Vegetation change on embankments in the south-western part of The Netherlands under the influence of different management practices (in particular sheep grazing)

Abstract

The vegetation of the embankments of the Zak van Zuid-Beveland were surveyed phytosociologically, the vegetation being assigned to the Lolio-Cynosuretum plantaginetosum mediae, Arrhenatheretum elatioris picridetosum, Arrhenatheretum elatioris alopecuretosum and Ulmo-Rubetum ulmifolii. In total, including the subordinate fragmentary communities and variants, 12 communities are described, together with an indication of their synecology. The composition of the vegetation in 1986 is compared to that in 1972 and the influence of different management practices, i.e. grazing, mowing, burning and no management, on the vegetation changes is illustrated. The changes in vegetation composition and structure are clearly related to management practices. This even applies to the low level of syntaxonomic hierarchy, i.e. subassociations and variants. In general the highest intensities of grazing by the flock, i.e. between 8 and more than 15 h a month by 200 sheep per 500 m of embankment, were best suited for the improvement or maintenance of the conservation value. Under the same conditions, light grazing (less than 8 hours) proved to be insufficient.