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CHANGES IN THE SPECIES DIVERSITY OF GRASSLAND COMMUNITIES DURING SECONDARY SUCCESSION
M. Kvasnovsky, P. Slama, J. Skladanka, A. Nawrath, F. Hrabe, P. Knot
Abstract: Treatments of N, P and K fertilization levels were studied over the course of 18 years (1992–2009) of secondary succession in a semi-cultural permanent meadow community of Sanquisorba Festucetum comutatae on a mesophytic site in a fodder
production area. Results of the evaluation of species diversity levels show that on average only 23.7 species (max. 34 species) contribute to actual fodder production, i.e. only 44% of species ascertained. A high level of N fertilization – 180 kg.ha–1 year–1 – significantly lowered the number of species (average – 19.9) in comparison to the variant without NPK (25.3 species), as well as in comparison to PK (26.3) and 90 kg N–1 year–1 + PK (23.4). Grasses make up on average 43.0% of the total number of species, legumes 5.9% and other herbs 51.1%. In the course of secondary succession, the number of species averaged across all treatments significantly increased, with 25.6 species in the 3rd post-stabilization phase (years 13–18) and 20.8 species in the 1st phase of succession (years 1–6). From % dominance point of view (expressed as the percentage weight of different species groups relative to total weight), there was a significant decrease in % dominance of grass components from 60.8% (1st phase) to 47.8% (3rd phase) and an increase in % dominance of other herbs from 35.3% (1st phase) to 46.8% (3rd phase). Across all successional phases, intensive N + PK fertilization significantly increased % dominance of grass components from 41.1%, and 39.8% for the variants without N fertilization, to 59.2% for N 90 and 69.7% for N 180 kg.ha–1 year–1 variant.
Keywords: dominance; fertilization; grasses; herbs; legumes; permanent meadow
Date published: 2017-09-18
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