mountain grassland
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2022 ◽  
Vol 314 ◽  
pp. 108801
Author(s):  
Julian Rogger ◽  
Lukas Hörtnagl ◽  
Nina Buchmann ◽  
Werner Eugster

2022 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 106447
Author(s):  
Aure Durbecq ◽  
Léo Rocher ◽  
Renaud Jaunatre ◽  
Alice Dupré la Tour ◽  
Elise Buisson ◽  
...  

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Uta Schirpke ◽  
Erich Tasser ◽  
Georg Leitinger ◽  
Ulrike Tappeiner

Mountain farming sustains human well-being by providing various ecosystem services (ES). In the last decades, socio-economic developments have led to worldwide changes in land-use/cover (LULC), but the related effects on ES have not been fully explored. This study aimed at assessing the impacts of the transformation of agricultural land on ES in the European Alps. We mapped 19 ES within the agriculturally used areas in the year 2000 and analyzed LULC changes by 2018. We compared eight regions with a similar development, regarding social–ecological characteristics, to outline contrasting trends. Our results indicate that the ES decreased most strongly in regions with a massive abandonment of mountain grassland, while ES in the ‘traditional agricultural region’ remained the most stable. In regions with an intensification of agriculture, together with urban sprawl, ES had the lowest values. Across all regions, a shift from ES that are typically associated with mountain farming towards forest-related ES occurred, due to forest regrowth. By relating differing trends in ES to social–ecological developments, we can discuss our findings regarding new landscapes and farming systems across the European Alps. Our quantitative and spatially explicit findings provide a valuable basis for policy development, from the regional to the international/EU level, and for adopting sustainable management strategies.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Larisa Corcoz ◽  
Florin Păcurar ◽  
Victoria Pop-Moldovan ◽  
Ioana Vaida ◽  
Vlad Stoian ◽  
...  

Grassland ecosystems occupy significant areas worldwide and represent a reservoir for biodiversity. These areas are characterized by oligotrophic conditions that stimulate mycorrhizal symbiotic partnerships to meet nutritional requirements. In this study, we selected Festuca rubra for its dominance in the studied mountain grassland, based on the fact that grasses more easily accept a symbiotic partner. Quantification of the entire symbiosis process, both the degree of colonization and the presence of a fungal structure, was performed using the root mycorrhizal pattern method. Analysis of data normality indicated colonization frequency as the best parameter for assessing the entire mycorrhizal mechanism, with five equal levels, each of 20%. Most of the root samples showed an intensity of colonization between 0 and 20% and a maximum of arbuscules of about 5%. The colonization degree had an average value of 35%, which indicated a medium permissiveness of roots for mycorrhizal partners. Based on frequency regression models, the intensity of colonization presented high fluctuations at 50% frequency, while the arbuscule development potential was set to a maximum of 5% in mycorrhized areas. Arbuscules were limited due to the unbalanced and unequal root development and their colonizing hyphal networks. The general regression model indicated that only 20% of intra-radicular hyphae have the potential to form arbuscules. The colonization patterns of dominant species in mountain grasslands represent a necessary step for improved understanding of the symbiont strategies that sustain the stability and persistence of these species.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Antonio T. Monteiro ◽  
Paulo Alves ◽  
Claudia Carvalho-Santos ◽  
Richard Lucas ◽  
Mario Cunha ◽  
...  

The spatial monitoring of plant diversity in the endangered species-rich grasslands of European mountain pastoral systems is an important step for fairer and more efficient Agri-Environmental policy schemes supporting conservation. This study assessed the underlying support for a spatially explicit monitoring of plant species richness at parcel level (policy making scale) in Southern European mountain grasslands, with statistical models informed by Sentinel-2 satellite and environmental factors. Twenty-four grassland parcels were surveyed for species richness in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, northern Portugal. Using a multi-model inference approach, three competing hypotheses guided by the species-scaling theoretical framework were established: species–area (P1), species–energy (P2) and species–spectral heterogeneity (P3), each representing a candidate spatial pathway to predict species richness. To evaluate the statistical support of each spatial pathway, generalized linear models were fitted and model selection based on Akaike information criterion (AIC) was conducted. Later, the performance of the most supported spatial pathway(s) was assessed using a leave-one-out cross validation. A model guided by the species–energy hypothesis (P2) was the most parsimonious spatial pathway to monitor plant species richness in mountain grassland parcels (P2, AICc = 137.6, ∆AIC = 0.0, wi = 0.97). Species–area and species–spectral heterogeneity pathways (P1 and P3) were less statistically supported (ΔAICc values in the range 5.7–10.0). The underlying support of the species–energy spatial pathway was based on Sentinel-2 satellite data, namely on the near-infrared (NIR) green ratio in the spring season (NIR/Greenspring) and on its ratio of change between spring and summer (NIR/Greenchange). Both predictor variables related negatively to species richness. Grassland parcels with lower values of near-infrared (NIR) green ratio and lower seasonal amplitude presented higher species richness records. The leave-one-out cross validation indicated a moderate performance of the species–energy spatial pathway in predicting species richness in the grassland parcels covered by the dataset (R2 = 0.44, RMSE = 4.3 species, MAE = 3.5 species). Overall, a species–energy framework based on Sentinel 2 data resulted in a promising spatial pathway for the monitoring of species richness in mountain grassland parcels and for informing decision making on Agri-Environmental policy schemes. The near-infrared (NIR) green ratio and its change in time seems a relevant variable to deliver predictions for plant species richness and further research should be conducted on that.


2021 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 108455
Author(s):  
Leticia San Emeterio ◽  
María Durán ◽  
Leire Múgica ◽  
Juan J. Jiménez ◽  
Rosa Maria Canals

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Kobiv Y.Y.

Individual (height of flowering shoot, length of rhizome segments and their number on a growth axis) and group parameters (cover, density of immature individuals, flowering and vegetative shoots) of a clonal tall-herb species Rumex alpinus were studied in the populations undergoing different stages of anthropogenic succession in the Carpathians. The species can form dense Rumiceta alpini ruderal communities on the manured soil near the livestock camps. Rumex alpinus has a long life span and thick long-living rhizomes in which the segments’ size reflects the viability of the individual in previous years. The studied parameters characterize the extent of disturbance in grassland ecosystems on different stages of their anthropogenic or restoration succession. A significant number of immature individuals of seed origin proves the young age of a population and indicates the degrading vector of changes in ecosystems. However, the individuals of seed origin (particularly, immature) are almost or completely missing in the established dense Rumiceta alpini because clonal reproduction prevails there. The highest individual and group parameters of R. alpinus have been registered in the sites that are manured. Cessation of anthropogenic impact results in thinning out of populations and their gradual decline. Annual increments of rhizomes demonstrate a successive increase in the invasive populations and decrease in the regressive ones. R. alpinus is also a component of some native undisturbed communities where it shows moderate viability of individuals and low population density. Thus, high values of individual and group parameters of this species indicate significant disturbance of the area and its low conservation value, while its infrequent occurrence only in some solitary small sites can reflect an absence or low level of devastation of a mountain grassland ecosystem. Keywords: anthropogenic impact, succession, rhizome segments, mountain meadows,Rumicetum alpini Вивчено індивідуальні (висоту генеративного пагона, довжину сегментів кореневища та їхню кількість на осі наростання) і групові параметри (проєктивне покриття,щільність імматурних особин, генеративних і вегетативних пагонів) клонального високотравного виду – Rumex alpinus у популяціях, що перебувають на різних стадіях антропогенної сукцесії в Карпатах. Цей вид здатний утворювати зімкнені рудеральні угруповання – щавельники (Rumiceta alpini) на угноєному ґрунті біля стійбищ худоби. Видові властивий тривалий онтогенез і наявність довговічних масивних кореневищ, у яких розмір сегментів відображає життєвість особини у минулі роки. Досліджені показники характеризують ступінь антропогенних змін у лучних екосистемах Карпат на різних етапах їх дигресивно-демутаційних перетворень. Значна кількість імматурних особин насіннєвого походження свідчить про молодий вік популяції і служить індикатором дигресивного спрямування змін в екосистемі. Натомість, у сформованих щільних щавельниках особини насіннєвого походження (зокрема імматурні) майже або цілком відсутні, оскільки у самовідновленні переважає вегетативне розмноження. Найвищі індивідуальні і групові параметри R. alpinus відзначено на площах, що зазнають підживлення гноївкою. Припинення господарського впливу призводить до розрідження популяцій та їх поступового згасання. В інвазійних популяціях відзначено послідовне збільшення річних приростів кореневищ, натомість у регресивних – їхнє скорочення. Rumex alpinus є також компонентом деяких корінних непорушених угруповань, де виявляє невисоку життєвість особин і низьку щільність популяцій. Отже, високі значення індивідуальних і групових показників цього виду є індикатором значного порушення території та її низької цінності з природоохоронної точки зору, натомість його нечасте трапляння лише на окремих невеликих ділянках може свідчити про відсутність або незначний ступінь девастації гірської лучної екосистеми. Ключові слова: антропогенний вплив, сукцесія, сегменти кореневища, гірські луки, Rumicetum alpini


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3019
Author(s):  
Antonio T. Monteiro ◽  
Cláudia Carvalho-Santos ◽  
Richard Lucas ◽  
Jorge Rocha ◽  
Nuno Costa ◽  
...  

Conservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However, because the existing data near 2020 is scarce, the shifting character of mountain grasslands remains poorly characterized, and even less is known about the conservation outcomes because of different governance regimes and map uncertainty. Our study used Landsat satellite imagery over a transboundary mountain region in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Peneda-Gerês) to shed light on these aspects. Supervised classifications with a multiple classifier ensemble approach (MCE) were performed, with post classification comparison of maps established and bias-corrected to identify the trajectory in grassland cover, including protected and unprotected governance regimes. By analysing class-allocation (Shannon entropy), creating 95% confidence intervals for the area estimates, and evaluating the class-allocation thematic accuracy relationship, we characterized uncertainty in the findings. The bias-corrected estimates suggest that the positive progress claimed internationally by 2020 was not achieved. Our null hypothesis to declare a positive progress (at least equality in the proportion of grassland cover of 2019 and 2002) was rejected (X2 = 1972.1, df = 1, p < 0.001). The majority of grassland cover remained stable (67.1 ± 10.1 relative to 2002), but loss (−32.8 ± 7.1% relative to 2002 grasslands cover) overcame gain areas (+11.4 ± 6.6%), indicating net loss as the prevailing pattern over the transboundary study area (−21.4%). This feature prevailed at all extents of analysis (lowlands, −22.9%; mountains, −17.9%; mountains protected, −14.4%; mountains unprotected, −19.7%). The results also evidenced that mountain protected governance regimes experienced a lower decline in grassland extent compared to unprotected. Shannon entropy values were also significantly lower in correctly classified validation sites (z = −5.69, p = 0.0001, n = 708) suggesting a relationship between the quality of pixel assignment and thematic accuracy. We therefore encourage a post-2020 conservation and policy action to safeguard mountain grasslands by enhancing the role of protected governance regimes. To reduce uncertainty, grassland gain mapping requires additional remote sensing research to find the most adequate spatial and temporal data resolution to retrieve this process.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loïc Chalmandrier ◽  
Florian Hartig ◽  
Daniel C. Laughlin ◽  
Heike Lischke ◽  
Maximilian Pichler ◽  
...  

AbstractIt has long been anticipated that relating functional traits to species demography would be a cornerstone for achieving large-scale predictability of ecological systems. If such a relationship existed, species demography could be modeled only by measuring functional traits, transforming our ability to predict states and dynamics of species-rich communities with process-based community models. Here, we introduce a new method that links empirical functional traits with the demographic parameters of a process-based model by calibrating a transfer function through inverse modeling. As a case study, we parameterize a modified Lotka–Volterra model of a high-diversity mountain grassland with static plant community and functional trait data only. The calibrated trait–demography relationships are amenable to ecological interpretation, and lead to species abundances that fit well to the observed community structure. We conclude that our new method offers a general solution to bridge the divide between trait data and process-based models in species-rich ecosystems.


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