Author(s):
Kerstin Potthoff - Department of Geography, NTNU, Norway
Abstract:
Many centuries of seasonal farming in the Norwegian mountains led to a decrease in forested areas, decline of tree- and forest line, and increase in grasslands. Since the middle of the 19th century seasonal farming has declined significantly. In the sub-alpine belt, this has resulted in woodland succession on former hay meadows and open grass- and heathlands. In alpine environments vegetation changes caused by seasonal farming and its decline are expected to be comparatively subtle because of unsuitable growth conditions for trees. The aim of this paper is to identify and explain vegetation changes in a former mountain summer farming area in an alpine environment. Four sources of information are used to document changes: present vegetation data, old photographs, interviews and more informal conversation, and written material. It can be concluded, that low-intensity grazing seems to have little influence on the vegetation in alpine environments. On curtilages, however, where grazing, i.e. defoliation, trampling, and nutrient accumulation, is concentrated, grass- and herb-dominated vegetation develops that differs significantly from the surrounding shrub heaths. The curtilage-specific vegetation is rather persistent and occurs even on curtilages that have been grazed with only low intensity for several decades. A high concentration of nutrients seems to be a key factor that maintains the vegetation. As long as this high amount of nutrients stays in the soil probably little shrub re-growth can be expected.
