Vegetation indicators for grazing activities on grassland to be implemented in outcome-oriented agri-environmental payment schemes in North-East Germany

Abstract

In this study a new field of action for outcome-oriented payment schemes (payments by results) is introduced. That is the promotion of extensive summer grazing activities of livestock. Combining this objective with methods of outcome-oriented rewarding means to tie the payment to vegetation criteria indicating regular grazing activities instead of regularly controlling the presence of livestock on the field. In comparison to action-oriented concepts, the main advantage of this approach is that only one inspection walk is required. The paper describes and evaluates the first attempt to determine suitable indicator species for such a scheme. We pre-tested the approach with existing vegetation data only. A database of releves, plant species and agriculturally used grassland communities of the regional district Doberan, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) was utilised. Grazing activities can be identified by the existence of a specific number of vascular species indicating grazing activities on a particular grassland field. We utilised the indicator function of grassland communities for management conditions to resolve the deficiency of data base releves for providing no data about the management regime. The pasture community Lolio perennis-Cynosuretum cristati was used as a reference system to pre-test the suitability of different combinations of potential indicator species for separating pasture from non-pasture grassland. A tentative quantitative selection criterion for pasture grassland was proposed. That is the number of indicator species a releve/grassland field has to hold to be identified as pasture grassland. Database releves are not sufficient for calibrating such a concept, though. It is necessary to adjust the indicator species list to other drivers like use characteristics, nutrient availability, and soil moisture level. Here additional fieldwork is needed. As a first evidence for the validity of the concept, the suitability of the indicator list was measured by testing the correct identification of pasture grassland in a long-term grassland experiment built by the treatments “grazing” and “mowing”. ANOVA tests on the precision of the indicator species showed significant results. In the discussion a modification of the inventory method of grassland fields was recommended. The precision of the developed concept could be further enhanced by introducing the species dominance as a second factor deciding about the correct identification of pasture use.