Changes of botanical composition of grass stands under different types of management

Abstract

A field trial with Bromus catharticus Vahl. cv. Tacit, Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) P. Beauv. ex J.S. et K.B. Presl cv. Median, Festuca pratensis Huds. cv. Otava and Dactylis aschersoniana Graebn. cv. Tosca sown in rows 125 mm, was established in the year 1996 in Prague (chernozem, altitude 281 m a.s.l., average precipitation 472 mm per year, average year temperature 9.3°C). The stands were cut one or three times per year. The mass was removed or once or twice mulched. The share of the botanical species (by weight method), number of present species and agrobotanical groups (grasses, legumes, other dicotyledonous) coverage were measured from the third to the sixth year of vegetation. The results were evaluated by the analysis of variance (Tukey α = 0.05) and by time series analysis (forecasting) by the Statgraphics Plus programme, version 4.0. The species number increased rapidly with the three times cut variant during the four years, from 4 to 25 species, under the other management it was in average from 7 to 14 species, in the sixth year. The highest share of the sown species with the lowest reduction during the years was at Arrhenatherum elatius (41-72% in the sixth year). Bromus catharticus was extinct in the fifth year. The species chosen had a higher importance for conserving of the original botanical composition than the way of harvest. There was the significantly lower ground cover with the variant one cut per year (on average less than 70%). Mulch covered 15-64% of the surface in dependence on the dry mass yield and mulching frequency. The plants coverage was highest on the two or three times harvested variants (75-80%D).Keywords: arable land; setting-aside; grass; cutting; mulching; botanical composition; coverageThe questions of the suitable ways of arable land or grassland setting aside are examined by many research establishments in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. A lot of research work is aimed at the nutrients, especially nitrate leaching risk on the set-aside land as well as after the ploughing the stand. From this point of view, grass stands appear as the most suitable (Koch 1998, Opitz Von Boberfeld andSchultheiss 1994). The influence of the way of setting the land aside on the following crops, its effects on their nutrition and weed control requirements, is often investigated. Opitz Von Jasper (1994), Opitz Von Boberfeld andSchultheiss (1994) consider Festuca rubra as a suitable species from these points of view. In some cases even the possibilities of natural regeneration of the non-used land are compared, but it is clear that it brings a lot of problems and the species succession in the direction to a typical meadow stand lasts, according to the individual conditions and stand treatment, many years (Critchley and Fowbert 2000). The utilisation of the produced biomass is the other problem. If it is not used for example as a source of bioenergy, it is necessary to leave it on the field surface, best cut up as a mulch, that is a source of nutrients and organic matter for the soil mi...

Succession changes of temporary grass stands on set-aside land

“…As a very important property of temporary grass stands meant for setting land aside their good coverage in winter and anti-erosion effect is found. The soil surface is protected not only by live plants but These species (Table 4), from this point of view, were well proved also in pure stands (Svobodová et al 2001(Svobodová et al , Šantrůček et al 2002.…”

Effect of Simulated Harvesting on the Plant Composition in the Floating Grasslands of Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur

“…Any process which altered the natural process resulted in reduced stability of communities and posed a threat to the maintenance of floristic diversity of grassland ecosystems [11], [12]. There was also an increasing concern about the response of species and ecosystem to human altered disturbance regimes [13] and undesired plant succession in natural grassland ecosystem.…”

Conservation effects on the botanical composition of grass swards in the hilly soils of West Lithuania

“…On natural grasslands extensive use affects biodiversity (Baars 2002). However, some experimental evidence suggests that the frequency of sward cutting contributes to species diversity (Šantrůček et al 2002(Šantrůček et al , Ziliotto et al 2002. When the sward is cut frequently, short species fill in the thinning-out sward.…”