Festuca Nigrescens Research Articles

Nitrogen fertilizer enhances vegetation establishment of a high‐altitude machine‐graded ski slope

Machine grading is frequently required to prepare the terrain when building high‐altitude ski slopes in the Alps. However, this kind of disturbance alters the natural environment, destroying the vegetation and hampering its reestablishment. Thus, specific restoration plans are necessary to encourage the recovery of vegetation, which is already affected by different natural constraints in this harsh environment. One of the main critical factors affecting plant growth in high‐altitude areas is the lack of available nitrogen (N) in the soil. In this context, the addition of a slow‐release N fertilizer was carried out in an experimental revegetated ski slope between 2,800 and 2,900 m above sea level in the western Italian Alps. Both vegetation and soil were monitored during a 5‐year period in order to test the effectiveness of N addition on the restoration process. Even if effects on soil carbon and N contents were negligible, vegetation was remarkably affected by the fertilization, since the total vegetation cover and the species richness significantly increased. Against the expectations, there was a remarkable increase in spontaneous forbs, rather than in most of the sown graminoids, which slightly varied during the experimental period. Actually, graminoids responded in different ways, mostly increasing (likewise forbs), but the slight decrease of the dominant Festuca nigrescens (Chewing's Fescue) masked their spread. This study confirms the noteworthy role of N in high‐altitude alpine soils and consequently its importance to improve the restoration process of degraded ecosystems.

PRODUCTIVITY EVALUATION OF THE MAIN GRASSLAND HABITATS, NATURA 2000, FROM THE RARĂU MASSIVE (EASTERN CARPATHIANS)

Grassland types of Rarău Massif with soils formed on a calcareous geological substrate (dolomite) have a very high phytodiversity, on average 91 species of plants on a floristic survey. The overall vegetation cover was almost 90% of which over 60% forage species and almost 30% harmful species. Of the 12 main grassland types, 3 are xerophilous, 2 mesoxerophilous and 7 mesophilous. The most species-rich mesophilous grasslands are Festuca rubra and Festuca nigrescens with 135-154 taxones per survey. The highest pastoral value (PV) was assessed at Habitat 6510 of almost 68 PV where the highest production of 13.6 t/ha of green mass production (GMP) was estimated when using the grassland as hayfield. At Habitat 6520, where the grassland was grazed with animals, it was estimated 51.5 PV, over 7 t/ha GMP that supports 0.84 LU/ha in 130 days grazing season. In the same Habitat 6520 there are grasslands with grassy carpet degraded by Nardus stricta and Deschampsia caespitosa, where we have 20 PV and 2 t/ha GMP with 0.30 LU/ha. The rest of the habitats have a lower productivity, respectively habitat 6170, due to the altitude and a colder climate and habitat 6210 with a drier climate. On average, the productivity of the habitats is quite good with 42 PV, 6.4 t/ha GMP and 0.6 LU/ha in 120 days of grazing.

Contributions to Knowledge of Subalpine Meadows in the Apuseni Mountains - Biharia Massif

The main purpose of this work is the development of a phytocenologic, ecological, bioeconomic and eco-protective study of the natural meadows dominated by Festuca nigrescens and Scorzonera rosea in the Biharia Massif, Western Carpathians. In order to achieve the objectives pursued, a number of 11 phytocenologic surveys were performed on the most representative sample surfaces, homogeneous in terms of flora, with the same seasonal requirements and a similar physiognomy. The species from the floristic inventory were recorded in the association table subordinated to the corresponding coenotaxa, alliance, order, class, noted with the corresponding abundance and dominance coefficients. As a result, the phytocenoses of the association Scorzonero roseae Festucetum nigricantis were surveyed on the basis of tables, charts, diagrams, histograms on the distribution of species according to the ecological factors i.e. humidity, temperature, soil chemical reaction, ecological categories of bioforms, phytogeographic and cytogenetic elements. The succession dynamics, the importance, and the sustainable and eco-protective management of these meadows were dealt with in our study. The results thus obtained were compared with four reference papers of some authors who have carried out research in different geographical areas. We found the rare, endangered, endemic species for which suitable household and conservation measures have been proposed.

Anthropogenic charcoal-rich soils of the XIX century reveal that biochar leads to enhanced fertility and fodder quality of alpine grasslands

Soil incorporation of charcoal (biochar) has been suggested as practice to sequester carbon, improve soil properties and crop yields but most studies have been done in the short term. Old anthropogenic charcoal-rich soils in the Alps enable to explore the long-term impact of charcoal addition to alpine grassland on seed germination, fertility and fodder nutritive value. A germination test and a growth experiment in pots with Festuca nigrescens Lam. and Trifolium pratense L. were performed using three different substrates: control soil (i.e. sandy-loam brown acid soils with some podsolization), charcoal hearth soil (i.e. charcoal-enriched anthropogenic soils derived from the carbonization of larch wood on flat terraces) and control soil mixed with a fraction of fresh larch wood charcoal to reach the soil-charcoal ratio of 0.6. Both aged and fresh charcoal improved germination and markedly increased plant growth of the two plant species. The addition of fresh charcoal had an initial detrimental effect that disappeared in the second and third growth cycles. Plant Nitrogen:Phosphorus ratio revealed that growth was N-limited in the anthropogenic soils and P-limited in the control and freshly amended soils demonstrating that biochar aging is critical to obtain a significant growth stimulation. Plant nutrient contents revealed an improved fodder quality in both the charcoal amended soils. Despite the occurrence of limited toxic effects on seedlings, larch wood charcoal appears to have positive effects on fertility and fodder quality of alpine grasslands in the long term.

Seed production of a subalpine Festuca nigrescens–Agrostis capillaris semi-natural grassland in the eastern Italian Alps

Studying the seed production of semi-natural grasslands helps to understand their regeneration processes and to evaluate the possibility of collecting seed useful for ecological restoration. In a subalpine Festuca nigrescens–Agrostis capillaris meadow, the development of the main grasses' seed production and the standing seed yield at meadow maturity were studied. The inflorescence size was in the lower part of the variation range reported in previous studies. The seed viability was average to high and durable. The biological floret site utilization was mostly above 50%. With 458 fertile stems m− 2, the seeds produced (all seeds produced up to the time of the meadow maturity) by the main grasses were 21,000 m− 2, of which 77% were of A. capillaris and 81% were viable. On a 3-year average, the standing seed yield (seeds present on the plants, i.e. produced minus shed seeds) at meadow maturity was 6953 seeds m− 2. Amount and composition of the produced seeds were affected mainly by the variability among years of the fertile stems density of the perennial grasses and the annual hemiparasite Rhinanthus freynii. The percentage of produced seeds which formed the standing seed yield was affected mainly by the collecting date.

Analysis of genetic similarity of Festuca rubra L. and Festuca nigrescens Lam. sub-populations of the south-eastern part of Poland

<p>The investigation of genetic similarity involved <em>Festuca rubra</em> L. and <em>Festuca nigrescens</em> Lam. ecotypes. The study plants originated from sub-populations in the south-eastern part of Poland. The analysis of the genetic similarity was performed by the PCR technique with the use of semi-specific primers targeting 12–18 bp long plant gene sequences from the exon targeting (ET) and intron targeting (IT) group. The investigations were carried out using 21 primers. In total, 735 DNA fragments were obtained, out of which the individual primers amplified from 16 (ET 10/18mer) to 56 (ET 11/18mer) fragments. On average, one primer yielded 32.38 polymorphic products from 11 (IT 28/12mer) to 56 (ET 11/18mer). In total, 680 (91.62%) polymorphic products were obtained. The primers used generated PCR products which exhibited high polymorphism. In the case of the 18-nucleotide primers, the number of amplified polymorphic fragments was more than 96%.</p><p>Based on the results obtained, it was found that Nei's genetic similarity for the <em>Festuca rubra</em> and <em>Festuca nigrescens</em> sub-populations analysed was high enough to correspond to the sub-species status. The genetic similarity between ecotypes of the species is closely related to the site of occurrence of the genotypes studied. The highest similarity was found between ecotypes growing in the immediate vicinity of each other.</p>.

Hydrocarbon and Fatty Acid Composition of Cheese As Affected by the Pasture Vegetation Type

The determination of the geographical origin of dairy products is an ongoing issue. In this paper the effects of botanical diversity of two pastures on the hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese fat were studied, over 2 years of experimentation. Two areas in the Italian southwestern Alpine region, dominated by Trifolium alpinum (T) and Festuca nigrescens (F) vegetation, respectively, were chosen, and milk obtained from cows grazing on these pastures was used to produce a semihard traditional cheese. Cheese samples showed a significantly different composition of most linear hydrocarbons, odd-chain (C15, C17, and C17:1) and unsaturated (trans-11,cis-15-C18:2, C18:3, C20:4n-6, C20:4n-3, and 20:5n-3) fatty acids, according to pasture type. The ratio between C(29) and C(27) linear hydrocarbons, unlike the absolute content of the single molecules, showed a good discriminating ability between the two pastures and was little affected by the natural variability due to the climatic and environmental factors.

Volatile Constituents of Festuca nigrescens, Phleum alpinum and Poa alpina from N.W. Italian Alpine Pastures

The composition of the volatile fractions of three important grasses from sub-alpine N.W. Italian pastures, namely Festuca nigrescens Lam. non Gaudin (chewing fescue), Phleum alpinum L. (alpine timothy) and Poa alpina L. (alpine bluegrass) was investigated. The fresh aerial parts were collected at the flowering stage during the summer season. The volatile oils obtained from green tissues by steam distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. The oil yield was 0.04 +/- 0.01% weight/fresh weight bases for each of the investigated species. Several classes of compounds were found in the volatile fractions, including aldehydes, alcohols, acids, hydrocarbons, esters, ketones, terpenes, and phenolics. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed.

An improved grazed class method to estimate species selection and dry matter intake by cows at pasture

Research has recently focused on pasture species intake by ruminants due to their influence on animal product quality. A field-applicable method which investigates species intake and selection, was tested on two dairy cow grazing systems: continuous grazing on a highly-biodiverse pasture (C) and rotational grazing on a moderately-diverse sward (R). In addition to the grazed class method, which evaluates the percentage of grazed dry matter (DM) per species according to the residual height of the plant grazed, further measurements were introduced to quantify DM consumption and selection index per species. Six and four representative species were studied in the C and R systems respectively. We found an exponential regression between the presence of a species and its contribution to the cattle’s daily intake (P<0.01). On the C plot, Festuca nigrescens showed the highest intake (6.2 kg DM/cow d), even if avoided. On the R plot, Taraxacum officinale was intensively consumed (6.1 kg DM/cow d), even cows do not express positive selection for the species, while Poaceae were avoided. Giving details on species consumption, the improved grazed class method may prove especially useful in non-experimental conditions in biodiverse sward to address grazing management to the consumption of species able to give specific characteristics to dairy products.

Variation in fatty acid composition of milk and cheese from cows grazed on two alpine pastures

The aim of this study was to verify the variation in fatty acid composition of milk, and derived cheese, when dairy cows were grazed on different alpine vegetation types. An experimental design was developed to highlight the effect of pasture composition on milk and cheese fatty acid profiles, thereby mitigating the other variables (altitude, animal physiology, and animal management). Two dairy cow groups were grazed on two different key alpine vegetation types (Type 1: Trifolium alpinum, Nardus stricta, and Carex sempervirens and Type 2: Festuca nigrescens, Alchemilla xanthochlora, and Phleum alpinum). Bulk milk was collected separately from each group for 6 days, from which 12 artisanal cheeses were produced and ripened for 60 days. The fatty acid (FA) composition of the bulk milks and cheeses varied with the type of vegetation. Milk and cheese derived from cows that were grazed on Trifolium alpinum-dominated pastures were richer in long-chain FAs, unsaturated and monounsaturated FAs (particularly oleic acid), and odd-chain saturated FAs (such as C15:0 pentadecanoic and C17:0 heptadecanoic acids) while those from Festuca nigrescens pastures contained more short- and medium-chain FAs, saturated FAs, and α-linolenic acid. Furthermore, our results showed that in alpine grazing systems, milk and cheese FA profiles changed when cows were grazed on pastures with a different botanical composition, probably due to differences in forage quality and concentration of bioactive secondary metabolites. These results have to be taken into account for the valorization of the nutritional characteristics and for the traceability of grass-fed dairy products.

Genetic Characterization and Dollar Spot Fungus Susceptibility in Accessions of Festuca rubra from Northern Spain

The objective of the present study was to characterize the diversity of 15 Festuca rubra accessions collected from northern Spain on the basis of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and flow cytometry variation. Additionally, all accessions along with the cultivar Wilma (Festuca nigrescens ssp. nigrescens) were evaluated for susceptibility to one isolate of dollar spot fungus (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) collected in Asturias. Five AFLP primer combinations of EcoRI and MseI produced 980 bands; 82.3% were polymorphic and used for analysis. The best combination of primers was EcoRI-AGC+MseI-CAG, because these displayed the highest degree of polymorphism. Jaccard's similarity coefficients between accessions varied from 0.30 to 0.63 and revealed low genetic similarity. Both the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis distinguished two groups of accessions. Genetic variability in these accessions was not related to the geographic origin or to the agronomic data. Three accessions exhibited moderate resistance to dollar spot disease and may be valuable parent material for introducing this resistance in other susceptible cultivars.

High NH 4+ efflux from roots of the common alpine grass, Festuca nigrescens, at field-relevant concentrations restricts net uptake

Alpine meadows of high ecological value could be severely endangered by anthropogenic N enrichment, modifying the relationships between species and the environment. While a constraint exerted by N availability on alpine plant development has been demonstrated by some fertilization experiments, in others no effect was observed. Basically, the problem is that mineral N absorption has not been characterized in alpine plants. In growth chamber experiments, we investigated the component fluxes of 15NO 3 − and 15NH 4 + uptake in a tussock grass ( Festuca nigrescens) very common and representative of the dominant plant growth form in European alpine meadows. Rates of influx supported data already published for low elevation herbaceous species. These rates were up to ten times higher for NH 4 + than for NO 3 − but rates of net uptake were similar for both ions demonstrating the occurrence of elevated NH 4 + efflux (80% of primary influx). An increase in external N in the range of field-relevant concentrations did not substantially enhance net uptake. Thus, the alpine plant which is assumed to be adapted to relatively high soil NH 4 + responded like an NH 4 +-sensitive species: as if it was unable to use the incoming nitrogen. It is suggested that the ability of this typical alpine grass to respond to increasing N availability due to global changes is limited.

Strong shifts in plant diversity and vegetation composition in grassland shortly after climatic change

AbstractQuestions:Is plant diversity in mesic grassland ecosystems vulnerable in the short‐term to extreme climate change events? How rapidly can responses in vegetation composition occur in perennial grasslands? Are the expected compositional changes related to rare species losses or to shifts in the relative abundance of the dominants?Location:Subalpine mesic grasslands on limestone in the Pyrenees.Methods:Transplanting turves from the upland, with cold‐temperate climate, to a lowland location, with continental Mediterranean climate.Results:Transplanting led to decreased biodiversity and strong shifts in vegetation composition. Results from both permutation tests and traditional multivariate analysis suggested different trajectories of vegetation depending on the initial species pool. Vegetation showed a tendency to converge in composition in the lowland over time, independently of initial differences. Estimated changes in relative biomass of the five most abundant species between the upland and the lowland ranged from ‐89 to +96 %. The ensemble of all other species was reduced by 80%. The most dominant species in the upland, Festuca nigrescens, reduced its abundance in the lowland, shifting from having mainly positive to mainly negative associations with other species.Conclusions:Mesic grassland ecosystems in the Pyrenees showed strong shifts in plant diversity and composition after a short period of warming and drought, as a consequence of acute vulnerability of some dominant grasses, losses of rare species, and aggregate and trigger effects of originally uncommon forb species.

Polyphenolic composition of a permanent pasture: variations related to the period of harvesting

AbstractPhenolics contribute to the micronutrient composition of forages, which in turn may affect animal product composition. To assess the importance of these compounds, the polyphenolic and botanical composition of a permanent mountain pasture in the Massif Central (France) were studied at three stages of growth. Phenolic fractions (acids, flavonoids and total) were analysed using HPLC and specific colorimetric methods over the whole pasture and in nine main species. On a botanical level, 43 species including 31 dicotyledons composed a mountain variant of Cynosurion grouping. Over time, the species growing on the field changed, the main plants being Festuca nigrescens and eight dicotyledons. In whole pasture, about 170 different compounds were separated by HPLC, of which only 30 were common to all stages. The total polyphenolic content was estimated as 31, 32 and 19 g kg−1 DM for the three stages. They were mainly composed of dihydroxycinnamic derivatives (3,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic, chlorogenic, 1,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acids), and of flavonoids in lesser proportions. Some polyphenols were peculiar to a few species and others were ubiquitous. The two major dicaffeoylquinic acids were identified for the first time in Achillea millefolium and Knautia arvernensis. Colorimetric measurements of phenolic fractions were in good agreement with HPLC analysis (P &lt; 0.01) for all species studied. Thus, on the mountain pasture studied, a cow would be expected to ingest up to 500 g of polyphenols daily, which could affect the quality of animal products. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

Role of topography and soils in grassland structuring at the landscape and community scales

Abstract The relative importance of abiotic factors in community assembly is debated and thought to be dependent on the scale. I investigated the relative role of topography and soils as structuring agents at the landscape and the community scales in 126 subalpine calcareous grasslands in the Pyrenees, in terms of species composition and abundance. I wished to know: (1) the role of abiotic factors in the organization of plant communities across the landscape; (2) how much of the variation in community distribution was accounted for by abiotic factors; and (3) how well their role applied to the distribution of dominant species at the landscape and the community scales. The hypothesis was: abiotic factors play an important role in community distribution in the landscape, but species interactions are more important within communities. Multivariate methods generated four communities, organized in two contrasting groups along the main vegetation axis, which explained 13% of the variation: mesic grasslands ( Nardus stricta and Festuca nigrescens communities) and xeric grasslands ( Carex humilis and Festuca gautieri communities). Mesic communities were more acidic and fertile than xeric communities. Changes in the abiotic environment, accounting for up to 80% of the variation in the vegetation, were smooth, while the transition between xeric and mesic grasslands was sharp in terms of species composition. The distribution in the landscape of the first main species from each community was closely related to abiotic factors, which modeled poorly the abundance of the main species at smaller scales. At the within-community scale, the explanatory power of biotic relationships was community dependent, producing the most significant models for plants highly dominant within their communities, such as N. stricta and F. gautieri . Contrary to current hypothesis, there was a shift from mainly positive relationships among dominant species in fertile mesic communities to mainly negative in infertile xeric ones.

The effect of herbicides and surfactants on turf grasses and annual poa

The tolerance of browntop (Agrostis capillaris L) perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) Chewings fescue (Festuca nigrescens Lam) and annual poa (Poa annua L) to twelve herbicides with and without two organosilicone surfactants (Silwet L77 and Silwet S800) were assessed Annual poa was controlled by haloxyfop and clethodim plus S800 Browntop was highly tolerant to chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron and Chewings fescue to haloxyfop fluazifop clethodim and sethoxydim Organosilicone surfactants affected the tolerance of some species to certain herbicides For example Silwet L77 reduced the tolerance of annual poa to glyphosate but S800 increased the tolerance of perennial ryegrass to terbuthylazine The results have implications for the management of cool season turf