Vegetation on avalanche paths in the alps

✍ Scribed by Erschbamer, Brigitta

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 547 KB
• Volume: 80
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00048037

✦ Synopsis

Vegetation pattern on avalanche paths in the Nordkette Mountains near Innsbruck (Tyrol, Austria) was studied using transect sampling. The plant communities represent a gradient from alpine grassland (Seslerio-Caricetum sempervirentis, via grassland with Trisetum distichophyllum) and nutrient-poor grassland (Carlino-Caricetum sempervirentis) to an avalanche grassland proper. Along this gradient disturbance decreases from higher to lower elevations. The topography of the avalanche path suggests a gradient from the central zone to the edge of the path, although a floristic zonation or grouping of species across the path cannot be detected. Disturbance and local topography are the dominant factors for the vegetation pattern on the avalanche paths investigated.