In the Alps, mires, ranging from fens to bogs, are rare habitats mainly restricted to high elevation ranges where anthropogenic pressures are relatively low. However, they are threatened by multiple impacts, among which intensive cattle grazing and draining predominate. In particular, overgrazing effects are still poorly explored and we urgently need an assessment of the conservation status of these sensitive habitats in high elevation grazed areas. In this study, 85 small and large mires (min-max 0.12–8.69 ha) were surveyed in the Southern Alps using bryophytes as indicators of impacts and recording environmental descriptors to interpret both the ecology of the species and the environmental impacts. Results revealed a high diversity of bryophytes (77 taxa, 25 of which were Sphagnum) and allowed to clarify the environmental factors affecting their distribution (elevation, pH, conductivity, and depth to the water table), and the main threats. In particular, cattle trampling was the most impacting factor which decreased both the variability of bryophyte composition and the occurrence of rare species. Drainage was the second most important disturbance, the effects of which were interpreted along the dry-wet gradient of the species preference. Only 35 % of the mires were pristine thus posing concern on the effectiveness of local management policies to protect these rare and sensitive habitats in the Southern Alps.

在阿尔卑斯山，泥沼（从到沼泽）是罕见的栖息地，主要限制在人为压力相对较低的高海拔地区。但是，它们受到多种影响的威胁，其中以集约化放牧和排泄牛群居多。特别是，过度放牧的影响仍然很少得到探索，我们迫切需要对高海拔放牧区这些敏感生境的保护状况进行评估。在这项研究中，使用苔藓植物作为影响指标并记录环境描述符来解释该物种的生态和环境影响，在南阿尔卑斯山调查了85个大小不等的沼泽（最小-最大0.12-8.69公顷）。结果表明，苔藓植物的多样性很高（77个分类单元，其中25个为泥炭藓），并阐明影响其分布的环境因素（海拔，pH，电导率和地下水位深度）以及主要威胁。特别是，践踏牛是影响植物苔藓植物组成的变异性和减少稀有物种发生率的最大影响因素。排水是第二重要的扰动，其影响沿物种偏好的干湿梯度解释。只有35％的泥潭是原始的，因此对当地管理政策在保护南阿尔卑斯山这些稀有和敏感的栖息地方面的有效性表示关注。