Abstract Artificial snow is increasingly used in ski resorts to compensate for declining natural snowfall, yet its ecological effects on mountain vegetation remain insufficiently understood. This study examines the impact of artificial snow on plant species composition, species traits, and environmental conditions on ski slopes in Slovakia. A dataset of 60 phytosociological relevés was collected in 2021 and 2022 across 30 ski resorts, using paired plots at topographically homogeneous sites, one on naturally snowed and one on artificially snowed slopes. Analyses showed that species composition was primarily influenced by temperature and light. Overall species composition did not form distinct groups based on snow type, but plots with artificial snow had a higher prevalence of perennial hemicryptophytes, competitive species, and plants with persistent summer green leaves, whereas higher elevation species were more frequent on naturally snowed slopes. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that variance in plant communities’ ecological indicator values is primarily driven by topographic and edaphic factors, while the presence of artificial snow showed no significant effect. Key species traits including life span, life form, strategy type, leaf persistence, and elevational affinity were significantly affected by snow type. These findings demonstrate that artificial snow induces subtle ecological shifts, likely due to its different physical and chemical properties and its effect on snow cover duration. The results provide insights relevant for vegetation management and conservation planning on ski slopes, particularly in protected areas.
Klačanová et al. (Sat,) studied this question.