Drivers of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen richness in grasslands along a precipitation gradient (central Apennines, Italy)

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F24%3A00138034" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/24:00138034 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13305" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13305</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13305" target="_blank" >10.1111/jvs.13305</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Drivers of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen richness in grasslands along a precipitation gradient (central Apennines, Italy)

Original language description

QuestionsSemi-natural grasslands in Southern Europe are biodiversity hotspots, yet their patterns of plant species richness are less studied than in Central Europe. In the Central Apennines (Italy), there are large areas of dry calcareous grasslands, across a steep gradient of mean annual precipitation (from 650 to 1350 mm within c. 30 km). We asked: How do these grasslands compare to other Palaearctic grasslands in richness levels? How do the precipitation gradient and other environmental predictors influence species richness? Does this influence differ among taxonomic groups?LocationSubmontane and lower-montane belt of the Central Apennines (Abruzzo and Lazio, Italy).MethodsWe recorded the species richness of vascular plants and (terricolous) bryophytes and lichens in 97 plots of 10 m2, aligning them with the precipitation gradient while maintaining geological substrate and elevation similar. Mean temperature and precipitation were estimated with a high-resolution regional model. A wide array of environmental variables (including soil properties and grazing load) were measured for each plot. Multivariate relationships within and between response and predictor variables were studied with Canonical Correlation. The relative importance of predictors on response variables was modeled with Boosted Regression Trees.ResultsThe sampled grasslands were very species-rich in the Palaearctic context. Vascular plant richness was negatively influenced by topographic heat load and soil sand content, but we did not detect a relationship with mean annual precipitation. Bryophyte richness was poorly modeled by the measured variables, although it was positively correlated with lichen richness. Lichen richness had a marked negative relationship with soil phosphorus and mean annual precipitation.ConclusionsIn Southern European semi-natural mountain grasslands, vascular plant richness is driven more by fine-scale edaphic factors than by precipitation gradients. In contrast, bryophyte and lichen species richness is predicted by a mixture of climatic and edaphic variables.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10611 - Plant sciences, botany

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Vegetation Science

ISSN

1100-9233

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

35

Issue of the periodical within the volume

5

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

14

Pages from-to

1-14

UT code for WoS article

001324945100001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85205821648