AimsWhile plot‐based vegetation surveys provide means to precisely track changes in plant species abundance and distribution, ecosystems are continuously influenced by numerous drivers, confounding interpretation of monitoring results. Following the making of Iceland's largest hydropower reservoir in 2006, a decadal vegetation monitoring was set up. Relating our results to those of different types of environmental monitoring associated with the hydropower project, we aimed to gain insights into the forces driving the spatio‐temporal vegetation pattern.LocationSubarctic‐alpine area near Hálslón reservoir, East Iceland.MethodsAt the time of its making, we conducted a baseline plant survey in a total of 72 plots, spread around Hálslón reservoir's vicinity (each containing ten 0.25 m2 subplots). Plots were located in three different habitat types (heathlands, wetlands, poorly vegetated land), at three different sites regarding direction and distance from the reservoir. A decade later, we resurveyed the plots and reviewed the results of other environmental monitoring projects in the area, mostly presented in the gray literature.ResultsTemporal changes in vegetation were mostly inconsistent between and within habitat types, but some general trends were noticed, that is, decreased lichen and fern cover in heathlands. Distance from the reservoir did not significantly affect changes in vegetation cover. The greatest overall changes were detected where great changes in herbivore land usage had been recorded during the study.ConclusionsDirect effects of Hálslón reservoir on vegetation in our study plots were not noticed. Most likely, the reservoir indirectly impacted vegetation in our study through loss of grazing area, affecting herbivore land usage, coupled with an unrelated population growth of two of the area's main wild herbivores before and during the study period. Response to climate change was not detected, potentially concealed by substantial land‐use change and a short study period.

中文翻译：

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亚北极高山生态系统的十年植被变化：冰岛最大的水电站、气候变化和食草动物的影响能否被检测到？

目标虽然基于地块的植被调查提供了精确跟踪植物物种丰度和分布变化的方法，但生态系统不断受到众多驱动因素的影响，从而混淆了监测结果的解释。 2006年冰岛最大的水电站建成后，建立了十年植被监测。将我们的结果与与水电项目相关的不同类型的环境监测结果联系起来，我们的目的是深入了解驱动时空植被格局的力量。位置冰岛东部 Hálslón 水库附近的亚北极高山地区。方法制作时，我们对分布在 Hálslón 水库附近的总共 72 个地块进行了基线植物调查（每个地块包含 10 个 0.25 m 的植物）2次要情节）。地块位于三种不同的栖息地类型（石南地、湿地、植被贫瘠的土地），位于三个不同的地点，距离水库的方向和距离不同。十年后，我们重新调查了这些地块，并回顾了该地区其他环境监测项目的结果，大部分呈现在灰色文献中。结果植被的时间变化在栖息地类型之间和内部大多不一致，但注意到一些总体趋势，即，荒地中的地衣和蕨类植物覆盖减少。距水库的距离并没有显着影响植被覆盖的变化。在研究期间记录了食草动物土地利用的巨大变化时，发现了最大的总体变化。 结论 在我们的研究地块中，没有注意到 Hálslón 水库对植被的直接影响。最有可能的是，水库通过放牧面积的减少，影响草食动物土地的利用，加上该地区两种主要野生草食动物在研究之前和研究期间的不相关的种群增长，间接影响了我们研究中的植被。没有发现对气候变化的反应，这可能被大量的土地利用变化和较短的研究周期所掩盖。