Contribution to the knowledge on the distribution of Aristolochia clematitis in riparian and roadside habitats of Serbia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63356/agrores.2025.014Keywords:
common birthwort, Danube catchment area, highway, SerbiaAbstract
Aristolochia clematitis L., belonging to the Aristolochiaceae family and commonly known as common birthwort or Dutchman's pipe, is a rhizomatous perennial herb best known for its unpleasant odor. It is widespread in Serbia, favoring warm, nutrient-rich soils in sunlit areas. It thrives in habitats such as floodplain forests, riverbanks, embankments and roadsides. This species is also significant from a plant, animal and human health perspective, as a phytopathogenic virus host, poisonous plant and producer of aristolochic acid I (AAI), a nephrotoxic and carcinogenic compound linked to Balkan endemic nephropathy. Field studies in Serbia were conducted along 236 riparian and 180 roadside field sites, where its presence and abundance were recorded along 100 m long vegetation transects. RDA analyses were performed using Canoco 5.0, with A. clematitis cover as a response variable and selected habitat features as explanatory variables. Generalized additive model (GAM) was done to fit a response curve of A. clematitis on the elevation gradient. A. clematitis was documented in 42 field sites, with the highest number of field sites being in the Danube catchment area (riparian) and along the E-75 highway (roadside). The cover of A. clematitis varied, equaling the cover of cca. 5% in 66.67% of riparian field sites, with some roadside sites reaching 30% cover. Analyses show that the presence and cover of A. clematitis was positively associated with lower altitudes and the presence of some anthropogenic features (e.g. debris) within the studied reach of the river. The study highlights the need for targeted control measures, considering the cover and abundance of A. clematitis in specific locations.
References
Aguiar, F. C., Ferreira, M. T., & Moreira, I. (2001). Exotic and native vegetation establishment following channelization of a western Iberian River. Regulated Rivers: Research & Management: An International Journal Devoted to River Research and Management, 17(4‐5), 509-526.
Aguiar, F. C., Ferreira, M. T., Albuquerque, A., & Bernez, I. (2005). Invasibility patterns of knotgrass (Paspalum distichum) in Portuguese riparian habitats. Weed technology, 19(3), 509-516.
Anđelković, A. (2019). Akvatični koridori biljnih invazija u Srbiji. Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Prirodno-matematički fakultet (Doctoral dissertation, Doktorska disertacija).
Anđelković, A., Pavlovic, D., Marisavljević, D., Živković, M., Novković, M., Popović, S., ... & Radulović, S. (2022). Plant invasions in riparian areas of the Middle Danube Basin in Serbia. NeoBiota, 71(23).
Au, C. K., Zhang, J., Chan, C. K., Li, C., Liu, G., Pavlovic, N. M., ... & Chan, W. (2020). Determination of aristolochic acids in vegetables: Nephrotoxic and carcinogenic environmental pollutants contaminating a broad swath of the food supply and driving incidence of Balkan endemic nephropathy. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 33(9), 2446-2454.
Brzić, I., Brener, M., Čarni, A., Ćušterevska, R., Čulig, B., Dziuba, T., ... & Škvorc, Ž. (2023). Different Ecological Niches of Poisonous Aristolochia clematitis in Central and Marginal Distribution Ranges - Another Contribution to a Better Understanding of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. Plants, 12(17), 3022.
Chan, W., Pavlović, N. M., Li, W., Chan, C. K., Liu, J., Deng, K., ... & Kostić, E. N. (2016). Quantitation of aristolochic acids in corn, wheat grain, and soil samples collected in Serbia: identifying a novel exposure pathway in the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64(29), 5928-5934.
Drăghia, L. P., Lukinich-Gruia, A. T., Oprean, C., Pavlović, N. M., Păunescu, V., & Tatu, C. A. (2021). Aristolochic acid I: An investigation into the role of food crops contamination, as a potential natural exposure pathway. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 43(10), 4163-4178.
EPPO (2025a). EPPO Global Database - Aristolochia clematitis (ARPCL). Accessed February 11, 2025, at https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/ARPCL
EPPO (2025b). EPPO Global Database - Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae (TSWV00). Accessed February 11, 2025, at https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/TSWV00
Hranjec, T., Kovač, A., Kos, J., Chen, J. J., Grollman, A. P., & Jelaković, B. (2005). Endemic nephropathy: the case for chronic poisoning by aristolochia. Croatian Medical Journal, 46(1), 116-125.
Janković, M. (1970). Rod Aristolochia L. 1753. U: Josifović M. (Ur.), Flora SR Srbije I. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, 194-196.
Konstantinović, B., Meseldžija, M. (2007). Poisonous weed species and their significance for cattle production in Serbia region. Proceedings of a Periodical of Scientific Research of Field and Vegetable Crops, 44(1), 325-332.
Li, W., Chan, C. K., Liu, Y., Yao, J., Mitić, B., Kostić, E. N., ... & Chan, W. (2018). Aristolochic acids as persistent soil pollutants: determination of risk for human exposure and nephropathy from plant uptake. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66(43), 11468-11476.
Li, W., Hu, Q., & Chan, W. (2016). Uptake and accumulation of nephrotoxic and carcinogenic aristolochic acids in food crops grown in Aristolochia clematitis - contaminated soil and water. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64(1), 107-112.
Mucina, L., Bültmann, H., Dierßen, K., Theurillat, J. P., Raus, T., Čarni, A., ... & Tichý, L. (2016). Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. Applied Vegetation Science, 19, 3-264.
Parrella, G., Gognalons, P., Gebre-Selassie, K., Vovlas, C., & Marchoux, G. (2003). An update of the host range of Tomato spotted wilt virus. Journal of Plant Pathology, 85(4), 227-264.
Pavlović, N. M., Maksimović, V., Maksimović, J. D., Orem, W. H., Tatu, C. A., Lerch, H. E., ... & Paunescu, V. (2013). Possible health impacts of naturally occurring uptake of aristolochic acids by maize and cucumber roots: links to the etiology of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 35, 215-226.
Stefanidis, K., Karaouzas, I., Oikonomou, A., Smeti, E., Kouvarda, T., Latsiou, A., ... & Dimitriou, E. (2023). Geodiversity as a potential indicator of stream health in ecological quality assessment systems. Ecohydrology, 16(6), e2551.
Ter Braak, C. J., & Šmilauer, P. (2012). Canoco reference manual and user's guide: software for ordination, version 5.0.
Van der Maarel, E. (1979). Transformation of cover-abundance values in phytosociology and its effects on community similarity. Vegetatio, 39, 97-114.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dragana Marisavljević, Slađana Popović, Stefan Kovačević, Danijela Šikuljak, Ana Anđelković
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
