Assessing the impact of grassland management on landscape multifunctionality

Abstract Disturbance by biomass removal is a crucial mechanism maintaining the diversity of Palaearctic grasslands, which are unique biodiversity hotspots. The century-long traditional land use of mowing, grazing and burning, has been fundamentally changed in many parts of the Palaearctic. Due to socio-economic changes, large areas of former pastures and meadows have been abandoned, leading to a succession towards secondary scrublands or forest and the encroachment of competitor grass species, all leading to a decrease in biodiversity. Here we report the causes and consequences of the cessation of traditional grassland management regimes, provide strategies for reducing the impact of abandonment and consider these from the perspective of sustainability. We consider the possibilities for initiating sustainable management regimes in the contemporary socio-economic environment, and discuss the prospects and limitation of alternative management regimes in the conservation of grassland biodiversity. These themes are also the core topics of this Special Feature, edited by the EDGG. We hope that this Special Feature will encourage steps towards more sustainable strategies for the conservation of Palaearctic grasslands and the integration of the sustainability perspective into their conservation.

Download Full-text

The impact of agricultural management practices on nutrient losses to water: data on the effects of soil drainage characteristics

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2005.0577 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 51 (3-4) ◽

pp. 73-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

I. Kurz ◽

H. Tunney ◽

C.E. Coxon

Keyword(s):

Heavy Rainfall ◽

Management Practices ◽

Overland Flow ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Drainage Water ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Soil P ◽

Total Ammonia ◽

Reactive Phosphorus ◽

The Impact

Against the background of increasing nutrient concentrations in Irish water bodies, this study set out to gain information on the potential of agricultural grassland to lose nutrients to water. Overland flow, flow from artificial subsurface drains and stream flow were gauged and sampled during heavy rainfall events. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), potassium (K), total ammonia (TA), and total oxidised nitrogen (TON) were measured in water samples. When the nutrient concentrations in water were examined in relation to the grassland management practices of the study catchments it emerged that soil P levels, the application of organic and inorganic fertilisers before heavy rainfall and the presence of grazing animals could all influence nutrient concentrations in surface and subsurface drainage water. Overall, the drainage characteristics of soil were found to have a considerable influence on the potential of land to lose nutrients to water.

Download Full-text

The impact of grassland management regime on the community structure of selected bacterial groups in soils

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1574-6941.2003.tb01066.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 263-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

Christopher D. Clegg ◽

Roger D.L. Lovell ◽

Philip J. Hobbs

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Management Regime ◽

The Impact ◽

Bacterial Groups

Download Full-text

Response of Orthoptera assemblages to management of montane grasslands in the Western Carpathians

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-011-0115-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 66 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Vladimíra Fabriciusová ◽

Peter Kaňuch ◽

Anton Krištín

Keyword(s):

Function Analysis ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Conservation Policy ◽

Western Carpathians ◽

Correct Classification Rate ◽

Classification Rate ◽

High Species Richness ◽

Characteristic Species ◽

The Impact

AbstractMontane grassy habitats in the Western Carpathians are relatively well preserved, maintain high species richness and are often important in accordance to the nature conservation policy in Europe. However, knowledge about the impact of farming on the habitat quality there is rather poor. The influence of various management types (permanent sheep pen, irregular grazing, mowing) on Orthoptera diversity and species determining assemblages of these habitats were analysed on 72 plots in Poľana Mts Biosphere Reserve. Altogether, 36 Orthoptera species (15 Ensifera, 21 Caelifera) were found, whereas the highest number of species was found on plots with irregular grazing (28 species), followed by plots with mown grass (17) and permanent sheep pens (14). All four measures of the assemblages’ diversity confirmed significant differences. Using Discriminant Function Analysis, correct classification rate of Orthoptera assemblages was unambiguous according to the type of management. Each form of the management harboured several characteristic species. Thus implications regarding the biodiversity conservation and grassland management were given.

Download Full-text

The impact of grassland management on biogeochemical cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

Journal of soil science and plant nutrition ◽

10.4067/s0718-95162015005000034 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 0-0 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

C Rumpel ◽

A Crème ◽

P.T Ngo ◽

G Velásquez ◽

M.L Mora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grassland Management ◽

Biogeochemical Cycles ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

The impact of grassland management on archaeal community structure in upland pasture rhizosphere soil

Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1046/j.1462-2920.2003.00399.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 152-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Graeme W. Nicol ◽

L. Anne Glover ◽

James I. Prosser

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Rhizosphere Soil ◽

Archaeal Community ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Upland Pasture ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

The effects of grassland management on nitrogen losses from grazed swards through ammonia volatilization; the relationship to excretal N returns from cattle

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600085117 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 112 (2) ◽

pp. 205-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

S. C. Jarvis ◽

D. J. Hatch ◽

Daphne H. Roberts

Keyword(s):

White Clover ◽

Ammonia Volatilization ◽

Grassland Management ◽

N Losses ◽

Mineral N ◽

N Fluxes ◽

Grazing Period ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Grazed Swards

SummaryAmmonia (NH3)-N fluxes from three swards, grazed by cattle and with different N managements, were measured using the mass balance micrometeorological method after a 7-day grazing period in the spring of 2 years. At the same time the impact of the sward managements on N returns in dung and urine was examined in housed animals and the effects of the changes in excreted returns on NH3-N losses examined. The treatments were ryegrass swards receiving either 420 or 210 kg N/ha per year, and a mixed ryegrass/white clover sward receiving no mineral N. There was little difference in the faecal N returns between treatments but there were differences in the N returned in urine, thus 74, 60 and 56% of the excreted returns from 420 N, 210 N or grass/clover treatments, respectively, were in urine. The fluxes of NH3-N from the grazed swards were greatest whilst the animals were present and there were large differences between treatments, the ratio of total NH3 losses from 420 N grass to those from 210 N grass and grass/lover being 7·8:1. The NH3-N losses were equivalent (i) to 12,5 and 7 % of the urinary N returns to 420 N, 210 N grass and grass/clover swards, or alternatively (ii) to 9 and 3% of the fertilizer addition to 420 and 210 N swards and 3% of the estimated rate of N2 fixation in the grass/clover sward. Throughout the investigation there was little difference between the effects with the 210 N grass swards and those with grass/clover.

Download Full-text

Monitoring Grassland Management Effects on Soil Organic Carbon—A Matter of Scale

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10122016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2016

Author(s):

Alexandra Crème ◽

Cornelia Rumpel ◽

Sparkle L. Malone ◽

Nicolas P. A. Saby ◽

Emmanuelle Vaudour ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Management Practices ◽

Management Practice ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Continuous Cropping ◽

Spatially Resolved ◽

The Impact ◽

Soc Stocks

Introduction of temporary grasslands into cropping cycles could be a sustainable management practice leading to increased soil organic carbon (SOC) to contribute to climate change adaption and mitigation. To investigate the impact of temporary grassland management practices on SOC storage of croplands, we used a spatially resolved sampling approach combined with geostatistical analyses across an agricultural experiment. The experiment included blocks (0.4- to 3-ha blocks) of continuous grassland, continuous cropping and temporary grasslands with different durations and N-fertilizations on a 23-ha site in western France. We measured changes in SOC storage over this 9-year experiment on loamy soil and investigated physicochemical soil parameters. In the soil profiles (0–90 cm), SOC stocks ranged from 82.7 to 98.5 t ha−1 in 2005 and from 81.3 to 103.9 t ha−1 in 2014. On 0.4-ha blocks, the continuous grassland increased SOC in the soil profile with highest gains in the first 30 cm, while losses were recorded under continuous cropping. Where temporary grasslands were introduced into cropping cycles, SOC stocks were maintained. These observations were only partly confirmed when changing the scale of observation to 3-ha blocks. At the 3-ha scale, most grassland treatments exhibited both gains and losses of SOC, which could be partly related to soil physicochemical properties. Overall, our data suggest that both management practices and soil characteristics determine if carbon will accumulate in SOC pools. For detailed understanding of SOC changes, a combination of measurements at different scales is necessary.

Download Full-text

Variation in flower production of nine grassland species with time since fire, and implications for grassland management and restoration

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc940359 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 359 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Ian D. Lunt

Keyword(s):

General Pattern ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Flowering Plants ◽

Burnt Area ◽

Themeda Triandra ◽

Grassland Species ◽

Flower Production ◽

Time Since Fire ◽

The Impact

The impact of time since fire on flower production was examined in a temperate Themeda triandra grassland in Gippsland, Victoria. Flower production by nine species (Arthropodium strictum, Bulbine bulbosa, Burchardia umbellata, Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Craspedia variabilis, Diuris punctata, Helichrysum scorpioides, Leptorhynchos squamatus and Pimelea humilis) was compared between areas burnt six months and two years previously. Thick grass in the area burnt two years previously inhibited flowering by most species. All species except C. apiculatum and D. punctata flowered most abundantly in the area burnt six months earlier, and flower production by B. bulbosa, A. strictum and C. variabilis was largely restricted to that area. There were over 100 times as many flowering plants of B. bulbosa in the most recently burnt area. C. apiculatum produced similar quantities of flowers in both zones, but D. punctata countered the general pattern for greater flower production in the most recently burnt area by flowering most abundantly in the area burnt two years previously. Some of the species studied form transient seed banks, so maximum recruitment may be attained by burning sites the year immediately after a season of high flower production, rather than delaying burning until later years, when little flowering occurs and few seeds are present for recruitment. Annual autumn burning could eliminate the threatened orchid, D. punctata.

Download Full-text