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Article Dans Une Revue Plant Ecology Année : 2011

Impact of selective grazing on plant production and quality through floristic contrasts and current-year defoliation in a wet grassland

Résumé

Grazing impacts the structure and functional properties of vegetation through floristic changes (i.e., long-term effect) and current defoliation (i.e., short-term effect). The aim of this study was to assess the relative importance of these two grazing effects on productivity (ANPP) and plant quality (C/N ratio) among plant patches submitted to a variety of grazing intensity for several years. Longterm grazing effect was measured by comparing ANPP and C/N ratio among plant patches with contrasting floristic composition. Short-term impact of grazing was measured by comparing ANPP and C/N in plant patches, with and without defoliation. Floristic contrasts led to a lower ANPP in highly grazed patches than in lightly grazed ones. This result may be related to the increasing proportion of grazing-tolerant and grazing-avoiding species with increasing grazing intensity. Vegetation C/N contrasts were recorded among grazed patches but did not linearly relate to grazing intensity. Short-term effect of current-year defoliation on ANPP was limited as vegetation compensated for biomass removal. No evidence for grazing-enhancement of ANPP was found even at moderate grazing intensity. Long-term floristic changes with grazing thus appeared to be the main driving factor of variations in ANPP. In contrast, C/N ratio showed no general and consistent variation along the grazing gradient but varied consistently depending on the community investigated, thus suggesting an effect of the species pool available.

Dates et versions

hal-00651055 , version 1 (12-12-2011)

Identifiants

Citer

Nicolas Rossignol, Anne Bonis, Jan-Bernard Bouzille. Impact of selective grazing on plant production and quality through floristic contrasts and current-year defoliation in a wet grassland. Plant Ecology, 2011, 212 (10), pp.1589-1600. ⟨10.1007/s11258-011-9932-0⟩. ⟨hal-00651055⟩
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