The influence of the applied management on the phytodiversity of a Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin permanent meadow

Abstract

The problem of diversity has reached the top of current concerns, because modern agriculture has recently been focused on the development of methods and procedures that allow the administration of a relatively small number of species, with the aim of immediate economic interest. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the applied management on the phytodiversity of a Festuca valesiaca permanent meadow in the Moldovian forest-steppe. The experimental factor was: fertilization with seven graduations: V1- unfertilized (control), V2- N50P50 kg/ha annually, V3- N75P75 kg/ha annually, V4- N100P100 kg/ha annually, V5-10 t/ha sheep manure annually, V6-20 t/ha annually and V7-30 t/ha annually sheep manure applied at two years. The applied fertilizers influenced the floristic composition, producing, quantitative and qualitative changes in the vegetal cover. The dominance and frequency of the species, as well as the variation of the Shannon diversity index, were largely influenced by the amount of mineral N, the amount of manure, but also by the number of years of the fertilization period.