Responses of Diversity and Productivity to Organo-Mineral Fertilizer Inputs in a High-Natural-Value Grassland, Transylvanian Plain, Romania

Abstract

Ecosystems with high natural value (HNV) have generally been maintained by agricultural practices and are increasingly important for the ecosystem services that they provide and for their socio-economic impact in the ever-changing context. Biodiversity conservation is one of the main objectives of the European Green Deal, which aims to address biodiversity loss, including the potential extinction of one million species. The aim of this research was to trace the effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on the floristic composition, but also on the number of species, of the grasslands with high biodiversity (HNV) from the Transylvanian Plain, Romania. The experiments were established in 2018 on the nemoral area and analyzed the effect of a gradient of five organic and mineral treatments. Fertilization with 10 t ha−1 manure or N50 P25K25 ensures an increase in yield and has a small influence on diversity, and it could be a potential strategy for the maintenance and sustainable use of HNV grasslands. Each fertilization treatment determined species with indicator value that are very useful in the identification and management of HNV grasslands. The dry matter biomass increases proportionally as the amounts of fertilizer applied increase and the number of species decreases.

Ecological, Agronomic and Anthropogenic Characterization of the Habitat 62C0* Ponto-Sarmatian Steppes in the North of Dobrogea (Romania)

“…In the central tendency parameters included those processes provide a representative value (central) measured for the data stream. Currently, in Romania, specialists are trying to assess the management of high-biodiversity (HNV) grasslands with the help of species with indicator value and to draw up a list of species taking into account the stationary conditions and the intensity of the management used (Vaida et al, 2021;Gaga et al, 2022). There are three estimators that can be used for this purpose: the mean, median and module.…”

“…The highest indicator value (INDVAL) has the species Cynodon dactylon (85,7), followed by Achillea pannonica (59) and Plantago lanceolata (51,6). The lowest indicator value, below 50%, the species have its Artemisia austriaca (48,7), Bromus tectorum (32,8) and Carduus nutans (18). The low indicator value of these species is determined by the presence of the species and in the other phytocenoses.…”

“…The highest indicator value in the floristic composition of this type of grasslands (INDVAL) it has a species Stipa capillata (85,5). The lowest indicator value, below 50%, is the species Agropyron cristatus (30,8), Alyssum alyssoides (23,1) and Potentilla erecta (23,1). The habitat 62C0* Stepe ponto sarmatice is dominated by vegetal associations with Festuca valesiaca, Chrysopogon gryllus, Dichanthium ischaemum, Stipa capillata, Stipa tirsa (Anastasiu et al, 2008).…”

Optimization of Nitrogen Nutrition of Phytocenosis of the Middle Mountains of Dagestan

“…Применение удобрений необходимо и для повышения продуктивности пастбищ и сенокосов. Основным способом повышения продуктивности естественных фитоценозов, в первую очередь сенокосов, является применение азотных удобрений [3][4][5].…”