Vitality as an integral indicator of plant population state

Abstract

To further unification of approaches to the terminology and methodology of research in the demographic ecology, it is important to seek consensus on a number of issues, including the concept of “population vitality”. There is a need to develop a consolidated approach to the assessment of a population-based set of characteristics – individual and group. Based on current views, we can assume that the vitality of population is an integral characteristic that reflects the current state of a population on the basis of major individual and group parameters of structure, growth, development and reproduction. Vitality represents the actual position of population in the realized ecological niche and corresponds to the norm of reaction that reflects actual habitat conditions at a particular time. The main parameters to establish the vitality of a population are its size, age, vital and sex structure, population density, the intensity of generative and vegetative propagation, phytomass and others. Evaluation of the vitality does not provide long-term prognosis instead of population viability, which means the establishment of perspectives. Monitoring of population vitality should form the basis for population viability assessment.

Keywords

• plant population
• vitality
• viability