Abstract
Increasing species diversity often promotes ecosystem functions in grasslands, but sward diversity may be reduced over time through competitive interactions among species. We investigated the development of species’ relative abundances in intensively managed agricultural grassland mixtures over three years to
identify the drivers of diversity change. A continental-scale field experiment was conducted at 31 sites using 11 different four-species mixtures each sown at two seed abundances. The four species consisted of two grasses and two legumes, of which one was fast establishing and the other temporally persistent. We
modelled the dynamics of the four-species mixtures over the three-year period. The relative abundances shifted substantially over time; in particular, the relative abundance of legumes declined over time but stayed above 15% in year three at many sites. We found that species’ dynamics were primarily driven by
differences in the relative growth rates of competing species and secondarily by density dependence and climate. Alongside this, positive diversity effects in yield were found in all years at many sites
identify the drivers of diversity change. A continental-scale field experiment was conducted at 31 sites using 11 different four-species mixtures each sown at two seed abundances. The four species consisted of two grasses and two legumes, of which one was fast establishing and the other temporally persistent. We
modelled the dynamics of the four-species mixtures over the three-year period. The relative abundances shifted substantially over time; in particular, the relative abundance of legumes declined over time but stayed above 15% in year three at many sites. We found that species’ dynamics were primarily driven by
differences in the relative growth rates of competing species and secondarily by density dependence and climate. Alongside this, positive diversity effects in yield were found in all years at many sites
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 27th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation |
| Subtitle of host publication | Sustainable meat and milk production from grasslands |
| Editors | B. Horan, D. Hennessy, M. O'Donovan, E. Kennedy, B. McCarthy, J. A. Finn, B. O'Brien |
| Publisher | Teagasc |
| Pages | 586-588 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Volume | 23 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-84170-644-3 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-84170-643-6 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |