Different management practices influence growth of small plants in species‐rich hay meadows through shading

Influence of harvest season, cutting frequency and nitrogen fertilization of mountain meadows on yield, floristic composition and protein content of herbage

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/s1516-35982009000400002 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 596-604 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Olívio Bochi Brum ◽

Secundino López ◽

Ricardo García ◽

Sonia Andrés ◽

Alfredo Calleja

Keyword(s):

Protein Content ◽

Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Management Practices ◽

Floristic Composition ◽

Advanced Stage ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Cutting Frequency ◽

Mountain Meadows ◽

K Fertilization

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of cutting frequency, harvest season and nitrogen fertilization on yield and floristic composition of the herbage harvested from a mountain meadow. The meadow was divided into 22 plots, each receiving a different N P K fertilization treatment. The study lasted seven years, and during the first three years (1985-1987) each plot was harvested twice per year (June and September) according to a traditional harvest system, whereas in the years 1989-1991 each plot was harvested three times per year (spring, summer and autumn) following a more intensive harvest system. Nitrogen fertilizer favoured the development of the grasses in spring, thus reducing the proportion of legumes in the two cut harvest system, whereas grasses reached an advanced stage of maturity before the first cut in late June. However, the three cut harvest system entailed an earlier first cut in spring. As a result, the production of legume biomass was significantly increased both in the first cut and in the subsequent regrowths. No significant response in total herbage production to the N fertilizer was observed in the more intensive harvest system. Therefore, the three cut harvest system without nitrogen fertilization seemed to be the most suitable practice for the management of these botanically-complex mountain meadows. These results may contribute to design fertilization and management practices of mountain hay meadows to optimize their productivity and sustainability.

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Managing biodiversity rich hay meadows in the EU: a comparison of Swedish and Romanian grasslands

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892912000458 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 194-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

ANNA DAHLSTRÖM ◽

ANA-MARIA IUGA ◽

TOMMY LENNARTSSON

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Field Studies ◽

Current Management ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Grassland Plants ◽

The Eu

SUMMARYSemi-natural hay meadows are among the most biodiversity-rich terrestrial ecosystems, and are managed for conservation purposes in most of Europe, including Sweden. Romania has some of Europe's largest areas of grasslands still managed with traditional methods. Through interviews and field studies, current management practices were investigated in two Romanian villages, and compared with CAP-generated grassland management in Swedish hay meadows and historical Swedish management of grasslands. The study evaluated the effect of the eligibility criteria within both countries’ National Rural Development Programmes (NRDPs) on different ecologically important components of hay meadow management. The success of Swedish management was measured by assessing population trends for 25 grassland plant species. Current management proved to be considerably more diverse in Romania than in Sweden, but historical Swedish management was similar to management in Romania. Both countries’ NRDPs provide support for some management components, but create barriers against other components. The Romanian NRDP contained more barriers than the Swedish NRDP, yet Swedish management showed little success in preserving grassland plants. NRDPs should nourish the use of local and traditional knowledge in order to preserve biodiversity in semi-natural grasslands. There are major limitations in both countries’ NRDPs.

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Nutritive value of herbage from mountain hay meadow managed under traditional and intensive harvest systems as affected by nitrogen fertilisation and time of cutting

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an10182 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (6) ◽

pp. 549 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

O. Bochi-Brum ◽

R. García ◽

R. Bodas ◽

A. Calleja ◽

S. Andrés ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Nutritive Value ◽

Vegetation Type ◽

Intensive Management ◽

Botanical Composition ◽

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Herbage Yield ◽

Mountain Meadows ◽

Grass Growth

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of harvest season and nitrogen (N) fertilisation on chemical composition and digestibility of the herbage harvested from a mountain meadow (of the vegetation type Arrhenatheretalia). Four rates of N fertiliser (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N/ha per year in a single spring application of calcium ammonium nitrate) were compared in field-replicated plots. The experiment lasted 7 years. During the first 3 years each plot was harvested twice per year (June and September) according to a traditional harvest system, whereas in the last 3 years (after a transitional year) each plot was harvested three times per year (spring, summer and autumn) following a more intensive harvest system. In both harvest systems, herbage collected in the first cut (early or late June) had higher fibre contents and lower digestibility (P < 0.001) than herbage collected in the regrowth. N fertiliser increased significantly (P < 0.001) the annual yield of herbage in the 2-harvest system, but did not affect (P > 0.10) herbage yield in the 3-cuts system. N fertiliser changed the botanical composition of herbage and promoted grass growth, resulting in increased (P < 0.05) fibre content and decreased (P < 0.05) digestibility and rate of degradation of herbage, these effects being variable in the different harvest seasons. Our results suggest that the more intensive management system without N fertilisation could be considered a suitable practice for the management of these botanically complex mountain meadows. These results may contribute to design fertilisation and management practices of mountain hay meadows to optimise their productivity and sustainability.

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Effects of Management Practices on Soil Properties and Plant Nutrition in Hay Meadows in Picos de Europa

Environments ◽

10.3390/environments8050038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 38

Author(s):

Judith Álvarez ◽

Elías Afif ◽

Tomás E. Díaz ◽

Laura García ◽

Jose A. Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Management Practices ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Clay Content ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Mean Values ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Chemical Properties Of Soils

Fertilization and mowing affects the physico-chemical properties of soils, as well as the characteristics of the plants growing on them. Changes in the management techniques are causing semi-natural grasslands to disappear all over Europe. These grasslands host a great amount of diversity, thus their conservation is a top priority. This work studies whether the kind of management has an influence on the soil properties and the foliar content in macronutrients in 25 hay meadows located in Picos de Europa (10 in Asturias, 10 in Castilla y León and 5 in Cantabria). Soils at a 0–20 cm depth showed a high content of organic matter and a low C/N ratio. Effective cation exchange capacity was adequate for a texture, which varied from sandy clay loam to loam, with an average clay content of 17%. Mean values of foliar nutrient concentrations showed a deficiency in K. In this study, management practices were shown to affect some properties of the soils, namely pH, sand percentage and exchangeable K and Ca, to different extents. The highest values of pH and exchangeable Ca were significantly correlated with the least intensive management.

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