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Effects of changes in grassland management
on plant diversity.
Åsmund Asdal,
Norwegian Crop Research Institute,
Norwegian program for PGRFA
• PGR diversity in grasslands • changes in use of grasslands• effects on species• efforts in the national PGR- program
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• Natural grasslands do not exist in Norway – all grasslands with their species and genetic diversity have been created through agriculture.
When agriculture cease the diversity gets lost.
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Norwegian agricultural history• Livestock introduced 6000 years ago• Manure from livestock used as fertilizer inploughed fields started 2000
years ago• Technological and biological improvements in the beginning of 19th
century, main principles remained• Industrial revolution; mineral fertilizer, biocides etc. caused
extensivation of grass fields outside the farms and intensive use of areas near the farm, less dependent on outlying fields
• Huge areas of traditional agricultural fields and landscape abandoned and recaptured by forest.
Species adapted to open grasslands through 6000 years, grazed or mowed, or a combination, variation of species / genotypes;
related to climatic / edaphic conditions and agricultural practices
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Changes in agriculture and landscape- latest 50 years
- Significant decrease in number of farms- Grazing in outlying fields – reduced with 50%
from 1959 to 1979. - Number of mountain farms dramatically reduced
(approx. 45000 in 1900, 1000 in 2000)- Some increase in grazing by sheeps in mountain
areas since 1979- Continued decline in grazing close to the farm;
forest pasture, fragmented pastures etc.
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1992: Overgrowing have started in a former cultvated field with pioneer stoneheeps and signs of cultivation. Small spruce trees have established and benefit from sheep grazing.
1992: Granplanter på gammal innmarkmed rydningsrøyser og spor etter eldreåkerbruk. Sauebeite gir raskarebartrevekst då sau held gras, urter oglauvoppslag nede
Valle i Aust-Agder
2002: Grantre dekkjer den øvredelen av den tidlegare innmarka, skjuler kulturminne og redusererutsynet.
2002: Spruce trees are covering and supress plant species, hide signs of previous agriculture and alter the view and landscape.
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1992:Residues of a spring cowhouse in front of another intact cowhouse, in a partly grazed field.
1992: Restar av vårfjøs mot intaktvårfjøs i lysopen gammal og brattinnmark
Valle i Aust-Agder
2002: Restar av vårfjøs mot intaktvårfjøs i tilgrodd gammal og brattinnmark
2002:Residues of a spring cowhouse can still be seen between fast growing trees/bushes. The other house is still intact but hidden by bigger trees.
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Norwegian flora
• About 1800 vascular plant species in the wild flora (2500 when crops are included)
• 6-700 species in permanent grasslands • About 350 species exclusive to pastures and
meadows• Crop species; mainly grasses and legumes
• Species of socio economic value; medicinal and aromatic plants etc.
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Agricultural landscapes outside the farms
• Mowed grasslands• Pastured grasslands• Heather mountanous fields (Calluna-moors)• Hill farms• Mowed marshes• Grasslands near seashores
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Growing conditions in permanent grasslands
• Under agricultural influence– Light open– Cutting, grazing and trampling– Competitive species are hindered
A common flora of light demanding species, but differences between mowed and grazed fields, and also different soils and practices of mowing/grazing.
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Traditional agricultural landscape in Norway
1. Mowed meadows – • “landscape of the scythe”, • fodder supply for the winter
2. Grazed pastures –• “landscape of the muzzle”, • fodder supply in summertime
Both mowing and grazing keep the landscape and fields open and prevent forestation of grasslands
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Mowed field in the western part of Norway
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Different impact on plant species- grazing vs mowing:
• Animals choose plant species when grazing, while mowing cuts all species:
tasty, juicy and nutritious species are preferred poisonous, bad tasting, woody plants, plants
with thorns etc are left back
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Different impact on plant species- grazing vs mowing:
• More plant nutrients (N & P) is removed from mowed fields than from grazed fields leguminous plants and less nutrient demanding
plants will dominate a mowed field
• Grazed fields affected by trampling trampling sensitive plants survive easier in
mowed fields plants dependant on open soil to germinate can
be established in grazed fields
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High numbers of grazing animals supress certain species, low numbers allow overgrowing and invasive species. Fields with short evolutionary history allow a lower pasturing pressure.
Diversitet, miljø og beitetrykk
Diversitet, miljø og beitetrykk
High productive fields (soils) needs a higher number of grazing animals to maintain an optimal species diversity.
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Species in permanent grasslandsSuggested target taxa in PGR-Forum; more or less dependant on fields with agricultural influence
• Humulus lupulus L
• Ribes sp.. • Rubus sp.• Trifolium sp.• Carum carvi L.• Arnica montana L.
• Angelica archangelica Satureja hortensis L.
• Thymus vulgaris L.• Digitalis purpurea L.• Tanacetum vulgare L.• Artemisia absinthium L.• Allium sp.• Festuca pratensis Hudson• Phleum pratense L.
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Species in permanent grasslands
• Endangered species, grassland the only habitat • Melampyrum cristatum L.• Ajuga reptans L.• Botrychium simplex E. Hitchc.• Herminum monorchis (L.) R.Br.• Nigritella nigra (L.) Reichenb.fil.• Liparis loeslii (L.) L.C.M. Richard• Isolepis setacea (L.) R.Br.• Carex extensa Good.• Vulpia bromoides (L.) S.F.Gray• Listera ovata
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Species in permanent grasslands, cont.
• Fodder crops, gene pool for breeding• Agrostis capillaris• Poa pratensis• Phleum alpinum• Anthoxanthum odoratum• Dactylis glomerata• Trifolium repens• Festuca rubra• Trifolium pratense• Festuca ovina• Lotus corniculatus
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Species in permanent grasslands, cont.
• MAP, gene pool for extended use• Carum carvi• Arnica montana• Humulus lupulus• Angelica archangelica ssp. archangelica • Veronica officinalis• Achillea millefolium• Allium oleraceum• Mentha arvensis• Festuca ovina• Lotus corniculatus
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Arnica montana, traditional and current medicinal plant
• Habitats:– Lightopen and nutrient
poor/acidic soils– 14. Antropogenic
grassland/hay meadows and pastures
– 3.3 Antropogenic coastal heathland (Calluna)
• Habitat status:– Decrease in area 21-50% /
50 years– Due to change of land use
• Red list status_– DC (declining/ care
demanding
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Caraway, Carum carvi, spice in Norwegian ”Akevitt”
• Genotypes from wild populations used for harvesting / cultivation
• Dependant on lightopen fields
• Decline in grazed pastures, increase in mowed fields.
• Not red-listed or threatened at the moment
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Mountain Everlasting, Antennaria dioica, indicator for species which need to be widespread?
• Previous findings investigated in 2002
• Mountain (not so) Everlasting disappeared from a number of locations, due to cease of agriculture
• Male individuals dominate in some populations
• Populations more isolated, reintroducing more unlikely
• Some species get problems when they no longer are as numerous and widespread as they used to be
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Species connected to permanent grasslands, cont.
• Fruits, berries and ornamentals• Fragaria vesca• Ribes sp.• Rubus sp.• Rosa pimpinellifolia• Rosa rubiginosa • Crataegus monogyna• Prunus avium• Malus sylvestris• Tulipa sylvestris
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Effects of cease of agriculture:
• Depends on type of field; mowed/pastured, when/time period etc
• Inscreased level of organic matter and N in soil• Increased humidity Often increase in number and size of many
flowering species/nice view Small and light demanding plants with a short life
cycle disappear fast/not visible New species establish
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Species rich mowed field with autumn grazing by sheeps
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Abandonned meadow, dominated by Deschampsia caespitosa. Experiment with reintroduced sheep.
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Same field, after some weeks of grazing.
A pasture grassland can be restored, only when the time without grazing is limited.
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Diversity increases productivity
b
b
b
a
b
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
5 11 13 25 brakklagt (15) Antall plantearter
Biomasse (g/m2) 1997
1998
Dry matter production in a grassland increase when number of species is high, also higher levels of N and P in soil and higher levels of microbial C and N. (S.S.Dhillion)
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Activities in the National PGR-program
Registration and evaluation of grasslands in three counties:
•Species present, edaphic/climatic conditions
•Agricultural history and future plans for the fields
•Evaluate how existing grants/subsidies can be used to encourage continued farming
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Recommendations
• Maintain habitats in different regions (altitude, climate etc.) to conserve the diversity within species
• Necessary to continue the agricultural practices that has created the genotypes
• Use grants and regulations to encourage farmers to continue traditional farming methods
• Establish ex-situ seed collections as security means• Develop farming methods which combine new
technology/economic conditions with the aim of maintaining genetic diversity in grasslands
• Chose a limited number of valuable grasslands for continued farming in the National Program
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Use of fields near museums etc. to maintain traditional farming methods and genetic variation within species
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Acheivements and further work:
1. Handbook in evaluation of grasslands, recommendations for further farming and use of subsidies.
2. Recommendations to the ministry to adapt subsidies and regulations to the aim of maintenance of Plant Genetic Resources.
3. Extended registration/evaluation of grasslands to the entire country in cooperation with regional/local agricultural authorities.