NDLI: Changes over three decades in the floristic composition of nutrient-poor grasslands in the Swiss Alps

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Peter, Markus Gigon, Andreas Edwards, Peter J. Lüscher, Andreas
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	To investigate recent changes in the floristic composition and nature conservation value of nutrient-poor, semi-natural grasslands of the Swiss Alps, we resurveyed 151 phytosociological relevés in four regions, originally recorded between 1975 and 1985. In the original surveys, the mean number of plant species per plot (25–100 m2) ranged from 47.1 to 58.1 according to region. The flora included a total of 18 species that are protected in Switzerland and a high proportion of habitat specialists of nutrient-poor grasslands (NPG-species). In the second survey, conducted between 2002 and 2004, both mean species number per plot (−3.2 to +11.4) and species evenness (−0.05 to +0.07) were higher in most regions. However, the data revealed clear shifts in community composition, with a higher proportion of nutrient-demanding species (mean nutrient indicator value increased by +0.07 to +0.24 units) and a lower proportion per plot of NPG-species (−3.6 to −11.6%). These changes were greatest in pastures, and in meadows converted to sheep pastures, while the NPG-species were maintained in unfertilized meadows that were managed as ecological compensation areas. To prevent continuing decline in the conservation value of these grasslands, it is important to support low-intensity management, especially mowing, and to prevent further eutrophication.
Starting Page	547
Ending Page	567
Page Count	21
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09603115
Journal	Biodiversity and Conservation
Volume Number	18
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	15729710
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2008-12-14
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Biodiversity Conservation management Conservation value Ecological compensation area Habitat specialists Land-use change Vegetation change Plant Sciences Tree Biology Evolutionary Biology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation

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1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
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3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
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