RangeX experimental sites in Norway – western Scandes

The RangeX experimental field sites consist of two semi-calcareous meadows grazed by sheep and cows during the productive months. The beyond-range “high” site – Helgaset – is situated at 730 m.a.s.l.; the within-range, “low” control site – Gråsida – about a half-hour drive down the valley, at 315 m.a.s.l. The elevation difference may seem small but at this latitude on the western side of Norway, the bioclimatic zones change dramatically over just a few hundred meters. 

In our "invasion" experiments, we have chosen ten native lowland species and transplanted them both at the low (control) site and the high (beyond-range) sites. Various treatments, e.g., artificial warming (via open-top chambers) are employed to test the drivers of plant establishment, growth and survival, as well as the impact on the resident grassland vegetation.