Influence of herbivory and abiotic factors on the distribution of tall forbs along a productivity gradient: a transplantation experiment

In arctic-alpine areas tall herb vegetation is restricted to sites with high productivity. At higher elevation, low prostate forbs and narrow-leaved graminoids dominate the vegetation in sites with a protecting snow cover during winter. In this study, I test whether herbivory or abiotic factors prevent tall forbs from growing at higher altitudes. Vegetation blocks from a tall herb meadow were transplanted to herbivore exclosures and open plots in a low-productive snowbed and a productive tall herb meadow. The tall forbs performed equally well in the exclosures on the low-productive snowbed as in the tall herb meadow, but decreased in the open plots on the low-productive snowbed. Thus, even if abiotic factors are ultimately causing many of the vegetation patterns observed in arctic-alpine plant communities, herbivory appears to be the main proximate factor responsible for the decreasing abundance of tall forbs along gradients of decreasing productivity in arctic-alpine areas.     

The role of cattle in maintaining plant species diversity in wet dune valleys

The succession of species-rich wetland vegetation in dune valleys into species-poor dwarf shrub vegetation was followed by means of permanent vegetation plots, in which the cover of vascular plant, moss and lichen species were recorded over a period of up to 33 years. Low density cattle grazing is an effective substitute for rabbits in stalling this succession, thus preserving the local plant species diversity. The influence of direct rabbit grazing pressure on the vegetation was studied in exclosures. The differences were significant, but not long-lasting after the exclosures had been opened again to the rabbits. Cladina lichen-rich Empetrum-heathland in the dunes is a stage in a probably cyclic succession that might be triggered by grazing. The total vascular plant, moss and lichen diversity of the dune ecosystem can be maintained by a combination of extensive cattle grazing and a regular but limited re-creation of pioneer situations.     

放牧对青藏高原东部两种典型高寒草地类型凋落物分解的影响

为认识放牧对青藏高原东部中生性的高寒草甸草地和半湿生的沼泽草地凋落物分解的影响,在这两种草地上分别设置了围栏和放牧样地,研究了其各自的混合凋落物样品和4个优势物种(发草Deschampsiacaespitos、鹅绒委陵菜Potentilla anserine、木里苔草Carexmuliensis、藏嵩草Kobresiatibetica)凋落物的分解和养分释放动态,这4个优势物种也大致代表了当地沼泽草地生态系统在放牧和气候变暖驱动下逆行演替不同阶段的优势物种类群。结果表明,各优势物种凋落物的分解速率有显著差异;放牧在总体上促进了凋落物的分解,但不同物种的响应有所不同;放牧对凋落物C的释放影响不显著或有抑制作用,但对N、P的释放具有一定促进作用。对各优势物种凋落物分解和养分释放模式的分析表明,群落逆行演替过程中,凋落物分解和C释放加速,可能促进沼泽湿地退化的正反馈效应。草甸草地的退化标志物种鹅绒委陵菜具有较高的凋落物质量和分解速度,反映了中生条件下植物应对牲畜啃食采用"逃避"而非"抵抗"策略的趋向。     

Grassland dynamics under sheep grazing in an Australian Mediterranean type climate

Grassland dynamics in a degraded disclimax grassland dominated by Danthonia caespitosa Gaudich. are examined using both demographic and multivariate approaches in an experiment designed to determine the effect of grazing intensity and exclosure on pasture dynamics. The experiment ran for 20 years from 1949 to 1968, using permanent quadrats at 3 grazing intensities and within exclosures. Demographic studies of some perennial grass species demonstrated markedly different responses to grazing; Danthonia caespitosa was unaffected by grazing but responsive to seasonal rainfall differences. Enteropogon acicularis survived only on protected sites. Numerical classification of total species set (121 species) for six observation periods demonstrated that community types were sensitive to differences in winter rainfall, and time since the start of experiment. Principal component analysis of permanent quadrat observations for individual years demonstrates quadrat trajectories which confirm this and indicate progressive divergence of the successional trends of the grazed and ungrazed quadrats. Repeated analysis on grazed quadrats only, shows that three components of pasture dynamics can be recognized; these are trend (succession?) and seasonal differences, each of which account for about 20% of the variance, and differences due to soil heterogeneity in the experimental paddock (8% of variance accounted for). No effect of grazing intensity was detected. Multivariate techniques can provide a clear partitioning of types of dynamic behaviour present in grassland communities. It is concluded that partitioning of environmental heterogeneity prior to demographic studies would increase their sensitivity.

     

Cattle grazing, raptor abundance and small mammal communities in Mediterranean grasslands

Abundance and diversity of small mammals are usually affected strongly by grazing either due to decreased food availability or quality, decreased suitability of soil for building burrow systems due to trampling and/or due to increased predation risk in the structurally simpler grazed areas. We estimated the effects of grazing-induced changes in vegetation and soil and of increased predation on small mammals in a Mediterranean grassland landscape. We measured vegetation structure, soil compaction and small mammal abundance and species composition in 22 plots of 8 Sherman live traps each, arranged according to an unbalanced two-way ANOVA design with two grazing levels (grazed areas and cattle exclosures) and two predator abundance levels (increased densities of Eurasian kestrels Falco tinnunculus by means of nest boxes and control). Plots were sampled during 2 consecutive years in early summer and early fall. Exclosure from cattle increased significantly vegetation height and volume and decreased soil compaction. Grazing-induced changes in vegetation height and volume and in soil compaction produced strong effects on small mammal abundance and species richness. Increased kestrel densities did not have significant additive or interactive effects, with the effects of grazing-induced vegetation and soil gradients on abundance or richness of small mammals. Our results suggest that the effects of grazing on small mammal communities in Mediterranean montane grasslands were mainly due to reduced food availability and by negative effects of trampling on the suitability of soils for building burrow systems. Decreased food quality and increased predation in grazed areas seemed to play a minor role, if any. Reductions in stock densities would then favor generalist predator populations in Mediterranean grasslands through the expected positive effects of such reductions on the availability of food and burrows for small mammals.     

封育对科尔沁沙地小叶锦鸡儿群落植被特征及空间异质性的影响

以科尔沁沙地小叶锦鸡儿群落为对象,分析了放牧和不同封育年限下小叶锦鸡儿群落的植被特征及植被分布的小尺度空间异质性.结果表明:放牧和封育样地内植被均以1年生草本植物为主,物种数没有明显差异;封育6年、封育12年样地的植株密度分别为(124.46±5.22)株·m~(-2)和(203.05±10.38)株·m~2,显著高于放牧样地(P<0.05);封育样地的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数均低于放牧样地,并随着封育年限的增加而减小;封育样地植被分布的小尺度空间异质性小于放牧样地,并且封育年限越长,空间异质性越小.

Abstract：

This paper studied the vegetation characteristics and small-scale spatial heterogeneity of Caragana mirophylla community in Horqin Sandy Land in northeast Inner Mongolia of China under grazing and under 6-and 12 years enclosure, aimed to assess the effects of grazing and enclosure on vegetation restoration. In the sampling plots of grazing and different years enclosure, the species composition of C. mirophylla community all dominated by annual herbaceous plants. The species richness in grazed plot and in the plots enclosed for 6 and 12 years was 22, 19, and 20, respectively, with no significant difference. In the plots enclosed for 6 and 12 years, the plant density was (124.46±5.22) plants·m~(-2) and (203. 05±10. 38) plants·m~(-2), respec- tively, being significantly higher than that in grazed plot, which suggested that enclosure was an effective method to accelerate the vegetation restoration in Sandy Land. The Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson species diversity, and Pielou evenness in enclosed plots were lower than those in grazed plot, and decreased with increasing enclosure duration. The small-scale spatial heteroge-neity of vegetation in enclosed plots was smaller than that in grazed plot. The longer the enclosure duration, the smaller the spatial heterogeneity was.     

Seed bank dynamics in abandoned meadows during a 20-year period in the Białowieża National Park

1 The relationship between size and floristic composition of the seed bank and vegetation dynamics was studied between 1976 and 1996 in 0.75 ha of an abandoned Cirsietum rivularis meadow. The plot was divided into 100-m² (10 × 10 m) quadrats and sampled 5-yearly to map the vegetation and determine the soil seed bank.
2 Densities of seeds in the soil fluctuated as succession proceeded. The initially small seed bank trebled by 15 years after abandonment, before falling, after 20 years, to approximately the same as in the initial stage.
3 The floristic richness of the seed bank decreased during succession, with the number of species falling from 38 to 25. The diversity of life forms, however, increased in later periods, with tall herbs, shrubs and trees appearing after 10 years.
4 Seed bank floristic composition is apparently both a product of the species composition of the current vegetation and a record of the long-term substitution of species. Other factors, including the structure of the vegetation, also influence the accumulation of seeds in the soil.
5 Although changes in number of species show a directional pattern, the seed bank size fluctuated in the course of succession on these fertile wet meadows.     

Spatial heterogeneity and plant species richness at different spatial scales under rabbit grazing

Herbivores influence spatial heterogeneity in soil resources and vegetation in ecosystems. Despite increasing recognition that spatial heterogeneity can drive species richness at different spatial scales, few studies have quantified the effect of grazing on spatial heterogeneity and species richness simultaneously. Here we document both these variables in a rabbit-grazed grassland. We measured mean values and spatial patterns of grazing intensity, rabbit droppings, plant height, plant biomass, soil water content, ammonia and nitrate in sites grazed by rabbits and in matched, ungrazed exclosures in a grassland in southern England. Plant species richness was recorded at spatial scales ranging between 0.0001 and 150 m(2). Grazing reduced plant height and plant biomass but increased levels of ammonia and nitrate in the soil. Spatial statistics revealed that rabbit-grazed sites consisted of a mixture of heavily grazed patches with low vegetation and nutrient-rich soils (lawns) surrounded by patches of high vegetation with nutrient-poor soils (tussocks). The mean patch size (range) in the grazed controls was 2.1 +/- 0.3 m for vegetation height, 3.8 +/- 1.8 m for soil water content and 2.8 +/- 0.9 m for ammonia. This is in line with the patch sizes of grazing (2.4 +/- 0.5 m) and dropping deposition (3.7 +/- 0.6 m) by rabbits. In contrast, patchiness in the ungrazed exclosures had a larger patch size and was not present for all variables. Rabbit grazing increased plant species richness at all spatial scales. Species richness was negatively correlated with plant height, but positively correlated to the coefficient of variation of plant height at all plot sizes. Species richness in large plots (<25 m(2)) was also correlated to patch size. This study indicates that the abundance of strong competitors and the nutrient availability in the soil, as well as the heterogeneity and spatial pattern of these factors may influence species richness, but the importance of these factors can differ across spatial scales.     

Vegetation change in a man‐made salt marsh affected by a reduction in both grazing and drainage

Abstract. In order to restore natural salt marsh in a 460‐ha nature reserve established in man‐made salt marsh in the Dollard estuary, The Netherlands, the artificial drainage system was neglected and cattle grazing reduced. Vegetation changes were traced through two vegetation surveys and monitoring of permanent plots over 15 yr after the management had been changed. Exclosure experiments were started to distinguish grazing effects from effects of increased soil waterlogging caused by the neglect of the drainage system. Both vegetation surveys and permanent plots demonstrated a dichotomy in vegetation succession. The incidence of secondary pioneer vegetation dominated by Salicornia spp. and Suaeda maritima increased from 0 to 20%, whereas the late‐successional (Phragmites australis) vegetation from 10 to 15%. Grazing intensity decreased towards the sea. The grazed area contracted landward, which allowed vegetation dominated by tall species to increase seaward. Grazing and increased waterlogging interacted in several ways. The impact of trampling increased, and in the intensively grazed parts soil salinity increased. This can probably be explained by low vegetation cover in spring. Framework Ordination, an indirect‐gradient‐analysis technique, was used to infer the importance of environmental factors in influencing changes in species composition. Many changes were positively or negatively correlated with soil aeration and soil salinity, whereas elevation was of minor importance. Grazing accounted for only a few changes in species frequency. Changes in permanent plots were greater during the first than during the second half of the study period. In exclosures that were installed halfway through the study period, there was a relatively rapid recovery of previously dominant species that had decreased during the first half of the study period. Species richness per unit area in the reserve increased. At the seaward side of the marsh, the altered management allowed succession to proceed leading to establishment of stands of Phragmites australis, whereas on the landward side, the combination of moderate grazing with neglect of the drainage system appeared an effective measure in maintaining habitats for a wider range of halophytic species.     

From protégé to nurse plant: establishment of thorny shrubs in grazed temperate woodlands

Question: Thorny shrubs play keystone roles in grazed ecosystems by defending non‐protected plants against herbivores, but their establishment in grazed ecosystems is poorly understood. Which factors control establishment of recruits of thorny nurse shrubs in grazed temperate woodlands? Location: Ancient grazed temperate woodlands (52°32′N, 6°36′E), The Netherlands. Methods: We surveyed biotic and abiotic factors for saplings of thorny nurse shrubs in plots with and without saplings. To disentangle these factors, we performed a transplantation experiment over two growing seasons with nurse shrub saplings (Prunus spinosa and Crataegus monogyna) planted in two dominant vegetation types – tall unpalatable swards and short grazed lawns – half of them protected from herbivory via exclosures. Results: Plots with shrub saplings had taller surrounding vegetation, higher soil pH and higher soil moisture than plots without saplings. These plots predominantly contained unpalatable sward species, while plots without saplings mainly contained palatable lawn species. After transplantation, sapling survival was higher in exclosures than in the open, and higher in sward exclosures than in lawn exclosures. Sapling growth was higher in swards than in lawns, higher inside than outside exclosures, and higher for Prunus than Crataegus, while browsing on saplings was higher in lawns. Conclusion: Unpalatable swards form essential establishment niches for thorny shrubs in grazed temperate woodlands: they protect against herbivores before thorns fully develop in saplings, and sapling growth is better due to improved micro‐environmental conditions. Once established and thorny, shrub saplings grow out of the protective range of the swards and in turn facilitate tree seedlings, which are essential for long‐term persistence of grazed temperate woodlands. This study shows that nurse plants may start as protégés before becoming facilitators for other plants in a later life stage. This may be common for nurse plants in various ecosystems. We argue that improved understanding of establishment of nurse plants and their constraining factors is crucial for effective conservation and restoration in various ecosystems.     

Spatial patterns in seed bank and vegetation of semi-natural mountain meadows

Soil seed bank composition and vegetative spatial patterns were studied in four mountain meadow communities in the Broto Valley (N. Spain), in order to analyse the differences that might exists between the two life forms. Soil and vegetation samples were taken at 1 m intervals from 10 m × 10 m quadrats in each meadow in one-year study. The spatial distribution of species was analysed along with the calculation of an autocorrelation coefficient which takes account of the relative position of samples: (Moran’s I). The results indicate that the abundance of the majority of the species in the seed bank and in the vegetation are randomly distributed, the percentage of species with a clumped distribution only exceeds 35% in the vegetation of one meadow and none of the taxa identified showed a uniform spatial organisation. The species that were distributed in the seed bank in a clumped pattern in more than one meadow were those of the pioneer species (Anagallis arvensis, Centaurium erythraea, Lamium purpureum and Stellaria media). All of these formed long-term persistent seed banks but were absent in the established vegetation in these meadows. According to the results, there exist not only differences between the spatial distribution of the species present in the same community, but also, that some species change their pattern of distribution according to the life form and to the grassland type in which they are found.     

Succession and fluctuation in Artemisia dominated grassland

Vegetation dynamics were studied from 1940 to 1978 in two grazed pastures and associated exclosures in sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) dominated grassland, western Oklahoma, USA. In both pastures and one exclosure, pattern of vegetation change reflected fluctuation rather than succession. In the other exclosure, the grassland exhibited a directional change from annual grasses and forbs to dominance by perennial grasses. Rate of change was consistent during the 39 year period. Cover of grasses increased more in grazed than ungrazed areas. Grass cover was negatively correlated with high air temperatures early in the growing season. Forb cover remained relatively constant over time and shrub cover peaked during the 1960s. Abundance of annuals and cool season species was positively correlated with rainfall early in the growing season.Species diversity and richness were lowest in the ungrazed areas, as a result of increased dominance by perennial grasses such as Schizachyrium scoparium. In pastures and exclosures, richness was positively correlated with growing season precipitation. Cover of the common species differed among sample areas within years and fluctuated between years. Few general patterns emerged from correlations of environmental variables with cover of individual species. In general, vegetation dynamics in these sand sagebrush grasslands reflect a tradeoff in that total cover changes little over time because the loss of some species is compensated for by increased growth of others. Such trade-offs reflect the individualistic response of the component species within each pasture or exclosure. Although changes in growth form composition were related to climatic fluctuation, broad-scale climatic variables could not successfully predict small-scale patterns of change by individual species over time.     

Long‐term vegetation changes in experimentally grazed and ungrazed back‐barrier marshes in the Wadden Sea

Abstract. Vegetation succession in three back‐barrier salt marshes in the Wadden Sea was studied using a data set comprising 25 years of vegetation development recorded at permanent quadrats. The effect of livestock grazing on succession was assessed by comparing quadrats where grazing was experimentally prevented or imposed. We studied changes at the species level as well as at the level of the plant community. Special attention is given to effects on plant species richness and community characteristics that are relevant for lagomorphs (hares and rabbits) and geese. Inundation frequency and grazing were most important in explaining the variation in species abundance data. The three marshes studied overlap in the occurrence of different plant communities and the observed patterns were consistent between them. Clear differences in frequency and abundance of plant species were observed related to grazing. Most plant species had a greater incidence in grazed treatments. Species richness increased with elevation, and was 1.5 to 2 × higher in the grazed salt marsh. Grazing negatively influenced Atriplex portulacoides and Elymus athericus, whereas Puccinellia maritima and Festuca rubra showed a positive response. The communities dominated by Elymus athericus, Artemisia maritima and Atriplex portulacoides were restricted to the ungrazed marsh. Communities dominated by Puccinellia maritima, Juncus gerardi and Festuca rubra predominantly occurred at grazed sites. As small vertebrate herbivores prefer these plants and communities for foraging, livestock grazing thus facilitates for them.     

Vegetation changes in semi-natural meadows after abandonment in coastal northern Finland

A research project on traditional cultural landscapes in coastal northern Finland provided the opportunity to compare presently managed meadow sites to a series of corresponding abandoned sites. Twenty-two grassland habitats. either grazed or mown, were studied to analyze differences between species compositions The data were classified with TWINSPAN and ordinated with Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The multivariate analysis recognized successfully habitats that are either presently used or differ considerably from the others by their moisture gradient although a few very coininon generalist species were present in almost every seral stage studied. The studied deviant habitats resemble most of the previously described vegetation types in northern Finland. Results suggest that drought can delay the invasion of tall broad-leaved species. The results also support the idea that abandoned meadows of corresponding moisture gradients begin to resemhle each other in later stages of succession. Multivariate methods can be used to determine the succession stages in grassland habitats and thus help to determine the urgency for restoration practices.     

Livestock exclusion increases the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in Colorado shortgrass steppe

Abstract. Spatial heterogeneity, an important characteristic in semi‐arid grassland vegetation, may be altered through grazing by large herbivores. We used Moran's I, a measure of autocorrelation, to test the effect of livestock grazing on the fine scale spatial heterogeneity of dominant plant species in the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. Autocorrelation in ungrazed plots was significantly higher than in grazed plots for the cover of the dominant species Bouteloua gracilis, litter cover and density of other bunchgrasses. No species had higher autocorrelation in grazed compared to ungrazed sites. B. gracilis cover was significantly auto‐correlated in seven of eight 60‐yr ungrazed exclosures, four of six 8‐yr exclosures, and only three of eight grazed sites. Autocorrelograms showed that B. gracilis cover in ungrazed sites was frequently and positively spatially correlated at lag distances less than 5 m. B. gracilis cover was rarely autocorrelated at any sampled lag distance in grazed sites. The greater spatial heterogeneity in ungrazed sites appeared linked to patches characterized by uniformly low cover of B. gracilis and high cover of C₃ grasses. This interpretation was supported by simple simulations that modified data from grazed sites by reducing the cover of B. gracilis in patches of ca. 8 m diameter and produced patterns quite similar to those observed in ungrazed sites. In the one exclosure where we intensively sampled soil texture, autocorrelation coefficients for sand content and B. gracilis cover were similar at lag distances up to 12 m. We suggest that the negative effect of sand content on B. gracilis generates spatial heterogeneity, but only in the absence of grazing. An additional source of heterogeneity in ungrazed sites may be the negative interaction between livestock exclusion and B. gracilis recovery following patchy disturbance.     

Recovery of plant species composition and ecosystem function after cessation of grazing in a Mediterranean grassland

Short- and long-term changes in species composition, plant biomass production, and litter decomposition after cessation of grazing were examined in a Mediterranean grassland with high dominance of annual species and strong seasonality in biomass production. Short-term changes were assessed during three consecutive years in plots previously exposed to different grazing pressures and compared to plots in long-term (30–40 years) exclosures. Short-term cessation of grazing led in the short-term to an increase in relative biomass of annual crucifers and tall annual and perennial grasses, while biomass of annual legumes, annual thistles and short annual grasses decreased. Consequently, similarity increased between vegetation recently excluded from grazing and vegetation in long-term protected plots. Our research showed that in systems with high dominance of grasses and annual species, the rapid changes in plant species composition that occur after grazing cessation were associated with a fast recovery of the potential for biomass production to levels found in long-term protected plots, while litter decomposition rate did not change even after long-term cessation of grazing. Moreover, previous history of grazing did not affect plant litter decomposition, despite higher litter quality in grazed treatments. This study provides new insights about the processes involved in the diverse responses of ecosystem functions resulting from shifts in species composition associated with grazing cessation and land use change in Mediterranean grasslands.     

Fine‐scale coexistence patterns along a productivity gradient in wet meadows: shifts from trait convergence to divergence

Semi‐natural meadows host a great number of species coexisting at fine spatial scales. Different assembly mechanisms, related to differences in functional traits between species, can influence such coexistence. Coexisting species could be either functionally dissimilar to occupy different niches (‘divergence’) or functionally similar due to exclusion of species with traits less adapted to the prevailing abiotic and biotic conditions (‘convergence’). Various theories differently predict how trait convergence and divergence should differ due to disturbance, along productivity gradients, and across different functional traits. We tested such theories in 21 wet meadows of different productivity in central Europe. In each meadow, four 1 × 1 m plots were established in which disturbance by mowing was combined with fertilization. Species presence was recorded in 100 quadrats 10 × 10 cm in size within the plots over five years. Convergence and divergence were assessed at very fine spatial scales (10 × 10 cm) to focus on the processes driven by the interactions for similar resources. Convergence emerged as the dominant pattern for all traits and across all years. It was particularly strong in the least productive conditions while divergence emerged in some of the most productive meadows. Mowing increased convergence in meadows with low productivity, but increased divergence in productive meadows. Fertilization generally increased convergence, with this increase being more pronounced in mown plots. Convergence in unproductive conditions could be caused by either higher fitness of stress‐tolerant species (more abundant in the species pool of these sites) or by functionally similar species sharing similar patches within fine‐scale heterogeneous plots. This outcome also suggests abiotic filters can have an important role at fine scales, where plant‐ecological theory usually predicts the prevalence of biotic processes.     

Vegetation changes following sheep grazing in abandoned mountain meadows

Abstract. Sheep grazing was investigated as an alternative to traditional management of meadows in the Krkono?e Mts. Until the second World War these meadows were mown in mid‐summer and grazed by cattle for the rest of the season. Subsequent abandonment of the meadows has resulted in decreasing species richness. Degradation phases of the former communities have been replacing the original species‐rich vegetation. Significant changes were apparent six years after the introduction of sheep grazing. In grazed plots the proportion of dominant herbs (Polygonum bistorta and Hypericum maculatum) decreased and grasses (Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum alpinum) increased. The increase in grasses was positively correlated with an increase in several herbs. The proportion of some herbs increased despite being selectively grazed (Adenostyles alliariae, Melandrium rubrum, Veratrum lobelianum). Any losses caused by grazing of mature plants were probably compensated by successful seedling establishment. Cessation of grazing resulted in significant changes in vegetation within three years. The cover of nitrophilous tall herbs and grasses (e.g. Rumex alpestris, Holcus mollis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Geranium sylvaticum) increased in the abandoned plots. In the plots grazed for nine years cover of species‐rich mountain meadow species increased (e.g. fine‐leaved grasses, Campanula bohemica, Potentilla aurea, Viola lutea, Silene vulgaris). The main conservation risk is the expansion of a competitive species with low palatability, Deschampsia cespitosa. This species can be suppressed by a combination of grazing and mowing. In order for grazing to be effective, the number of sheep should be proportional to meadow production. This may be difficult to maintain as production is variable and is impossible to predict at the beginning of a growing season. A large part of the biomass may thus remain intact in some years. Negative effects of grazing may be, at least partly, eliminated by a combination of cutting and grazing.     

Influences of chronic and current season grazing by collared pikas on above-ground biomass and species richness in subarctic alpine meadows

We studied an alpine herbivory gradient established by collared pikas, a small central place foraging lagomorph, to examine the effects of multiple grazing levels on above-ground live biomass (AGB) and species richness (SR) in alpine tundra. The effects of within-season (four sampling periods), multi-season (across three summers) and longer-term dynamics (inferred from spatial location of vegetation with respect to pika haypiles) were examined. Along the grazing gradient, we found support for and against hypotheses that propose biphasic, increasing, or decreasing responses to herbivory, both in terms of AGB and SR. Our results suggest that plant–herbivore predictability is still weak. To further examine the impact of herbivory, we experimentally removed pikas using mesh exclosures placed at increasing distance from the edge of talus occupied by pikas. AGB after the second consecutive year of herbivore exclusion increased by 125% compared to control plots in highly grazed areas adjacent to talus (<1 m). In more lightly grazed sites at distances 1–6 m from talus, AGB increased by more than 40% after pikas were removed. No differences were observed in the ungrazed sites >6 m from talus. AGB was highest in meadow patches previously grazed by pikas compared to those with little grazing history, but this response was only observed after two seasons following release from herbivory. Grazed sites at distances of 1–6 m had the highest SR. These results indicate that multi-year measurements of growth are particularly relevant in ecosystems dominated by long-lived perennials in regions where productivity is low. Infrequent herbivore vacancies may provide local short-term release from pika grazing, thereby contributing to the persistence of productive, highly palatable vegetation.     

Use of sheep grazing in the restoration of semi‐natural meadows in northern Finland

Abstract. The biodiversity of species‐rich semi‐natural meadows is declining across Europe due to ceased management. In this study we aimed to find out how successfully the local species richness of an overgrown semi‐natural mesic meadow could be restored by sheep grazing after a long period of abandonment. The cover of vascular plant species in grazed plots and ungrazed exclosures was studied for five years and the responses of different functional plant groups were followed (herbs vs grasses, tall vs short species, species differing in flowering time, species representing different Grime's CSR strategies and species indicative of rich vs poor soil). Grazing increased species number by nearly 30%. On grazed plots the litter cover practically disappeared, favouring small herbs such as Rhinanthus minor, Ranunculus acris, Trifolium pratense and the grass Agrostis capillaris. Grazing decreased the cover of the late flowering tall herb Epilobium angustifolium but had no effect on the abundance of the early flowering tall herbs Anthriscus sylvestris or Geranium sylvaticum. We suggest that to succeed in restoration it is useful to determine the responses of different functional plant groups to grazing. Grassland managers need this information to optimize the methods and timing of management used in restoration. Additional management practices, such as mowing, may be needed in mesic meadows to decrease the dominance of tall species. The availability of propagules seemed to restrict further increase of species richness in our study area.