Vegetation patterns maintained by cattle grazing on a degraded mountain pasture
Jewell, Peter ; Güsewell, Sabine ; Berry, Nigel ; Käuferle, Dominik ; Kreuzer, Michael ; Edwards, Peter
In: Botanica Helvetica, 2005, vol. 115, no. 2, p. 109-124
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- Abstract.: Jewell P.L., Güsewell S., Berry N.R., Käuferle D., Kreuzer M. and Edwards P.J. 2005. Vegetation patterns maintained by cattle grazing on a degraded mountain pasture. Bot. Helv. 115: 109-124. In southern Switzerland the use of mountain pastures for cattle has been in decline since the 19th century, promoting the dominance of unpalatable grasses and shrubs. In an attempt to improve pasture quality, 80 Scottish Highland cattle were introduced to a 73-ha grazing area on acidic soils at 1400-1800 m a.s.l. To assess how this management might affect the vegetation, we surveyed the plant species composition, soil chemistry and spatial patterns of cattle grazing. Large parts of the pasture were low-productive Nardetum grassland or Callunetum heathland. Patches of more productive and nutrient-rich grassland occurred on less acidic soils with higher total P concentration and lower C:N, C:P and N:P ratios. Grazing by cattle focused on these patches, while N. stricta grasslands and heathlands were hardly used. Historical evidence suggests that these patterns of cattle use are similar to those in the past. We conclude that the current grazing regime is unlikely to produce a significant change in vegetation composition and pasture quality