Regional Mountain Conference

Eurasian steppe plants occur in the dry valleys of the Alps, in often south-exposed rocky steppes and dry, nutrient-poor meadows and pastures. The project, funded by the Biodiversity Fund, investigated the intraspecific genetic diversity of steppe plants in Austria. The results demonstrate the independence of the evolutionary lineages of Linum flavum, Onobrychis arenaria, Oxytropis pilosa, Pulsatilla styriaca, P. oenipontana and Stipa capillata in the alpine region. Compared to the Pannonian populations, those in the alpine region are typically smaller and genetically less diverse. In view of these findings and given the dramatic declines in the populations of these species across many parts of the Alps, greater efforts are needed to preserve them for the future. Among the most important measures is the provision of suitable habitat by recognising and promoting nature-oriented and traditional farming methods.