Plant communities differ in their species composition, and, thus, also in their functional trait composition, at different stages in the succession from arable fields to grazed grassland. We examine whether aerial hyperspectral (414–2501 nm) remote sensing can be used to discriminate between grazed vegetation belonging to different grassland successional stages. Vascular plant species were reco...

The role of herbivores in controlling plant species richness is a critical issue in the conservation and management of grassland biodiversity. Numerous field experiments in grassland plant communities show that herbivores often, but not always, increase plant diversity. Recent work suggests that the mechanisms of these effects involve alteration of local colonization of species from regional sp...

The seed bank in the soil and litter of an annual grassland in the upper salt marsh of the Guadalquivir delta (SW Spain) contained on average 49 110 seeds/m2; 29 species were represented. Field censuses of the grassland, in two consecutive springs, yielded 7 410 and 9 520 plants/m2 respectively. A combined Correspondence Analysis of the seed bank samples and field censuses showed differences in...

Grassland-based beef-cattle farms are dynamic systems that are difficult to manage, particularly because of their sensitivity to uncontrollable environmental factors such as weather. The design of farms and management strategies capable of coping with a wide range of conditions is thus a challenging issue. The SEDIVER discrete-event simulation framework presented in this article has been develo...

Accurate estimation of green aboveground biomass in arid and semiarid grassland is essential for a variety of studies, such as sustainable grassland management, fire risk assessment, climate change, and environmental degradation. A great need exists for the establishment of robust method for estimating green aboveground biomass in arid and semiarid grassland due to the influences of soil backgr...

In regularly burned grassland on Morro Santana, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, we investigated differences in the floristic composition and their relation to soil properties, aspect and distance from the forest border. In 48 plots of 0.75 m2, we identified a total of 201 species from a local species pool of approximately 450 to 500 species. Most species occurred in low frequencies, showing clumpy di...

About 25% of European livestock intake is based on permanent and sown grasslands. To fulfill rising demand for animal products, an intensification of livestock production may lead to an increased consumption of crop and compound feeds. In order to preserve an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture, a more forage based livestock alimentation may be an advantage. However, beside...

Investigations into the behavioural responses by ruminants to differences in their grazing environment have led to improved understanding of the grazing process. This has proved useful in developing management strategies which are not only sympathetic to the animals’ natural behaviour, but can improve the level and efficiency of resource use. The components of grazing behaviour considered are a...