Shifting composition and functioning in alpine plant communities - Evidence of climate warming effects from 14 years biodiversity observation in the Northeastern Alps
Klaus Steinbauer, GLORIA Coordination - Center for Global Change and Sustainability, Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF) & University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), ÖAW - Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna (AT)
Climate-driven vegetation shifts are progressing globally and demonstrably on mountains across Europe. Due to the long-lived nature of alpine plants and a varied topography, changes occur slowly, but continuously. Here we attempt to identify sensitive functional traits, such as leaf traits, height, diaspore type, and ecological indicator values of alpine plant species to explain climate-driven community shifts in two GLORIA regions (NP Gesäuse, Hochschwab). Changes in community trait weighted means are used to discern impacts of changes in temperature, snow cover and water availability.