Scale dependent effects of grazing – species richness of alkaline and sand grassalands
Abstract
Traditionally managed pastures have a crucial role in maintaining grassland biodiversity. We studied the effects of grazing on the species richness and composition of two alkaline and one sand grassland type, at ten spatial scales. At each grassland type we sampled the vegetation of five extensively grazed and five non-grazed sites with a series of nested plots. We found that grazing affected differently the alkali and sand grassland types and had a significant effect on their species richness even at small scales. Due to the increased small-scale heterogeneity and lower rate of competition, total species richness and the species richness of specialists was higher in grazed alkaline grasslands. In both alkaline grassland types, total species richness increased in a similar manner across plot sizes regardless of management. In sand grasslands grazing decreased the species richness of specialists while increased the species richness of weeds. According to our results traditional herding with a moderate grazing pressure can be a suitable tool for maintaining biodiversity of alkaline grasslands. While for the appropriate management of sand grasslands we propose lower grazing pressure or grazing in shorter periods.
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