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Landscape context determinants to plant diversity in the permanent meadows of Southern European Alps

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Abstract

In the Southern Alps, the role of landscape context on meadows plant diversity was evaluated using a multi-model information theoretic approach and five competing hypotheses of landscape context factors: habitat quality (H1), matrix quality (H2), habitat change (H3), matrix quality change (H4) and topography-environmental conditions (H5)- measured at three spatial scales (125, 250 and 500 m). Shannon diversity index and species richness represented plant diversity obtained in 34 plots (100 m2 size). Landscape context affected plant diversity measures differently. Matrix quality change at larger scale (500 m) was the most supported hypothesis explaining Shannon diversity index, while species richness responded mostly to topography-environmental conditions in the immediate surroundings (125 m). No effects of present-day habitat and matrix quality (H1 and H2) were found. Matrix quality change affected positively Shannon diversity index through an effect of landscape neighbourhood context on farming management practices. Due to the importance of exposure and inclination of slopes, topography-environmental conditions influenced species richness mostly through energy-driven processes and farming management strategies. In terms of scale, matrix quality change was the strongest hypothesis explaining Shannon diversity index at all scales, while the underlying process affecting species richness changed with scale (H5 or H3). Overall, landscape context explained only 25–28 % of the variation in plant diversity, suggesting that landscape management may support biodiversity conservation when comprised in a global strategy including farming practices. In the study area, change in landscape diversity may be a good indicator for Shannon diversity index and south-eastern facing meadows should be preserved.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the cooperation of the local farmers during the field work. We acknowledge the project CAPPA and MIUR for their financial support of this project. We acknowledge Dr. Erika Hiltbrunner and Dr. Karen Budge for important insights to improve the manuscript, and the support of Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change during the last phase of the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Via Enrico di Nicola 9, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Antonio T. Monteiro & Donatela Spano

  2. Impacts on Agriculture, Forest and Natural Ecosystems Division (IAFENT), Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change, Via Enrico di Nicola 9, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Antonio T. Monteiro & Donatela Spano

  3. Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics Laboratory, University of Milan-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Francesco Fava

  4. Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    João Gonçalves

  5. Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, School of Environment, University Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Alfredo Huete

  6. Fojanini Foundation of Sondrio, Via Valeriana 32, 23100, Sondrio, Italy

    Fausto Gusmeroli

  7. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via S. Epifanio 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Gilberto Parolo

  8. Department of Crop Science, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Stefano Bocchi

Authors
  1. Antonio T. Monteiro
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  2. Francesco Fava
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Correspondence to Antonio T. Monteiro.

Appendix

Appendix

List of species recorded across the 34 selected meadow plots during the vegetation surveys in the lowlands of Valtellina Valley

Achillea millefolium

Erodium cicutarium

Potentilla reptans

Agropyron repens

Festuca arundinacea

Ranunculus acris

Agrostis tenuis

Festuca pratensis

Ranunculus bulbosus

Ajuga reptans

Festuca rubra aggr.

Ranunculus ficaria

Allium sp.

Galium mollugo aggr.

Ranunculus nemorosus

Alopecurus utriculatus

Geranium molle

Ranunculus repens

Anthoxanthum odoratum

Glechoma hederacea

Rumex acetosa

Arabidopsis thaliana

Heracleum sphondylium

Rumex obtusifolius

Arrhenatherum elatius

Holcus lanatus

Salvia pratensis

Artemisia vulgaris

Lamium album

Secale cereale

Avenula pube scens

Lamium maculatum

Silene dioica

Bellis perennis

Lamium purpureum

Silene vulgaris

Bromus hordeaceus

Leontodon hispidus

Stellaria graminea

Bromus sterilis

Leucanthemum vulgare

Stellaria media

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Lolium multiflorum

Taraxacum officinale

Cardamine hirsuta

Lolium perenne

Thalictrum minus

Cardaminopsis halleri

Lotus corniculatus

Trifolium pratense

Carex pairaei

Lychnis flos-cuculi

Trifolium repens

Carum carvi

Medicago sativa

Trisetum flavescens

Centaurea nigrescens

Myosotis ramosissima

Urtica dioica

Cerastium glomeratum

Ornithogalum umbellatum

Valerianella locusta

Cerastium holosteoides

Pastinaca sativa

Veronica arvensis

Chenopodium album

Phleum prate nse

Veronica chamaedrys

Clinopodium vulgare

Pimpinella major

Veronica filiformis

Convolvulus arvensis

Plantago lanceo lata

Veronica persica

Crepis biennis

Plantago major

Vicia cracca

Dactylis glome rata

Poa prate nsis

Vicia sativa

Daucus carota

Poa trivialis

Viola tricolor

Erigeron annuus

Polygonum aviculare

 

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Monteiro, A.T., Fava, F., Gonçalves, J. et al. Landscape context determinants to plant diversity in the permanent meadows of Southern European Alps. Biodivers Conserv 22, 937–958 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-013-0460-1

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