A recent find of Ophrys insectifera (Orchidaceae) in Ukraine – will it survive another 100 years?

Here I report the first find of Ophrys insectifera in Ukraine since 1920. A single individual was found at its last recorded site, Chortova Hora near Rohatyn (Ivano-Frankivsk Region). The species occurs in a steppe meadow habitat situated in the lower part of a steep northern slope. Local vegetation may be classified to a broadly circumscribed association Brachypodio pinnati-Molinietum arundinaceae from the alliance Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati (class Festuco-Brometea). I discuss possible causes of the long-term neglect of O. insectifera at the site, its habitat conditions and suitable conservation management. To ensure the continued occurrence of this poor competitor and other rare species, it is necessary to prevent accumulation of litter and successional changes of the grassland. Mowing, low-intensity grazing, controlled early spring burning or their combination may be suitable ways to achieve this.

Response of Vegetation and Soil Characteristics to Grazing Disturbance in Mountain Meadows and Temperate Typical Steppe in the Arid Regions of Central Asian, Xinjiang

Grazing is one of the most common causes of grassland degradation, therefore, an assessment of soil physicochemical properties and plant nutrients under grazing is important for understanding its influences on ecosystem nutrient cycling and for formulating appropriate management strategies. However, the effects of grazing on grassland soil physicochemical properties and plant nutrients in mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe in the arid regions are still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the vegetation nutrient concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P, and K) as well as soil physicochemical properties in the topmost 40 cm depth soil, to evaluate how these factors respond to grazing disturbance in a mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe within a mountain basin system in arid regions. Our results revealed that the soil bulk density values at depth of 0–40 cm increased after grazing in the mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe, whereas the soil water content decreased in the mountain meadow and increased in the temperate typical steppe after grazing. In the mountain meadow, soil total N and available P in addition to vegetation N and P concentrations increased in response to high-intensity grazing, while soil available N, available K and vegetation K decreased after grazing; in addition, soil pH, soil total P and K showed no significant changes. In the temperate typical steppe, the soil total P, soil available N, P, and K, and vegetation N, P, and K increased under relatively low-intensity grazing, whereas soil pH and soil total K showed no significant changes except for the deceasing soil total N. Our findings showed the different responses of different grassland ecosystems to grazing. Moreover, we propose that further related studies are necessary to better understand the effects of grazing on grassland ecosystems, and thereby provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of animal husbandry and ecological restoration of grasslands.

The effects of grazing and mowing on large marsh grasshopper, Stethophyma grossum (Orthoptera: Acrididae), populations in Western Europe: a review

The large marsh grasshopper, Stethophymagrossum L. (Orthoptera: Acrididae), has undergone a significant range contraction in the UK and is now restricted to the bogs and mires of the New Forest and Dorset Heaths. In other parts of Western Europe, the species makes use of a wider range of wetland habitat types. Traditionally, many of these habitats would be managed through low intensity grazing, mowing, or both, and these measures are now often employed in the conservation management of wet grassland habitats. This paper reviews the effects of mowing and grazing on S.grossum populations, through looking at the potential impacts (both positive and negative) on different life stages of the grasshopper. Both techniques are valuable in the maintenance of an open and varied vegetation structure which is known to benefit S.grossum in all its life stages. However, grazing on very wet sites or at high intensity can result in trampling of vegetation and S.grossum eggs, and mowing which is too frequent may negatively affect populations through repeated losses of nymphs. Recommendations are given regarding the suitability of mowing and grazing for different habitats and intensity of management to generate the required vegetation structure. Measures are also outlined, such as the provision of unmown or ungrazed refuge areas, which can help reduce negative effects.

Plant species selection by sheep in semi-natural dry grasslands extensively grazed in the south-western Italian Alps

Sheep can have an important role in the conservation of abandoned and shrub- and tree-encroached, semi-natural dry grasslands because their feeding behaviour is known to affect plant diversity and structure. Nevertheless, little information is available about feeding preferences of sheep at the sward-patch scale and about the effects of stocking density on their selectivity. Consequently, we investigated plant-species selection by sheep managed with a low-intensity grazing, examining the influence of stocking density and plant species abundance by means of vegetation surveys and animal GPS tracking. Sheep grazed a graminoid-dominated, semi-natural dry grassland (Festuco–Brometea) in Piedmont Region, north-west Italy. Plant species, classified into graminoids, suffruticose forbs, and herbaceous forbs, were selected with a different intensity by sheep, which preferred graminoids over suffruticose and herbaceous forbs. Plant species showing a high consumption ratio (CR), i.e. the level of selection of plant species (CR >10%), were mostly graminoids (e.g. Bromus erectus, Koeleria vallesiana and Stipa pennata). Furthermore, Carex species were also noticeably selected, in particular C. humilis, whereas spiny species and those with a rosette or prostrate forms were rarely grazed. The heterogeneity of stocking density over the pasture allowed testing of the relationships between stocking density and CR. For many species, the higher the stocking density, the higher was the CR, regardless of the abundance of dominant neighbouring species. Results suggest that sheep under low-intensity grazing conditions exert a specific plant-species selection in abandoned dry grasslands. By regulating the stocking density through the management of grazing sheep, it may be possible to condition the consumption of certain plant species, with medium–long-term effects on the botanical composition.

Effect of Management Modification on the Coenological Composition of the North Adriatic Pastoral Landscape (Ćićarija, Croatia)

Effect of Management Modification on the Coenological Composition of the North Adriatic Pastoral Landscape (Ćićarija, Croatia)The research aim was to assess the dynamics of the North Adriatic pastoral landscape (Ćićarija, Croatia) with regard to the coenological composition of grassland communities, and, more specifically, to: i) assess the current grassland mosaic from a coenological viewpoint; ii) assess the effects of management abandonment on grassland species composition, also taking into account, as a basis for comparison, data on pastoral communities collected in the past decades. To achieve the research aims, 73 phytosociological relevés were carried out; for each of them field data (altitude, aspect, slope, landform) and information on grassland management were collected. Multivariate analysis of phytosociological relevés led to the identification of four vegetation types (Danthonio-Scorzoneretum villosae, Carici humilis-Centaureetum rupestris, Brachypodium rupestre-dominated stands, andAnthoxantho-Brometum erecti), which were linked to landform and to grassland management. Comparison in terms of social behaviour type composition of the grassland communities surveyed in the present study with the ones surveyed in the past decades, highlighted that the current management (grassland abandonment, as well as low intensity grazing and not periodic mowing) is leading to a percentage loss of pasture and meadow characteristic species, in favour of successional and ruderal ones.