| Jurasinski, G; Kreyling, J: Beyond richness - Upward shift of alpine plants leads to homogenisation of mountain summits, Journal of Vegetation Science, 18, 711-718 (2007), doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2007)18[711:USOAPI]2.0.CO;2 | |
| Abstract: Question: Does the upward shift of species and accompanied increase in species richness, induced by climate change, lead to homogenization of Alpine summit vegetation? Location: Bernina region of the Swiss Alps. Methods: Based on a data set from previous literature we expand the analysis from species richness to beta-diversity and spatial heterogeneity. Species compositions of mountain summits are compared using a two-component heterogeneity concept including the mean and the variance of Sørensen similarities calculated between the summits. Non-metric multidimensional scaling is applied to explore developments of single summits in detail. Results: Both heterogeneity components (mean dissimilarity and variance) decrease over time, indicating a trend towards more homogeneous vegetation among Alpine summits. However, the development on single summits is not strictly unidirectional. Conclusions: The upward shift of plant species leads to homogenization of alpine summit regions. Thus, increasing alpha-diversity is accompanied by decreasing beta-diversity. Beta-diversity demands higher recognition by scientists as well as nature conservationists as it detects changes which cannot be described using species richness alone. |
Upcoming ...
Upcoming ...
| BayCEER Colloquium: |
|---|
| Th. 2024-05-16 Dimethylated thioarsenates: potentially dangerous hidden arsenic species in rice and rice products |
| Dialog: |
| Fr. 2024-05-17 Forum Zukunftswald: Bodenvegetation: Erkennen und deren Bedeutung für den Waldbau |
| Ecological-Botanical Garden: |
| Su. 2024-05-05 Führung | Faszination Englische Gärten: Gestaltung und Pflanzen |
| Su. 2024-05-05 Midissage | da capo - Ausstellung von Doris Bocka |
| We. 2024-05-15 Kurzführung | "Botanische Mittagspause" |