The Plant Species Composition of an Abandoned Meadow as an Element of an Ecosystem Mosaic within an Urban-Industrial Landscape

Agnieszka Błońska, Damian Chmura, Agnieszka Hutniczak, Zbigniew Wilczek, Jacek Jarosz, Lynn Besenyei and Gabriela Woźniak ()
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Agnieszka Błońska: Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellońska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
Damian Chmura: Institute of Environmental Protection and Engineering, Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, 2 Willowa Street, 43-309 Bielsko-Biała, Poland
Agnieszka Hutniczak: Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellońska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
Zbigniew Wilczek: Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellońska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
Jacek Jarosz: The Division of Mineral Resources Acquisition, The Department of Minerals and Energy Market Research, Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 7A J. Wybickiego Street, 31-261 Kraków, Poland
Lynn Besenyei: Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
Gabriela Woźniak: Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 28 Jagiellońska Street, 40-032 Katowice, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: The absence of traditional management in grasslands is responsible for the consequent changes in plant community species composition and diversity of this habitat in Europe. The common reason for these changes is the spread of expansive native species such as Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth and their subsequent dominance over other component species. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of management treatments (e.g., mowing, harvesting biomass) and their frequency of application (e.g., once or twice a year) on the cover abundance of C. epigejos (L.) Roth and the subsequent changes in component grassland species richness and diversity (Shannon–Wiener index) of an abandoned meadow in Silesia in S. Poland. A difference in species richness was found after five years of mowing, but an increase in species diversity appeared only after seven years of the treatments. Significant increases in species richness and Shannon–Wiener index and a significant decrease in cover abundance of C. epigejos (L.) Roth were recorded after different periods and for different treatments.

Keywords: meadow; meadow management; plant diversity; enhancement of biodiversity; cutting frequency; biomass removal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11851-:d:920178

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