Vegetation ecologyCommunities and dynamics

Pascal VittozMER

1Winter excursion, 19.01.2015

Plant communities

Community: a part of the vegetation consistingof interacting populations, growing in a uniformenvironment, within a distinguishable time unit

2 van der Maarel 2005 Vegetation Ecology

3 Lortie et al. 2004 Oikos

Plant communities are the result of a succession of filters

4 Lortie et al. 2004 Oikos

When filters change, vegetation changes Vegetation dynamics

Vegetationecology

Vegetation dynamics

5

or 1948 ?

W. Lüdi or J.-L. Richard P. Vittoz

Drivers of the changes

Climate change

Nitrogen deposition

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www.meteoswiss.ch

Jordi 2004 OFEFP

Land use changes

Biotic exchange

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P. Vittoz

A. Elsig

Permanent plots

Areas marked in the field to monitor plant composition

Historical permanent plots

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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500

Altitude [m]

Nbr

e of

spe

cies

1st inventory (~1900)Recent inventory (~2000)

Vittoz et al. 2009

Increase of speciesrichness on alpine

summits in 20th century

Permanent.Plot.ch – a data bank for Swisspermanent vegetation plots

9 www.unil.ch/ppch

Available permanent plots in Permanent.Plot.ch project

120 new plots along elevational transects 5 transects (Jura, Outer Alps, Inner Alps) Forests and dry grasslands

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ForestsDry grasslands

Distribution of the plots along the

transect of Salgesch (Valais)

Semi-permanent plots: relocalisation as preciselyas possible of old plant inventories

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PhD Magalì MatteodoMap and field book of J.-L. Richard (1921-2008)

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Calcareous grasslands in Vallon de Nant (1370-1815 m)

Vittoz et al. 2009 Global Change Biol.

Shift in plant composition of subalpine grasslands in Vallon de Nant from 1970 to 2006

Biological traits Characteristics of a plant associated to its growth,

morphology, reproduction, life span, dispersal ability or resistance Plant height Clonal growth Seed weight … Ecological preferences

Related to the plant ability to go through the environemental and biotic filters

Interpretation of the observed changes in speciescomposition

Understanding of the common characteristics of the mostreactive species to the changes

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14

0

20

40

60

80

100

Colonizers Stables

Pro

porti

on o

f spe

cies

[%]

NoneFleshyAwnWingsPappus

p=0.041

Diaspore appendage

Vittoz et al. 2009 Bas. Appl. Ecol.

Species with efficient diaspores for wind dispersal are more prone to colonize new alpine summits under climate change

Species ecology and conservation

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Keller & Vittoz In press Alp BotR. Keller

P. Vittoz

Ecological conditions for a species can beassessed by In situ measurements

Long-term climatic data Soil descriptions and laboratory measurements

Models based on available data Experiments in different conditions Description of plant communities for which most of the

species are already known Combinations of methods

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17 Ischer et al. 2014 Folia Geobot

Importance of topo-climaticvariables in the speciesdistribution models of Leontopodium alpinum

Potential distribution of L. alpinum in Switzerlandaccording to models

Species distribution models based on GIS data document ecology at the regional scale

18 Ischer et al. 2014 Folia Geobot

PCA based on 249 inventories of plant communities containingLeontopodium alpinum

(10.1% de variance)

(7.4

% d

e va

rianc

e)

2. Elynion

7. Astragalo-SeslerietumSeslerion

1. Seslerio-CaricetumSeslerion

6. Artemisio-FestucetumSeslerion

3. Drabionhoppeanae

8. Caricion firmae

Perspectives

19L. Liberati G. Perret

M. Matteodo

From plants to soil

Relationships between plant communities and soil composition

Dynamics of organic matter in soil Incorporation of organic matter in soil Humus changes under changing conditions

Humus as indicator of the changes

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PhD Magalì Matteodo

Evolution of subalpine-alpine vegetation under the influence of climate change and relationships with soil humus

Aims How did subalpine-alpine vegetation

change in the last 40 years ? Incorporation of organic matter in soils What are the main causes of changes?

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BPs

Aor OH

EE-BPhBPh

C1

C2

C3

M. Matteodo

Swamp forests in Grande Cariçaie

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C. Clerc

Biodiversity of the swampforests in Grande Cariçaie: past and future dynamicsof vegetation and soils

Buts Forest dynamics of primary

swamp forests Soil dynamics Relationships between

vegetation and soildevelopment

Excursion BGS

Thank you!F. Dessimoz, A. Dubuis, B. Fournier, A. Guisan, M. Ischer, S. Jutzeler, R. Keller, M. Matteodo, S. Maire, L. Pellissier, C. Randin, E. Verrecchia

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