Alpine and subalpine calcareous grassland of the Balkan and Apennines
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLE4.4b |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Least Concern |
EU | Least Concern |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
These habitats built by many alpine plant species have been a source for fodder during summer period. Grasslands can be divided into two main groups: grasslands over calcareous and acid bedrock. They are further divided into two groups according to altitude: one is of primary origin that appears above the timberline, where site conditions are too severe for woody species to grow. The other is secondary and developed in the subalpine vegetation belt, where the forest surfaces were deforested and transformed into pastures and the timberline was lowered for somewhere 300-500 meters. But it is very difficult to draw the line between the primary and secondary grasslands and they often overlap. The subalpine grasslands extend at altitude between 1650 and 2250 m and the alpine ones are above them. Geographically subalpine and alpine grasslands are divided into two orders, Seslerietalia tenuifoliae, comprising alpine and subalpine grasslands of the northern Balkan and Apennines, and Onobrychido-Seslerietalia, comprising those of central and southern Balkans. In the alpine vegetation belt we can find the vegetation alliances Seslerio juncifoliae-Caricion firmae on the northern Dinarides, Seslerion apeninae on the Apennines, Oxytropion dinaricae on southern Dinarides and Anthyllido-Seslerion klastersky in the central part of the Balkans. In the subalpine belt we can find Seslerion apeninne in the Apennines, Seslerion juncifoliae on wind exposed slopes and Festucion pungentis in sheltered sites in Dinarides and Festuco-Knaution longifoliae in Serbia, Festucion xanthinae in the southern Dinarides, Campanulion albanicae in Montenegro and Kosovo and Seslerion nitidae in the central part of the Balkans. But the division between alpine and subalpine is not fixed as alpine communities can appear in the subalpine and even in montane vegetation belt in exposed sites and vice versa in sheltered sites. At the same time, the subalpine communities are well differentiated by the presence of species from dry grasslands that appear in those communities.
Indicators of good quality:
Grasslands in the alpine zone are of primary origin and do not undergo the natural process of afforestation. The only threat is the abandonment of grazing that may change the species composition. It is also expected that global warming will raise the timberline and, therefore, the vegetation zones will shift upwards, however mountains are generally not high enough to allow such an altitudinal shift on the long term.
In the subalpine zone, the situation is much more complicated. With the abandonment of grazing the afforestation process begins. This process is due to severe site condition slower than in lowland, but we can expect that we will lose a great part of subalpine grasslands in the near future.
The following characteristics may be considered as indicators of good quality:
- species richness of the grasslands and presence of diagnostic species,
- presence of regular grazing (overgrazing can appear near to the stable),
- absence of afforestation, absence of high tall herb, shrub and tree species.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Grazing
- Abandonment of pastoral systems, lack of grazing
- Human intrusions and disturbances
- Outdoor sports and leisure activities, recreational activities
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Biocenotic evolution, succession
- Climate change
- Changes in abiotic conditions
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Stable ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
- Other agriculture-related measures
- Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Legal protection of habitats and species
- Manage landscape features
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bulgaria | Present | 50 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Slovenia | Present | 1 | Stable | Stable |
Italy mainland | Present | 478 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Romania | Present | 32 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Croatia | Present | 73 | Decreasing | Stable |
Greece (mainland and other islands) | Present | 557 | Decreasing | Unknown |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) | Present | 690 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Present | 1300 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Albania | Uncertain | - | - | |
Kosovo | Present | Unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Montenegro | Uncertain | - | - | |
Serbia | Uncertain | - | - |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 688550 | 337 | 1191 | |
EU28+ | 538 | 3181 | no data from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).