The main types of sand grasslands in the Vienna Basin have persisted over recent decades and have not been replaced by other vegetation types. However, there have been significant changes in the species composition of sand vegetation. Among the most decreasing species were several sand and dry grassland specialists, e.g., Cynodon dactylon, Jasione montana, Pimpinella saxifraga, Seseli annuum, and Thymus serpyllum. In contrast, neophytes, e.g., Erigeron annuus, and graminoids, e.g., Agrostis vinealis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Calamagrostis epigejos, Carex liparocarpos, and Poa pratensis agg., were among the species that increased most. The overall species richness increased over time, yet the proportion of sand and dry grassland specialists declined in the whole dataset. The decline in sand specialists was most pronounced in the pioneer sand vegetation. There were no significant changes in the proportion of ruderal and threatened species. The proportion of alien species per plot was very low and remained unchanged over time. However, the summed frequency of alien species increased from 91 occurrences in the old plot observations to 147 in the new plot observations, and the frequency of some alien species increased between the first survey and the resurvey. There were also some neophyte species that occurred only in the new plot observations, e.g. Asclepias syriaca. Ellenberg-type indicator values for moisture and nutrients increased significantly, while indicator values for grazing pressure decreased. In pioneer sand vegetation, indicator values for temperature decreased significantly. In acidophilous and ruderalised sand grasslands, there was a marginally significant increase in indicator values for moisture, nutrients and disturbance severity, while indicator values for grazing pressure decreased significantly. There were no significant changes in indicator values in basiphilous sand grasslands except for a marginally significant increase in indicator values for soil disturbance.
Friesová, K., Axmanová, I., Borovyk, D., Ćuk, M., Kopčan, B., Valachovič, M., Clark, A. T. & Chytrý, M. (2025). Vegetation remains, specialist species fade: changes in Pannonian sand grasslands. Preslia 97: 613–635. 
