Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians)
In recent decades, in the Polish Carpathians, agriculture has undergone major changes. Our goal was to investigate whether the former management (plowing or mowing and grazing) had an impact on the current species composition, diversity and conservation status of the vegetation of grazing areas. We...
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/252 |
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| author | Jan Zarzycki Joanna Korzeniak Joanna Perzanowska |
| author_facet | Jan Zarzycki Joanna Korzeniak Joanna Perzanowska |
| author_sort | Jan Zarzycki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent decades, in the Polish Carpathians, agriculture has undergone major changes. Our goal was to investigate whether the former management (plowing or mowing and grazing) had an impact on the current species composition, diversity and conservation status of the vegetation of grazing areas. We carried out vegetation studies on 45 grazing sites with traditional methods of grazing (transhumant pastoralism). The survey covered both old (continuous) grasslands and grasslands on former arable land. The most widespread were <i>Cynosurion</i> pastures and mesic <i>Arrhenatherion</i> grasslands. Wet <i>Calthion</i> meadows occurred at more than a half of grazing sites, while nutrient-poor <i>Nardetalia</i> grasslands were only recorded at several grazing sites. For each grazing site, we used soil maps from the 1960s to read land use in the past. We mapped present grassland and arable land area. Compared with the 1960s, there was a significant decrease in the area of arable land and an increase in grasslands. Species diversity was greater in grazing sites where grasslands developed on former arable land. However, this diversity was associated mainly with the occurrence of common grassland species. <i>Cynosurion</i> pastures and wet <i>Calthion</i> meadows had the best conservation status, while nutrient-poor <i>Nardetalia</i> grasslands were the worst preserved. We concluded that the conservation status of mesic grasslands and pastures is dependent on the present diversity of land use within a grazing site, rather than the land use history 60 years ago. This is the first study of the natural, not economic, value of pasture vegetation in the Polish part of the Carpathians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:36:30Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:36:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e95f12026b248e3abea30e58d83657d2023-11-23T20:43:19ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-02-0111225210.3390/land11020252Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians)Jan Zarzycki0Joanna Korzeniak1Joanna Perzanowska2Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, PolandIn recent decades, in the Polish Carpathians, agriculture has undergone major changes. Our goal was to investigate whether the former management (plowing or mowing and grazing) had an impact on the current species composition, diversity and conservation status of the vegetation of grazing areas. We carried out vegetation studies on 45 grazing sites with traditional methods of grazing (transhumant pastoralism). The survey covered both old (continuous) grasslands and grasslands on former arable land. The most widespread were <i>Cynosurion</i> pastures and mesic <i>Arrhenatherion</i> grasslands. Wet <i>Calthion</i> meadows occurred at more than a half of grazing sites, while nutrient-poor <i>Nardetalia</i> grasslands were only recorded at several grazing sites. For each grazing site, we used soil maps from the 1960s to read land use in the past. We mapped present grassland and arable land area. Compared with the 1960s, there was a significant decrease in the area of arable land and an increase in grasslands. Species diversity was greater in grazing sites where grasslands developed on former arable land. However, this diversity was associated mainly with the occurrence of common grassland species. <i>Cynosurion</i> pastures and wet <i>Calthion</i> meadows had the best conservation status, while nutrient-poor <i>Nardetalia</i> grasslands were the worst preserved. We concluded that the conservation status of mesic grasslands and pastures is dependent on the present diversity of land use within a grazing site, rather than the land use history 60 years ago. This is the first study of the natural, not economic, value of pasture vegetation in the Polish part of the Carpathians.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/252grazing managementbiodiversityhigh-nature-value farmingold field grassland |
| spellingShingle | Jan Zarzycki Joanna Korzeniak Joanna Perzanowska Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) Land grazing management biodiversity high-nature-value farming old field grassland |
| title | Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) |
| title_full | Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) |
| title_short | Impact of Land Use Changes on the Diversity and Conservation Status of the Vegetation of Mountain Grasslands (Polish Carpathians) |
| title_sort | impact of land use changes on the diversity and conservation status of the vegetation of mountain grasslands polish carpathians |
| topic | grazing management biodiversity high-nature-value farming old field grassland |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/252 |
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