Successful restoration of alpine plant communities depends on habitat type

Abstract

Alpine ecosystems are under increasing pressure from land‐use change and road construction, resulting in habitat fragmentation and declines in biodiversity and ecosystem function. Ecosystem restoration can mitigate the impacts from human land‐use change by assisting the recovery of natural ecosystems. We developed an assessment framework using established international standards and monitored alpine vegetation recovery within restored zones along a hydropower‐dam road built in 2013 in the Knutshø landscape protected area, Norway. Using data collected in 2016, 2018 and 2021, we compared abiotic variables and vegetation indicators (cover, and community composition) in restored zones against directly adjacent intact zones within three different habitat types. After eight years, wetland habitat had similar cover of plant functional types and abiotic variables within restored and intact zones, while ridge and willow‐heath habitats had more cover of graminoids and less cover of shrubs in restored compared to intact zones. In addition, community composition in restored wetland habitat zones was similar to intact zones, while the community composition of restored zones in ridge and willow‐heath habitats was significantly different from adjacent intact zones. This suggests that restored wetland habitat in our study system is on a trajectory of recovery, but that recovery of other plant community types may require longer periods of time or, in some cases, may not be possible without further intervention because of alternative stable states. Our results underscore the need for long‐term monitoring and adaptive management to insure restoration success in alpine environments.