Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems
Modern grassland management seeks to provide many ecosystem services and experimental studies in resource-poor grasslands have shown a positive relationship between plant species richness and a variety of ecosystem functions. Thus, increasing species richness might help to enhance multifunctionality...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2009-08-01
|
| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1695/2009/bg-6-1695-2009.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818363243945525248 |
|---|---|
| author | A. Weigelt W. W. Weisser N. Buchmann M. Scherer-Lorenzen |
| author_facet | A. Weigelt W. W. Weisser N. Buchmann M. Scherer-Lorenzen |
| author_sort | A. Weigelt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Modern grassland management seeks to provide many ecosystem services and experimental studies in resource-poor grasslands have shown a positive relationship between plant species richness and a variety of ecosystem functions. Thus, increasing species richness might help to enhance multifunctionality in managed grasslands if the relationship between species richness and ecosystem functioning is equally valid in high-input grassland systems. <br><br> We tested the relative effects of low-input to high-input management intensities and low to high plant species richness. Using a combination of mowing frequencies (1, 2 or 4 cuts per season) and fertilisation levels (0, 100 and 200 kg N ha<sup>&minus;1</sup> a<sup>&minus;1</sup>), we studied the productivity of 78 experimental grassland communities of increasing plant species richness (1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 species with 1 to 4 functional groups) in two successive years. <br><br> Our results showed that in both years higher diversity was more effective in increasing productivity than higher management intensity: the 16-species mixtures had a surplus of 449 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2006 and 492 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2007 over the monoculture yields whereas the high-input management resulted in only 315 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> higher productivity in 2006 and 440 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2007 than the low-input management. In addition, high-diversity low-input grassland communities had similar productivity as low-diversity high-input communities. The slopes of the biodiversity – productivity relationships significantly increased with increasing levels of management intensity in both years. <br><br> We conclude that the biological mechanisms leading to enhanced biomass production in diverse grassland communities are as effective for productivity as a combination of several agricultural measures. Our results demonstrate that high-diversity low-input grassland communities provide not only a high diversity of plants and other organisms, but also ensure high forage yields, thus granting the basis for multifunctional managed grasslands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:45:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7fdc362d6bec45a6bbdded782a65c340 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:45:23Z |
| publishDate | 2009-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fdc362d6bec45a6bbdded782a65c3402022-12-21T23:30:25ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892009-08-016816951706Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systemsA. WeigeltW. W. WeisserN. BuchmannM. Scherer-LorenzenModern grassland management seeks to provide many ecosystem services and experimental studies in resource-poor grasslands have shown a positive relationship between plant species richness and a variety of ecosystem functions. Thus, increasing species richness might help to enhance multifunctionality in managed grasslands if the relationship between species richness and ecosystem functioning is equally valid in high-input grassland systems. <br><br> We tested the relative effects of low-input to high-input management intensities and low to high plant species richness. Using a combination of mowing frequencies (1, 2 or 4 cuts per season) and fertilisation levels (0, 100 and 200 kg N ha<sup>&minus;1</sup> a<sup>&minus;1</sup>), we studied the productivity of 78 experimental grassland communities of increasing plant species richness (1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 species with 1 to 4 functional groups) in two successive years. <br><br> Our results showed that in both years higher diversity was more effective in increasing productivity than higher management intensity: the 16-species mixtures had a surplus of 449 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2006 and 492 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2007 over the monoculture yields whereas the high-input management resulted in only 315 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> higher productivity in 2006 and 440 g m<sup>&minus;2</sup> y<sup>&minus;1</sup> in 2007 than the low-input management. In addition, high-diversity low-input grassland communities had similar productivity as low-diversity high-input communities. The slopes of the biodiversity – productivity relationships significantly increased with increasing levels of management intensity in both years. <br><br> We conclude that the biological mechanisms leading to enhanced biomass production in diverse grassland communities are as effective for productivity as a combination of several agricultural measures. Our results demonstrate that high-diversity low-input grassland communities provide not only a high diversity of plants and other organisms, but also ensure high forage yields, thus granting the basis for multifunctional managed grasslands.http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1695/2009/bg-6-1695-2009.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Weigelt W. W. Weisser N. Buchmann M. Scherer-Lorenzen Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems Biogeosciences |
| title | Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems |
| title_full | Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems |
| title_fullStr | Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems |
| title_short | Biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands: equal productivity in high-diversity low-input and low-diversity high-input systems |
| title_sort | biodiversity for multifunctional grasslands equal productivity in high diversity low input and low diversity high input systems |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1695/2009/bg-6-1695-2009.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aweigelt biodiversityformultifunctionalgrasslandsequalproductivityinhighdiversitylowinputandlowdiversityhighinputsystems AT wwweisser biodiversityformultifunctionalgrasslandsequalproductivityinhighdiversitylowinputandlowdiversityhighinputsystems AT nbuchmann biodiversityformultifunctionalgrasslandsequalproductivityinhighdiversitylowinputandlowdiversityhighinputsystems AT mschererlorenzen biodiversityformultifunctionalgrasslandsequalproductivityinhighdiversitylowinputandlowdiversityhighinputsystems |