An attempt to use functional diversity indices for the assessment of weed communities

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of changes in functional diversity of weeds in spring barley grown in the period 1990-2004 in crop rotation after potato with a 25% share of this cereal (potato - spring barley - field pea - winter triticale) as well as in crop rotation with its 75% share (potato - spring barley - spring barley - spring barley) in which barley was grown once and twice after the same barley crop. No weed control was used in the present experiment. Every year in the spring (at full emergence of barley) and before harvest, the species composition and numbers of individual weed species were determined, as well as their weed biomass before harvest. On this basis, the selected functional diversity indices were calculated. Multidimensional techniques were used for dividing weeds into functional groups and for the determination of some of the indices. Potato/barley crop rotation with a 25% share of barley and growing spring barley once and twice after the same barley crop did not differentiate weed functional biodiversity. The weed functional diversity indices showed different variations over time. Higher variation was usually observed for the indices calculated for the summer communities compared to the spring ones. The strength and significance of the positive correlation between weed functional diversity and precipitation in the growing season and of the negative correlation with mean temperature for the period from April to August were dependent on the measure of diversity. The functional diversity indices showed high convergence. The FD and FAD indices proved to be interchangeable.