Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2020, 68(2), 335-342 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun202068020335

Impact of Renewed Cattle Grazing on Floristic Composition in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains

Marie Mrázková-Štýbnarová1, Josef Holec2, Radek Štencl3, Michaela Kolářová2, Luděk Tyšer2, Oldřich Látal1
1 Agrovýzkum Rapotín s.r.o., Výzkumníků 267, 788 13 Vikýřovice, Czech Republic
2 Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
3 Protected Landscape Area Administration Jeseníky, Šumperská 93, 790 01 Jeseník, Czech Republic

The aim of the study was to estimate changes in the floristic composition near Švýcárna lodge (1304 m a.s.l.), where cattle grazing after a long-term management cessation was introduced on a pasture area of 3.6 ha in 2012. The pasture was divided into two grazing sub-localities: P1 (Nar) with dominance of Nardus stricta and Avenella flexuosa and P2 (Des) with dominance of Deschampsia cespitosa. For grazing, Highland Cattle was used with a stocking rate up to 1 livestock unit per ha and year. The floristic composition was evaluated and statistically analyzed. After six years of restored grazing the overall species richness enhanced and a higher dominance of rare and endangered species was found. The dominance of some common species like Vaccinium myrtillus, and Calamagrostis villosa tended to decrease within a grazing period in favor of new species colonisation.

Keywords: suckler cows, renewed grazing, species diversity, nature conservation
Grants and funding:

The work was supported by the institutional support for the long-term conceptual development of the research organisation, Ministry of Agriculture Decision No. RO1218 from 26 February 2018 and by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, project No. TH02030144. The authors would like to thank the Administration of the Protected Landscape area Jeseníky and the Forests of the Czech Republic, state-owned enterprise for enabling this research in the Praděd National Natural Reserve.

Received: January 15, 2020; Accepted: March 27, 2020; Published: April 29, 2020  Show citation

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Mrázková-Štýbnarová, M., Holec, J., Štencl, R., Kolářová, M., Tyšer, L., & Látal, O. (2020). Impact of Renewed Cattle Grazing on Floristic Composition in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 68(2), 335-342. doi: 10.11118/actaun202068020335
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