Dr. Matthias Dolek

www.Geyer-und-Dolek.de

Lessons learned from

Grassland Management

in Bavaria

www.anl.bayern.de

Landscape Management Concept

Landschaftspflegekonzept (LPK)

Published by ANL 1994-1998 in 20 Volumes

Summarizes information on important habitats

and their conservation

E.g. calcareous grasslands, ponds, dams, dikes,

and railway lines

Here: Summary on grassland habitats

Plus: additional information

Buckelwiesen („humpy meadows“)

Typical habitat of alpine region, restricted to valleys, where ice age glaciers were and strong föhn winds occur

Modelled by glaciers and especially by following frost and karst processes

Calcareous grassland, small scale mix with plant species of acidic soils and fens

photos: left: Landschaftpflegekonzept, right: www.tagschmetterlinge.de; source: LPK

Buckelwiesen („humpy meadows“)

Argynnis niobe, Melitaea aurelia,

Polyommatus dorylas source: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Wiesmahdhänge – mown grassland on slopes

Habitat similar to humpy meadows

More or less steep slopes

Calcareous grassland with fen species in wet parts

Comparison of traditional mowing and grazing

photo: www.tagschmetterlinge.de; source LPK

Butterfly Transects on calcareous

grassland slopes (Wiesmahdhänge)

Similar results for species composition and rare

species, but consider single species and grazing

intensity

transect length (m)

spec

ies

nu

mb

er grazed

mown

abandoned

source: Dolek & Geyer 1997

Example Carcharodus flocciferus

comparison of egg-density of one grazed, one early mown (before flight period) and one late mown (after flight period) site

summer mowing could be a key factor for the unusually high density of C. flocciferus on the studied meadows

source: Dolek & Geyer 1997

Egg density (mean ±SE) of C. flocciferus

Numbers indicate n of each group

(Mann-Whitney U-tests:

early mown – grazed (***) U56.5, p,0.1%;

early mown – late mown (***) U58.5, p,0.1%).

Management Recommendations

humpy meadows and steep slopes

Date of mowing extremely relevant

In general between 15. July and 15. August

Keep low cover of grasses of fallows (<20%) and tall

herbs, Trifolio-Geranietea (<10%)

Controlled fallow (10-30%, 3 years, 2y mown).

Fringes mown every 3-5y, parts mown in autumn

On humid sites with Molinion species mowing 1

month later

On sites with eutrophication mowing before 15. July

Consider extremely rare species & phenology

Dry the cut material on site source: LPK

Structural diversity on wet meadows and

litter meadows Standard procedure: mowing in summer or autumn

Examples Lycaena helle and Boloria eunomia

Both species inhabit short-time fallows of wet meadows and litter meadows

L. helle usually in forest vicinity and forest gaps

Required features: Short-time abandoned grasslands

Larval food-plant Bistorta officinalis abundant

L. helle possibly single shrubs and trees as wind protection

Management: Mowing only sectoral and only in autumn

Rotational Management of wet meadows, maintaining different successional stages

Depending on productivity, long-time fallows are suboptimal

Rare example: extensive cattle grazing

photo: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Structural Diversity on alpine pastures

Parnassius apollo und Maculinea arion breeding habitats Larval food-plants Sedum album (P. apollo) and Thymus sp. (M. arion)

Both occur regularly on rocks and heaps of stones on the pastures

Loss of habitats by small changes Removal of rocks and heaps of stones

Manure applied across rocks within pastures by improved access

Keep structural diversity, even of superficially unimportant features

photos: www.hoernerdoerfer.de/naturpark-nagelfluhkette

Structural Diversity on alpine pastures

Example Polyommatus dorylas

Typical habitats: south-exposed steep slopes Extremely steep, thus little grazed by cattle

Low-growing calcareous grassland

Open soil by cattle trampling and slides where the larval food-plant Anthyllis vulneraria grows

Maintaining habitats with open nutrient-poor soil by: Extensive grazing in steep slopes

Mechanical management: Removal of top soil layer

photo: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Forest-Grassland-Ecotones

Argynnis niobe

Nutrient-poor, xeric or slightly humid grasslands in forest gaps or in vicinity to forests

Large area needed

Extensive cattle grazing or summer mowing (one cut) are possible

Lopinga achine

Forest with low cover of about 40%, slightly humid, dense grass layer, nutrient-poor

Dependant on dynamic processes, such as difficult edaphic and topographic conditions, wildungulates, grazing cattle

Grazing intensity has to maintain open structure and dense grass layer

Forest grazing – conflicts of interest T

ree

den

sity

Grazing intensity

Protective forest

Forest grazing

None / low high

light

den

se

Fotos: www.waldwissen.net (links), www.bildungsserver.de (rechts); Königer et al

Forest grazing – conflicts of interest T

ree

den

sity

Grazing intensity

Forestry

-Productivity

-re-growth, young trees

-protective function Conservation

-natural

-half-open landscape

-habitat mosaic Mountain Farmers

-summer pasture

-nutrient-rich feeding

-health of livestock

-Quality of meat/milk

None / low high

light

den

se

parameter pasture grazed forest ungrazed forest

Protection against

avalanches

Water holding

function

biodiversity

Rare species

Forest grazing – ecological features

Grazed forest as habitat of endangered species

black grouse (www.bund.net)

Lopinga achine

Boloria euphrosyne

Vipera berus (www.wikipedia)

Conclusions

LPK may serve as a model to summarize

management information

Habitat types do not always cover zoologically

important features

Heterogenity of land-use is always important

Traditional land-use is a good baseline

New impacts (e.g. nutrient input) have to be

considered additionally

Do not forget mixed habitats and short-time

fallow land

Thank you

for your

attention!

Lebensraum Fluss-Schotterflur

(Tagfalteratlas)

Polyommatus bellargus, Spialia sertorius, Boloria

thore, Maculinea arion, Lasiommata petropolitana

source: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Verzahnung von Bergwald, Vorwaldstadien,

Magerrasen und Fels- und Schuttfluren

Erebia oeme, Lasiommata petropolitana, Melitaea phoebe, Pyrgus andromedae, Parnassius mnemosyne

source: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Lebensraum Bergwald

(Tagfalteratlas)

Boloria euphrosyne, Lasiommata maera, Nymphalis antiopa, Euphydryas aurinia

source: Tagfalter in Bayern (2013)

Lichtungsreiche, weidegeprägte Schneeheide-

Kiefernwälder

Vorkommen: Alpentalräume und Alpenvorland

Kennzeichnend ist eine innige Durchdringung und räumliche

Verzahnung floristisch und strukturell sehr heterogener

Vegetationsformationen.

Hervorgerufen wird diese Heterogenität durch einen

kleinräumig oft scharfen Wechsel der Relief- und

Substrateigenschaften.

Fotos: links/mitte: www.tagschmetterlinge.de; rechts: Landschaftspflegekonzept