Patterns of plant species richness in Alpine hay meadows: Local vs. landscape controls

Habitat type and quality are recognised as important local determinants of species richness, but other processes operating at the landscape scale can also affect diversity patterns. The evidence regarding the relative importance of landscape context on vascular plants is diverse, and little is known about the effects of this complex factor in Alpine environments. Hence, the primary purpose of the study was to elucidate the relative effects of the determinants of plant species richness by decomposing the variation into local and landscape components. We sampled 99 hay meadows in the Italian Alps, and recorded 14 explanatory variables ascribed to three sets: two sets of local variables, meadow management and abiotic environment, and a set of landscape variables. Plant diversity was affected primarily by local determinants. Species richness tended to increase in less fertilised meadows, confirming the detrimental effect of intensive meadow management on plant diversity. Site conditions such as steep slopes also enhanced plant species richness, showing a most pronounced positive effect in meadows that were cut less frequently. As to the landscape determinants, a high proportion of urban elements affected species richness negatively probably due to further eutrophication. In contrast, an increased length of meadow edges had a positive effect, particularly in meadows located on shallow soils. Partitioning analyses revealed that the three sets of variables showed relatively large shared effects with each other (over half of the total variation explained). In conclusion, the composition of the surrounding landscape had a lower impact on vascular plant species richness than did meadow management and local abiotic environment.