMBRICATUS L. FROM NATURAL STANDS- SYNTHESIS OF CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE Kinga KOSTRAKIEWICZ-GIERAŁT 1* , Cristina Carmen PALICI 2 , Alina STACHURSKA- SWAKOŃ 3 , Valentin NEDEFF 2 , Ion SANDU 4,5 1 Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Faculty of Tourism and Recreation, University of Physical Education in Krakow, Jana Pawła II 78, 31-571 Kraków, Poland 2 Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacau, Department of Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, 157 Calea Marasesti, 600115 Bacau, Romania 3 Department of Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland 4 Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, ARheoinvest Platform, Blvd. Carol I, no. 22, G Building, Iasi, Romania 5 Romanian Inventors Forum, Str. Sf. P.Movila 3, L11, III/3, Iasi, Romania Abstract The sword lily Gladiolus imbricatus L. is a clonal plant covering Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Caucasia and West Siberia. The aforementioned species is included in numerous national Red Books or Lists due to the progressive decrease of stands. The present paper reviews the factors threatening the occurrence and condition of Gladiolus imbricatus populations in natural localities. The largest threat is connected with transformation of meadows and expansion of urban areas. Keywords: Sword lily; Natural localities; Population abundance; Threatened species; Molinion. Introduction Progressive anthropopressure is leading to huge changes in the natural environment, which are recognised at various levels of its organisation: they are both global and also locally recognised by changes in the areas covered by particular types of ecosystems, extinction of species and expansion or invasion of new species for a given area. Trends in the contemporary approach to nature conservation as well as the so-called sustainable development are aimed at preserving biodiversity for future generations. Understanding the causes and mechanisms of the disappearance of plant species is very important because it can enable the taking of appropriate action before a population will reach a critical size. Reductions in the populations of meadow plant species may be the result of changes in the environmental conditions [1-3]; very often it is a consequence of abandoning traditional farming methods [4-6]. Abandonment of traditional use could start a chain of events resulting in stronger competition for various environmental resources or lack of gaps for seeds germinating [7-8]. The occurrence of the species could be also influenced by interaction between plants caused by allelopathins [9]. In addition, plants that have become rare are more susceptible to the interactions that decrease plant fitness, e.g. herbivory, a lack of pollinators etc. The loss of seeds as a result of pre-dispersal seed predation may be a potential threat for the plant population * Corresponding author: kinga.kostrakiewicz@awf.krakow.pl