Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Riverine wood-pasture responds to grazing decline

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Ecological Research

Abstract

There is insufficient available information on structural changes within wood-pastures including their relationship to abiotic influences such as livestock grazing, flooding and available soil nutrients. In this paper, we address the links between important environmental variables and different stages of the wood-pasture cycle, with the aim of understanding fluctuations in this relationship and processes that follow changes in wood-pasture condition. We used satellite and aerial image interpretation to identify structural vegetation shifts over 44 years under significantly declining livestock numbers. We used ground truthing of 24 plots to assess the current field scenario and employed canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to evaluate the relationship between plant communities and environmental influences. Three dominant structural vegetation types grassland, transitional vegetation with thorny shrubs and woody encroachment were surveyed and the following set of variables was chosen: grazing intensity, inundation frequency, elevation, soil total nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, soil potassium, soil magnesium, soil calcium, soil pH and soil carbon to nitrogen ratio. Interpretation of satellite images revealed dominance of wood-pasture in the past, which alternated structurally between more open and more closed physiognomies. CCA with ground truthing data and forward selection revealed grazing intensity as the predominant ecological driver modifying vegetation structure, as well as transitioning vegetation patterns between open herbaceous and closed woody cover. Each structural vegetation type demonstrated a collective distribution pattern and a close relationship to certain abiotic drivers, indicating strong interactions between soil parameters, grazing pressure and vegetation composition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams WM, Perrow M (1999) Scientific and institutional constraints on the restoration of European floodplains. In: Marriott SB, Alexander J (ed) Floodplains: Interdisciplinary Approaches. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 163: 89-97

  • Adler PB, Raff DA, Lauenroth WK (2001) The effect of grazing on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation. Oecologia 128:465–479

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • AOAC (2000) Official methods of analysis, 17th edn. Gaithersburg, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  • Augustine DJ, McNaughton SJ (1998) Ungulate effects on the functional species composition of plant communities: herbivore selectivity and plant tolerance. J Wildl Manag 62:1165–1183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD, Wardle DA (2003) Herbivoremediated linkages between aboveground and belowground communities. Ecology 84:2258–2268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baron VS, Dick AC, Mapfumo E, Malhi SS, Naeth MA, Chanasyuk DS (2001) Grazing impacts on soil nitrogen and phosphorus under Parkland pastures. J Range Manag 54:704–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beltman B, Willems JH, Güsewell S (2007) Flood events overrule fertiliser effects on biomass production and species richness in riverine grasslands. J Veg Sci 18:625–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergmeier E, Roellig M (2014) Diversity, threats and conservation of European wood pastures. In: Hartel T, Plieninger T (eds) European wood pastures in transition. Routledge, Oxon, pp 19–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergmeier E, Petermann J, Schröder E (2010) Geobotanical survey of wood-pasture habitats in Europe: diversity, threats and conservation. Biodivers Conserv 19:2995–3014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borrow NJ (1967) Some aspects on the effects of grazing on the nutrition of pastures. J Aust Inst Agric Sci 33:254–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowman WD, Gartner JR, Holland K, Wiedermann M (2006) Nitrogen critical loads for alpine vegetation and terrestrial ecosystem response: are we there yet? Ecol Appl 16:1183–1193

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braakhekke WG, Hooftman DAP (1999) The resource balance hypothesis of plant species diversity in grassland. J Veg Sci 10:187–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun-Blanquet J (1964) Pflanzensoziologie: Grundzuge der Vegetationskunde. Springer, Wien

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Briske DD, Fuhlendorf SD, Smeins FE (2003) Vegetation dynamics on rangelands: a critique of the current paradigms. J Appl Ecol 40:601–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carboni M, Dengler J, Mantilla-Contreras J, Venn S, Torok P (2015) Conservation value, management and restoration of Europe’s semi-natural open landscapes. Hacquetia 14:5–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christine JS, McCarthy BC (2005) Relationship of understory diversity to soil nitrogen, topographic variation and stand age in an eastern Oak forest, USA. For Ecol Manag 217:229–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cízková H, Kvet J, Comín F, Laiho R, Pokorný J, Pithart D (2013) Actual state of European wetlands and their possible future in the context of global climate change. Aquat Sci 75:3–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dangol DR, Shivakoti GP (2001) Species composition and dominance of plant communities in western Chitwan, Nepal. Nepal J Sci Technol 3:69–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk S (2014) Wood-pastures as reservoirs for invertebrates. In: Hartel T, Plieninger T (eds) European wood-pastures in transition: a social-ecological approach. Earthscan, London, pp 132–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillet F (2008) Modelling vegetation dynamics in heterogeneous pasture-woodland landscapes. Ecol Model 217:1–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Good JEG, Bryant R, Carlill P (1990) Distribution, longevity and survival of upland hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) scrub in North Wales in relation to sheep grazing. J Appl Ecol 27:272–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grime JP (1974) Vegetation classification by reference to strategies. Nature 250:26–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulan LJ, Milenković B, Stajić J, Vucković B, Krstić D, Zeremski T, Ninkov J (2013) Correlation between radioactivity levels and heavy metal content in the soils of the North Kosovska Mitrovica environment. Environ Sci Proc Impacts 15:1735–1742

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Güsewell S (2004) N:P ratios in terrestrial plants:variation and functional significance. New Phytol 164:243–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Güsewell S, Koerselman W, Verhoeven JTA (2003) Biomass N:P ratios as indicators of nutrient limitation for plant populations in wetlands. Ecol Appl 13:372–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hampicke U (2006) Efficient conservation in Europe’s agricultural countryside—rationale, methods and policy reorientation. Outlook Agric 35:97–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartel T, Plieninger T, Varga A (2014) Wood pastures in Europe. In: Hartel T, Plieninger T (eds) European wood pastures in transition. Routledge, Oxon, pp 61–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Heinscha FA, Heilman JL, McInnesb BK, Cobosc DR, Zubererb DA, Roelked DL (2004) Carbon dioxide exchange in a high marsh on the Texas Gulf Coast: effects of freshwater availability. Agric For Meteorol 125:159–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendricks HH, Bond WJ, Midgley JJ, Novellie PA (2005) Plant species richness and composition along livestock grazing intensity gradients in a Namaqualand (South Africa) protected area. Plant Ecol 176:19–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isermann M (2005) Soil pH and species diversity in coastal dunes. Plant Ecol 178:111–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joyce C (2001) The sensitivity of a species-rich flood-meadow plant community to fertilizer nitrogen: the Lužnice river floodplain, Czech Republic. Plant Ecol 155:47–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaim D, Kozak J, Kolecka N, Ziółkowska E, Ostafin K, Ostapowicz K, Gimmi U, Munteanu C, Radeloff VC (2016) Broad scale forest cover reconstruction from historical topographic maps. Appl Geogr 67:39–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalusova V, Le Duc MG, Gilbert JC, Lawson CS, Gowing DJG, Marrs RH (2009) Determining the important environmental variables controlling plant species community composition in mesotrophic grasslands in Great Britain. Appl Veg Sci 12:459–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003) Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Li W, Xiao-Jing L, Khan MA, Gul B (2008) Relationship between soil characteristics and halophytic vegetation in coastal region of North China. Pak J Bot 40:1081–1090

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzo M, Michelea S, Sebastian K, Johannes I, Angelod P (2007) Effects of local factors on plant species richness and composition of Alpine meadows. Agric Ecosyst Environ 119:281–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning AD, Fischer J, Lindenmayer DB (2009) Scattered trees are keystone structures—implications for conservation. Biol Conserv 132:311–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews BW, Sollenberger LE, Nair VD, Staples CR (1993) Impact of grazing management on soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur distribution. J Environ Qual 23:1006–1013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews BW, Sollenberger LE, Nkedi-Kizza P, Gaston LA, Hornsby HD (1994) Soil sampling procedures for monitoring potassium distribution in grazed pastures. Agron J 86:121–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton SJ, Banyikwa FF, McNaughton MM (1997) Promotion of the cycling of diet-enhancing nutrients by African grazers. Science 278:1798–1800

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Milchunas DG, Vandever MW (2014) Grazing effects on plant community succession of early- and mid-seral seeded grassland compared to shortgrass steppe. J Veg Sci 25:22–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milchunas DG, Sala OE, Lauenroth WK (1988) A generalized model of the effects of grazing by large herbivores on grassland community structure. Am Nat 132:87–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller KR (1996) Conserving biodiversity in managed landscapes. In: Szaro RC, Johnston DW (eds) Biodiversity in managed landscapes: theory and practice. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 425–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery DC, Peck EA, Vining GG (2001) Introduction to linear regression analysis, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mubyana T, Krah M, Totolo O, Bonyongo M (2003) Influence of seasonal flooding on soil total nitrogen, organic phosphorus and microbial populations in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. J Arid Environ 54:359–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neter J, Kutner MH, Nachtsheim CJ, Wasserman W (1996) Applied linear regression models, 3rd edn. Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogden RW, Thoms MC, Levings PL (2002) Nutrient limitation of plant growth on the floodplain of the Narran River Australia: growth experiments and a pilot survey. Hydrobiologia 489:277–285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olde Venterink HGM, van der Vliet RE, Wassen MJ (2001) Nutrient limitation along a productivity gradient in wet meadows. Plant Soil 234:171–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olff H, Vera FWM, Bokdam J, Bakker ES, Gleichman JM, de Maeyer K et al (1999) Shifting mosaics in grazed woodland driven by the alteration of plant facilitation and competition. Plant Biol 1:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otypková Z, Chytry M (2006) Effects of plot size on the ordination of vegetation samples. J Veg Sci 17:465–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterken GF, Hughes FMR (1998) Limitations and opportunities for restoring floodplain forest in Britain. In: Bailey RG, Jose PV, Sherwood BR (eds) United Kingdom floodplains. Westbury, Otley, pp 428–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Plieninger T, Hochtl F, Spek T (2006) Traditional land-use and nature conservation in European rural landscapes. Environ Sci Policy 9:317–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plieninger T, Hartel T, Martin-Lopez B, Beaufoy G, Bergmeier E, Kirby K, Jesus Montero M, Moreno G, Oteros-Rozas E, Van Uytvanck J (2015) Wood-pastures of Europe: geographic coverage, social–ecological values, conservation management, and policy implications. Biol Conserv 190:70–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pokorný P, Chytrý M, Juřičková L, Sádlo J, Novák J, Ložek V (2015) Mid-Holocene bottleneck for central European dry grasslands: did steppe survive the forest optimum in northern Bohemia, Czech Republic? Holocene 25:716–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prach K, Pyšek P, Jarošík V (2007) Climate and pH as determinants of vegetation succession in Central-European human-made habitats. J Veg Sci 18:701–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek M, Richardson DM, Higgins SI, Pitcairn MJ, Grotkopp E (2005) Ecology of invasive plants: state of the art. In: Mooney HA, Mack RN, McNeely JA, Neville LE, Schei PJ, Waage JK (eds) Invasive alien species: a new synthesis. Island Press, Washington DC, pp 104–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren GH, Shang ZH, Long RJ, Hou Y, Deng B (2013) The relationship of vegetation and soil differentiation during the formation of black-soil-type degraded meadows in the headwater of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Environ Earth Sci 69:235–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robert J, Dalling JW, Harms KE, Yavitt JB, Stallard RF, Mirabello M, Hubbell SP, Valencia R, Navarrete H, Vallejo M, Foster RB (2007) Soil nutrients influence spatial distributions of tropical tree species. P Natl Acad Sci Biol 104:864–869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roos L, Kuijpers L, Peters Roy CJH, Lamers Leon PM, Roelofs Jan GM (2009) Nutrient limitation along eutrophic rivers? Roles of N, P and K input in a species-rich floodplain hay meadow. Appl Veg Sci 12:362–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Semmartin M, Di Bella C, de Salamone IG (2010) Grazing-induced changes in plant species composition affect plant and soil properties of grassland mesocosms. Plant Soil 328:471–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sims JT (1986) Soil pH effects on the distribution and plant availability of manganese, copper, and zinc. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:367–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smit C, Vandenberghe C, Den Ouden J, Mueller-Schaerer H (2007) Nurse plants, tree saplings and grazing pressure: changes in facilitation along a biotic environmental gradient. Oecologia 152:265–273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sollins P (1998) Factors influencing species composition in tropical lowland rain forest: does soil matter? Ecology 79:23–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart RE, Kantrud HA (1972) Vegetation of prairie potholes, North Dakota in relation to quality of water and other environmental factors. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 585-D, Washington DC, USA

  • Teague WR, Dowhower SL, Baker SA, Haile N, DeLaune PB, Conover DM (2011) Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. Agric Ecosyst Environ 141:310–322

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (2002) CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user’s guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, New York, USA

  • Tilman D (1987) Secondary succession and the pattern of plant dominance along experimental nitrogen gradients. Ecol Monogr 57:189–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Olff H (1991) An experimental study of the effects of pH and nitrogen on grassland vegetation. Acta Oecol 12:427–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsheboeng G, Bonyongo M, Murray-Hudson M (2014) Flood variation and soil nutrient content in floodplain vegetation communities in the Okavango Delta. S Afr J Sci 110:3–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tzialla CE, Veresoglou DS, Papakosta D, Mamolos AP (2005) Changes in soil characteristics and plant species composition along a moisture gradient in a Mediterranean pasture. J Environ Manag 80:90–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Oorschot M, Hayes C, Van Strien I (1998) The influence of soil desiccation on plant production, nutrient uptake and plant nutrient availability in two French floodplain grasslands. River Res Appl 14:313–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Uytvanck J, Verheyen K (2014) Grazing as a tool for wood pasture restoration and management. In: Hartel T, Plieninger T (eds) European wood pastures in transition. Routledge, Oxon, pp 149–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Veen GF, Blair J, Smith M, Collins S (2008) Influence of grazing and fire frequency on small scale plant community structure and resource variability in native tallgrass prairie. Oikos 117:859–866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vera WM (2000) Grazing ecology and forest history. CAB International, Wallingford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vos W, Meekes H (1999) Trends in European cultural landscape development: perspectives for a sustainable future. Landsc Urban Plan 46:3–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wassen MJ, Peeters WHM, Olde Venterink H (2002) Patterns in vegetation, hydrology, and nutrient availability in an undisturbed river floodplain in Poland. Plant Ecol 165:27–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei L, Hai-Zhou H, Zhi-Nan Z, Gao-Lin W (2011) Effects of grazing on the soil properties and C and N storage in relation to biomass allocation in an alpine meadow. J Soil Sci Plant Nut 11:27–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West CP, Mallarino AP, Wedin WF, Marx DB (1989) Spatial variability of soil chemical properties in grazed pastures. Soil Sci Soc Am J 53:784–789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westoby M (1989) Selective forces exerted by vertebrate herbivores on plants. Trends Ecol Evol 4:115–117

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xiaolong W, Jingyi H, Ligang X, Rongrong W, Yuwei C (2014) Soil characteristics in relation to vegetation communities in the Wetlands of Poyang Lake, China. Wetlands 34:829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yajing W, Fangqing C, Miao Z, Shaohua C, Xiangqian T, Meng L, Zhihua H (2017) The effects of the reverse seasonal flooding on soil texture within the hydro-fluctuation belt in the Three Gorges reservoir. J Soils Sediments, China. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1725-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshihara Y, Ohkuro T, Buuveibaatar B, Jamsran U, Takeuchi K (2010) Spatial pattern of grazing affects influence of herbivores on spatial heterogeneity of plants and soils. Oecologia 162:427–434

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia within the research project 43002: Biosensing Technologies and Global System for Long-Term Research and Integrated Management of Ecosystems and the project “Geotransformation of Vojvodina in the function of regional development (project number 114-451-2080/2016) of the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Vojvodina Autonomous Province.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Dušanka Krašić & Tijana Nikolić

  2. Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Elli Groner

  3. Department of Geography Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Minucsér Mészáros

  4. Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Dimitrije Radišić, Dubravka Milić & Ante Vujić

  5. Laboratory for Soil and Agroecology, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Stanko Milić

  6. Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Marko Kebert & Zoran Galić

Authors
  1. Dušanka Krašić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elli Groner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Minucsér Mészáros
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tijana Nikolić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dimitrije Radišić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Stanko Milić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Marko Kebert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Dubravka Milić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Ante Vujić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Zoran Galić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dušanka Krašić.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Krašić, D., Groner, E., Mészáros, M. et al. Riverine wood-pasture responds to grazing decline. Ecol Res 33, 213–223 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-017-1540-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-017-1540-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation