LTER_EU_AT_018_afo_06f_Obergurgl_Vegetation Monitoring_2000-2018

The long-term monitoring project has the aim of recording the vegetational development in subalpine to alpine altitudes in different plant communities, to record critical changes in vegetation due to climate change. In the year 2000 permanent plots were established along an altitudinal gradient from 1958 m to 2778 m a.s.l. Besides the altitudinal gradient, the sites differ in locations and communities: subalpine area, timberline area, lower alpine area, upper alpine area and bogs. Also the effect of grazing was measured in several years; therefore fences at some sites were established to exclude grazers (domestic herbivores). In sum 126 permanent plots were established until 2018. One permanent plot has a size of 1 square meter (m²). Vegetation records were made with a metal frame with a size of 1 m². Frequency analysis were made. Data was collected seasonnally (summer) from 04.07.2000 to 05.10.2018. more then 800 Relevés are presented in the database. The monitoring will be continued with the next campaign scheduled for 2022.