Inter-Relationships between Treeline Position, Species Diversity, Land Use and Climate Change in the Central Scandes Mountains of Norway. Hofgaard, A. 6(6):419+.
Inter-Relationships between Treeline Position, Species Diversity, Land Use and Climate Change in the Central Scandes Mountains of Norway [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Vegetation samples collected along altitudinal transects through the treeline ecotone in the central Scandes Mountains, Norway, were used to analyse the relationships between species diversity, species turnover and the performance of the tree layer. The study area has a long history of extensive grazing by domestic animals. The floristic composition showed a continuous change along the boreal-alpine gradient. The number of species was more or less constant throughout 600 altitudinal m centred around the treeline, and the floristic similarity between neighbouring altitudes did not show any abrupt changes at any particular altitude. The treeline position (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) spanned 190 altitudinal m (range 980-1170 m a.s.l.). The number of trees and the basal area each decreased continuously with increasing altitude from 300 altitudinal m below the treeline. The number of birch saplings also decreased from c. 150 m below the treeline towards higher altitudes. Viable, but browsed populations of birch were present along the whole length of all transects, irrespective of aspect and geological substrate, with saplings present up to summit positions at 420 altitudinal m above the treeline. Due to browsing by sheep, mean sapling height at all altitudes above the treeline was 0.2 m. The results are discussed in terms of land use and climate change. It is concluded that future vegetation responses to diminished grazing pressure are likely to override responses forced by changing climate. Such responses could easily be misinterpreted as being governed by climate change, rather than by changes in land use.
@article{hofgaardInterrelationshipsTreelinePosition1997,
  title = {Inter-Relationships between Treeline Position, Species Diversity, Land Use and Climate Change in the {{Central Scandes Mountains}} of {{Norway}}},
  author = {Hofgaard, Annika},
  date = {1997-11},
  journaltitle = {Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters},
  volume = {6},
  pages = {419+},
  issn = {0960-7447},
  doi = {10.2307/2997351},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.2307/2997351},
  abstract = {Vegetation samples collected along altitudinal transects through the treeline ecotone in the central Scandes Mountains, Norway, were used to analyse the relationships between species diversity, species turnover and the performance of the tree layer. The study area has a long history of extensive grazing by domestic animals. The floristic composition showed a continuous change along the boreal-alpine gradient. The number of species was more or less constant throughout 600 altitudinal m centred around the treeline, and the floristic similarity between neighbouring altitudes did not show any abrupt changes at any particular altitude. The treeline position (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) spanned 190 altitudinal m (range 980-1170 m a.s.l.). The number of trees and the basal area each decreased continuously with increasing altitude from 300 altitudinal m below the treeline. The number of birch saplings also decreased from c. 150 m below the treeline towards higher altitudes. Viable, but browsed populations of birch were present along the whole length of all transects, irrespective of aspect and geological substrate, with saplings present up to summit positions at 420 altitudinal m above the treeline. Due to browsing by sheep, mean sapling height at all altitudes above the treeline was 0.2 m. The results are discussed in terms of land use and climate change. It is concluded that future vegetation responses to diminished grazing pressure are likely to override responses forced by changing climate. Such responses could easily be misinterpreted as being governed by climate change, rather than by changes in land use.},
  keywords = {*imported-from-citeulike-INRMM,~INRMM-MiD:c-12643014,anthropogenic-changes,betula-pubescens,browsing,climate-change,diversity,forest-resources,grazing,land,land-use,norway,species-richness,tree-line},
  number = {6}
}

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