Changes in the Diversity of Dry Calcareous Grasslands After Abandonment of Traditional Management in Devínska Kobyla National Nature Reserve (Southwestern Slovakia, Central Europe)

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study is focused on the evaluation of the values of the diversity indices of semi-natural dry calcareous grasslands of the <jats:italic>Festuco-Brometea</jats:italic> class in the area of Devínska Kobyla National Nature Reserve 50 years after abandonment of traditional management (grazing and mowing). The values of the species richness, the Shannon–Wiener index of diversity, the Simpson index, and Pielou’s measure of species evenness in the communities in the old and recent data, and the values of the environmental variables based on the Ellenberg indicator values of species were analyzed. For most of these analyses, we used Kruskal–Wallis in R 3.5.1. Compared to the past, we have recorded a significant lower values of the species richness, biodiversity, and species evenness in some communities. In some communities, no significant changes were recorded. Only in one community—<jats:italic>Poo badensis</jats:italic>-<jats:italic>Festucetum pallentis</jats:italic>, the higher values of Shannon–Wiener index was recorded compared to the past. The analysis of the Ellenberg indicator values revealed a statistically significant higher Ellenberg indicator values for moisture and nutrients and lower values for light in more recent period compared to the old period. The recorded results could be caused by the changes in the management after the year 1965, after abandonment of grazing and the gradual overgrowing by woody species took place in the area. The frequency of occurrence of some woody species (e.g., <jats:italic>Populus alba</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>P. nigra</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Robinia pseudoacacia</jats:italic>) in some communities increased compared to the past.</jats:p>

Ecological Evaluation of Grassland Vegetation in Hodrušská Hornatina Highland

“…According to Galvánek, Lepš (2008), even the temporary abandonment of management activities or incidental or irregular management of productivity can lead to long-term changes in the species composition. Rendeková et al (2020) detected a significant decrease of species richness, diversity and evenness caused by abandonment of traditional land use in calcareous grasslands in Devínska Kobyla. On the other side, intensive management and associated fertilization also have negative effects on diversity (Kidd et al, 2017).…”

Features of Natural Succession of Ex-Arable Forest Steppe Grassland (from Western Romania) under the Influence of Climate

“…Vegetation of a successional grassland has a dynamic structure [ 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ]. Thus, the characterization of the sward with the phytosociological “ association ” concept is not always proper, because it characterizes the ecosystems found in the climax evolutional stage [ 51 ].…”

“…The random intervention with grazing cattle [ 35 , 49 , 56 , 57 ] and minimal maintenance works [ 3 , 58 ] influences intensively the grassland vegetation. The extensive grazing is a major source of propagules of grassland species, useful for the intensification of the succession process of the abandoned arable land to grassland.…”

“…Climate influences grassland vegetation typology and structure [ 49 , 54 ] and the evolution by secondary succession of the abandoned arable land to grassland [ 42 , 45 , 47 , 71 , 72 ]. Air temperature proved to have an impact on biodiversity, there being determined the existence of some correlations, namely a positive one between the air temperature from February and the Shannon index ( r = 0.479 *) and a negative one between the air temperature from September and the Simpson index ( r = −0.498 *).…”

Cropland Abandonment in Slovakia: Analysis and Comparison of Different Data Sources

“…Agricultural land abandonment is a widespread process [1][2][3][4][5][6] that shapes the cultural landscape [7][8][9][10] and has both negative and positive effects. On one hand, abandonment is associated with regional economic and population decline [11], loss of traditional agricultural landscapes [12][13][14][15] and loss of species associated with management practices [16,17]. However, it also has the positive effects of reduced land use intensification, carbon sequestration and increased wilderness biodiversity [18][19][20][21].…”