Бобовият компонент на горски садинови ливади в условията на „детелинова година“

Abstract

A study of the species composition, biological, morphological and productive characteristics of the legume component of forest Chrysopogon gryllus meadows a year with high spring moisture availability was conducted. A very high species diversity of leguminous grasses was found - 17 species from 7 genera. Until the mowing of the meadows, a distinct turnover of species and an almost equal total productivity of dry mass from the legume component per ten-day period was observed. Thus, the productivity of fresh and dry mass of the legume component and, accordingly, the nitrogen fixation levels in the orchard meadows have a stable high level until mowing. The annual clovers can be identified as the legume with the strongest response to increasing moisture availability. A high productivity of mesophytic perennial clover species has also been reported, which significantly increase the fodder value of the grasslands. The species Dorycnium herbaceum and Medicago falcata have the highest productivity of fresh and dry mass when mowing the Chrysopogon gryllus meadows and have the greatest contribution to the forage value of the harvested hay. According to the morphological analysis, the legume component is characterized by a very high variability, both in plant height and in the relative share of leaves and flowers in the formed biomass, which determines its importance for the functional and biological diversity in the studied meadow type. The results are indicative of a great self-recovery potential of the Chrysopogon gryllus meadows in the the foothills of the Central Balkan, as well as a lack of degradation processes under their current mode of use.