Diversity Levels under Different Grazing Intensities in Semi-Wet Grasslands

Abstract

The biodiversity of grasslands has been shaped by long-time interaction between natural processes and human activities, such as grazing. Traditional grazing management by animals contributes to the maintenance of high biodiversity in grasslands. However, changes in land use in recent years such as the abandonment of animal husbandry or intensification of grazing, pose a threat to grasslands biodiversity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the compositional and functional diversity in semi-humid grasslands of northern Greece under different grazing intensities. Three sites with similar vegetation and composition but different grazing intensities were selected in Taxiarchis University Forest of Mountain Holomontas. The three grazing intensities were (1) ungrazed, for more than 40 years, (2) moderate grazed, and (3) highly grazed. The ungrazed area showed an increase in vegetation cover and a decrease in bare ground. In comparison to grazed areas, the ungrazed one showed lower levels of grasses and legumes but higher abundances of woody and broad-leaved species. The highest values of all the studied diversity indices (Shannon–Wiener (H), Simpson Diversity Index, Jaccard, and species abundance) were recorded at moderate grazing intensity. Differences were recorded between the grazed and ungrazed areas in all of the quantitative traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, stem dry matter content, vegetative and reproductive plant height, leaf nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration). Protecting sensitive mountainous grasslands from both overgrazing and abandonment requires a balanced and sustainable management approach.