Effects of low-input management on the biodiversity of a Festuca valesiaca L. grassland

摘要

Grassland biodiversity is affected by multiple factors including natural or anthropogenic actions. The alteration of natural agricultural ecosystems through modern agriculture as well as climate changes and environmental pressures has led to a seriesof changes in grassland biodiversity. The interest in immediate economic benefits of intensive, high-input agricultural systems, lacking any consideration for long-term environmental negative effects, raises the question of an alternative solution of low-input management of grasslands with reduced environmental impact. This paper aims to indicate the effect of reduced-input management on phyto-diversity of a Festuca valesiaca L.-dominated meadow from the Moldavian sylvosteppe. We used PC-ORD software with the MRPP method and Multidimensional Scaling NMS Autopilot for the interpretation of the floristic data. The greatest differences between treatments were registered between the plot fertilized with 10 t ha~(-1) cattle manure annually combined with mineral N_(50+5o) P72 kg ha~(-1) (V3) compared with the plot fertilized with 40 t ha~(-1) manure every three years combined with mineral + N_(50+50) P_(72) kg ha~(-1) (V9), P<0.05. The botanical composition of these two plots was heterogeneous (A = 0.4843).The obtained results have shown that the positive effects of mineral and organic inputs have a positive effect on maintaining and improving grassland biodiversity.