Using  land  change  studies  to  inform  alpine  grassland  assessment:  

two  examples  from  the  southern  Alps  

Tommaso  Sitzia  tommaso.sitzia@unipd.it  University  of  Padova,  Italy  

Natura  2000  Biogeographical  Process    Alpine  Grassland  Monitoring  and  Assessment  Workshop    20  -­‐  22  May  2015,  Feltre  (Belluno)  –  Italy    

Land  change  studies  

•  ARempt  to  explain  (1)  where  change  is  occurring,  (2)  what  land  cover  types  are  changing,  (3)  the  types  of  transforma-on  occurring,  (4)  the  rates  or  amounts  of  land  change,  and  (5)  the  driving  forces  and  proximate  causes  of  change  

•  We  are  accumulaUng  many  land  cover  change  studies  at  different  spaUal  and  temporal  scales  

•  Area:  1,318  ha  •  Piccole  DolomiU  

A  Umberline  dwarf  shrub  -­‐  grass  mosaic  habitat  of  Black  grouse  (Lyrurus  tetrix)  in  the  outer  Alps    

Data  analysis  •   A  200  m  buffer  around  49  breeding  site  (current  or  past)  •   Within  the  buffer:  a  grid  formed  by  15x15  m  cells  •   Land  cover  type  photointerpretaUon  of  each  cell  (1970  and  2012)  

Case  study  1  

Balasso  2014      

Land  cover  change      •   Grasslands:  6170  Alpine  and  subalpine  calcareous  grasslands  •   Shrublands:  4070  Bushes  with  Pinus  mugo  and  Rhododendron  hirsutum  (Mugo-­‐Rhododendretum  hirsu5)  •   Forests:  91K0  Illyrian  Fagus  sylva5ca  forests  (Aremonio-­‐Fagion)  

1%  

39%  

40%  

19%  

1%  Land  cover  in  1973  

28%  

37%  

23%  

11%  

1%   Land  cover  in  2012  

foresta  

arbusU  

prateria  

roccia  

arUficiale  

Case  study  1  

forests  shrublands  

grasslands  rocks  /  screes  seRlements  

AlUtudinal  shib  of  forests  

Case  study  1  

photo  Bosa  

R² = 0.962p < 0.001

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Numero di presenze totali

Anno

No.

bre

edin

g si

tes

year  

Temporal  change  in  the  no.  of  Black  grouse  breeding  sites  (source:  Bosa  2011)  

Case  study  1  

A  mosaic  of  mountain  hay  meadow  patches  in  the  inner  Alps  

 •  About  50  km  northwest  of  Trento  (Northern  Italy)  

•  6520  Mountain  hay  meadows  

•  6230*  Species-­‐rich  Nardus  grasslands,  on  siliceous  substrates  in  mountain  areas  (and  submountain  areas,  in  ConUnental  Europe)    

Patch  configuraUon  changes  

1864  1973  

1994  2006  

Case  study  2  

Which component of patch configuration influences species richness?

Area

Shape

Connectivity

Case  study  2  

•  Many studies have shown that current and historical landscape configuration are important factors structuring local plant species composition in grasslands

•  Because they exert a selective pressure on specific life-traits (e.g. plant longevity) which, in turn, influences the proportion of species which dominate plant communities

Case  study  2  

Concluding  remarks  

•  Land  cover  change  studies  and  landscape  analysis  help  in  assessing  grassland  habitats:  

•  trends  •  structure  •  habitat  suitability  (funcUon)  •  pressures  and  threats  

•  At  different  scales  (patch,  site,  region…)  •  With  a  mosaic  view