THE INFLUENCE OF BIOTIC INTERACTIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF ARNICA MONTANA L. SPECIES IN NATURAL HABITATS

Arnica montana L. is a medicinal and aromatic plant species with high pharmaceutical importance mainly due to the anti-inflammatory proprieties of helenaline. The unsustainable management and environmental changes lead to the extinction of the species in many habitats, becoming endangered or rare in most European countries. The paper synthesises the researches results on the categories of biotic interactions involved in the distribution and abundance of A. montana species in natural habitats. This addresses the impact of phytophagous and mycorrhizal species on bioproductivity, respectively, pollinators on reproductive success and fitness, with importance in developing viable conservation strategies and optimization of cultivation features.