Subtle changes in plant diversity in the Bavarian Alps over the past eight decades.

ABSTRACT: Historical resurveys represent a unique opportunity to analyze vegetation dynamics over longer timescales than is typically achievable. Leveraging the oldest historical dataset of vegetation change in the Bavarian Alps, Germany, we address how environmental conditions, vegetation composition, and functional diversity in the calcareous grasslands of the Schachen region have changed across different elevational ranges over an 83-year timeframe. We document changes in regional average temperature and precipitation. We use indicator values (IV) for species' ecological preferences and their palatability to grazers to infer local conditions (temperature, soil moisture/fertility, and grazing regime). We further estimate changes in temporal beta-diversity and functional trait community composition

SUBMITTER: Zettlemoyer MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11366975 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature