Drivers of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen richness in grasslands along a precipitation gradient (central Apennines, Italy)

QuestionsSemi-natural grasslands in Southern Europe are biodiversity hotspots, yet their patterns of plant species richness are less studied than in Central Europe. In the Central Apennines (Italy), there are large areas of dry calcareous grasslands, across a steep gradient of mean annual precipitation (from 650 to 1350 mm within c. 30 km). We asked: How do these grasslands compare to other Palaearctic grasslands in richness levels? How do the precipitation gradient and other environmental predictors influence species richness? Does this influence differ among taxonomic groups?LocationSubmontane and lower-montane belt of the Central Apennines (Abruzzo and Lazio, Italy).MethodsWe recorded the species richness of vascular plants and (terricolous) bryophytes and lichens in 97 plots of 10 m2, aligning them with the precipitation gradient while maintaining geological substrate and elevation similar. Mean temperature and precipitation were estimated with a high-resolution regional model. A wide array of environmental variables (including soil properties and grazing load) were measured for each plot. Multivariate relationships within and between response and predictor variables were studied with Canonical Correlation. The relative importance of predictors on response variables was modeled with Boosted Regression Trees.ResultsThe sampled grasslands were very species-rich in the Palaearctic context. Vascular plant richness was negatively influenced by topographic heat load and soil sand content, but we did not detect a relationship with mean annual precipitation. Bryophyte richness was poorly modeled by the measured variables, although it was positively correlated with lichen richness. Lichen richness had a marked negative relationship with soil phosphorus and mean annual precipitation.ConclusionsIn Southern European semi-natural mountain grasslands, vascular plant richness is driven more by fine-scale edaphic factors than by precipitation gradients. In contrast, bryophyte and lichen species richness is predicted by a mixture of climatic and edaphic variables.The sampled grasslands were very species-rich (up to 85 species in 10 m2). Mean annual precipitation had no significant effect on vascular plant richness, which was mostly predicted (with a negative relationship) by topographic heat load and soil sand content. Instead, terricolous lichen richness had a strong negative relationship with both annual precipitation and soil available phosphorus.image