Low mineral fertilization on grassland after 6 years

Abstract

Nowadays, all over the world, the tendency is to maintain biodiversity and prevent the loss of it by replacing intensive management systems with sustainable and beneficial ones. The traditional management degradation due on one hand to depopulation of mountain villages and on the other hand due to mechanization leads into vegetation succession that is unpredictable. Finding alternative and combined solutions to preserve the landscape and reducing depopulation of the mountain area are necessary. This is the reason why our experience is combined and includes a study during 6 years in a low-input system from Apuseni Mountains, Romania. The experimental treatments are designed to follow the effect of low mineral inputs on floristic composition of grasslands. The results show a decline in species richness under the influence of mineral inputs. Changes in abandon phytocenosis should be taken with reserve because time is too short. Although have been applied different amounts of mineral fertilizer it has not changed the type of grassland during 6 years.