Permanent Grassland Research Articles

Land-use perturbations in ley grassland decouple the degradation of ancient soil organic matter from the storage of newly derived carbon inputs

Abstract. In a context of global change, soil has been identified as a potential carbon (C) sink, depending on land-use strategies. To detect the trends in carbon stocks after the implementation of new agricultural practices, early indicators, which can highlight changes in short timescales, are required. This study proposes the combined use of stable isotope probing and chemometrics applied to solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra to unveil the dynamics of the storage and mineralization of soil carbon (C) pools. We focused on light organic matter fractions isolated by density fractionation of soil water stable aggregates because they respond faster to changes in land use than the total soil organic matter (SOM). Samples were collected from an agricultural field experiment with grassland, continuous maize cropping, and ley grassland under temperate climate conditions. Our results indicated contrasting aggregate dynamics depending on land-use systems. Under our experimental conditions, grassland returns larger amounts of C as belowground inputs than maize cropping, evidencing a different distribution of light C fractions between aggregate classes. Coarse aboveground inputs from maize contributed mostly to larger macroaggregates. Land-use changes with the introduction of ley grassland provoked a decoupling of the storage and/or degradation processes after the grassland phase. The newly derived maize inputs were barely degraded during the first 3 years of maize cropping, whereas grassland-derived material was depleted. As a whole, results suggest large microbial proliferation as shown by 13C NMR under permanent grassland, then reduced within the first years after the land-use conversion, and finally restored. The study highlighted a fractal structure of the soil, determining a scattered spatial distribution of the cycles of storage and degradation of soil organic matter related to detritusphere dynamics. As a consequence, vegetal inputs from a new land use are creating new detritusphere microenvironments that may be disconnected from the dynamics of C cycle of the previous land use. The formation of those different and unconnected microenvironments may explain the observed legacy effect of the previous land use, since each microenvironment type contributes separately to the overall soil C cycle. The effects of the new land use on the soil C cycle are delayed until the different detritusphere microenvironments remain unconnected, and the ones from the previous land use represent the predominant microenvironment type. Increasing knowledge of the soil C dynamics at a fine scale will be helpful in refining the prediction models and land-use policies.

Stocks of organic carbon in German agricultural soils—Key results of the first comprehensive inventory

AbstractBackground: There is considerable uncertainty about the actual size of the global soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and its spatial distribution due to insufficient and heterogeneous data coverage.Aims: We aimed to assess the size of the German agricultural SOC stock and develop a stratification approach that could be used in national greenhouse gas reporting.Methods: Soils from a total of 3104 sites, comprising 2234 croplands, 820 permanent grasslands and 50 sites with permanent crops (vineyards, orchards) were sampled in a grid of 8 × 8 km to a depth of 100 cm in fixed depth increments. In addition, a decade of management data was recorded in a questionnaire completed by farmers. Two different approaches were used to stratify cropland and grassland mineral soils and derive homogeneous groups: stratification via soil type (pedogenesis) and via SOC‐relevant soil properties.Results: A total of 146 soils were identified as organic soils, which stored by far the highest average SOC stock of 528 ± 201 Mg ha−1 in 0–100 cm depth. Of the mineral soils, croplands and permanent crops stored on average 61 ± 25 and 62 ± 25 Mg ha−1 in 0–30 cm (topsoil) and 35 ± 30 and 44 ± 28 Mg ha−1 in 30–100 cm (subsoil), while permanent grasslands stored significantly more SOC (88 ± 32 and 47 ± 50 Mg ha−1 in topsoil and subsoil). Overall, topsoils stored 67 ± 14% and subsoils 33 ± 14% of total SOC stocks. Soil C:N ratio, clay content and groundwater level were major factors that explained the spatial variability of SOC stocks in mineral soils. Accordingly, Podzols, Gleysols and Vertisols were found to have the highest SOC stocks.Conclusions: Stratification via soil properties yielded the most comparable cropland and grassland strata and is thus preferable for estimating land‐use change effects, e.g., for greenhouse gas inventories.In total, 2.5 Pg C are stored in the upper 100 cm of German agricultural soils, making them the largest organic carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems of Germany. This bares a large responsibility for the agricultural sector and society as a whole to maintain and, if possible, enhance this pool.

Changes in the soil's biological and chemical properties due to the land use

Increasing the soil productivity is challenged by the increasing biotic threat to plants and microorganisms, by the resistance to agrochemicals, and by the declining soil health. Soil management strategy is, therefore, aimed at erosion prevention and the minimisation of soil organic matter losses. A key factor in an agroecosystem is the appropriate biological stability. It is essential not only at present, but also for further sustainable agriculture. This study was based on the hypothesis that afforestation and conversion from arable land to permanent grassland improves the organic matter status and biological stability in the agroecosystem. The experiment was conducted from 2014 to 2018 in the Uhřice bio-corridor (Kroměříž region, the Czech Republic). Haplic Luvisol has been investigated for its basic biological and chemical properties after the arable land was converted to a natural vegetation system. The afforested segment (F), permanent grassland segment (G), and arable land segment (A) have been sampled in the upper soil horizon (0–0.30 m). Standard analytical methods were applied for the determination of the basic soil properties. A principal component analysis and factor analysis were used for interpreting the connection between the parameters of the soil organic carbon, the humic substances, the humic acids, and the fulvic acids, the agrochemical properties of the soil (the pH, the content of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, etc.), and the soil biological properties (basal soil respiration (BSR), the ratios of the N/BSR, NG/BSR, etc.). After five years of investigation, the differences in the studied parameters were evident. The factor analysis and multivariate exploratory techniques showed that the soil properties were grouped based on the management into three different categories – F, G and A. The different land use directly influenced the quality and stability of the humic substances, basal soil respiration, and carbon and nitrogen utilisation. In comparison to the arable land, the forest and grassland were considered to have a higher accumulation potential of carbon and nitrogen. A negative correlation between the soil basal respiration (r = –0.95); total nitrogen (r = –0.93); total organic carbon (C<sub>ox</sub>) content (r = –0.82); and partial Ca (r = –0.82) was found. A positive correlation (r = 0.80) between the humic substances (C-HS) and soil reaction (pH) was determined.

Use of Predicted Behavior from Accelerometer Data Combined with GPS Data to Explore the Relationship between Dairy Cow Behavior and Pasture Characteristics.

Our aim in this study was to investigate whether the behaviors of dairy cows on pasture, predicted with accelerometer data and combined with GPS data, can be used to better understand the relationship between behaviors and pasture characteristics. During spring 2018, 26 Holstein cows were equipped with a 3D-accelerometer and a GPS sensor fixed on a neck-collar for five days. The cows grazed alternatively in permanent and in temporary grasslands. The structural elements, soil moisture, slope and botanical characteristics were identified. Behaviors were predicted every 10 s from the accelerometer data and combined with the GPS data. The time-budgets expressed in each characterized zone of 8 m × 8 m were calculated. The relation between the time-budgets and pasture characteristics was explored with a linear mixed model. In the permanent grassland, dairy cows spent more time under a tree to ruminate (p < 0.001) and to rest (p < 0.001) and more time to graze in areas with Holcus lanatus (p < 0.001). In the temporary grassland, behavior was influenced by the external environment (presence of other animals on the farm; p < 0.05). Thus, this methodology seems relevant to better understand the relationship between the behaviors of dairy cows and grazing conditions to develop precision grazing.

Productive Capacity of Biodiversity: Crop Diversity and Permanent Grasslands in Northwestern France

Previous studies on the productive capacity of biodiversity emphasized that greater crop diversity increases crop yields. We examined the influence of two components of agricultural biodiversity—farm-level crop diversity and permanent grasslands—on the production of cereals and milk. We focused on productive interactions between these two biodiversity components, and between them and conventional inputs. Using a variety of estimators (seemingly unrelated regressions and general method of moments, with or without restrictions) and functional forms, we estimated systems of production functions using a sample of 3960 mixed crop-livestock farms from 2002 to 2013 in France. The estimates highlight that increasing permanent grassland proportion increased cereal yields under certain conditions and confirm that increasing crop diversity increases cereal and milk yields. Crop diversity and permanent grasslands can substitute each other and be a substitute for fertilizers and pesticides.

Comparison of Direct and Indirect Determination of Leaf Area Index in Permanent Grassland

Indirect, non-destructive methods to derive biophysical parameters, such as leaf area index (LAI), are of major importance for optimal grassland growth modelling and management. In this study, we compared different methods for the estimation of LAI in permanent grassland including (i) two direct methods, (ii) two indirect optical methods (AccuPAR and LAI-2200C), (iii) a proximal (field spectrometer) and a satellite remote sensing approach using Sentinel-2 (S-2) data, both based on radiative transfer modelling (RTM) of vegetation. To consider the seasonal variability of LAI sufficiently, we performed in situ measurements weekly during the entire growing season of 2018 and 2019. The RTM-based methods showed the lowest root-mean-square error (RMSE) when compared with direct green LAI measurements, which ranged from 1.68 to 7.85. The indirect optical methods resulted in higher RMSE values but in similar high correlation coefficients (r). The comparison between the indirect optical methods showed that the AccuPAR and the LAI-2200C highly correlate with a systematic underestimation of the AccuPAR in the upper range of LAI values. As expected, S-2 and the field spectrometer showed the highest correlation (RMSE: 0.40 and r: 0.95). Generally, we observed a significant influence of the seasonal changes of the canopy structure and morphology on the estimation accuracy.

Nitrous oxide emissions from grass–clover swards as influenced by sward age and biological nitrogen fixation

AbstractGrassland renovation by cultivation and reseeding has been shown to increase short‐term emissions of N2O, but there is uncertainty about long‐term effects, despite the potential impacts of reseeding on sward composition and soil functions. A field experiment was therefore carried out to determine how N2O emissions from previously renovated grasslands varied in the intermediate to long‐term, compared with an undisturbed permanent grassland (PG). Plots on the PG site were renovated, either two (G2) or five (G5) years prior to the two experimental years. In each sward age and experimental year, annual N2O‐measurements were conducted on a weekly basis and compared with the undisturbed PG. Plots were either unfertilized or were fertilized with slurry (240 kg N ha−1 year−1). On average, annual N2O emissions were 0.39 kg N/ha for the unfertilized swards, and 0.91 kg N/ha for slurry‐fertilized swards. Sward age had no effect on N2O emissions. With increasing sward age the proportion of legumes in the sward was reduced, but a minimum biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of 88 kg N/ha was maintained even in the fertilized PG. Both sward age and BNF were of limited importance for the annual N2O emissions compared with the effects of soil carbon content and nitrogen surplus levels. However, measured N2O emissions were low in all sward age treatments, with a low risk of additional N2O emissions when BNF is taken into account in fertilizer planning.

Reassessment of the potential risk of soil erosion by water on agricultural land in Germany: Setting the stage for site-appropriate decision-making in soil and water resources management

Accelerated soil erosion by water on agricultural land is considered one of the most critical forms of soil degradation, as it threatens both agronomic productivity and environmental quality. Given that both the costs and the benefits of soil erosion control measures are subject to spatial variation, the criterion of cost-effectiveness calls for spatially heterogeneous soil conservation policies. Under the German Direct Payments Regulation, federal state authorities are obliged to assess the potential risk of soil erosion by water on arable land in accordance with ABAG – the German version of the well-established Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) – and to impose appropriate management restrictions on farmers. However, the responsible federal state authorities have considerable degrees of freedom with regard to the methodology of erosion modelling - and thus in the designation of soil erosion protection areas: First, classification is carried out by multiplication of soil erodibility (K) and slope steepness (S) factors; the inclusion of rainfall erosivity (R) and slope length (L) factors is only optional. Second, classification of RKS- and RKLS-factors corresponds to the assumption of cross-regional standard estimates for R and L, which do not adequately reflect the heterogeneity of local conditions. This inevitably leads to over- and underestimation of local soil erosion hazards. As a consequence, the official risk assessment of soil erosion by water in Germany consists of a patchwork of cadastral risk maps at federal state level, which are neither publicly available nor fully comparable with each other. Hence, under current legislation there is a great danger that management requirements will be imposed on German farmers, which are economically inefficient, distort competition and do not achieve their environmental objectives. The aim of this study is to identify methodological and conceptual potential for improvement and harmonization in the risk assessment of soil erosion by water in Germany. For this purpose, high-resolution nationwide maps of rainfall erosivity (R-factor), soil erodibility (K-factor), slope length (L-factor), and slope steepness (S-factor) are produced in accordance with the revised ABAG using High Performance Computing (HPC) resources. The study area covers arable land, permanent grassland, vineyards, and orchard plantations. The modelling shows that the potential risk of soil erosion by water on agricultural land in Germany is much higher than previously assumed.

Comparison of CORINE Land Cover Data with National Statistics and the Possibility to Record This Data on a Local Scale—Case Studies from Slovakia

Monitoring of land cover (LC) provides important information of actual land use (LU) and landscape dynamics. LC research results depend on the size of the area, purpose and applied methodology. CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data is one of the most important sources of LU data from a European perspective. Our research compares official CLC data (third hierarchical level of nomenclature at a scale of 1:100,000) and national statistics (NS) of LU in Slovakia between 2000 and 2018 at national, county, and local levels. The most significant differences occurred in arable land and permanent grassland, which is also related to the recording method and the development of agricultural land management. Due to the abandonment of agricultural areas, a real recorded increase in forest cover due to forest succession was not introduced in the official records of Land register. New modification of CLC methodology for identifying LC classes at a scale of 1:10,000 and fifth hierarchical level of CLC is firstly applied for local case studies representing lowland, basin, and mountain landscape. The size of the least identified and simultaneously recorded area was established at 0.1 ha the minimum width of a polygon was established at 10 m, the minimum recorded width of linear elements such as communications was established at 2 m. The use of the fifth CLC level in the case studies areas generated average boundary density 17.2 km/km2, comparing to the 2.6 km/km2 of the third level. Therefore, when measuring the density of spatial information by the polygon boundary lengths, the fifth level carries 6.6 times more information than the third level. Detailed investigation of LU affords better verification of national statistics data at a local level. This study also contributes to a more detailed recording of the current state of the Central European landscape and its changes.

Root development of temporary and permanent grasslands and their anti-erosion significance on a hilly terrain

Root development of temporary and permanent grasslands and their anti-erosion significance on a hilly terrain

Permanent grassland hay-derived biochar increases plant N, P and K uptake on an acidic soil

Permanent grassland hay-derived biochar increases plant N, P and K uptake on an acidic soil

Tradeoff between the Conservation of Soil C Stocks and Vegetation Productivity in Temperate Grasslands

Grassland management affects ecosystem services such as the conservation of C stocks. The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between vegetation production and soil C stocks for a set of seven temperate grasslands of various productivity levels. We estimated vegetation production directly through measurements of aboveground biomass (&gt;5 cm), stubble and root biomass, and indirectly via plant community functioning. Soil C stocks were measured for bulk soil (organic C, SOC) and hot-water-extractable C (HWC) of topsoil. Plant community functioning was characterized by community-weighted mean (CWM) traits and functional diversity index. Results show a negative relation between biomass production and SOCstock. The tradeoff between productivity and SOCstock could be linked to plant community functioning and particularly Leaf Dry Matter content (LDMCCWM) which appeared to be the most relevant descriptor of plant community functioning. High SOCstock could be associated to low productivity, conservative strategy (high LDMCCWM), low soil labile C content and grassland age. Our results show a strong direct effect of management and grassland age on plant community, which in turn affects plant tissue quality and subsequent organic matter mineralization. Old permanent grasslands appeared less productive but represent an occasion for C storage and thus global change mitigation.

Glyphosate Use in the European Agricultural Sector and a Framework for Its Further Monitoring

Monitoring pesticide use is essential for assessing farming practices and the risks associated with the use of pesticides. Currently, there are neither consolidated, public data available on glyphosate use in Europe, nor a standardized categorization of its major uses. In this study, data on glyphosate sales and use in Europe were collected from multiple sources and compiled into a dataset of the agricultural use of glyphosate from 2013 to 2017. The survey shows that glyphosate represented 33% of the herbicide volume sold in Europe in 2017. One third of the acreage of annual cropping systems and half of the acreage of perennial tree crops received glyphosate annually. Glyphosate is widely used for at least eight agronomic purposes, including weed control, crop desiccation, terminating cover crops, terminating temporary grassland and renewing permanent grassland. Glyphosate use can be classified into occasional uses—i.e., exceptional applications, triggered by meteorological conditions or specific farm constraints—and recurrent uses, which are widespread practices that are embedded in farming systems and for which other agronomic solutions may exist but are not frequently used. This article proposes a framework for the precise monitoring of glyphosate use, based on the identification of the cropping systems in which glyphosate is used, the agronomic purposes for which it is employed, the dose used and the rationale behind the different uses.

Climate Change Mitigation through Land Use on Rewetted Peatlands \u2013 Cross-Sectoral Spatial Planning for Paludiculture in Northeast Germany

Drainage of peatlands causes severe environmental damage, including high greenhouse gas emissions. Peatland rewetting substantially lowers these emissions. After rewetting, paludiculture (i.e. agriculture and forestry on wet peatlands) is a promising land use option. In Northeast Germany (291,361 ha of peatland) a multi-stakeholder discussion process about the implementation of paludiculture took place in 2016/2017. Currently, 57% of the peatland area is used for agriculture (7% as arable land, 50% as permanent grassland), causing greenhouse gas emissions of 4.5 Mt CO2eq a−1. By rewetting and implementing paludiculture, up to 3 Mt CO2eq a−1 from peat soils could be avoided. To safeguard interests of both nature conservation and agriculture, the different types of paludiculture were grouped into ‘cropping paludiculture’ and ‘permanent grassland paludiculture’. Based on land legislation and plans, a paludiculture land classification was developed. On 52% (85,468 ha) of the agriculturally used peatlands any type of paludiculture may be implemented. On 30% (49,929 ha), both cropping and permanent grassland paludiculture types are possible depending on administrative check. On 17% (28,827 ha), nature conservation restrictions allow only permanent grassland paludiculture. We recommend using this planning approach in all regions with high greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands to avoid land use conflicts.

Drought tolerance is determined by species identity and functional group diversity rather than by species diversity within multi-species swards

Abstract Low-input grasslands depend on the presence of grasses and legumes for the provision of nitrogen and a sufficient amount and quality of herbage for livestock. Increasing variability in the amount and distribution of rainfall, associated with climate change, is a major factor affecting production from permanent grassland and particularly grass-clover swards. Previous work has shown that introduction of deep-rooting dicotyledonous forbs into grass-legume mixtures increases functional trait diversity (FTD), which facilitates the resistance and resilience of grassland to drought. It also increases species diversity and functional group diversity (FGD). However, the role of species diversity at a given level of FGD and associated FTD for the resistance and resilience of low-input grassland towards drought remains unclear. This knowledge is required to design forage mixtures adapted to drier climatic conditions. We conducted a drought-stress experiment with 16 different sown sward types, grown in cylindrical mesocosms, combining three levels of species diversity (one, three, five) and three levels of FGD (one, two, three) all being associated with FTD in terms of phenology, rooting depth and nitrogen fixation to determine whether maximum levels of species diversity or FGD promote adaptation to drought. The study was conducted over three drought-stress cycles in an open-sided greenhouse where the climate followed ambient natural conditions. Over the duration of 685 days, we found no clear species diversity effect but a distinct species identity effect on biomass production and agronomic water use efficiency. A positive species identity effect depended largely on white clover presence and on the FGD within mixtures. The best performing mixtures for resistance and resilience combined FGD and FTD in a complementary way, irrespective of whether the swards contained three or five species, as FGD and FTD were already maximized within the best-performing three-species swards. Increasing complementarity of traits by species grown in carefully designed mixtures is one measure to achieve diversity effects and facilitate future sustainable grassland production. We propose to exploit the benefits of species identity and functional group diversity in designing future mixtures to cope with drought.

Soil Arthropods in Differently Used Agroecosystems Along an Ecological Gradient in Slovakia

Arthropods are part of important functional groups in soil and little is known about their composition in differently used agroecosystems across larger spatial scales. We analysed the qualitative and quantitative structure of soil arthropods with emphasis on ground beetles in different agroecosystems in relation to the various factors (soil physical properties) that Slovakia as a highly diversified country offers. Research was conducted in 4 different soil types (Arenosol, Cambisol, Fluvisol, Leptosol) at 6 study sites located in three different ecological zones with two different land use types (arable land – AL and permanent grasslands – PG). Ten orders of soil arthropods were identified, of which the most abundant was the order Coleoptera, specifically the Poecilus cupreus species in the Carabidae family. The analysis of variance confirmed significant effect of land use type on arthropod number and ecological gradient on arthropod biomass and soil temperature. The number and biomass of arthropods was nearly twice as high in PG plots compared to AL plots with the exception of two study sites located in sub-mountain and mountain regions with the dominance and proximity of extensive forest and grassland ecosystems. From the ecological gradient point of view, the highest arthropod biomass was recorded in the mountain ecological zone.

Landscape diversity and field border density enhance carabid diversity in adjacent grasslands and cereal fields

Permanent grasslands have declined across Europe since the agricultural intensification. Grassland vicinity, landscape heterogeneity and vicinity of hedgerows are enhancing factors for farmland carabid (ground beetle) diversity. However, interrelation between grassland and cropland communities needs to be better known in various landscape context. In this study we disentangle the effects of different landscape indicators carabid communities of adjacent grasslands and cereal fields to assess mutual benefits of these two land cover types. We sampled carabids in three agricultural plains of southeastern France, each associated with a gradient in grassland coverage. We used regression models to point out effects of landscape indicators on the separate, overall and common carabid species richness of paired cereal crops and grasslands. Landscape Shannon diversity and field border density explained best gamma species richness. In grasslands, we found a higher species richness when the landscape diversity increased, except in the study region dominated by grasslands. In cereal crops, the landscape parameters showed no significant effect on carabid richness. Finally, the common species richness from cereal fields and grasslands was explained by higher density of field borders between them, but also by higher grassland coverage where grasslands were the scarcest. Our results suggest that cropland carabid communities may benefit from the habitat and resource complementation provided by grasslands. This finding pleads for the preservation of grasslands in cropped landscapes to favor carabids and illustrates the potential for enhanced biological control in future cropping systems with reduced pesticide inputs.

Role of nitrogen and herbicides in integrated management of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) in cool-season forage grasses

AbstractMugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) is becoming increasingly problematic in cool-season pastures and grasslands. A 3-yr field experiment evaluated different rates of nitrogen and herbicides for A. vulgaris management in a permanent grassland. The main plot had three nitrogen rates, 0, 62, and 124 kg N ha−1; the subplot had three herbicides, aminopyralid, clopyralid, and glyphosate; and the sub-subplot had three herbicide rates, aminopyralid (61, 122, and 244 g ae ha−1), clopyralid (140, 280, and 560 g ae ha−1), and glyphosate (552, 1,104, and 2,208 g ae ha−1). Results revealed that nitrogen had no effect on A. vulgaris control, rhizome biomass, and stem density. However, cool-season grass biomass was the highest (7,126 kg ha−1) in the plots that received 124 kg N ha−1 and 244 g ae ha−1 of aminopyralid. Only glyphosate caused grass injury, which varied from 65% to 100% depending upon application rate. By 9 mo after initial herbicide treatment (MAIT), A. vulgaris was controlled 60% to 98% with aminopyralid at ≥61 g ae ha−1 or glyphosate at ≥552 g ae ha−1. By 21 MAIT, aminopyralid at ≥122 g ae ha−1 or glyphosate at ≥1,104 g ae ha−1 resulted in &gt;95% reduction in A. vulgaris stem density and rhizome biomass and provided ≥98% visual control. By 33 MAIT, complete control of A. vulgaris was confirmed in plots treated with aminopyralid at ≥122 g ae ha−1 or glyphosate at ≥1,104 g ae ha−1. Clopyralid was not effective; A. vulgaris control was &lt;40% even after three annual applications at 560 g ae ha−1. Results indicate that integration of nitrogen fertilization with aminopyralid did not improve A. vulgaris control, but was advantageous in enhancing cool-season grass productivity.

Pasture systems and forage production in agro-ecological conditions of the Republic of Srpska

Meadows and pastures, especially in the hilly-mountain area, are one of the basic ways of land utilization. Pastures are the main source of sustainable livestock production in the Republic of Srpska, as well as significant factor in conserving plant genetic biodiversity and protecting soil from erosion. Permanent or natural grasslands occupy about 350 thousand hectares of nearly one million hectares of agricultural land in the Republic of Srpska, representing about 30% of the area. Most of the natural meadows and pastures are located in hilly and mountain areas. Overall, the grasslands of the central Balkans are lowproductive and of unsatisfactory forage quality. In areas where there is no mowing and no fertilization, more than half of the grassland biomass can be produced from forbs (low quality herbs or weeds). The availability of permanent grassland nutrients has a strong impact on the biodiversity of plant species, the coverage and dominance of individual species in plant cover. Generally, the conditions in meadows and pastures in the Republic of Srpska are unsatisfactory because production potential is underutilized at all. Negative impacts such as infrastructure development and habitat destruction, overgrazing, eutrophication, overuse of rare and endangered species, discontinuation of traditional use and depopulation have led to the qualitative and quantitative changes in grasslands in the Republic of Srpska. Reduced production potential of natural meadows and pastures is also caused by the long-term effects of erosion, the impact of adverse climatic factors on areas under grasslands and improper management and use of grasslands. Improvement of the production potential of these grasslands can be achieved through fertilization with different amounts and types of organic and mineral fertilizers. Current practices and research have shown the positive effects of organic fertilizers, combined with moderate amounts of mineral fertilizers, for use in meadows and pastures.

Characteristics of Soil Parameters of Agricultural Land Use Types, Their Location and Development Forecast

In this paper we point out the basic soil parameters characterizing current arable land, permanent grassland, vineyards, and orchards in Slovakia. While the area of permanent land use types is more or less stable, there is a noticeable decrease in the area of arable land. In Slovakia, arable land is located mainly on the plain. The value of its production potential is 67 points (the highest quality soil has 100 points). Permanent grassland is found at higher altitudes on slopes, with a higher gravel content, and the value of their production potential is 35 points. Vineyards are predominantly located in the warm regions of southern Slovakia on the middle slopes. These soils are generally loamy, without significant gravel content, and the value of their production potential is 59 points. Most orchards are located on the plains. The soils are predominantly loamy and deep, without significant gravel content, and the value of their production potential is 63 points. Characteristics of agricultural land use types were determined using vector databases of soil parameters obtained from Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute information systems and a current vector layer for identification of agriculturally used soils, the Land Parcel Identification System, using geographic information systems. Moreover, our analysis tries to determine what developments can be expected in the use of four agricultural land use types. The modeling assumptions concern the future performance of these variables using exponential smoothing and Box–Jenkins methodology.