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Category: Data

Description: Frequent and relatively high intensity human trampling disturbance negatively impacts alpine plant species and communities in southeast Switzerland. Reduced reproduction and lower density in disturbed populations of the widely distributed facilitative cushion plant “Silene acaulis” could make this species more vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as encroachment from lower elevation, more competitive species, at its lower elevational range limit. The net cumulative negative impacts of disturbance on species richness and diversity suggest that relatively heavily disturbed alpine systems could shift to communities characterized by lower biodiversity that are less reliant on cushion plant facilitative interactions.