The effect of grazing abandonment on species composition and functional traits: the case of dehesa grasslands

Abstract

Summary This study attempts to identify the consequences of grazing abandonment for changes in floristic and functional vegetation composition in dehesa systems. Species cover was quantified in plots on grazed and abandoned dehesas in Central Spain. Using literature and field measurements, we analysed plant attributes linked to dispersal, establishment, and persistence for the 85 most abundant species. A Detrended Correspondence Analysis of the species × plots matrix and the traits × plots matrix was used to describe differences in species composition and functional traits in relation to grazing. The latter matrix was obtained by multiplying the traits × species matrix by the species × plots matrix. Grazed sites had a higher proportion of prostrate species, medium specific leaf area, early flowering, cryptophytes, unassisted seeds and clonal reproduction. Ungrazed sites had a higher proportion of taller plants, heavy leaf dry weight, late flowering species and chamaephytes as well as species with heavy seeds and fruits with adhesive structures.