Biomass removal promotes plant diversity after short-term de-intensification of managed grasslands.

ABSTRACT: Land-use intensification is one of the main drivers threatening biodiversity in managed grasslands. Despite multiple studies investigating the effect of different land-use components in driving changes in plant biodiversity, their effects are usually studied in isolation. Here, we establish a full factorial design crossing fertilization with a combined treatment of biomass removal, on 16 managed grasslands spanning a gradient in land-use intensity, across three regions in Germany. Specifically, we investigate the interactive effects of different land-use components on plant composition and diversity using structural equation modelling. We hypothesize that fertilization and biomass removal alter plant biodiversity, directly and indirectly, mediated through changes in light availability. We

SUBMITTER: Andraczek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10310043 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature