severe disturbance in sensitive alpine areas and, if necessary, to restore disturbed
areas with seeds of adapted plants from high altitudes and with a large number of
plant species to provide high plant diversity (Locher Oberholzer et al. 2008).
It clearly remains a challenge for future research to fully understand and
appreciate if and how humans can provide conservation measures, appropriate
intensities of grazing, etc. in alpine areas to prevent or reduce extinctions of alpine
plant species. The established monitoring initiatives to document changes in alpine
vegetation (see above) clearly need to be continued to improve our understanding of
risks for alpine flora and possibly provide solutions for the future. Mountains are
biodiversity hotspots, which provide numerous ecosystem services also for the
lowlands, and hence we have a responsibility to maintain their precious habitats and
flora.
References
Anadon-Rosell A, Rixen C, Cherubini P, Wipf S, Hagedorn F, Dawes MA (2014) Growth and
phenology of three dwarf shrub species in a six-year soil warming experiment at the alpine
treeline. PLoS ONE 9:e100577–e100577
Begert M, Schlegel T, Kirchhofer W (2005) Homogeneous temperature and precipitation series of
Switzerland from 1864 to 2000. Int J Climatol 25:65–80
Bjorkman AD, Elmendorf SC, Beamish AL, Vellend M, Henry GHR (2015) Contrasting effects of
warming and increased snowfall on Arctic tundra plant phenology over the past two decades.
Global Change Biol 21:4651–4661
Bobbink R, Hicks K, Galloway J, Spranger T, Alkemade R, Ashmore M, Bustamante M,
Cinderby S, Davidson E, Dentener F, Emmett B, Erisman JW, Fenn M, Gilliam F, Nordin A,
Pardo L, De Vries W (2010) Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial
plant diversity: a synthesis. Ecol Appl 20:30–59
Böhm R, Auer I, Brunetti M, Maugeri M, Nanni T, Schoner W (2001) Regional temperature
variability in the European Alps: 1760–1998 from homogenized instrumental time series. Int J
Climatol 21:1779–1801
Boutin M, Lamaze T, Couvidat F, Pornon A (2015) Subalpine Pyrenees received higher nitrogen
deposition than predicted by EMEP and CHIMERE chemistry-transport models. Sci Rep
5:12942
Braun-Blanquet J (1957) Ein Jahrhundert Florenwandel am Piz Linard (3414 m). Bulletin du
Jardin Botanique de l’Etat Bruxelles Volume jubilaire Walter Robyns:221–232
Braun-Blanquet J (1958) Über die obersten Grenzen pflanzlichen Lebens im Gipfelbereich des
Schweizerischen Nationalparks Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen im
Schweizerischen Nationalpark
Brooker RW, Maestre FT, Callaway RM, Lortie CL, Cavieres LA, Kunstler G, Liancourt P,
Tielbörger K, Travis JMJ, Anthelme F, Armas C, Coll L, Corcket E, Delzon S, Forey E,
Kikvidze Z, Olofsson J, Pugnaire F, Quiroz CL, Saccone P, Schiffers K, Seifan M, Touzard B,
Michalet R (2008) Facilitation in plant communities: the past, the present, and the future.
J Ecol 96:18–34
Burg S, Rixen C, Stoeckli V, Wipf S (2015) Observation bias and its causes in botanical surveys
on high-alpine summits. J Veg Sci 26:191–200
Callaway RM, Brooker RW, Choler P, Kikvidze Z, Lortie CJ, Michalet R, Paolini L, Pugnaire FL,
Newingham B, Aschehoug ET, Armas C, Kikodze D, Cook BJ (2002) Positive interactions
among alpine plants increase with stress. Nature 417:844–848
298
C. Rixen and S. Wipf
areas with seeds of adapted plants from high altitudes and with a large number of
plant species to provide high plant diversity (Locher Oberholzer et al. 2008).
It clearly remains a challenge for future research to fully understand and
appreciate if and how humans can provide conservation measures, appropriate
intensities of grazing, etc. in alpine areas to prevent or reduce extinctions of alpine
plant species. The established monitoring initiatives to document changes in alpine
vegetation (see above) clearly need to be continued to improve our understanding of
risks for alpine flora and possibly provide solutions for the future. Mountains are
biodiversity hotspots, which provide numerous ecosystem services also for the
lowlands, and hence we have a responsibility to maintain their precious habitats and
flora.
References
Anadon-Rosell A, Rixen C, Cherubini P, Wipf S, Hagedorn F, Dawes MA (2014) Growth and
phenology of three dwarf shrub species in a six-year soil warming experiment at the alpine
treeline. PLoS ONE 9:e100577–e100577
Begert M, Schlegel T, Kirchhofer W (2005) Homogeneous temperature and precipitation series of
Switzerland from 1864 to 2000. Int J Climatol 25:65–80
Bjorkman AD, Elmendorf SC, Beamish AL, Vellend M, Henry GHR (2015) Contrasting effects of
warming and increased snowfall on Arctic tundra plant phenology over the past two decades.
Global Change Biol 21:4651–4661
Bobbink R, Hicks K, Galloway J, Spranger T, Alkemade R, Ashmore M, Bustamante M,
Cinderby S, Davidson E, Dentener F, Emmett B, Erisman JW, Fenn M, Gilliam F, Nordin A,
Pardo L, De Vries W (2010) Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial
plant diversity: a synthesis. Ecol Appl 20:30–59
Böhm R, Auer I, Brunetti M, Maugeri M, Nanni T, Schoner W (2001) Regional temperature
variability in the European Alps: 1760–1998 from homogenized instrumental time series. Int J
Climatol 21:1779–1801
Boutin M, Lamaze T, Couvidat F, Pornon A (2015) Subalpine Pyrenees received higher nitrogen
deposition than predicted by EMEP and CHIMERE chemistry-transport models. Sci Rep
5:12942
Braun-Blanquet J (1957) Ein Jahrhundert Florenwandel am Piz Linard (3414 m). Bulletin du
Jardin Botanique de l’Etat Bruxelles Volume jubilaire Walter Robyns:221–232
Braun-Blanquet J (1958) Über die obersten Grenzen pflanzlichen Lebens im Gipfelbereich des
Schweizerischen Nationalparks Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen im
Schweizerischen Nationalpark
Brooker RW, Maestre FT, Callaway RM, Lortie CL, Cavieres LA, Kunstler G, Liancourt P,
Tielbörger K, Travis JMJ, Anthelme F, Armas C, Coll L, Corcket E, Delzon S, Forey E,
Kikvidze Z, Olofsson J, Pugnaire F, Quiroz CL, Saccone P, Schiffers K, Seifan M, Touzard B,
Michalet R (2008) Facilitation in plant communities: the past, the present, and the future.
J Ecol 96:18–34
Burg S, Rixen C, Stoeckli V, Wipf S (2015) Observation bias and its causes in botanical surveys
on high-alpine summits. J Veg Sci 26:191–200
Callaway RM, Brooker RW, Choler P, Kikvidze Z, Lortie CJ, Michalet R, Paolini L, Pugnaire FL,
Newingham B, Aschehoug ET, Armas C, Kikodze D, Cook BJ (2002) Positive interactions
among alpine plants increase with stress. Nature 417:844–848
298
C. Rixen and S. Wipf