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      A multi-taxon approach reveals the effect of management intensity on biodiversity in Alpine larch grasslands.

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          Abstract

          In the Alps, larch grasslands form one of the most pleasing aspects of the landscape. However, their effectiveness in contributing to biodiversity conservation may depend on the intensity of their management. We used a multi-taxon approach to evaluate the effects of the intensification of management practices and those of abandonment on the biodiversity of the main autotrophic organisms hosted in this habitat, including vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. The study was carried out in the eastern part of South Tyrol, in the Italian Alps, where the diversity patterns of these three organismal groups were compared among intensively managed, extensively managed, and abandoned stands. The management intensity was found to strongly influence the biodiversity of the organisms, with a general pattern indicating the best conditions in extensively managed stands. Both abandonment and management intensification were detrimental to biodiversity through different mechanisms that led to species loss or to major shifts in species composition. However, the most negative effects were related to management intensification, mainly due to the high nitrogen supply, providing evidence for the increasing impact of eutrophication on Alpine environments.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Sci. Total Environ.
          The Science of the total environment
          Elsevier BV
          1879-1026
          0048-9697
          Jul 15 2014
          : 487
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Nature Museum of South Tyrol, Via Bottai 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, 34100 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: junasc@libero.it.
          [2 ] Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: Veronika.Fontana@student.uibk.ac.at.
          [3 ] Nature Museum of South Tyrol, Via Bottai 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy. Electronic address: spitale.daniel@gmail.com.
          Article
          S0048-9697(14)00507-5
          10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.013
          24784735
          a1dad129-d375-48c4-8d0e-97d63f599a77
          History

          Abandonment,Bryophytes,Fertilization,Lichens,Management intensification,Vascular plants

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