Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bignal EM, McCracken DI (1996) Low-intensity farming systems in the conservation of the countryside. J Appl Ecol 33:413–424. doi:10.2307/2404973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bischof N (1981) Gemähte Magerrasen in der subalpinen Stufe der Zentralalpen. Bauhinia 7:81–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Bischof N (1984) Pflanzensoziologische Untersuchungen von Sukzessionen aus gemähten Magerrasen in der subalpinen Stufe der Zentralalpen. Flück-Wirth, Teufen

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobbink R, Ashmore MR, Flückiger W, Van den Wyngaert IJJ (2003) Empirical nitrogen critical loads for natural and semi-natural ecosystems: 2002 update. In: Achermann A, Bobbink R (eds) Empirical critical loads for nitrogen. Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape, Bern, pp 43–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Borcard D, Legendre P, Drapeau P (1992) Partialling out the spatial component of ecological variation. Ecology 37:1045–1055. doi:10.2307/1940179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun-Blanquet J (1964) Pflanzensoziologie: Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde, 3rd edn. Springer, Wien

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietl W (1995) Wandel der Wiesenvegetation im Schweizer Mittelland. Z Okol Nat Schutz 4:239–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Dufrêne M, Legendre P (1997) Species assemblages and indicator species: the need for a flexible asymmetrical approach. Ecol Monogr 67:345–366. doi:10.1890/0012-9615(1997)067[0345:SAAIST]2.0.CO;2

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson O, Cousins SAO, Bruun HH (2002) Land-use history and fragmentation of traditionally managed grasslands in Scandinavia. J Veg Sci 13:743–748. doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2002)013[0743:LHAFOT]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer M, Stöcklin J (1997) Local extinctions of plants in remnants of extensively used calcareous grasslands 1950–1985. Conserv Biol 11:727–737. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1997.96082.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer M, Wipf S (2002) Effect of low-intensity grazing on the species-rich vegetation of traditionally mown subalpine meadows. Biol Conserv 104:1–11. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00149-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gigon A, Leutert A (1996) The dynamic keyhole key model of coexistence to explain diversity of plants in limestone and other grasslands. J Veg Sci 7:29–40. doi:10.2307/3236413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grime JP (1973) Competitive exclusion in herbaceous vegetation. Nature 242:344–347. doi:10.1038/242344a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson M, Fogelfors H (2000) Management of a semi-natural grassland; results from a 15-year-old experiment in southern Sweden. J Veg Sci 11:31–38. doi:10.2307/3236772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog F, Dreier S, Hofer G, Marfurt C, Schüpbach B, Spiess M, Walter T (2005) Effect of ecological compensation areas on floristic and breeding bird diversity in Swiss agricultural landscapes. Agric Ecosyst Environ 108:189–204. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2005.02.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hohl M (2006) Spatial and temporal variation of grasshopper and butterfly communities in differently managed semi-natural grasslands in the Swiss Alps. Dissertation, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zürich

  • Kampmann D, Herzog F, Jeanneret P, Konold W, Peter M, Walter T, Wildi O, Lüscher A (2008) Mountain grassland biodiversity: impact of site conditions vs. management type. J Nat Conserv 16:12–25. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2007.04.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (2002) Mountain biodiversity, its causes and function: an overview. In: Körner C, Spehn EM (eds) Mountain biodiversity: a global assessment. Parthenon, Boca Raton, pp 3–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Landolt E (1977) Oekologische Zeigerwerte zur Schweizer Flora. Veroff Geobot Inst ETH Stift Rubel Zur 64:1–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauber K, Wagner G (2001) Flora Helvetica, 3rd edn. Paul Haupt, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Lüscher A, Fuhrer J, Newton PCD (2005) Global atmospheric change and its effect on managed grassland systems. In: McGilloway DA (ed) Grassland: a global resource. Academic Publishers, New York, pp 251–264

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald D, Crabtree JR, Wiesinger G, Dax T, Stamou N, Fleury P, Lazpita JG, Gibon A (2000) Agricultural abandonment in mountain areas of Europe: environmental consequences and policy response. J Environ Manag 59:47–69. doi:10.1006/jema.1999.0335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maurer K, Weyand A, Fischer M, Stöcklin J (2006) Old cultural traditions, in addition to land use and topography, are shaping plant diversity of grasslands in the Alps. Biol Conserv 130:438–446. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.01.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarty JP (2001) Ecological consequences of recent climate change. Conserv Biol 15:320–331. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.015002320.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercier A (1984) Possibilités d’intégration de différents systèmes d’utilisation pastorale au Pays-d’Enhaut, vol 31. MAB Pays-d’Enhaut, Nyon

  • Mottet A, Ladet S, Coqué N, Gibon A (2006) Agricultural land-use change and its drivers in mountain landscapes: a case study in the Pyrenees. Agric Ecosyst Environ 114:296–310. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2005.11.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nitsche S, Nitsche L (1994) Extensive Grünlandnutzung. Neumann Verlag GmbH, Radebeul

    Google Scholar 

  • Oberdorfer E (1993) Süddeutsche Pflanzengesellschaften, vol 2–3, 3rd edn. Gustav Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Peter M, Edwards PJ, Jeanneret P, Kampmann D, Lüscher A (2008) Changes over three decades in the botanical composition of fertile permanent grasslands in the Alps. Agric Ecosyst Environ 125:204–212. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2008.01.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfister H (1984) Grünlandgesellschaften, Pflanzenstandort und futterbauliche Nutzungsvarianten im montan-subalpinen Bereich, vol 7. MAB Grindelwald, Bern

  • Ratcliffe DA (1984) Post-medieval and recent changes in British vegetation: the culmination of human influence. New Phytol 98:73–100. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1984.tb06099.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAEFL (1995) Vom Menschen verursachte Luftschadstoff-Emissionen in der Schweiz von 1900 bis 2010. Environmental Series 256. Swiss Agency for Environment Forest and Landscape (SAEFL), Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • SAEFL (1996) Critical loads of nitrogen and their exceedances—Eutrophying atmospheric deposition. Environmental Series 275. Swiss Agency for Environment, Forest and Landscape (SAEFL), Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • SFOA (2006) Agrarbericht 2006 des Bundesamtes für Landwirtschaft. Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (SFOA), Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart SM, Bunce RGH, Marrs R, LeDuc M, Firbank LG, Maskell LC, Scott WA, Thompson K, Walker KJ (2005) Large-scale changes in the abundance of common higher plant species across Britain between 1978, 1990 and 1998 as a consequence of human activity: tests of hypothesised changes in trait representation. Biol Conserv 124:355–371. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.12.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SR-451.1 (1991) Verordnung über den Natur- und Heimatschutz. Systematic collection of Swiss Federal Laws

  • SR-910.13 (1998) Verordnung über die Direktzahlungen an die Landwirtschaft. Systematic collection of Swiss Federal Laws

  • SR-910.14 (2001) Verordnung über die regionale Förderung der Qualität und der Vernetzung von ökologischen Ausgleichsflächen in der Landwirtschaft. Systematic collection of Swiss Federal Laws

  • Stevens CJ, Dise NB, Mountford JO, Gowing DJ (2004) Impact of nitrogen deposition on the species richness of grasslands. Science 303:1876–1879. doi:10.1126/science.1094678

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strijker D (2005) Marginal lands in Europe—causes of decline. Basic Appl Ecol 6:99–106. doi:10.1016/jbaae.2005.01.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Surber E, Amiet R, Kobert H (1973) Das Brachlandproblem in der Schweiz. Ber Eidgenöss Anst forstl Verswes 112

  • Tamis WLM, van’t Zelfde M, van der Meijden R, Groen CLG, de Haes HAU (2005) Ecological interpretation of changes in the dutch flora in the 20th century. Biol Conserv 125:211–224. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.03.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tasser E, Tappeiner U (2002) Impact of land use changes on mountain vegetation. Appl Veg Sci 5:173–184. doi:10.1658/1402-2001(2002)005[0173:IOLUCO]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (2002) CANOCO Reference manuel and CanoDraw for windows—User’s guide: software for canonical community ordination, version 4.5. Biometris, Wageningen and České Budĕjovice

  • ter Braak CJF, Wiertz J (1994) On the statistical-analysis of vegetation change—a wetland affected by water extraction and soil acidification. J Veg Sci 5:361–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willems JH, Peet RK, Birk L (1993) Changes in chalk-grassland structure and species richness resulting from selective nutrient additions. J Veg Sci 4:203–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolkinger F, Plank S (1981) Dry grasslands of Europe. Nature and Environment Series 21. Council of Europe, Strasbourg

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is part of the Swiss National Research Programme 48 «Landscapes and Habitats of the Swiss Alps» and is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The authors are grateful to P. Jeanneret for statistical support, to two unknown reviewers for helpful comments and to C. Palmer for linguistic corrections.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland

    Markus Peter & Andreas Lüscher

  2. Institute of Integrative Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Andreas Gigon & Peter J. Edwards

Authors
  1. Markus Peter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andreas Gigon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter J. Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andreas Lüscher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Lüscher.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 8.

Table 8 Species that significantly (P < 0.05) changed over time in frequency and/or in abundance
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peter, M., Gigon, A., Edwards, P.J. et al. Changes over three decades in the floristic composition of nutrient-poor grasslands in the Swiss Alps. Biodivers Conserv 18, 547–567 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9521-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9521-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation