Towards an ecological basis for the conservation of subalpine heath‐grassland on the upper ridges of the Vosges

• Published in: Journal of Vegetation Science
• Main Authors: Schnitzler, Annik, Muller, Serge
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1998
• Subjects: Plant Science; Ecology; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3237096; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2307%2F3237096; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/3237096

Abstract. The subalpine oligotrophic heath‐grasslands, assigned to the Pulsatillo‐Vaccinietum and Violo‐Nardetum , occurring at the upper ridges in the Vosges at 1100 ‐ 1300 m a.s.l. are of conservational interest because they form natural, mature and stable ecosystems. The Pulsatillo‐Vaccinietum is particularly rich in endemic plant species and subspecies due to a local oceanic‐subarctic climate and the continuous occurrence of the community throughout the Holocene period, when the association was not affected by changes in the prevailing environmental conditions. After a period of abandonment during and after World War II, agriculture was intensified through mineral fertilization and liming, sometimes mowing, and even ploughing and sowing. Seven pastures were selected to estimate the present plant biodiversity. Losses of biodiversity were assessed on the Kastelberg ridge by diachronic analysis of the vegetation composition and structure over the last 30 years. Species diversity changed in both associations through a decrease in the abundance of oligotrophic, acidophilic species, typical of the mountains of western Europe, and an extension of grassland types of the Violo‐Nardetum trifolietosum. Strategies for a return to more natural conditions include the abandonment of fertilization and liming, except locally around farms. Regular mowing is needed in order to decrease the nutrient level of the sites.