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<p>The aim of the study was to assess the impact of cut vegetative shoots of chosen lawn grass cultivars of <em>Festuca</em> being left on the lawn sward surface on the species composition, sodding and appearance, and over-wintering of the lawn. The influence of decomposing biomass was studied in a field experiment between 2008 and 2014. Each cultivar was sown as a monoculture on microplots with an area of 1 m². The control consisted of sites from which the cut sward had been removed immediately after cutting.</p><p>The results obtained may indicate an allelopathic effect of the cut sward of the cultivars left on the lawn surfaces. The following had the most negative effects on the species composition of the lawn sward (from greater to lesser negative impact): <em>F. ovina</em> ‘Espro’, <em>F. rubra</em> ‘Areta’, <em>F. arundinacea</em> ‘Asterix’, and <em>F. ovina</em> ‘Pintor’. With the exception of ‘Espro’, these cultivars also limited the presence of dicotyledonous plants in the lawn sward. The cover of dicotyledonous plants and other unsown grasses was also recorded on the sites with <em>F. rubra</em> ‘Olivia’ and ‘Nimba’. The greatest negative influence on the sodding of the lawn swards was demonstrated by the latter <em>F. rubra</em> cultivar, whereas <em>F. ovina</em> ‘Espro’ had the greatest negative influence on the appearance. However, no differences were found in assessments of over-wintering of the cultivars at the study sites. However, taking into account the scale of these impacts on the characteristics evaluated, the cultivars of <em>Festuca</em> species tested can be recommended for extensive use, where a cut sward can be left on the surface of the lawn. Some caution in this respect is recommended when it comes to <em>F. ovina</em> ‘Espro’ and <em>F. rubra</em> ‘Areta’ and ‘Nimba’.</p>

The study objective was to analyze and assess the vegetation changes of the meadows (Mo linio-Arrhenatheretea class) located in the valley of the Bystra River in eastern Poland after a period of 38 years, and to identify the direction of plant communities succession. The studies were conducted in the years 1973 and 2011 on grasslands belonging to farmers. The floristic diversity was identified based on the phytosociological structure and mean number of species calculated based on the number of species in the particular relevés of the phytocenosis under study. The highest frequency of occurrence was demonstrated by the Poa pratensis-Festuca rubra community within which more than half of the patches persisted over the 38-year period. New communities (Scirpetum sylvatici, Alopecuretum pratensis, Lythro-Filipenduletum) appeared after the withdrawal of habitats of the Phragmitetea class, due to the lowering of the groundwater level. A portion of the meadows and pastures were transformed into arable fields, gardens or building plots. Among ecological indicators, the greatest differences were observed in the mean soil moisture values between the two years compared, both for all meadows and the predominant community, which indicates an increase in habitat humidity.