Variation in regrowth ability in relation to land-use intensity in three common grassland herbs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kirschbaum ◽  
Oliver Bossdorf ◽  
J F Scheepens
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Biomass Removal ◽  
Reproductive Biomass

Abstract Aims Plant populations in managed grasslands are subject to strong selection exerted by grazing, mowing and fertilization. Many previous studies showed that this can cause evolutionary changes in mean trait values, but little is known about the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in response to land use. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between phenotypic plasticity – specifically, regrowth ability after biomass removal – and the intensity of grassland management and levels of temporal variation therein. Methods We conducted an outdoor common garden experiment to test if plants from more intensively mown and grazed sites showed an increased ability to regrow after biomass removal. We used three common plant species from temperate European grasslands, with seed material from 58 – 68 populations along gradients of land-use intensity, ranging from extensive (only light grazing) to very intensive management (up to four cuts per year). Important findings In two out of three species, we found significant population differentiation in regrowth ability after clipping. While variation in regrowth ability was unrelated to the mean land-use intensity of populations of origin, we found a relationship with its temporal variation in P. lanceolata, where plants experiencing less variable environmental conditions over the last 11 years showed stronger regrowth in reproductive biomass after clipping. Therefore, while mean grazing and mowing intensity may not select for regrowth ability, the temporal stability of the environmental heterogeneity created by land use may have caused its evolution in some species.

scholarly journals Variation in regrowth ability in relation to land use intensity and predictability in three common grassland herbs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kirschbaum ◽  
Oliver Bossdorf ◽  
Johannes Fredericus Scheepens
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Biomass Removal ◽  
Reproductive Biomass ◽  
Common Plant

AimsPlant populations in managed grasslands are subject to strong selection exerted by grazing, mowing and fertilization. Many previous studies showed that this can cause evolutionary changes in mean trait values, but little is known about the evolution of adaptive plant phenotypic plasticity in response to grassland management. MethodsWe conducted an outdoor common garden experiment to test if plants from more intensively mown and grazed sites showed an increased ability to regrow after biomass removal. We worked with three common plant species from temperate European grasslands, with seed material from 58 – 68 populations along gradients of land-use intensity, ranging from extensive (only light grazing) to very intensive use (up to four cuts per year). Important findingsIn two species, we found strong population-level variation in regrowth ability of fitness-related traits in response to a clipping treatment, which could reflect adaptation to land-use intensity. While the regrowth ability was unrelated to the land-use intensity of populations of origin, we found a relationship with the predictability of grassland management in P. lanceolata where plants experiencing more stable environmental conditions over the last 11 years showed stronger regrowth in reproductive biomass after clipping. In summary, grazing and mowing intensity apparently did not select for regrowth ability, but in some species, predictable heterogeneous environmental conditions created by land use may have caused its evolution.

Spatio-temporal variation in the value of ecosystem services and its response to land use intensity in an urbanized watershed

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 2565-2576 ◽  
Author(s):  
胡和兵 HU Hebing ◽  
刘红玉 LIU Hongyu ◽  
郝敬锋 HAO Jingfeng ◽  
安静 AN Jing
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Spatio Temporal

scholarly journals Eleven years’ data of grassland management in Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Vogt ◽  
Valentin Klaus ◽  
Steffen Both ◽  
Cornelia Fürstenau ◽  
Sonja Gockel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Arable Farming

The 150 grassland plots were located in three study regions in Germany, 50 in each region. The dataset describes the yearly grassland management for each grassland plot using 116 variables. General information includes plot identifier, study region and survey year. Additionally, grassland plot characteristics describe the presence and starting year of drainage and whether arable farming had taken place 25 years before our assessment, i.e. between 1981 and 2006. In each year, the size of the management unit is given which, in some cases, changed slightly across years. Mowing, grazing and fertilisation were systematically surveyed: Mowing is characterised by mowing frequency (i.e. number of cuts per year), dates of cutting and different technical variables, such as type of machine used or usage of conditioner. For grazing, the livestock species and age (e.g. cattle, horse, sheep), the number of animals, stocking density per hectare and total duration of grazing were recorded. As a derived variable, the mean grazing intensity was then calculated by multiplying the livestock units with the duration of grazing per hectare [LSU days/ha]. Different grazing periods during a year, partly involving different herds, were summed up to an annual grazing intensity for each grassland. For fertilisation, information on the type and amount of different types of fertilisers was recorded separately for mineral and organic fertilisers, such as solid farmland manure, slurry and mash from a bioethanol factory. Our fertilisation measures neglect dung dropped by livestock during grazing. For each type of fertiliser, we calculated its total nitrogen content, derived from chemical analyses by the producer or agricultural guidelines (Table 3). All three management types, mowing, fertilisation and grazing, were used to calculate a combined land use intensity index (LUI) which is frequently used to define a measure for the land use intensity. Here, fertilisation is expressed as total nitrogen per hectare [kg N/ha], but does not consider potassium and phosphorus. Information on additional management practices in grasslands was also recorded including levelling, to tear-up matted grass covers, rolling, to remove surface irregularities, seed addition, to close gaps in the sward. Investigating the relationship between human land use and biodiversity is important to understand if and how humans affect it through the way they manage the land and to develop sustainable land use strategies. Quantifying land use (the ‘X’ in such graphs) can be difficult as humans manage land using a multitude of actions, all of which may affect biodiversity, yet most studies use rather simple measures of land use, for example, by creating land use categories such as conventional vs. organic agriculture. Here, we provide detailed data on grassland management to allow for detailed analyses and the development of land use theory. The raw data have already been used for > 100 papers on the effect of management on biodiversity (e.g. Manning et al. 2015).

scholarly journals Enriching plant diversity in grasslands by large-scale experimental sward disturbance and seed addition along gradients of land-use intensity

2016 ◽  
pp. rtw062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin H. Klaus ◽  
Deborah Schäfer ◽  
Till Kleinebecker ◽  
Markus Fischer ◽  
Daniel Prati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Seed Addition

Sex ratio and life history traits at reaching sexual maturity in the dioecious shrub Fuchsia parviflora: field and common garden experiments

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jessica S. Ambriz ◽  
Clementina González ◽  
Eduardo Cuevas
Keyword(s):  
Natural Population ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Common Garden Experiment ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Reproductive Biomass ◽  
Common Garden Experiments ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

Abstract Fuchsia parviflora is a dioecious shrub that depends on biotic pollination for reproduction. Previous studies suggest that the male plants produce more flowers, and male-biased sex ratios have been found in some natural populations. To assess whether the biased sex ratios found between genders in natural populations are present at the point at which plants reach sexual maturity, and to identify possible trade-offs between growth and reproduction, we performed a common garden experiment. Finally, to complement the information of the common garden experiment, we estimated the reproductive biomass allocation between genders in one natural population. Sex ratios at reaching sexual maturity in F. parviflora did not differ from 0.5, except in one population, which was the smallest seedling population. We found no differences between genders in terms of the probability of germination or flowering. When flowering began, female plants were taller than males and the tallest plants of both genders required more time to reach sexual maturity. Males produced significantly more flowers than females, and the number of flowers increased with plant height in both genders. Finally, in the natural population studied, the investment in reproductive biomass was seven-fold greater in female plants than in male plants. Our results showed no evidence of possible trade-offs between growth and reproduction. Despite the fact that female plants invest more in reproductive biomass, they were taller than the males after flowering, possibly at the expense of herbivory defence.

Analytical Solutions to Trade-Offs between Size of Protected Areas and Land-Use Intensity

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 883-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
VAN BUTSIC ◽  
VOLKER C. RADELOFF ◽  
TOBIAS KUEMMERLE ◽  
ANNA M. PIDGEON
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Analytical Solutions ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Trade Offs
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