POND RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT Life-history traits controlling the survival of Tillaea aquatica: a threatened wetland plant species in intensively managed fishpond landscapes of the Czech Republic Kater ˇina S ˇ umberova ´ • Michal Ducha ´c ˇek • Zden ˇ ka Lososova ´ Received: 25 October 2010 / Accepted: 13 August 2011 / Published online: 31 August 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 Abstract Tillaea aquatica (Crassulaceae) is con- sidered as annual wetland species threatened by changes in land use and progressing eutrophication in large part of its European distribution range. We summarised the historical and recent data on this species, and analysed its distribution and associated habitat changes in the Czech Republic. We used permanent plots as well as seed bank and seed dispersal studies to obtain better insight into the plant’s survival strategy. During the second half of the twentieth century T. aquatica disappeared from most historical localities situated mainly in large fishponds. After 1999, altogether 18 new populations were found in small fry ponds and other fish-farming ponds. The largest populations of Tillaea were found in ponds with long-term bottom exposure where the vegetation of perennial herbs was eliminated by herbicides or grazing. Propagules easily dispersible by water, on gumboots or tyres of vehicles, and long- term soil seed bank also might contribute to persis- tence of the species in the habitats, diminishing the chance of extinction. As the fishpond management has changed, and so have done the original habitats of Tillaea, the species could survive in habitats different from those in the past. In this article, we suggest management measures aimed at promoting survival of Tillaea under new circumstances. Keywords Fishpond management Á Herbicide application Á Seed dispersal Á Species competition Á Vegetation dynamics Á Wetland vegetation Introduction Tillaea aquatica L. (syn. Crassula aquatica (L.) Scho ¨nland, Bulliardia aquatica (L.) DC., Crassula- ceae family) is an annual wetland plant species of sub-oceanic circumpolar distribution. In many Euro- pean countries, the species has recently been Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0857-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: D. Boix, B. Oertli, R. Ce ´re ´ghino, T. Kalettka, J. Biggs & A. P. Hull / Pond Research and Management in Europe—Proceedings of the 4th conference of the European Pond Conservation Network (Berlin 2010) K. S ˇ umberova ´(&) Department of Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Lidicka ´ 25/27, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic e-mail: katerina.sumberova@ibot.cas.cz M. Ducha ´c ˇek Department of Botany, National Museum, Cirkusova ´ 1740, 193 00 Praha 9–Hornı ´ Poc ˇernice, Czech Republic e-mail: duchace@seznam.cz Z. Lososova ´ Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Por ˇı ´c ˇı ´ 7, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic e-mail: lososova@ped.muni.cz 123 Hydrobiologia (2012) 689:91–110 DOI 10.1007/s10750-011-0857-3