Abstract
Vegetation, through its condition, reflects the properties of the environment. Heterogeneous alpine ecosystems play a critical role in global monitoring systems, but due to low accessibility, cloudy conditions, and short vegetation periods, standard monitoring methods cannot be applied comprehensively. Hyperspectral tools offer a variety of methods based on narrow-band data, but before extrapolation to an airborne or satellite scale, they must be verified using plant biometrical variables. This study aims to assess the condition of alpine sward dominant species (Agrostis rupestris, Festuca picta, and Luzula alpino-pilosa) of the UNESCO Man&Biosphere Tatra National Park (TPN) where the high mountain grasslands are strongly influenced by tourists. Data were analyzed for trampled, reference, and recultivated polygons. The field-obtained hyperspectral properties were verified using ground measured photosynthetically active radiation, chlorophyll content, fluorescence, and evapotranspiration. Statistically significant changes in terms of cellular structures, chlorophyll, and water content in the canopy were detected. Lower values for the remote sensing indices were observed for trampled plants (about 10–15%). Species in recultivated areas were characterized by a similar, or sometimes improved, spectral properties than the reference polygons; confirmed by fluorescence measurements (Fv/Fm). Overall, the fluorescence analysis and remote sensing tools confirmed the suitability of such methods for monitoring species in remote mountain areas, and the general condition of these grasslands was determined as good.
Highlights
During evolution, vegetation has developed alternative metabolism paths and defense reactions that enable it to grow in unfavorable conditions, as well as regenerate damage, which is referred to as resistance to stress, disturbance, and competition [1,2]
The greatest influence exerted by trampling on spectral properties occurred in the polygons and differentiation of the spectral characteristics in three tested polygons was observed for Luzula alpino-pilosa (LAP_T, LAP_R, LAP_Rec) and in sequence Agrostis rupestris (AR_T, AR_R, AR_Rec)
Similar spectral characteristics were concluded in the reference polygons for the species Luzula alpino-pilosa and Agrostis rupestris (LAP_R, AR_R), and the spectral characteristics of these species are similar to each other in the trampled polygons (LAP_T, AR_T; Figure 3)
Summary
Vegetation has developed alternative metabolism paths and defense reactions that enable it to grow in unfavorable conditions, as well as regenerate damage, which is referred to as resistance to stress, disturbance, and competition [1,2]. One of the crucial factors causing stress in vegetation is trampling [3,4], including crushing and defragmentation of organs [5]. Adaptation of plants to difficult conditions is observable in their leaf construction, leaf resilience as well as stem flexibility and extended root system. This impacts the so-called tolerance to the trampling of a particular species [6,7]. Due to extensive environmental changes, in most cases, the passive protection of nature does not guarantee that the extinction of a species or ecosystem degradation will stop [8]. It is necessary to explore the measurement of plant parameters and properties in order to assess ecosystem functioning [9,10], especially in valuable natural and hard-to-reach high-mountain ecosystems
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