The diversity of ferns and lycopods in Val Piora and measurements of ecological and physiological indicators on two widely distributed fern species at two different sites

The diversity of ferns and lycopods, their lifeforms and the environmental performance were studied near Lake Cadagno in the Piora valley. For easier determination of the local diversity, a key to the species found in the area is given. Fast chlorophyll fluorescence is a valuable tool to check the photosynthetic plant performance as a measure for adaptation to local environmental conditions. As tropical ferns react strongly to a varying light regime, two local species, Athyrium distentifolium and Dryopteris dilatata, were selected, both growing at sunny drier as well as shaded more humid sites, to measure the kinetics if their chlorophyll fluorescence rise after a a strong light pulse. Although the ecological indicators (Landolt et al. 2010) of both species are similarly characterized as humid and shadow, leaves of the two species after exposed to the sun or in the shadow behave differently upon a strong artificial light pulse.