Vegetation change in meso-xeric grasslands of the Swiss Jura Mts. over 40 years

Meso-xeric grasslands have declined sharply in Central Europe during the last century. These species-rich habitats are threatened by intensification or abandonment of agricultural use, eutrophication, climate change and landscape fragmentation. However, different studies in various regions of Central Europe are inconsistent in their findings about degree and direction of changes. We thus resurveyed the historical vegetation plots of the alliance Mesobromion in the Swiss Jura Mts. In 2020, we re-sampled 28 quasi-permanent vegetation plots originally recorded in 1980 to quantify potential vegetation change. Frequency of individual species, species diversity, 11 ecological indicator values and four functional traits, as well as the presence of diagnostic species of phytosociological alliances, were analysed. Further, a habitat classification and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were also performed. Species richness, indicator values for light availability and temperature, seed dispersal by animals and seed persistence had significantly decreased by 2020. Conversely, ecological indicator values for nutrient availability and soil moisture as well as community-weighted means for seed mass and canopy height had significantly increased. There were significantly fewer ruderal species, stresstolerators, therophytes and herbaceous chamaephytes in 2020. In contrast, highly competitive species and hemicryptophytes had increased. Together, these findings indicate an increase in productivity over time. There were fewer specialized species in 2020 than in 1980, indicating a homogenization of the vegetation and a shift towards nutrient-rich pastures and meadows. The shift towards a later successional stage might indicate reduced grazing disturbance. Most of these sites are currently not included in an agri-environmental scheme. Partial differences of our findings from those reported elsewhere in Central Europe highlight the importance of regionally adapted conservation strategies in order to stop biodiversity loss in meso-xeric grasslands.

Automated summary

Meso-xeric grasslands in Central Europe have faced threats from intensification or abandonment of agricultural use, eutrophication, climate change, and landscape fragmentation. Research findings on changes in these habitats have been inconsistent in different regions. A study in the Swiss Jura Mountains showed significant changes in species composition, ecological indicator values, and functional traits between 1980 and 2020, indicating a shift towards more nutrient-rich pastures and meadows. The findings suggest the importance of regionally adapted conservation strategies to prevent biodiversity loss in meso-xeric grasslands.