Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No
Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in
Taxonomic and Functional Composition

J 2025

Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition

KLINKOVSKÁ, Klára, Marta Gaia SPERANDII, Ilona KNOLLOVÁ, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition

Authors

KLINKOVSKÁ, Klára (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Marta Gaia SPERANDII (380 Italy, belonging to the institution), Ilona KNOLLOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jiří DANIHELKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Michal HÁJEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Petra HÁJKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Zdenka HROUDOVA, Martin JIROUŠEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jan LEPS, Jana NAVRATILOVA, Tomáš PETERKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Petr PETRIK, Karel PRACH, Klara REHOUNKOVA, Jaroslav ROHEL (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Vojtěch SOBOTKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Michal VAVRA, Helge BRUELHEIDE and Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Global Change Biology, Oxford, Blackwell Science, 2025, 1354-1013

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Field of Study

10619 Biodiversity conservation

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 10.800 in 2023

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030

UT WoS

001403375800001

Keywords in English

biodiversity change; drought; eutrophication; functional traits; habitat specialists; mesophilization; succession; vascular plants

Abstract

V originále

In recent decades, global change and local anthropogenic pressures have severely affected natural ecosystems and their biodiversity. Although disentangling the effects of these factors is difficult, they are reflected in changes in the functional composition of plant communities. We present a comprehensive, large-scale analysis of long-term changes in plant communities of various non-forest habitat types in the Czech Republic based on 1154 vegetation-plot time series from 53 resurvey studies comprising 3909 vegetation-plot records. We focused not only on taxonomic diversity but also on the functional characteristics of communities. Species richness of most habitat types increased over time, and taxonomic and functional community composition shifted significantly. Habitat specialists and threatened species became less represented in plant communities, indicating a decline in habitat quality. The spread of trees, shrubs, tall herbaceous plants, strong competitors, and nutrient-demanding species in all non-forest habitats, coupled with the decline of light-demanding species, suggests an effect of eutrophication and natural succession following the abandonment of traditional management. Moreover, we identified specific trends in certain habitats. In wetlands, springs, and mires, moisture-demanding species decreased, probably due to drainage, river regulations, and increasing drought resulting from climate change. Dry grasslands, ruderal, weed, sand, and shallow-soil vegetation became more mesic, and successional processes were most pronounced in these communities, suggesting a stronger effect of abandonment of traditional management and eutrophication. In alpine and subalpine vegetation, meadows and mesic pastures, and heathlands, insect-pollinated species declined, and the proportion of grasses increased. Overall, these functional changes provide deep insights into the underlying drivers and help conservationists take appropriate countermeasures.

Links

MUNI/A/1489/2023, interní kód MU

Name: Role Evolučních a Ekologických systémů na Ekosystémové úrovni

Investor: Masaryk University, The Role of Evolutionary and Ecological Systems at the Ecosystem Level

SS73020008, research and development project

Name: Monitoring terestrických biotopů pomocí integrovaných časových sérií z vegetačních archívů v Evropě

Investor: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, Monitoring terestrických biotopů pomocí integrovaných časových sérií z vegetačních archívů v Evropě, Biodiversity Partnership

Citovat

KLINKOVSKÁ, Klára, Marta Gaia SPERANDII, Ilona KNOLLOVÁ, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK, Petra HÁJKOVÁ, Zdenka HROUDOVA, Martin JIROUŠEK, Jan LEPS, Jana NAVRATILOVA, Tomáš PETERKA, Petr PETRIK, Karel PRACH, Klara REHOUNKOVA, Jaroslav ROHEL, Vojtěch SOBOTKA, Michal VAVRA, Helge BRUELHEIDE and Milan CHYTRÝ. Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition. Global Change Biology. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2025, vol. 31, No 1, p. "e70030", 17 pp. ISSN 1354-1013. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030.

@article{2483217,
   author = {Klinkovská, Klára and Sperandii, Marta Gaia and Knollová, Ilona and Danihelka, Jiří and Hájek, Michal and Hájková, Petra and Hroudova, Zdenka and Jiroušek, Martin and Leps, Jan and Navratilova, Jana and Peterka, Tomáš and Petrik, Petr and Prach, Karel and Rehounkova, Klara and Rohel, Jaroslav and Sobotka, Vojtěch and Vavra, Michal and Bruelheide, Helge and Chytrý, Milan},
   article_location = {Oxford},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030},
   keywords = {biodiversity change; drought; eutrophication; functional traits; habitat specialists; mesophilization; succession; vascular plants},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1354-1013},
   journal = {Global Change Biology},
   title = {Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030},
   volume = {31},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2483217
AU  - Klinkovská, Klára - Sperandii, Marta Gaia - Knollová, Ilona - Danihelka, Jiří - Hájek, Michal - Hájková, Petra - Hroudova, Zdenka - Jiroušek, Martin - Leps, Jan - Navratilova, Jana - Peterka, Tomáš - Petrik, Petr - Prach, Karel - Rehounkova, Klara - Rohel, Jaroslav - Sobotka, Vojtěch - Vavra, Michal - Bruelheide, Helge - Chytrý, Milan
PY  - 2025
TI  - Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition
JF  - Global Change Biology
VL  - 31
IS  - 1
SP  - "e70030"
EP  - "e70030"
PB  - Blackwell Science
SN  - 13541013
KW  - biodiversity change
KW  - drought
KW  - eutrophication
KW  - functional traits
KW  - habitat specialists
KW  - mesophilization
KW  - succession
KW  - vascular plants
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030
N2  - In recent decades, global change and local anthropogenic pressures have severely affected natural ecosystems and their biodiversity. Although disentangling the effects of these factors is difficult, they are reflected in changes in the functional composition of plant communities. We present a comprehensive, large-scale analysis of long-term changes in plant communities of various non-forest habitat types in the Czech Republic based on 1154 vegetation-plot time series from 53 resurvey studies comprising 3909 vegetation-plot records. We focused not only on taxonomic diversity but also on the functional characteristics of communities. Species richness of most habitat types increased over time, and taxonomic and functional community composition shifted significantly. Habitat specialists and threatened species became less represented in plant communities, indicating a decline in habitat quality. The spread of trees, shrubs, tall herbaceous plants, strong competitors, and nutrient-demanding species in all non-forest habitats, coupled with the decline of light-demanding species, suggests an effect of eutrophication and natural succession following the abandonment of traditional management. Moreover, we identified specific trends in certain habitats. In wetlands, springs, and mires, moisture-demanding species decreased, probably due to drainage, river regulations, and increasing drought resulting from climate change. Dry grasslands, ruderal, weed, sand, and shallow-soil vegetation became more mesic, and successional processes were most pronounced in these communities, suggesting a stronger effect of abandonment of traditional management and eutrophication. In alpine and subalpine vegetation, meadows and mesic pastures, and heathlands, insect-pollinated species declined, and the proportion of grasses increased. Overall, these functional changes provide deep insights into the underlying drivers and help conservationists take appropriate countermeasures.
ER  -

KLINKOVSKÁ, Klára, Marta Gaia SPERANDII, Ilona KNOLLOVÁ, Jiří DANIHELKA, Michal HÁJEK, Petra HÁJKOVÁ, Zdenka HROUDOVA, Martin JIROUŠEK, Jan LEPS, Jana NAVRATILOVA, Tomáš PETERKA, Petr PETRIK, Karel PRACH, Klara REHOUNKOVA, Jaroslav ROHEL, Vojtěch SOBOTKA, Michal VAVRA, Helge BRUELHEIDE and Milan CHYTRÝ. Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition. \textit{Global Change Biology}. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2025, vol.~31, No~1, p.~''e70030'', 17 pp. ISSN~1354-1013. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70030.

Detailed Information on Publication Record