A Method for Assessing Multiples Ecosystem Services from Grasslands Based on Vegetation Characteristics. An Example from Norwegian Semi-Natural Grasslands

Ecosystem services are human benefits provided by ecosystems and related to the characteristics of the vegetation (de Bello et al., 2010).Semi-natural grasslands provide a large set of ecosystem services and are thus important ecosystems in boreal landscapes. The vegetation of semi-natural grasslands differ regarding land use, soil and climate. Consequently, also provision of ecosystem services from semi-natural grasslands will vary among various types of semi-natural grasslands. Here, we propose a method to develop indicators of ecosystem services from semi-natural grassland using the DEXI® software (Bohanec and Raikovic, 1990)

The contribution of alternative habitats for conservation of plant species associated with threatened semi-natural grasslands

Conservation of species associated with semi-natural grasslands, a threatened habitat, is dependent on their ability to disperse between the few and fragmented patches remaining in the landscape. To maintain metapopulations dynamics and reduce the risk of regional extinction, it is essential to know whether other, more widespread, habitats can act as alternative habitat for the biodiversity associated with threatened habitats. Here, we study how four widespread habitat types in boreal landscapes—forest, permanent grassland, abandoned grassland and road verge—can contribute to the conservation of plant species found in semi-natural grasslands which is a species-rich ecosystem important for plant and pollinator diversity that has experienced extensive reduction, fragmentation and isolation. We compare richness of all vascular plants, insect-pollinated plants and semi-natural grassland specialists among habitat types in two regions is Norway where semi-natural grasslands are few and fragmented. Based on overlap in community composition and local species richness, road verges were the most promising alternative habitat for both insect-pollinated plants and semi-natural grasslands specialists. Several habitat specialist species were, however, only found in semi-natural grasslands and, for these species, no other habitat can be considered suitable as alternative habitat. Our results highlight that a holistic management perspective is needed to maintain biodiversity associated with semi-natural grasslands. Thus, both the protection of remaining patches of the primary, threatened habitats as well as management of widespread, alternative habitats in the landscape should be prioritized.publishedVersio

Alpine vegetation along multiple environmental gradients and possible consequences of climate change

Abstract Alpine plant communities are being subject to climate change, resulting in the need for plants to adapt to new conditions. In this study, we investigated changes in vascular plant diversity along a coast-inland gradient in central Norway. At four different mountains, species were registered in 100 m 2 plots, laid out from the forest line to the summit. In addition, plots were grouped into snow cover duration (short, medium, and long) and aspect (North, South, East, and West). We documented richness and spatial turnover of species and functional groups (trees and tall shrubs, dwarf shrubs, herbs, graminoids, and seedless plants) along the different gradients using glm and RDA. Thereafter, we included variables from climate scenario models in the derived glm's to estimate how species richness and the distribution of these groups could be impacted by future climate change. Our results show that there are significant changes in species and functional groups along the regional gradient. Further, also local variation due to altitude and snow cover duration influenced species distribution and composition. Predictions of future vegetation showed an increase in species richness compared to present, with most changes occurring in areas of long and medium snow cover duration. We predicted the main changes to occur at lower altitudes. Here, dwarf shrubs and graminoids were expected to increase the most in number of species, whereas species of trees and tall shrubs were expected to increase the most in proportion

GLORIA Norge 2022: Overvåkning av vegetasjon og vekstsesong

GLORIA-Norge sitt hovedmål er å overvåke endringer i vegetasjon, fenologi og fysiske faktorer i relasjon til vær- og klimaendringer langs høyde-, snøvarighet- og kyst-/innland-gradienter i fjellområder i Sør- og Nord-Norge. GLORIA-Norge ble opprettet i 2007, og hadde sitt utspring i det EU-finansierte prosjektet GLORIA (Global Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) Europe (2001-2003). GLORIA har utviklet seg til å bli et verdensomspennende nettverk som overvåker endringer i vegetasjon på fjelltopper. I GLORIA-Norge overvåkes seks fjellområder lokalisert langs kyst-innlands og nord-sør gradient, og innen hvert fjellområdene overvåkes gradienter fra skog til topp, fra lang til kort snøvarighet og i flere himmelretninger. I tillegg overvåkes vekstsesongen (fenologi) og isbreer, og det måles jordtemperatur og enkelte steder jordfuktighet.GLORIA Norge 2022: Overvåkning av vegetasjon og vekstsesongpublishedVersio

Traditional semi-natural grassland management with heterogeneous mowing times enhances flower resources for pollinators in agricultural landscapes

For a diverse pollinator fauna it is important that pollen and nectar are available over the entire summer at spatially relevant scales. Semi-natural hay meadows are among the most important sources of flower resources for pollinators, but the resources are strongly affected by the timing of mowing. Management recommendations for hay meadows often prescribe late mowing on order to allow undisturbed flowering during most of the summer. Traditional practices, however, often include also earlier mowing. We investigate the link between the temporal variation of flower resources and traditional mowing practices of semi-natural hay meadows in a low-intensity agricultural landscape in Romania. In early August, we botanically surveyed meadows that were cut early, intermediately, or late in the season. We recorded all herb species, their phenological stage, and the number of reproductive units of each species. Data were analysed using DCA, LM and GLM. Plant species richness and composition are not affected by the time of mowing, but different sets of species flower in semi-natural grasslands with different mowing regimes. In August the proportion of species flowering and flower density are highest in the early-mown meadows due to re-flowering after mowing. Analyses of phenological stages indicate that late-mown meadows are the main pollen and nectar sources in July, whereas meadows mown early are the main resource from August to the end of the season. The results demonstrate that for pollinator conservation, heterogeneous mowing times within a landscape need to be encouraged when possible, and that strict focus on late mowing may lead to shortage of flower resources late in the summer. Studies of low-intensity agriculture has a great potential for learning about management methods that can be used in other parts of the world where traditional practices have been lost. Such studies can thereby contribute with important knowledge to manage global pollinator loss

Ivaretagelse av ville pollinatorer og planter tilknyttet kulturlandskapet i byutviklingen. Oppsummering av forskningsprosjektet BE(E) DIVERSE

Det er en global nedgang av ville pollinatorer, og hovedårsaken til dette er at leveområdene deres er under press og går tapt på grunn av urbanisering og andre arealendringer. I BE(E) DIVERSE prosjektet har vi derfor studert hvordan artsmangfoldet og samspillet mellom planter og ville pollinatorer påvirkes av urbanisering og hvordan dette ivaretas i beslutningsprosesser på lokalt nivå og gjennom konkrete forvaltningstiltak. Vi har hatt ett spesielt fokus på artsrike semi-naturlige enger og veikanter. Oppsummert så viser resultatene fra BE(E) DIVERSE at det viktigste tiltak for å ivareta pollinatorer og deres blomsterressurser er å sikre gjenværende leveområder med høy kvalitet, som semi-naturlige enger, i både urbane og rurale områder. Både semi-naturlig eng og alternative leveområder som veikanter, må skjøttes riktig og inngå i en helhetlig landsapsforvaltning i kommunens arealplanlegging.Ivaretagelse av ville pollinatorer og planter tilknyttet kulturlandskapet i byutviklingen. Oppsummering av forskningsprosjektet BE(E) DIVERSEpublishedVersio

Semi-natural hay-meadow reliance on ecological sound management and preserving farming cultures

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