Current vegetation changes in an alpine late snowbed community in the south-eastern Alps (N-Italy)

摘要: During the last decades, a significant warming was observed in Alps, cascading into decrease snowfall and snow-cover duration. Within alpine landscape, snowbed communities are regarded as especially vulnerable to predicted warmer temperatures earlier snowmelt time. Albeit snowbeds represent prominent component of tundra biome, current vegetation dynamics these habitats not yet well understood. In this study, changes vascular species richness, co-occurrence, composition, abundance were evaluated within late south-eastern Alps. The study based on re-survey 11 permanent plots after 6-year period. Species richness significantly increased co-occurrence shifted toward higher segregation. Moreover, at different spatial scales related environmental factors, change proportion between non-snowbed plants found. results suggest an increasing importance competitive interaction among determining future structure composition community. conclusion, there is strong evidence that community equilibrium with climate, floristic functional processes habitat underway.