Investigating species richness and beta diversity patterns in pastured grasslands in the European Alps

Using eLTER long-term site data, a recently published article by Veronika Fontana et al. investigates beta biodiversity patterns in pastured grasslands in the European Alps. The article is published in the Scientific Reports open-access journal and is titled “Species richness and beta diversity patterns of multiple taxa along an elevational gradient in pastured grasslands in the European Alps”.

The study investigates in parallel species richness and beta diversity components of nine taxonomic groups along a finite space, represented by grazed grasslands along an elevational gradient. Beta diversity was partitioned into two components - turnover and nestedness, and analyzed at two levels - from the lowest elevation to all other elevations and between neighboring elevations.

The study’s results conclude that turnover is the dominant component of beta diversity. It also detects a change of species communities for seven out of eight analysed taxa. It provides for potential of biodiversity conservation strategies.

Source: 

Fontana, V., Guariento, E., Hilpold, A. et al. Species richness and beta diversity patterns of multiple taxa along an elevational gradient in pastured grasslands in the European Alps. Sci Rep 10, 12516 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69569-9