Abstract
Invasive woody species can substantially affect their environment and communities, enhancing the interest in conservation management. Non-indigenous dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) in the treeline ecotone of the Eastern High Sudetes Mountains and its experimental removal is the model example. We asked how species composition and diversity develop after it is clearcut, and what are the main drivers leading to alpine grasslands restoration. On the study site (Jeseníky Mts., the Czech Republic), three distinct habitats were distinguished: plots after clearcut, alpine grasslands, and dwarf pine plantation. Plant species composition was assessed by means of phytosociological relevés together with selected plant traits and environmental factors. We compared temporal trends in species number, diversity, and plant traits among the habitats. Species richness and diversity has increased since the dwarf pine was clearcut. This trend was the same for all three types of habitats studied, although they were significantly different in spatial compositional heterogeneity and species structure. Species composition among study habitats differed and went through its own successive trend of community development during time as the consequence of species turnover. We revealed that light-demanding plant species preferring low nitrogen concentrations were associated with the successional trend after the dwarf pine was clearcut. Dwarf pine removal creates conditions for alpine grassland restoration, but restoration can take a long time because of the environmental conditions, dwarf pine legacy, and plant traits that determine the succession direction. We recommend implementing adaptive management with long-term monitoring followed by actions to correct the desired state.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander JM, Lembrechts JJ, Cavieres LA et al (2016) Plant invasions into mountains and alpine ecosystems: current status and future challenges. Alp Bot 126:89–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-016-0172-8
Anderson MJ (2001) A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance. Austral Ecol 26:32–46
Bagaria G, Rodà F, Pino J (2019) Extinction and colonisation of habitat specialists drive plant species replacement along a Mediterranean grassland-forest succession. J Veg Sci 30:331–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12722
Baselga A (2010) Partitioning the turnover and nestedness components of beta diversity. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 19:134–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00490.x
Baselga A, Orme A, Villeger S, De Bortoli J, Leprieur F (2018) betapart: Partitioning Beta Diversity into Turnover and Nestedness Components. R package version 1.5.1. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=betapart
Bílá K, Šipoš J, Kindlmann P, Kuras T (2016) Consequences for selected high-elevation butterflies and moths from the spread of Pinus mugo into the alpine zone in the High Sudetes Mountains. PeerJ 4:e2094. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2094
Birks HJB, Willis K (2008) Alpines, trees, and refugia in Europe. Plan Ecol Divers 1:147–160
Botta-Dukat Z (2005) Rao’s quadratic entropy as a measure of functional diversity based on multiple traits. J Veg Sci 16:533–540. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2005.tb02393.x
Bruun HH (2006) Prospects for biocontrol of invasive Rosa rugosa. Biocontrol 51:141–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-005-6757-6
Bucharova A, Krahulec F (2020) Native seed addition as an effective tool for post-invasion restoration. Basic Appl Ecol 43:34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2019.10.009
Capers RS, Taylor DW (2014) Slow recovery in a Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Alpine plant community four years after disturbance. Rhodora 116:1–24. https://doi.org/10.3119/13-01
Chytrý M (2013) Subalpine krummholz vegetation. In: Chytrý M (ed) Vegetation of the Czech Republic 4. Forest and scrub vegetation. Academia, Prague, pp 157–165
Chytrý M, Jarošík V, Pyšek P et al (2008) Separating habitat invasibility by alien plants. Ecology 89:1541–1553
Chytrý M, Tichý L, Dřevojan P et al (2018) Ellenberg-type indicator values for the Czech flora. Preslia 90:83–103. https://doi.org/10.23855/preslia.2018.083
Coffey V, Otfinowski R (2018) Legacy effects of afforestation on prairie plant and seed bank communities in a northern Canadian prairie. Basic Appl Ecol 33:25–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2018.10.003
Copeland SM, Munson SM, Bradford JB et al (2019) Long-term plant community trajectories suggest divergent responses of native and non-native perennials and annuals to vegetation removal and seeding treatments. Restor Ecol 27:821–831. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12928
Corbin JD, Antonio CMD (2012) Gone but not forgotten? Invasive plants’ legacies on community and ecosystem properties. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 5:117–124. https://doi.org/10.1614/IPSM-D-11-00005.1
Cuevas YA, Zalba SM (2010) Recovery of Native grasslands after removing invasive pines. Restor Ecol 18:711–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00506.x
Dirnböck T, Dullinger S, Grabherr G (2003) A regional impact assessment of climate and land-use change on alpine vegetation. J Biogeogr 101:1–417. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00839.x
Dirnböck T, Dullinger S, Köck R (2008) Organic matter accumulation following Pinus mugo Turra establishment in subalpine pastures. Plant Ecol Divers 1:59–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550870802260715
Dray S, Dufour AB (2007) The ade4 package: implementing the duality diagram for ecologists. J Stat Softw 22:1–20. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v022.i04
Dullinger S, Dirnböck T, Grabherr G (2003) Patterns of shrub invasion into high mountain grasslands of the Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria. Arctic Antarct Alp Res 35:434–441. https://doi.org/10.1657/1523-0430(2003)035[0434:POSIIH]2.0.CO;2
Ernst-Brock C, Turner L, Tausch RJ, Leger EA (2019) Long-term vegetation responses to pinyon-juniper woodland reduction treatments in Nevada, USA. J Environ Manage 242:315–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.053
Fabiszewski J, Brej T (2000) Contemporary habitat and floristic changes in the sudeten Mts. Acta Soc Bot Pol 69:215–222
Fay P, Prober S, Harpole W et al (2015) Grassland productivity limited by multiple nutrients. Nat Plants 1:15080. https://doi.org/10.1038/nplants.2015.80
Hájková P, Hájek M, Rybníček K et al (2011) Long-term vegetation changes in bogs exposed to high atmospheric deposition, aerial liming and climate fluctuation. J Veg Sci 22:891–904. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01297.x
Harčarik J (2002) Microclimatic relationships of the arcitc-alpine tundra. Opera 39:45–68
Hédl R, Šipoš J, Chudomelová M, Utinek D (2017) Dynamics of herbaceous vegetation during four years of experimental coppice introduction. Folia Geobot 52:83–99
Hejcman M, Pavlů V, Hejcmanová P et al (2006) Farmer decision making and its effect on subalpine grassland succession in the Giant Mts., Czech Republic. Acta Soc Bot Pol 75:165–174
Hejcman M, Klaudisová M, Hejcmanová P et al (2009) Expansion of Calamagrostis villosa in sub-alpine Nardus stricta grassland: cessation of cutting management or high nitrogen deposition? Agric Ecosyst Environ 129:91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2008.07.007
Humbert J-Y, Dwyer JM, Andrey A, Arlettaz R (2016) Impacts of nitrogen addition on plant biodiversity in mountain grasslands depend on dose, application duration and climate: a systematic review. Glob Chang Biol 22:110–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12986
Janušauskaite D, Baliuckas V, Dabkevičius Z (2013) Needle litter decomposition of native Pinus sylvestris l. and alien Pinus mugo at different ages affecting enzyme activities and soil properties on dune sands. Balt For 19:50–60
Jeník J (1997) The diversity of mountain life. In: Messerli B, Ives JD (eds) Mountains of the World. A global priority. The Parthenon Publishing Group, New York, pp 199–235
Jeník J (1998) Biodiversity of the Hercynian Mountains of Central Europe. Pirineos 151–152:83–99
Jeník J, Hampel R (1992) Die waldfreien Kammlagen des Altvatergebirges (Geschichte und Ökologie). Mährisch-Schlesischer Sudetengebirgsverein, Stuttgart
Kaplan Z, Danihelka J, Chrtek J, jun, et al (2019) Klíč ke květeně České republiky [Key to the flora of the Czech republic]. Academia, Praha
Kašák J, Mazalová M, Šipoš J, Kuras T (2015) Dwarf pine: invasive plant threatens biodiversity of alpine beetles. Biodivers Conserv 24:2399–2415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0929-1
Kleyer M, Bekker RM, Knevel IC et al (2008) The LEDA Traitbase: a database of life-history traits of the Northwest European flora. J Ecol 96:1266–1274
Klimeš L, Klimešová J (1991) Alpine tundra in the Hruby Jesenik Mts., the Sudeten, and its tentative development in the 20th century. Preslia 63:245–268
Knight KS, Kurylo JS, Endress AG et al (2007) Ecology and ecosystem impacts of common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica): a review. Biol Invasions 9:925–937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9091-3
Kočí M (2007) Alpine grasslands on base-poor soils. In: Chytrý M (ed) Vegetation of the Czech Republic 1. Grassland and heathland vegetation. Academia, Prague, pp 76–83
Koeck R, Hochbichler E, Holtermann C, Hager H (2014) Soil moisture and soil temperature dynamics at the tree line of Mount Rax, 1999–2010. Austrian J For Sci 52:45–62
Kopecký M, Hédl R, Szabó P (2013) Non-random extinctions dominate plant community changes in abandoned coppices. J Appl Ecol 50:79–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12010
Körner C (2003) Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain. Springer, New York
Krahulec F, Skálová H, Herben T et al (2001) Vegetation changes following sheep grazing in abandoned mountain meadows. Appl Veg Sci 4:97–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-109X.2001.tb00239.x
Kubát K, Hrouda L, Chrtek J et al (2002) Klíč ke květeně České republiky [The key to flora of the Czech Republic]. Academia, Praha
Kühn I, Durka W, Klotz S (2004) BiolFlor - a new plant-trait database as a tool for plant invasion ecology. Divers Distrib 10:363–365. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1366-9516.2004.00106.x
Mehlich A (1978) New extractant for soil test evaluation of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, manganese and zinc. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 9:477–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103627809366824
Mládková P, Mládek J, Hejduk S et al (2015) High-nature-value grasslands have the capacity to cope with nutrient impoverishment induced by mowing and livestock grazing. J Appl Ecol 52:1073–1081. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12464
Moola FM, Vasseur L (2004) Recovery of late-seral vascular plants in a chronosequence of post-clearcut forest stands in coastal Nova Scotia, Canada. Plant Ecol 172:183–197. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000026326.09137.06
Mori AS, Isbell F, Seidl R (2018) β-Diversity, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning. Trends Ecol Evol 33:549–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2018.04.012
Nave LE, Vance ED, Swanston CW, Curtis PS (2010) Harvest impacts on soil carbon storage in temperate forests. For Ecol Manage 259:857–866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.12.009
Novák J, Petr L, Treml V (2010) Late-holocene human-induced changes to the extent of alpine areas in the East Sudetes, Central Europe. Holocene 20:895–905. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683610365938
Onipchenko VG, Makarov MI, van der Maarel E (2001) Influence of Alpine plants on soil nutrient concentrations in a monoculture experiment. Folia Geobot 36:225–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02803178
Pauchard A, Kueffer C, Dietz H et al (2009) Ain’t no mountain high enough: plant invasions reaching new elevations. Front Ecol Environ 7:479–486. https://doi.org/10.1890/080072
Pavlů L, Pavlů V, Gaisler J et al (2011) Effect of long-term cutting versus abandonment on the vegetation of a mountain hay meadow (Polygono-Trisetion) in Central Europe. Flora Morphol Distrib Funct Ecol Plants 206:1020–1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2011.07.008
Pecháčková S, Krahulec F (1995) Efficient nitrogen economy - key to the success of Polygonum bistorta in an abandoned mountain meadow. Folia Geobot 30:375–382
Pinheiro J, Bates D, DebRoy S, Sarkar D, R Core Team (2017) _nlme: Linear and Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models_. R package version 3.1–131. https://CRAN.Rproject.org/package=nlme
Porro F, Tomaselli M, Abeli T et al (2019) Could plant diversity metrics explain climate-driven vegetation changes on mountain summits of the GLORIA network? Biodivers Conserv 28:3575–3596. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-019-01837-1
Prach K (2003) Spontaneous succession in Central-European man-made habitats: what information can be used in restoration practice? Appl Veg Sci 6:125–129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-109X.2003.tb00572.x
Pyšek P (1993) What do we know about Calamagrostis villosa? A review of the species behaviour in secondary habitats. Preslia 65:1–20
R Development Core Team (2017) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. https://www.rproject.org/
Rehm EM, Feeley KJ (2013) Forest patches and the upward migration of timberline in the southern Peruvian Andes. For Ecol Manage 305:204–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.05.041
Rossi C, Kneubühler M, Schütz M et al (2020) From local to regional: functional diversity in differently managed alpine grasslands. Remote Sens Environ 236:111415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111415
Rybníček K, Rybníčková E (2004) Pollen analyses of sediments from the summit of the Praděd range in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts (Eastern Sudetes). Preslia 76:331–347
Scurfield G (1954) Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin. J Ecol 42:225–233
Šenfeldr M, Treml V (2020) Which generative reproduction characteristics determine successful establishment of the subalpine shrub Pinus mugo? J Veg Sci. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12857
Šenfeldr M, Treml V, Maděra P, Volařík D (2014) Effects of prostrate dwarf pine on norway spruce clonal groups in the treeline ecotone of the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains, Czech Republic. Arctic Antarct Alp Res 46:430–440. https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-46.2.430
Sekyra J, Kociánová M, Štursová H et al (2002) Frost phenomena in relationship to mountain pine. Opera Concortica 39:69–114
Siemann E, Rogers WE (2011) Changes in light and nitrogen under pioneer tree may indirectly facilitate ree invasion. Society 91:923–931
Šipoš J, Hédl R, Hula V, Chudomelová M, Košulič O, Niedobová J, Riedl V (2017) Patterns of functional diversity of two trophic groups after canopy thinning in an abandoned coppice. Folia Geobot 52:45–58
Soukupová L, Frantík T, Jeník J (2001a) Grasslands versus krummholz in arcitc-alpine tundra of the Giant Mountains. Opera Concortica 38:61–74
Soukupová L, Jeník J, Frantík T (2001b) Edge effect of krummholz in Giant Mts. tundra. Sudetes Opera Concortica 38:75–85
Stejskal R, Šipoš J, Kopr D, Schlaghamerský J (2019) The effect of coppice restoration in two forest stands in podyjí national park on weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea). THAYENSIA 16:29–50
Švajda J, Solár J, Janiga M, Buliak M (2011) Dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) and selected abiotic habitat conditions in the Western Tatra Mountains. Mt Res Dev 31:220–228. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-09-00032.1
Svoboda M (2001) The effect of Pinus mugo (Turra.) plantations on alpine-tundra microclimate, vegetation distribution, and soils in Krkonoše national park. Czech Republic Opera Concortica 38:187–204
ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (2012) Canoco Reference Manual and User‘s Guide: Software for Ordination, Version 5.0. – Microcomputer Power, Ithaca
Treml V, Banaš M (2000) Alpine timberline in the High Sudeties. Acta Univ Carol Geogr 35:83–99
Treml V, Křížek M (2006) Effects of dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) on patterned ground in the Czech part of the High Sudetes. Opera Corcontica 43:45–56
Treml V, Jankovská V, Petr L (2008) Holocene dynamics of the alpine timberline in the High Sudetes. Biologia (Bratisl) 63:73–80. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-008-0021-3
Treml V, Křížek M, Engel Z (2010a) Classification of patterned ground based on morphometry and site characteristics: a case study from the High Sudetes, central Europe. Permafr Periglac Process 21:67–77. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.671
Treml V, Wild J, Chuman T, Potůčková M (2010b) Assessing the change in cover of non-indigenous dwarf-pine using aerial photographs, a case study from the Hrubý Jeseník Mts., the Sudetes. J Landsc Ecol 4:90–104
van der Maarel E (1993) Relations between sociological-ecological species groups and Ellenberg indicator values. Phytocoenologia 23:343–362
van der Maarel E (2005) Vegetation ecology - an overview. In: van der Maarel E (ed) Vegetation ecology. Blackwell Publishing, Hoboken, pp 1–51
Wagnerová Z (2001) Didstribution of protected and phytogeographically important plant species in the areas of planted dwarf pines in the western Giant Mountains. Opera Concortica 38:179–185
Wild J, Wildová R (2002) Interactions between dwarf pine shrubs and grassland vegetation under different management. Opera Concortica 39:17–33
Williams MC, Wardle GM (2007) Pinus radiata invasion in Australia: identifying key knowledge gaps and research directions. Austral Ecol 32:721–739. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2007.01760.x
Zbíral J, Malý S, Váňa M (eds) (2011) Methods of soil analysis. Part III. Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture Brno, Brno
Zeidler M, Duchoslav M, Banaš M, Lešková M (2012) Impacts of introduced dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) on the diversity and composition of alpine vegetation. Commun Ecol 13:213–220. https://doi.org/10.1556/ComEc.13.2012.2.11
Zeidler M, Hertlová B, Banaš M, Zahradník D (2018) Vegetation shift after a clear-cut of non-native dwarf pine (Pinus mugo). Biologia (Bratisl) 73:113–119. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-017-0002-5
Zelený D, Schaffers AP (2012) Too good to be true: pitfalls of using mean Ellenberg indicator values in vegetation analyses. J Veg Sci 23:419–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01366.x
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by project of Palacky University in Olomouc IGA_PrF_2020_020. This project was also funded by the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO 67985939).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
MZ and MB, conceived and planned the experiment design, and collected data. MZ wrote the manuscript with support from JS. JC carried out the laboratory analyses. JS processed the experimental data, performed the analysis, and designed the figures. MB supervised the project.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
We declare there are any conflicts of interests that could have influenced the reporting of the experimental data or conclusions in the article.
Ethical approval
All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and its later amendments.
Additional information
Communicated by Daniel Sanchez Mata.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zeidler, M., Šipoš, J., Banaš, M. et al. The successive trend of vegetation confirms the removal of non-indigenous woody species as an insufficient restoration action. Biodivers Conserv 30, 699–717 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02113-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02113-x