Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Changes in management modify agro-diversity in sainfoin swards in the Eastern Pyrenees

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Agronomy for Sustainable Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Management affects ecosystem structure in many ways. Structural changes in ecosystems, including shifts in vegetation composition and species diversity, will affect the goods and services provided at ecosystem and regional scales. This is relevant for agricultural production and agro-biodiversity preservation in the context of management changes currently occurring in many regions. We sampled 39 sainfoin swards in the Eastern Pyrenees to assess changes in vegetation structure with sward management and evaluated how those changes might sustain agro-diversity regionally. Three sward managements coexist in the region: (a) mown plus sheep-grazed, (b) mown plus cattle-grazed and (c) only mown. Plant species composition and richness, and various biomass variables were estimated at peak biomass on swards with the three managements and different ages. We used a synchronic approach to study time effects, in which swards of different ages are sampled simultaneously, in a space by time substitution. Multivariate analysis and similarity indices revealed strong shifts in vegetation composition with management, enhanced with sward age, when the suppressive effect of sown on unsown plants relaxed. Generally, plant species richness increased with time. Old mown swards showed the highest number of species per plot (34 in 4 m2). Cattle-grazed swards showed the highest within- and between-treatment vegetation dissimilarity with time. Biomass variables responded mainly to time effects, but total aboveground biomass decreased with unsown species and increased with species richness depending on management. Thus, the diversity of managements modified the expected outcome in local and regional agro-diversity and sward structure. Our results are novel because they demonstrate strong effects of grazing by different animals on local and regional agro-diversity and herbage composition in those ephemeral legume-based forage systems. Farmers and managers should take into account those shifts in order to achieve agricultural goals, including agro-diversity conservation and sustainable forage production at ecosystem and regional scales.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bakker ES, Ritchie ME, Olff H, Milchunas DG, Knops JM (2006) Herbivore impact on grassland plant diversity depends on habitat productivity and herbivore size. Ecol Lett 9:780–788

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chassagne J, Chambon J (1993) Le sainfoin: une légumineuse pour les sols de Causse. Application à la région agricole de Gramat et de Lomogne, Fourrages 134:177–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Cingolani AM, Noy-Meier I, Diaz S (2005) Grazing effects on rangeland diversity: a synthesis of contemporary models. Ecol Appl 15:757–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clergue B, Amiaud B, Pervanchon F, Lasserre-Joulin F, Plantureux S (2005) Biodiversity: function and assessment in agricultural areas. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 25:1–15. doi:10.1051/agro:2004049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Common TG, Wright IA, Grant SA (1998) The effect of grazing by cattle on animal performance and floristic composition in Nardus-dominated swards. Grass Forage Sci 53:260–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Bello F, Thuiller W, Lepš J, Choler P, Clément J-C, Macek P, Sebastià M-T, Lavorel S (2009) Partitioning of functional diversity reveals the scale and extent of trait convergence and divergence. J Veg Sci 20:475–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • del Pozo M, Osoro K, Celaya R (1998) Effects of complementary grazing by goats on sward composition and on sheep performance managed during lactation in perennial ryegrass and white clover pastures. Small Ruminant Research 29:173–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado I, Andrés C, Sin E, Ochoa MJ (2005) Current state of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) in Spain. Agricultura Revista Agropecuaria 74:146–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer M, Wipf S (2002) Effect of low-intensity grazing on the species-rich vegetation of traditionally mown subalpine meadows. Biol Conserv 104:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant SA, Torvell L, Sim EM, Small JL, Armstrong RH (1996) Controlled grazing studies on Nardus grassland. I. Effects of between tussock sward height and species of grazer on Nardus utilisation and floristic composition in two fields in Scotland. J Appl Ecol 33:1053–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guretzky JA, Moore KJ, Burras CL, Brummer EC (2007) Plant species richness in relation to pasture position, management, and scale. Agric Ecosyst Environ 122:387–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson M, Fogelfors H (2000) Management of a semi-natural grassland: results from a 15-year-old experiment in southern Sweden. J Veg Sci 11:31–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirwan L, Lüscher A, Sebastià MT, Finn JA, Collins RP, Porqueddu C, Helgadottir A, Baadshaug OH, Brophy C, Coran C, Dalmannsdóttir S, Delgado I, Elgersma A, Fothergill M, Frankow-Lindberg BE, Golinski P, Grieu P, Gustavsson AM, Höglind M, Huguenin-Elie O, Iliadis C, Jørgensen M, Kadziuliene Z, Karyotis T, Lunnan T, Malengier M, Maltoni S, Meyer V, Nyfeler D, Nykanen-Kurki P, Parente J, Smit HJ, Thumm U, Connolly J (2007) Evenness drives consistent diversity effects in an agronomic system across 28 European sites. J Ecol 95:530–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lithourgidis AS, Dhima KV, Vasilakoglou IB, Dordas CA, Yiakoulaki MD (2007) Sustainable production of barley and wheat by intercropping common vetch. Agron Sustain Dev 27:95–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marriott CA, Carrère P (1998) Structure and dynamics of grazed vegetation. Ann Zootech 47:359–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matejkova I, van Diggelen R, Prach K (2003) An attempt to restore a central European species-rich mountain grassland through grazing. Appl Veg Sci 6:161–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Mellado M, Rodríguez A, Villarreal J, Rodríguez R, Salinas J, López R (2004) Gender and tooth wear effects on diets of grazing goats. Small Ruminant Research 57:105–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson E, Mendoza G, Regetz J, Polasky S, Tallis H, Cameron DR, Chan MKA, Daily GC, Goldstein J, Kareiva PM, Lonsdorf E, Naidoo R, Ricketts TH, Shaw MR (2009) Modeling multiple ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, commodity production, and tradeoffs at landscape scales. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7:4–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pakeman RJ (2004) Consistency of plant species and trait responses to grazing along a productivity gradient: a meta-analysis. J Ecol 92:893–905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pärtel M (2002) Local plant diversity patterns and evolutionary history at the regional scale. Ecology 83:2361–2366

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlů V, Hejcman M, Pavlů L, Gaisler J, Nežerková P (2006) Effect of continuous grazing on forage quality, quantity and animal performance. Agric Ecosyst Environ 113:349–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickett STA (1989) Space-for-time substitutions as an alternative to long-term studies. In: Likens GE (ed) Long-term studies in ecology. Springer, New York, pp 110–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Quétier F, Téebault A, Lavorel S (2007) Plant traits in a state and transition framework as markers of ecosystem response to land-use change. Ecol Monogr 77:33–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rook AJ, Dumont B, Isselstein J, Osoro K, Wallis-DeVries MF, Parente G, Mills J (2004) Matching type of livestock to desired biodiversity outcomes in pastures: a review. Biol Conserv 119:137–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson MA, Skinner RH, Barker DJ, Edwards GR, Tracy BF, Wedin DA (2004) Plant species diversity and management of temperate forage and grazing land ecosystems. Crop Sci 44:1132–1144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sebastià MT (2004) Role of topography and soils in grassland structuring at the landscape and community scales. Basic Appl Ecol 5:331–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sebastià MT, de Bello F, Puig L, Taull M (2008) Grazing as a factor structuring grasslands in the Pyrenees. Appl Veg Sci 11:215–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Semelová V, Hejcmanb M, Pavlůc V, Vaceka S, Podrázskýa V (2008) The grass garden in the Giant Mts. (Czech Republic): residual effect of long-term fertilization after 62 years. Agric Ecosyst Environ 123:337–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thein S, Roscher C, Schulze E-D (2008) Effects of trait plasticity on aboveground biomass production depend on species identity in experimental grasslands. Basic Appl Ecol 9:475–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zobel M, Öpik M, Moora M, Pärtel M (2006) Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: it is time for dispersal experiments. J Veg Sci 17:543–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the farmers in the study area for their help during the development of this work. A. Michelena and I. Delgado provided useful information about sainfoin in the Pyrenees. Useful comments by three anonymous reviewers, the field editor and the Editor-in-Chief, E. Lichtfouse, contributed significantly to the improvement of the paper. The CARBOPAS (REN2002-04300-C02-01 and 02) and the CARBOAGROPAS (CGL2006-13555-C03-01/BOS) projects from the Spanish Science Foundation (FECYT), the Dept. Agricultura (DAR) and the Dept. Treball of the Catalan Government, the Fundació Territori i Paisatge (FTiP) and the I3A-5-147-E project of the EU INTERREG III-A program contributed with funding.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Noemí Palero

    Present address: Centre de la Propietat Forestal (CPF) Torreferrusa, Ctra de Sabadell a Santa Perpètua, Km 4.5, 08130, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain

  2. Francesco de Bello

    Present address: Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Pujada del Seminari s/n, 25280, Solsona, Spain

    Maria-Teresa Sebastià, Noemí Palero & Francesco de Bello

  2. Agricultural Engineering School, University of Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Maria-Teresa Sebastià

Authors
  1. Maria-Teresa Sebastià
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Noemí Palero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Francesco de Bello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria-Teresa Sebastià.

About this article

Cite this article

Sebastià, MT., Palero, N. & de Bello, F. Changes in management modify agro-diversity in sainfoin swards in the Eastern Pyrenees. Agronomy Sust. Developm. 31, 533–540 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0008-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0008-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation