Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records
Vascular plant observances were compiled for 10 well-documented parishes in Scania, southernmost Sweden, from published floras, herbarium specimens, modern inventories, and a large citizen-science database to provide decade-level presence/absence data of species throughout the period 1800–2020. Spec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21011511 |
| _version_ | 1819175849866297344 |
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| author | Cassandra Hallman Ola Olsson Torbjörn Tyler |
| author_facet | Cassandra Hallman Ola Olsson Torbjörn Tyler |
| author_sort | Cassandra Hallman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vascular plant observances were compiled for 10 well-documented parishes in Scania, southernmost Sweden, from published floras, herbarium specimens, modern inventories, and a large citizen-science database to provide decade-level presence/absence data of species throughout the period 1800–2020. Species-specific plant traits and ecological indicator values were then used to examine functional and ecological changes based on the species composition, as well as the performance of particular vegetation types. The results were generally congruent among the 10 parishes, and indicate that several of the most important drivers of recent floristic changes, including climate changes, woody encroachment, and soil chemistry alterations have in fact acted continuously and concerted for more than a century. Floristic composition has shifted in favor of species with an affinity to higher N and P levels, as well as species which are generally more long-lived and competitive. Additionally, species less favored by grazing/mowing, and with lower demand for sunlight and moisture have increased. However, several of these trends appear to have accelerated over the past 50 years, and so has the increase of the proportion of alien invasive species in the flora. Species favored by climatic warming have also increased, at least since the 1970’s. The flora of different parts of the province has become more homogenous over time, indicating a loss of biodiversity at the regional, but not at the local scale. Instead, analyses of the biodiversity relevance, associated non-plant species and ecosystem services such as nectar production provided by the flora, suggest that local biodiversity is likely to have increased. The study demonstrates that even highly fragmented data, if compiled from a multitude of sources spanning centuries, may reveal congruent temporal changes in both biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecological drivers and provide a historic context for monitoring recent and future changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:01:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ffe5c9a667644ebd9ec7dd6308db2c8c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:01:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-ffe5c9a667644ebd9ec7dd6308db2c8c2022-12-21T18:12:49ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2022-01-01134108486Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature recordsCassandra Hallman0Ola Olsson1Torbjörn Tyler2The Biological Museum, Lund University, Box 117, SE-221 00 Lund, SwedenBiodiversity Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-22362 Lund, SwedenThe Biological Museum, Lund University, Box 117, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden; Corresponding author.Vascular plant observances were compiled for 10 well-documented parishes in Scania, southernmost Sweden, from published floras, herbarium specimens, modern inventories, and a large citizen-science database to provide decade-level presence/absence data of species throughout the period 1800–2020. Species-specific plant traits and ecological indicator values were then used to examine functional and ecological changes based on the species composition, as well as the performance of particular vegetation types. The results were generally congruent among the 10 parishes, and indicate that several of the most important drivers of recent floristic changes, including climate changes, woody encroachment, and soil chemistry alterations have in fact acted continuously and concerted for more than a century. Floristic composition has shifted in favor of species with an affinity to higher N and P levels, as well as species which are generally more long-lived and competitive. Additionally, species less favored by grazing/mowing, and with lower demand for sunlight and moisture have increased. However, several of these trends appear to have accelerated over the past 50 years, and so has the increase of the proportion of alien invasive species in the flora. Species favored by climatic warming have also increased, at least since the 1970’s. The flora of different parts of the province has become more homogenous over time, indicating a loss of biodiversity at the regional, but not at the local scale. Instead, analyses of the biodiversity relevance, associated non-plant species and ecosystem services such as nectar production provided by the flora, suggest that local biodiversity is likely to have increased. The study demonstrates that even highly fragmented data, if compiled from a multitude of sources spanning centuries, may reveal congruent temporal changes in both biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecological drivers and provide a historic context for monitoring recent and future changes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21011511Biodiversity lossCitizen scienceEcological indicator valueInvasive speciesMuseomicsClimate change |
| spellingShingle | Cassandra Hallman Ola Olsson Torbjörn Tyler Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records Ecological Indicators Biodiversity loss Citizen science Ecological indicator value Invasive species Museomics Climate change |
| title | Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| title_full | Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| title_fullStr | Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| title_short | Changes in south-Swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species-specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| title_sort | changes in south swedish vegetation composition over the last 200 years as described by species specific indicator and trait values and documented by museum and literature records |
| topic | Biodiversity loss Citizen science Ecological indicator value Invasive species Museomics Climate change |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21011511 |
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