Effects of Management and Climatic Variability on Indicator Species and Biomass Production in Carpathian Mountain Grasslands
Ioana Ghețe, Borlea Mihaela, Claudiu Șerban, Alexandru Ghețe
TL;DR
This study examines how management practices and climate changes affect grassland species and biomass in the Carpathian Mountains over 17 years.
Contribution
The study provides new insights into the combined effects of fertilization and climate variability on grassland biodiversity and productivity.
Findings
High fertilization leads to species-rich grasslands becoming simplified with dominant competitive grasses.
Climate variability significantly affects species composition and productivity in unfertilized grasslands.
Biomass production increases consistently with higher fertilization levels.
Abstract
Carpathian mountain grasslands are increasingly affected by management intensification and climatic variability, with consequences for species composition and ecosystem functioning. This study assessed the long-term effects of a mineral fertilization gradient and interannual climatic variability on indicator species dynamics and biomass production in a semi-natural high-nature-value (HNV) grassland in the Apuseni Mountains, based on a 17-year field experiment. Increasing fertilization intensity promoted a clear shift from species-rich oligotrophic communities toward simplified mesotrophic and eutrophic grassland types, accompanied by a decline in indicator species richness and the increasing dominance of competitive grasses. Biomass production increased consistently along the fertilization gradient. Climate-driven effects were assessed using unfertilized control plots, allowing…
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Taxonomy
TopicsEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies · Pasture and Agricultural Systems · Botany and Plant Ecology Studies