The semi-natural grasslands in different successional stages of abandonment

Abstract

All over in the world is known that abandonment shows a heavy impact on grasslands biodiversity. It is important to realize that abandonment has gone and still go with the disappearance of low input traditional farms. This kind of situation is also found in Apuseni Mountains, Romania. The aim of our study was to follow the successional stages of Agrostis capillaris L. – Festuca rubra L. grassland type, as a result of abandonment. The study included 27 grasslands with similar site conditions. There were three different categories of abandoned grasslands: abandoned up to 5 years, abandoned between 6 and 10 years, abandoned more than 10 years. The categories of abandonment caused changes at the level of phytocenoses, registering a degradation of the vegetation from both, agronomic and ecologic point of view. Without developing the analysis any further we will not realizes that the abandon is a major problem at European level. It takes strong efforts to maintain grassland and dairy farming in less favored areas and to keep the landscape open because different strategies have to be considered and adapted to the special conditions and requirements.