MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
MOISTURE HABITATS, THE USEFULNESS VALUE AND NATURAL AMENITIES OF THE MEADOWS BY THE PŁONNO LAKE
Anna Żywiczka
Julia Pławska-Olejniczak
Department of Ecology and Environmental
Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences
University of Szczecin, Wąska 13 Street,
71-415 Szczecin, Poland
e-mail:
ABSTRACT
The results of floristic examination of the meadows that are situated by the Płonno were presented. Phytosociological measurements were taken and vascular plant lists were made as well as herbage yield. The phytoindicative analysis points to diversity of habitats from permanently marshy ones through temporarily drained to the wet ones. The following plant communities were identified: the acute sedge (Carex acuta), the tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) and the panicled sedge (Carex paniculata). The natural values of the plant communities under analysis were assessed at most as moderate.
Keywords: moisture habitats, grassland communities, natural values
INTRODUCTION
Permanent grassland is characterised by a high degree of complexity, while changes taking place in them are of the long-lasting character, depending on environment properties. Plant cover transformations are related to human activity, which in case of pratocenoses is connected with the level of meadow management or
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
its discontinuation [1, 4, 5, 6, 13]. Thus, it is no wonder that the necessity of preserving meadow and pasture communities in as unchanged form as possible comes to the front of most important meadow management problems at present. Their protection and activities in favour of preserving biological diversity are challenges for present-day meadow management research [17, 19, 20].
Preservation of meadow communities located in habitats with stronger moisture content, situated on organic soils, is of particular importance. Biocenoses of this type, being of great natural significance, are found with relatively large intensity in Western Pomerania [7], among others in the Pyrzyce Lowland or in the Płonia River valley [22]. A large complex of these meadows is a property of the Kołbacz farm, being a part of the National Research Institute of Animal Production in Kraków. These grasslands have been intensively used in the past as a fodder base for farm animals. In the last decade of the last century, many pratotechnical measures have been discontinued on them, while at present they are extensively exploited as once-mown grasslands. Analysis of their plant cover and evaluation of their habitat conditions, natural amenities and usefulness value based on it is the objective of the present study.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Geobotanical examinations, carried out in the 2007 vegetation season, covered a dozen or so hectares of grassland situated in the vicinity of the Płonia River mouth from the Płonno Lake. Within this area, floristic surveys were taken and plant species lists were made on the marked out transect as well as crop sizes were estimated [12]. Based on the botanical composition, four types of plant communities were distinguished. Furthermore, moisture conditions were determined with a method proposed by Oświt [15] as well as natural evaluation of these meadows was made [16]. The examined pratocenoses were also subject to evaluation of their usefulness
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
value [3]. Based on the Shannon species biodiversity index, floristic diversity of these phytocenoses was determined [21].
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Within the examined area, three communities were distinguished with the prevalence of sedges, i.e. slender tufted-sedge, panicled sedge and brown sedge with cuckoo flower, and one community with tall oat-grass and common velvet grass. The occurrence of these phytocenoses was determined by habitat conditions. Sedge communities were located in land depressions whereas tall oat-grass with common velvet grass one was situated in higher grassland parts. Use limitation or discontinuation, in connection with insufficient maintenance of land reclamation facilities, leads as a rule to the appearance and prevalence of plants of the wet habitat, which include sedges [5, 8, 9]. Under such conditions, in higher situated areas which are subject to over-drying, there are frequently found communities with the prevalence of tall oat-grass and common velvet grass [8, 10]. In sedge communities, participation of the dominant species ranged from 38 to 85%, with its participation ranging from 80 to 85% in those with Carex acuta. In communities with slender tufted-sedge, participation of species of the family Poaceae was small and ranged from 2 to 5%, that of sedge species from 81 to 87%, and that of plants of the herb and weed group from 9 to 17%. Worth paying attention is a small participation or a total lack of Fabaceae. Regression of papilionaceous plants and their insignificant participation under limited meadow use conditions is a common phenomenon which is reported, among others, by Niedźwiedzki and Trzaskoś [14] and Stypiński and Grobelna [20]. From among sedge communities, a phytocenosis with greater tussock-sedge is characterised by the highest percentage of grasses which constituted 22%, whereas the highest percentage of plants of the herb and weed group (52%) was conspicuous for the community of brown sedge with cuckoo flower. In sedge communities, worth paying attention is also a high participation of Ranunculus
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
repens and the occurrence of Carex disticha and Carex remota. In the evaluated grass phytocenosis, tall oat-grass constituted 30% while common velvet grass 28%. On this meadow fragment, participation of all grass species was 61% and that of papilionaceous plants 3%, while participation of sedges was insignificant (Figure 1).
The examined communities differed in species abundance. The poorest were communities with slender tufted-sedge where 12 to 26 species, out of 10 to 15 families, were recorded. The largest number of species, i.e. 34 out of 14 families, was found in the greater tussock-sedge community. On the other hand, the most families, i.e. 16, represented by 30 species, were found in the phytocenosis with tall oat-grass and common velvet grass (Table 1). Biological diversity of all examined phytocenoses was very small. Similar results were found in many other geobotanical studies carried out on lowland meadows, situated on organic soils [5, 6, 11, 21].
As already mentioned, evaluation of moisture habitats, natural amenities and usefulness value of the examined pratocenoses was possible based on vegetation. Communities with slender tufted-sedge occurred in habitats determined as permanently swampy, those with greater tussock-sedge in periodically drained swampy ones and those with brown sedge with cuckoo flower in wet habitats, while those with tall oat-grass with common velvet grass in medium-moistened habitats. One of three communities with slender tufted-sedge was characterised by moderate natural amenities, with simultaneously highest crop. The remaining phytocenoses were classified to a group with small natural amenities, while the community of tall oat-grass with common velvet grass to a group with very small natural amenities. The latter, contrary to other ones, is distinguished by good usefulness value, despite a low crop (Table 2), which was undoubtedly affected by the presence of such valuable species as Festuca pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Poa pratensis, Lotus corniculatus and Lathyrus pratensis. Worth emphasising is the fact that, as a rule, a negative correlation is observed between natural amenities and usefulness value of grassland communities [2, 18].
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
CONCLUSIONS
The examined communities are characterised, as a rule, by simplified floristic composition, small natural amenities, and very low biological diversity. This resulted first of all from a clear prevalence of one or two taxa, which is evidence of a significant degradation of these phytocenoses.
The presence of sedge communities in wet to permanently swampy habitats confirms that character of phytocenoses occurring within this area is formed by spring flooding.
LITERATURE
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8. Kochanowska R., Rogalski M., Trzaskoś M., Wieczorek A. 2007. Zmiany zbiorowisk łąkowych na polderze Załom koło jeziora Dąbie. Acta Botanica Warmiae et Masuriae, 4: 163-172.
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11. Kryszak A., Kryszak J., Grynia M. 2007. Zmiany degradacyjne na łąkach i pastwiskach wyłączonych z użytkowania. Acta Botanica Warmiae et Masuriae, 4: 205-214.
12. Mannetje L. Methods for estimating botanical composition, species diversity and dry matter yields. 2001. Grassland Science in Europe, 6: 311-323.
13. Młynarczyk K, Korona E., Marks E., 2001. Zmiany w fitocenozach łąkowych wywołane ograniczeniem lub zaniechaniem ich użytkowania. Zesz. Probl. Post. Nauk Roln., 478: 471-477.
14. Niedźwiedzki E., Trzaskoś M. 1999. Zbiorowiska roślinne doliny rzeki Iny jako wynik długotrwałych przemian w środowisku glebowym przy zmiennym natężeniu pratotechniki. Univ. Agric. Stetin. 197, Agricultura 75: 239-246
15. Oświt J., 1992. Identyfikacja warunków wilgotnościowych za pomocą wskaźników roślinnych (metoda fitoidentyfikacji). W: Hydrogeniczne siedliska wilgotnościowe. Wiadomości IMUZ, 9, 40 – 66.
16. Oświt J., 2000. Metoda przyrodniczej waloryzacji mokradeł i wyniki jej zastosowania na wybranych obiektach. Wiadomości IMUZ, 79, 3-32.
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18. Schalitz G., Czyż H., Leipnitz W., Bury M., 2007. Kierunki zmian składu florystycznego na użytkach zielonych po wyłączeniu z intensywnego użytkowania. Acta Botanica Warmiae et Masuriae, 4: 115-121.
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SUMMARY
The paper presents the results of floristic examination of the meadows that are situated by the Płonno Lake at the Płonia River estuary. A transect was selected in these grassland where phytosociological measurements were taken and vascular plant lists were made. The herbage yield of determined phytocenoses was also examined. The phytoindicative analysis points to diversity of habitats from permanently marshy ones through temporarily drained to the wet ones and the same confirms that the character of plant communities occurring in this area is shaped by annual spring flooding. In the examined area, the following plant communities were identified: the acute sedge (Carex acuta), the tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) and the panicled sedge (Carex paniculata). From among the Cyperaceae, the brown sedge (Carex disticha) and the remote sedge (Carex remota) are worthy of notice, while the meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), the orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), the
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
smooth meadow-grass (Poa pratensis), the birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and the meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis) from among the plants of high utility value. The natural values of the plant communities under analysis were assessed at most as moderate.
Table 1. Number of species, families and biological diversity in examined pratocenoses (see Fig. 1)
Community / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6Number of species / 18 / 26 / 30 / 34 / 12 / 28
Number of families / 11 / 15 / 16 / 14 / 10 / 14
Shannon diversity index / 0,34 / 0,40 / 0,89 / 0,84 / 0,30 / 0,90
Table 2. Moisture habitats, amenity classes and usefulness value in examined pratocenoses
Community / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6Moisture value / 9,04 / 8,86 / 4,61 / 8,1 / 8,91 / 7,72
Moisture habitats / E3 / E3 / B2 / E1 / E3 / D2
Amenity value / 3,5 / 3,08 / 2,3 / 3,17 / 3,33 / 3,33
Amenity class / B IV / IIIA / IA / IIIA / IIIA / IIIA
Usefulness value / 0,77 / 0,4 / 6,8 / 1,55 / 0,43 / 1,85
Usefulness of sward / poor / poor / good / poor / poor / poor
Moisture classes: D2 – wet, B2 – moderately moistured, E1 – marshy, periodically dried, E3 – persistently marshy (Oświt 1992).
MOISTURE HABITATS… A. Żywiczka
Amenity classes :IVB – moderate natural amenities, IIIA – low natural amenities, IA – very low natural amenities (Oświt 2000).
1) Carex acuta / 3) Arrhenatherum elatius, Holcus lanatus2) Carex acuta / 4) Carex paniculata
5) Carex acuta / 6) Carex disticha, Lychnis-flos cuculi
Figure 1. Share of plant groups in examined communities with: Carex acuta (1, 2, 5), Carex paniculata (4), Carex disticha with Lychnis-flos cuculi (6), Arrhenatherum elatius with Holcus lanatus (3)
Рецензент профессор Вавжиняк В.
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