Viscum album L. is a plant of great importance due to its influence on the host trees and, by extension, entire ecosystems. The species is also significant to humans—on the one hand, because of its use in medicine, and on the other, because of the growing threat it poses to the stability of conifer stands. Therefore, it is important to recognize the future range of three mistletoe subspecies (Viscum album subsp. album, V. album subsp. austriacum, and V. album subsp. abietis). Modelling of the potential range of these subspecies was performed using MAXENT software. Locations were collected from literature and databases. A total number of 3335 stands were used. Bioclimatic data for the current conditions and three future scenarios (SSP 1.26, SSP 3.70, SSP 5.85) were downloaded from the CHELSA database. The results confirmed that the temperature is the key variable on the potential range of the analysed subspecies. V. album subsp. abietis is withdrawing from its range according to all scenarios. In the case of V. album subsp. austriacum, a slight range shift is visible. Only the V. album subsp. album will expand non-directionally. The reason is most likely a very large number of host species and greater genetic variability compared to the subspecies found on conifers.

Female and male plants often differ in reproductive effort and habitat requirements. The aim of this study was to analyze these differences between the sexes and the effect of climate on tree-ring width in European yew (Taxus baccata). The study was conducted in five yew populations in western Poland. Wood samples were taken from 196 trees (98 females and 98 males) and subjected to the standard procedure of dendrochronological dating. Mean tree-ring width was significantly higher in males since about the beginning of sexual maturity. No such relationship was observed in the youngest population, which is the most distant from the current geographic limit for this species. In most of the analyzed populations, width of tree rings in female individuals, in contrast to males, was negatively correlated with high temperatures in August and September in the year prior to the formation of the tree ring, and correlated positively with precipitation in June and July in the current year. The differentiation ...

Context: Taxuswoodlands suffer from a lack of natural regeneration across its whole distribution range.Aims: In Knyazhdvir Reserve in UkraineTaxus baccataprimarily competes withAbies alba. It has been assumed that in the conditions of deep shade, yews have a greater competitive advantage than firs.Methods: To verify this hypothesis, a plot with both species growing under the canopy was established. Wood samples were taken from 20 trees ofT. baccataand 20 trees ofA. alba.Results: There were no differences in the mean tree-ring width, height and age between both species. Due to a lack of spatial separation of both species, yews and firs inhabited the same area in the analysed plot. Fir seedlings (up to 0.5 m) were recorded to grow under yew saplings (above 0.5 m), but the inverse situation of yew seedlings growing under fir saplings was not seen.Conclusion: Seedling distribution, tree-ring growth rate, possibility of growth of fir seedlings under yew saplings and greater potential growth suggested that fir was predisposed to having the competitive edge over yew. Our results may confirm the hypothesis thatT. baccatahas a restricted distribution because of weak competitive abilities and can exist only in habitats where faster growing species are absent. The results call into question the prevailing opinion that human influences are the principal cause for the decline ofT. baccata.