Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-18408
Publication type: Article in scientific journal
Type of review: Peer review (publication)
Title: Alpine grassland vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : vegetation mapping for environ-mental planning
Authors: Pachlatko, Jonathan
Wyttenbach, Martin
Dengler, Jürgen
et. al: No
DOI: 10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37
10.21256/zhaw-18408
Published in: Palaearctic Grasslands
Issue: 43
Page(s): 23
Pages to: 37
Issue Date: 4-Oct-2019
Publisher / Ed. Institution: Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG)
ISSN: 2627-9827
Language: English
Subjects: Alpine vegetation; Gornergrat
Subject (DDC): 333.7: Land, natural recreational areas
580: Plants (Botany)
Abstract: Alpine landscapes are increasingly used by tourism. At the highly frequented Gornergrat in Switzerland there was a need to develop a concept to demerge the paths of hikers and mountain bikers and thus enable a conflict-free use for all user groups. The present study aimed at providing vegetation maps of the sensible areas at Gornergrat to derive recommendations for the planning and restoration of the new trail network. For this purpose, we sampled 32 vegetation plots (10 m²). These were then subjected to TWINSPAN classification, and the derived five units characterized by their diagnostic species based on standardized phi-values. We used ANOVA to test for differences of these units with regard to environmental parameters. The five distinguished vegetation units were assigned to syntaxa down to the alliance level. Finally, a mapping key was derived from the synoptic table to allow the delimitation of units in the field, which resulted in two vegetation maps. We found protected habitats and vascular plant species, as well as a species of the Red List of vascular plants in the study area. Especially at the Riffel Lake, the area has striking disturbances of vegetation due to trampling, which has increased significantly in the last 30 years. For the Gornergrat concept we thus recommend (i) to make the disturbed vegetation at the eastern lake shore inaccessible to visitors, (ii) to restore this part with low-intensity measures and (iii) not to lead the planned new changes through sensitive areas (snow beds and fens).
URI: https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/18408
Fulltext version: Published version
License (according to publishing contract): Licence according to publishing contract
Departement: Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit: Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Pachlatko, J., Wyttenbach, M., & Dengler, J. (2019). Alpine grassland vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : vegetation mapping for environ-mental planning. Palaearctic Grasslands, 43, 23–37. https://doi.org/10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37
Pachlatko, J., Wyttenbach, M. and Dengler, J. (2019) ‘Alpine grassland vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : vegetation mapping for environ-mental planning’, Palaearctic Grasslands, (43), pp. 23–37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37.
J. Pachlatko, M. Wyttenbach, and J. Dengler, “Alpine grassland vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : vegetation mapping for environ-mental planning,” Palaearctic Grasslands, no. 43, pp. 23–37, Oct. 2019, doi: 10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37.
PACHLATKO, Jonathan, Martin WYTTENBACH und Jürgen DENGLER, 2019. Alpine grassland vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : vegetation mapping for environ-mental planning. Palaearctic Grasslands. 4 Oktober 2019. Nr. 43, S. 23–37. DOI 10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37
Pachlatko, Jonathan, Martin Wyttenbach, and Jürgen Dengler. 2019. “Alpine Grassland Vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : Vegetation Mapping for Environ-Mental Planning.” Palaearctic Grasslands, no. 43 (October): 23–37. https://doi.org/10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37.
Pachlatko, Jonathan, et al. “Alpine Grassland Vegetation at Gornergrat (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) : Vegetation Mapping for Environ-Mental Planning.” Palaearctic Grasslands, no. 43, Oct. 2019, pp. 23–37, https://doi.org/10.21570/EDGG.PG.43.23-37.


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