Dry Grasslands
Adaptation
Frugal and Resourceful
Where water and nutrients are scarce, plants need specific traits to survive. On the inner-Alpine steppe slopes, they withstand drought with every trick in the book: they stay small, minimise water loss through evaporation, or tap into other plants. Other traits also protect them from herbivores, pests, diseases and UV radiation.
Maximum Uptake of Water and Nutrients
Large Root System
Small and herb-like above ground, large and powerful below: with a large root volume, delicate plants gain access to water and sufficient nutrients.
Small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
Parasitic Strategy
With haustorial roots, these plants attach themselves to the roots of others and feed along with them.
Slender broomrape (Orobanche gracilis)
Minimal Evaporation
Small or Narrow Leaves
If leaves are small or needle-shaped, the plant loses less water through evaporation. Some plants manage almost without leaves and carry out photosynthesis through their stems.
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
Stiff or Leathery Leaves
If leaves are hard and stiff, they do not wilt even in drought.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Leaves with a Waxy Coating
The wax layer gives leaves a glossy surface. It reflects sunlight and protects against overheating.
White stonecrop (Sedum album)
Rolled Leaves
When plants roll their leaves downwards, the area around the stomata, where water evaporates, becomes sheltered from the wind. This works even better if the underside of the leaf is hairy.
Valais fescue (Festuca valesiaca)
Hairiness
Fine, felt-like hairs create a cushion of air around the leaf. This slows the wind at the plant surface and reflects sunlight.
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Cushion- or Rosette-shaped Growth
In dry habitats, plants often grow as cushions or rosettes. Close to the ground, they are protected from wind and therefore from excessive evaporation.
Sainfoin milkvetch (Astragalus onobrychis)
High Oil Content
Essential oils released through glandular hairs evaporate easily. They form an insulating haze around the plant.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Succulence
Fleshy plant parts store water behind strong cell walls that do not collapse even during prolonged drought.
Cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum)