Patterns of vegetation change on alpine mountain summer farms in norway

Abstract

Potthoff, K. and Stroth, V., 2011. Patterns of vegetation change on alpine mountain summer farms in Norway. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 93, 163–174. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468‐0459.2011.00427.x

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of long‐term grazing and its abandonment on alpine vegetation. For vegetation changes after the cessation of grazing, previous studies show that the most important environmental variables are ‘nutrient content of the soil’, ‘current use’ and ‘time since abandonment’. The current study focused on the relative importance of these variables. Vegetation data and environmental variables of three mountain summer farms in Western Norway with similar ecological site conditions, but different grazing histories and present states of use, were analysed with the help of ordination methods. The results showed that mountain summer farming created a clear difference between areas at a larger distance from the farmsteads and those in the immediate surrounding of the buildings. The former are characterized by species typically occurring in habitats with low disturbance, the latter by species characteristic for grazed habitats. This confirmed results of previous studies of sub‐alpine and alpine mountain summer farms. However, considering the current differences in grazing intensity among the farms, vegetation at a greater distance from the farmsteads differed surprisingly little. Changes after abandonment of mountain summer farming occurred slowly, and the results emphasized the importance of the accumulated soil nutrients in retarding or even preventing vegetation changes.

Key words:

• abandonment
• grazing
• Hardangervidda
• land‐use
• nutrient accumulation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Fred Daniëls, Sebastian Eiter and two reviewers who have commented the work. Nadine Noël gave support during fieldwork and Kjell Helge Sjøstrøm kindly prepared Figure 1.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kerstin Potthoff

Kerstin Potthoff, Department of Geography, University of Bergen, PO Box 7800, NO‐5020 Bergen, Norway.

Email: [email protected].

Vera Stroth

Vera Stroth, Otto Sogns vei 23, NO‐0681 Oslo, Norway.

Email: [email protected].