The conservation benefit of mowing vs grazing for management of species‐rich grasslands: a multi‐site,multi‐year field experiment

Species‐rich semi‐natural grasslands in Europe are becoming more fragmented and many species that depend on this habitat type are rare and threatened today. Management methods like mowing and grazing are needed to preserve remaining grasslands. Because management is costly it is important to use the most cost‐effective as well as the most beneficial management method, but few studies have compared mowing and grazing. We investigated the effect of mowing and grazing on grassland vegetation using data from 11 long‐term field trials situated in southern Sweden. We calculated the change in the odds of finding species belonging to three different groups of indicators at the start of the treatment and after 8 and 14 years. The used indicator groups were indicators of good management, excess nitrogen and poor management. The results revealed an increase in the odds of finding indicators of good management in mowed plots and an increase in finding indicators of excess nitrogen in grazed plots. The odds of finding indicators of poor management remained unchanged. Results from sub‐analysis of the grazing intensity showed a more negative effect from grazing with low grazing intensity than normal/high grazing intensity. Therefore, mowing is the best long‐term management method for semi‐natural grasslands in Sweden and grazing using a low grazing intensity should be avoided.     

Butterfly and grasshopper diversity patterns in humid Mediterranean grasslands: the roles of disturbance and environmental factors

The present paper studies butterfly, grasshopper and vascular plant communities in ten seasonally flooded grasslands with different anthropogenic disturbance regimes (NW Greece). Disturbance intensity was assessed on the basis of disturbance frequency and type (grazing, mowing, trampling, constructions). The distribution patterns of butterflies are regulated by humidity and elevation (Redundancy Analysis). Elevation, flower-heads abundance, low disturbance intensity and plant species richness predict grasshopper species richness well, while the latter together with humidity predict plant species richness (Generalized Linear Models). Chorthippus lacustris, a critically endangered endemic grasshopper species, is positively associated with humid microhabitats with high flower-heads abundance. An indicator value procedure reveals four butterfly species as being typical species for habitats with a pronounced character of hedgerows and tree lines. Conservation management of grassland butterflies should focus on the maintenance of the humid character of the humid grasslands as well as on the maintenance of hedgerows and tree lines. The reduction of human-induced disturbance towards occasional grazing and mowing seems to benefit both butterfly and grasshopper communities. Finally, we suggest the use of grasshoppers as surrogates for vascular plants and vice versa, given their congruent species richness patterns.     

Extensively managed or abandoned urban green spaces and their habitat potential for butterflies

Urban green spaces are often subject to intensive management and therefore only provide habitat for very few plant and animal species. Many studies have already proven that less intensive management of near-natural grassland habitats can increase species diversity, for example of butterflies. However, there is still a lack of knowledge as to what extent less intensive management of urban green spaces can promote urban butterfly diversity. Therefore, we examined parameters that determine the number of butterfly species in less maintained or even abandoned urban green spaces. We expected butterfly species richness and observation numbers to be affected by different management regimes. Butterfly surveys were carried out on 56 sites in the city of Hannover, Germany, in three consecutive years. The sites were subject to different management regimes. We explored parameters such as area size, the diversity of nectar plant species and habitat diversity for each site. A total of 34 species were recorded, with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 17 species per site and year. The extreme drought and heat in 2018 clearly influenced the results of our study and this was reflected in massive decreases of observation numbers for some species. Less intensive management showed preferable effects in comparison to intensive management, but area size and nectar plants were more important factors influencing butterfly species richness and number of observations. Our results suggest that site parameters such as area size, nectar plant species richness or number of habitat types had stronger influences on butterflies than variations of extensive management. We conclude that less intensive urban green space management for good butterfly habitats is not a question of grazing, mowing or temporary abandonment, but instead must aim to increase nectar plant and habitat diversity.     

Grassland Butterfly Fauna under Traditional Animal Husbandry: Contrasts in Diversity in Mown Meadows and Grazed Pastures

Semi-natural grasslands resulting from traditional land use practices (mowing and grazing) are severely endangered throughout Europe due to the intensification of agriculture. The ecological impact of mowing and grazing on grassland butterflies was studied in eight mown meadows and eight grazed pastures under traditional animal husbandry in NW Russia and adjacent Finland. Transect count data over 3 years (1997–1999) covered a total of 48 species and 5742 individuals. The butterfly fauna was rather similar under both management forms; species richness, diversity and total abundance did not differ significantly between meadows and pastures, yet meadows were preferred by more species. In both groups, the most abundant species were Aphantopus hyperantus, Pieris napi and Thymelicus lineola. Of 37 species observed as a minimum of five individuals, Polyommatus amandus, Ochlodes sylvanus and A. hyperantus showed a significant preference for mowing management. According to the ordination, butterfly communities were affected more by the origin and age of the grassland than the present management method. Landscape factors (meadow or pasture surrounded by forests or open environments), the abundance of nectar plants and the intensity of tilling were the most important factors differentiating older grasslands from the younger ones evolved from old Finnish hay fields cultivated prior to the 1940s.     

Traits of butterfly communities change from specialist to generalist characteristics with increasing land-use intensity

Land-use intensification leads to species loss and shifts in community composition, but only few studies examine how these dynamics affect ecological and life-history traits. We thus investigated whether ecological and life-history traits differ between butterfly communities of grasslands with different land-use intensity. We conducted butterfly transect surveys in 137 grassland sites in three regions of Germany and compiled 10 species-specific ecological and life-history traits from the literature. These traits are associated with food plant specialisation, dispersal, distribution, reproduction and development. We calculated a land-use intensity gradient based on the amount of fertilise mowing frequency and grazing intensity. We analysed differences of traits characteristics between butterfly communities along the land-use intensity gradient in a fourth-corner analysis, thus considering correlations between traits. Six ecological and life-history traits changed from characteristics associated with specialists to such associated with generalists with increasing land-use intensity. These traits characteristics in intensified grasslands were: high dispersal propensity, large distribution range, low population density, more than one generation per year, hibernation in a more advanced developmental stage and a long flight period. The functional homogenisation of the butterfly communities with changes from specialist to generalist trait characteristics with increasing land-use intensity may have severe consequences for ecosystem functioning and services.     

Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) richness and functional traits in relation to differently managed grasslands in the Alps

Species richness, composition, and functional traits of carabid beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were studied in relation to different grassland management. Carabid beetles were sampled during the summers 2008 and 2009 by 165 traps located in 11 sites in the central-eastern Italian Alps. Using mixed effect models to account for potential spatial bias, we found that mown grasslands had significantly more species, a lower proportion of wingless species and a lower proportion of species with long larval development than grazed and natural grasslands. Within grazed and mown grasslands, neither cattle density nor number of cuts had any significant effect neither on species richness nor on any of the traits. The influence of grassland management can be summarised as follows: (1) grazing does not change community structure and functional traits compared to natural grasslands; (2) mowing negatively affects the carabid beetle assemblages; (3) the intensity of grazing and of cutting may not affect the structure of species assemblages of ground beetles. Our results support the hypothesis that agroecosystem practices in alpine grasslands influence carabid beetle communities. Specifically, the species with traits typical of undisturbed habitats (low dispersal abilities and long larval development) are more sensitive to perturbations (e.g. cutting). Our suggestion for agricultural and environmental planning and for conservation schemes is that the preservation of natural grasslands (e.g. forest gaps) and the implementation of grazing should be promoted during the planning of agroecosystem mosaics.     

Not only the butterflies: managing ants on road verges to benefit Phengaris (Maculinea) butterflies

Obligate myrmecophilic butterfly species, such as Phengaris (Maculinea) teleius and P. nausithous, have narrow habitat requirements. Living as a caterpillar in the nests of the ant species Myrmica scabrinodis and M. rubra, respectively, they can only survive on sites with both host ants and the host plant Great Burnet Sanguisorba officinalis. After having been reintroduced into a nature reserve in the Netherlands in 1990, both butterfly species expanded their distribution to linear landscape elements such as road verges and ditch edges outside this reserve. As additional habitat of both butterfly species, vegetation management of these landscape elements became important. Our results show that a management beneficial for Phengaris butterflies should aim to increase the nest density of Myrmica species, at the same time reducing the density of nests of the competitor Lasius niger or at least keeping them at a low density. Unfavourable grassland management under which L. niger thrives, includes not mowing or flail-cutting the grass, or depositing dredgings along the side of the ditch. Management favourable for the two Myrmica species differs, demanding some flexibility if both species are to benefit. M. scabrinodis is best supported with early mowing of the road verge vegetation or late mowing in the nature reserve, both of which result in an open vegetation and warm microclimate. In contrast, the nest sites of M. rubra should be left undisturbed during the summer, and mown in late autumn. Mowing of butterfly habitat should be avoided between mid-June and mid-September as this would remove the flowerheads of the Sanguisorba plants, on which the butterflies lay their eggs.     

Morphology and phenology of Scabiosa columbaria from mown and grazed habitats - Results of a simulation experiment

We analysed the morphology and phenology of Scabiosa columbaria in relation to grassland management by mowing and grazing. We selected 12 populations from mown and grazed calcareous grassland in six regions of central Europe. At each population site, we collected seed material to produce plants for a morphological and phenological analysis of the species in a simulation experiment, which comprised three treatments (control, simulated mowing and simulated grazing).The simulation experiment revealed a clear morphological and phenological differentiation of S. columbaria. Plants from the two treatment types differed in size, since individuals from mown sites had longer top peduncles than individuals from grazed sites. Individuals from mown populations flowered earlier than individuals from grazed populations. In the control treatment, individuals from both habitat types produced a similar number of fruiting capitulums. When subjected to simulated mowing, the reproductive success of the individuals was clearly reduced. Plants from mown habitats produced, however, a significantly larger number of fruiting capitulums than plants from grazed habitats. Simulated grazing reduced the reproductive success stronger than simulated mowing but differences between individuals from both habitat types were not significant.The results of our simulation experiment clearly indicate morphological and phenological adaptation of S. columbaria to mowing and grazing. The comparatively young selection pressure of mowing obviously selected early flowering individuals, while the original land use by grazing favoured late flowering plants.     

Variation in grazing management practices supports diverse butterfly communities across grassland working landscapes

Landscape changes and resource exploitation have driven global biodiversity declines and reduced provision of ecological functions and services. In grassland working landscapes managed for ecological services and livestock production, it is essential to understand the influence of grazing practices on biodiversity to guide conservation. We used grassland butterflies to investigate the effects of four grazing management practices on biodiversity and pollination services from 2015 to 2016. We hypothesized grazing management practices would generate differing floristic resources that would thereby influence grassland butterfly community composition. To address our hypothesis, we sampled floral resources using belt transects and butterfly community and species level dynamics using line-transect distance sampling. We detected 2578 butterflies representing 34 species. Management practice was not a significant predictor of floral (p?=?0.319) or butterfly community composition (p?=?0.604), and sites under the same management showed dissimilarity in ordination space, indicating differences that may not be associated with grazing practices. At the species level, management explained density for six of nine butterfly species, but no individual management practice was optimal for a majority of detected species. Thus, over the timeframe of this study, grazing management practices did not generate differences in floristic community composition to drive community-level responses in grassland butterflies. Rather, management drove differences in individual species’ abundance within the butterfly community, likely contributing to the butterfly diversity observed at a broader scale.     

The positive and negative conservation impacts of sheep grazing and other disturbances on the vascular plant species and vegetation of lowland subhumid Tasmania

Summary An important conservation question for grazed areas of lowland subhumid Tasmania is ‘what effects do different, practical disturbance regimes have on native vegetation?’ An experiment designed to determine the single and interactive effects of fire and sheep grazing was established at four sites with distinct vegetation types. There were significant interactive effects of fire and sheep grazing on vegetation attributes at all sites. An analysis of published and new data indicated that there were several vascular plant species that appeared dependent on sheep grazing for their persistence in the present landscape, while there were others that were intolerant of this disturbance but required other types of disturbance, such as mowing. However, most native species appeared to survive in a wide variety of disturbance regimes short of ploughing and fertilization. The implications of these results are that a variety of disturbance regimes is necessary to maintain biological diversity in this environment, and that the naturalness of the regime is not necessarily relevant to its use for conservation.     

Biodiversity management of fens and fen meadows by grazing,cutting and burning

Question: Can the biodiversity of fens in Europe and North America be maintained through the use of grazing (especially cattle grazing), fire, and/or cutting? Location: European and North American fens. Methods: This paper is a review of the literature on the effects of grazing, fire and cutting on fens, to explore the relationship between management and biodiversity in fens. Results: A reduction of cattle grazing, mowing and burning in fens has led to a reduction in biodiversity in fens. The vegetation of abandoned fens shifts to trees and shrubs after 10–15 years, which shade the smaller and rarer species of these wetlands. While careful use of fire is used to manage fens in North America, it is not widely used in European fens, perhaps because the peat of drained fens may catch fire. Cattle grazing cannot be considered a natural disturbance in North America, since cattle did not evolve on that continent. In Europe, cattle do not generally graze in unaltered fens, but they do use slightly drained fen meadows. Conclusions: Three approaches have been used to control the dominance of tall woody and herbaceous species in abandoned fens, including the re‐introduction of cattle, mowing, and burning. Overgrazing results in a permanent reduction in biodiversity, therefore cattle re‐introduction must be approached cautiously. In Europe, but not in North America, mowing has been an important management tool, and mowing has been successful in maintaining species richness, particularly in fens that have been mowed annually for centuries. Fire has been the most common and successful management tool in North America although it is not effective in removing shrubs that have become large. Because the problems and solutions are similar, the literature of both European and North American fen management can be analyzed to better assess the management of fens on both continents. Many management questions require further study and these are listed in the paper.     

The effects of grassland management and aspect on Orthoptera diversity and abundance: site conditions are as important as management

Calcareous grasslands represent local hotspots of biodiversity in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. They support a great number of rare species which are adapted to these xerothermic habitats. Due to massive changes in land use, calcareous grasslands have become a rare habitat type and their conservation has been given a high priority in the habitats directive of the European Union. It is well known that grassland management may affect biodiversity substantially. However, the quality of calcareous grasslands is also influenced by abiotic conditions, such as aspect (i.e. sun exposure), which affects the local mesoclimate. We studied the combined effects of aspect and grassland management on Orthoptera diversity on 16 sites in Central Germany, in an unbalanced crossed design with three factors: aspect, management type and management intensity. For both response variables (diversity and abundance) we obtained a similar pattern. South-facing pastures maintained a greater diversity than north-facing pastures, but both had a greater diversity than extensively used meadows. Intensively used meadows maintained the lowest diversity and abundances. A multivariate analysis revealed that the abundance of rare Orthoptera species correlated with bare ground cover and forb cover, both of which were greatest at south-facing pastures. Our results suggest that grazing is a more suitable management for maintaining a high biodiversity in calcareous grasslands than mowing. Moreover, the mesoclimate (in this studied measured by its surrogate: aspect) is a crucial factor determining species richness and needs to be considered in reserve planning.     

Conservation and restoration of Nardus grasslands in the Swiss northern Alps

Aim: Species‐rich Nardus grasslands are high nature‐value habitats. In Switzerland, many of these grasslands are degraded even though they have been under protection since the 1980s. Degradation shows two divergent trends: Nardus grasslands are either dominated by Nardus stricta or by eutrophic plants, both trends leading to the disappearance of typical Nardus grassland species. With this study, we aim to identify the factors that could be adjusted to conserve the integrity of this habitat. Location: Bernese Alps, Switzerland. Methods: In 2016, we investigated the underlying causes of this degradation process by assessing vegetation composition in 48 Nardus grasslands located in the Swiss northern Alps of canton Bern and linking it to soil, management and environmental variables. To explore the effect of the degradation on higher trophic levels, orthopteran species richness and densities were assessed. Results: Results show that Nardus meadows (mown) are rarely degraded compared to Nardus pastures (grazed). Within pastures, eutrophic plants are most abundant on small pastures with low soil carbon/nitrogen ratio, indicating high nutrient availability. Nardus stricta dominance is most problematic on north‐exposed slopes and in summer pastures. A plausible driver of both degradation trends is the grazing management regime: within small pastures at low elevation where the grazing periods are short but intense, soil carbon/nitrogen ratio is low because of high dung deposition, thus the eutrophic species become dominant. Contrastingly, on large summer pastures with low‐intensity and long‐term grazing, N. stricta becomes dominant due to selective grazing. Both degradation trends show a negative impact on the orthopteran density. Conclusion: Species‐rich Nardus grasslands are a precious alpine habitat for specialised plant species and orthopterans. With an extensive mowing regime or a more controlled grazing regime that homogenises intensity in time and space, species‐rich Nardus grasslands can be conserved in Switzerland.     

When habitat management can be a bad thing: effects of habitat quality,isolation and climate on a declining grassland butterfly

The conservation of most temperate grassland habitats and their characteristic fauna and flora requires regular low-intensive forms of land-use to counteract natural succession. Although many species tolerate moderate disturbance regimes, some are known to be susceptible to grazing or mowing, thereby causing a management dilemma. One of these species is the Woodland Ringlet butterfly, Erebia medusa. In this study, we analysed which environmental factors determine the occurrence of E. medusa in the Diemel Valley (Central Germany). Furthermore, we conducted microclimatic measurements during the winter months to investigate the role of the litter layer as a microclimatic buffer. Patch occupancy in the Diemel Valley was well explained by the amount of litter present in a patch and connectivity to other inhabited patches. The role of local climatic conditions could not be clarified, due to inter-correlations with connectivity. During the winter, the air temperature inside the litter layer was significantly less variable than above it. We conclude that the current distribution of E. medusa in the Diemel Valley is caused by the combined effect of habitat quality and connectivity, and perhaps also by climatic factors. The importance of the litter layer reflects the dependence of E. medusa on low-intensive or absent land-use. In addition, the litter layer possibly constitutes an essential habitat element, as it buffers temperature fluctuations and thus probably reduces the energy consumption of overwintering larvae. Given the species’ preference for abandoned grasslands, the conservation of E. medusa requires a low-intensity habitat management, for example, by rotational grazing or mowing of small parts of the sites. On the landscape level, the preservation of well-connected habitat networks is important.     

去除干扰对内蒙古典型草原植物叶片功能属性的影响

以内蒙古典型草原为研究对象,选取放牧和割草、去除放牧、去除放牧和割草样地进行群落调查和叶片属性测量,比较分析各样地土壤性质、群落生产力及主要物种的比叶面积(SLA,Specific Leaf Area)、叶片干物质含量(LDMC,Leaf Dry Matter Content)、叶片氮含量(LNC,Leaf Nitrogen Concentration)在个体、功能群和群落水平对去除干扰的响应。结果表明,1)去除干扰处理在短期对土壤特性和群落生产力的影响不显著;2)多数物种在放牧和割草样地SLA较低,说明典型草原多数物种的SLA表现为放牧逃避;3)不同功能群植物叶片属性对去除干扰的响应不一致,去除放牧后,多年生杂类草的SLA和LDMC不受影响,但LNC变小;多年生禾草的SLA增加,而LDMC和LNC无显著变化。一年生植物在去除放牧和割草后,LNC显著增加。去除割草后,多年生禾草SLA减小,而多年生杂类草SLA、LNC增加,LDMC减小;4)在群落水平,放牧和割草样地由于较占优势的多年生禾草SLA较低,群落比叶面积最低,在去除放牧和割草样地,群落叶片氮含量显著增加;5)在内蒙古典型草原,LDMC能够很好地将多年生禾草和多年生杂类草区分,SLA在个体、功能群和群落水平均比LDMC敏感。     

Status,future prospects,and management recommendations for alkaline fens in an agricultural landscape: A comprehensive survey

Due to agricultural intensification and cessation of traditional land use, alkaline fens of the Caricion davallianae alliance (EU-FFH 7230) are among the most endangered ecosystems in Europe. This study exhibits a vegetation analysis of these systems in Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany). We analyzed across three scales the effects of grazing and mowing on phytodiversity of core areas and recorded their adjacent vegetation to estimate the capability for habitat enlargement of fen species. Results revealed that species richness, evenness and number of endangered species varied insignificantly between mowing and grazing treatments, regardless of scale. The high proportion of fen species and Red-Book-listed species in core areas, along with a state-wide representation of only 2 ha of these vegetation types, underlines the need for further conservation measures. Floristic differences between grazed and mowed sites derived from the individual appearance of species within one treatment. Thus, to preserve the species pool of alkaline fens, both management strategies have to be considered. Moreover, as most small sedge reed species are low-productive and light-demanding, sufficient biomass removal of dominant tall-growing species is required. One cut per year in late summer, the traditional management, does not satisfy the requirements of target species, which is indicated by an increase of Phragmitetea species at larger plot sizes. Additionally, in grazed fens, vegetation adjacent to the core areas consisted mainly of more eutrophic wet grasslands, and, in mowed fens, mainly of reeds or woods. We recommend therefore several changes in current conservation measures that include an increase to two cuts per year in mowed fens, and stocking rates of at least 2 LU ha⁻¹ (summer grazing) or 0.7 LU ha⁻¹ (year-round grazing).     

Parasitism rate of Plebejus argyrognomon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) under different levels of mowing management

Plebejus argyrognomon is an endangered grassland butterfly species in Japan. In this study we focused on the parasitism rate of tachinid flies under different mowing management to obtain knowledge of this possible top-down effect that has been largely ignored. We established three mowing treatments differing in the intensity of mowing, as represented by vegetation height. The results showed that the parasitism rate of P. argyrognomon increased with vegetation height; the parasitism rate in blocks subjected to the highest mowing intensity was 8%, whereas in blocks subjected to the lowest mowing intensity, the rate was 42%. We suggest that clarifying interspecific interactions is important for understanding how habitat management affects grassland-inhabiting butterflies in general.     

Species composition and above ground phytomass in chalk grassland with different management

During the last decades chalk grasslands lost their agricultural importance in the greater part of their distribution area in W Europe. Due to their botanical richness a number of chalk grassland sites were established as Nature Reserve. As a consequence of the semi-natural character of these grasslands an appropriate management is necessary to maintain or to re-create this vegetation including a great number of rare and endangered species.This paper deals with the results of three different management practices, viz. mowing in autumn, sheep grazing and abandoning, of a medium term (8–11 yr) permanent plot experiment. Sheep grazing was considered the best management since it resulted in the highest number of species, phanerogams as well as bryophytes, and the highest number of characteristic chalk grassland species. Abandoning resulted in a decrease in species number and a dominance of a few species only.The changes in species number are related to the above ground biomass. Under the canopy in the abandoned plot light intensity and the Red/Far-red ratio are very low, which partly explains the decrease in species number as such conditions are not favourable to seedling emergence and survival.Plant nomenclature follows Heukels & Van Ooststroom (1975) for phanerogams, Margadant & During (1976) and van der Wijk et al. (1969) for bryophytes, and Westhoff & den Held (1969) for syntaxa.Presented at the Symposium on Vegetation Dynamics, organized by the International Society for Vegetation Science at Montpellier, 15–20 September 1980. I am grateful to Dr. H. J. During for useful comments.     

Responses of grassland ecosystems to precipitation and land use along the Northeast China Transect

Abstracts. The Northeast China Transect (NECT) has been used to study how water availability influences the composition of plant functional types, soil organic matter, net primary production, trace gas flux, and land‐use patterns. We discuss relations of plant species number, soil C and N and above‐ground biomass with a precipitation gradient and interactions with land‐use practices (grassland fencing, mowing and grazing), on the basis of data from the west part of NECT. The results indicate: 1. The above‐ground biomass of grassland communities has a linear relationship with precipitation under three land‐use practices, while plant species number, soil C, and total soil N have linear relationships with precipitation under fencing and mowing; under grazing the relationships are non‐linear. 2. Plant species number, soil C and total soil N have strong linear relationships with above‐ground biomass under both fencing and mowing, while they seem to have nonlinear relationships under grazing. 3. Land‐use practices along the precipitation gradient result not only in changes in grassland communities but also in qualitative changes of their structure and function. 4. Grasslands are more vulnerable to changes in climate under mowing than under fencing, and are more capable to store C in soil and plants. 5. At a given precipitation level, number of plant species, above‐ground biomass, and soil C are higher under low to medium intensity of human activities (mowing and grazing). A better understanding of how different intensities of human activities will affect the structure and function of grassland will require further research.     

草地利用方式对温性典型草原优势种植物功能性状的影响

当外界环境发生变化后植物能够改变自身功能性状及时调整适应策略, 因此植物功能性状能够有效地反映植物对草地利用变化的响应, 然而在内蒙古草原从植物功能性状角度开展草地利用方式影响的研究略少。该研究以内蒙古典型草原大针茅(Stipa grandis)、羊草(Leymus chinensis)、糙隐子草(Cleistogenes squarrosa)和冷蒿(Artemisia frigida) 4种主要优势种为研究对象, 探讨在长期自由放牧、割草、短期围封和长期无干扰的影响下优势种植物功能性状的差异, 以期从功能性状视角, 揭示植物在受到外界干扰后的适应策略, 旨为天然草地的可持续管理提供基础数据支持和科学依据。结果表明: 1)除糙隐子草外, 在长期放牧后内蒙古典型草原优势植物植株高度、根长和植物碳氮含量降低, 这些性状的变化能够使植物个体小型化, 适口性降低, 表明植物通过逃避放牧的策略适应长期自由放牧的干扰; 在割草管理方式下, 优势种的高度和比叶面积有增加的趋势, 其中冷蒿的氮含量对割草响应最敏感, 其根、茎、叶中的氮含量均在割草样地最低; 围封和长期无干扰处理下植物的碳氮含量增加, 表明在干扰强度降低后, 植物通过功能性状的改变从资源获取策略向资源储藏策略转变。2)对优势种功能性状集合分析表明, 糙隐子草具有较低的植株高度和较高的比叶面积, 冷蒿具有较高的木质素含量和氮含量, 这些性状能够使两种植物被家畜采食量减少, 并保证其具有较强的再生能力, 这可能是糙隐子草和冷蒿耐牧的原因; 大针茅具有最高的植株高度、最大的叶片干物质含量, 以及最高的茎、叶纤维素含量, 说明大针茅是非常典型的竞争物种, 在干扰较低的条件下, 大针茅采取竞争策略对其他物种产生较大的竞争压力可能是其占优势的重要原因。