Vegetation dynamics in Dzhily-su stow (Central Caucasus) against the background of anthropogenic impact variations on meadow ecosystems over the last 35 years
Abstract
High-mountain meadow phytocenoses in the upper Malka-river of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Central Caucasus) have been long used by the local population in cattle-breeding, and the unique thermal spring of mineral water “Dzhily-Su” has been put to medicinal use. The pasture/recreation ratio of anthropogenic impact on meadow ecosystems of this region has varied with time. Vegetation has varied correspondingly. The comparative geobotanical vegetation analysis of meadow phytocenoses in Dzhily-Su stow using the data on five model plots in the subalpine belt over the years of 1983, 2010 and 2017 was performed. The long-term absence (10–20 years) or insignificant pasture load on high-mountain meadows of Dzhily-Su stow facilitates restoration of the initial state in the pasture ecosystem. The following moderate grazing in the same areas doesn’t cause pasture degradation and improves feeding properties of arable lands. High parameters of grass projective cover and average grass height are preserved, species abundance of phytocenoses increases, species of higher feeding value (Kobresiacapilliformis, Bromopsisvariegata) displace Festucaworonowii, and Veratrumlobelianum abundance declines. Conversely, intensive recreational load on mountain-meadow pasture ecosystems of the initial state decreases total grass projective cover with active ruderal species invasion of free plots including synanthropic species. The long-term (over 30 years) overgrazing causes phytocenosis degradation: decrease of grass projective cover, grass height, reserves of living superterraneanphytomass, and distribution of ruderal species, poisonous species and inedible species in phytocenoses. Weed phytocenosis of low-feeding value-, inedible-, and partly nitrophilious species is formed instead of the degraded pasture under attendant soil nitrate pollution.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Batchelor J. L., Ripple W. J., Wilson T. M., Painter L. E. 2015. Restoration of Riparian Areas Following the Removal of Cattle in the Northwestern Great Basin. Environmental Management 55 (4): 930–942.
Черепанов С. К. Сосудистые растения России и сопредельных государств (в пределах бывшего СССР). СПб.: Мир и семья-95, 1995. 992 с.
Cousins S. A. O., Eriksson O. 2008. After the hotspots are gone: land use history and grassland plant species diversity in a strongly transformed agricultural landscape. Applied Vegetation Science 11: 365–374. DOI 10.3170/2008-7-18480
Cousins S. A. O., Lavorel S., Davies I. 2003. Modelling the effects of landscape pattern and grazing regimes on the persistence of plant species with high conservation value in grasslands in south-eastern Sweden. Landscape Ecology 18 (3): 315–332.
Dullinger S., Dirnböck T., Greimler J., Grabherr G. 2003. A resampling approach for evaluating effects of pasture abandonment on subalpine plant species diversity. Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 243–251. DOI 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2003.tb02149.x
Jewell P. L., Güsewell S., Berry N. R., Käuferle D., Kreuzer M., Edwards P. J. 2005. Vegetation patterns maintained by cattle grazing on a degraded mountain pasture. Botanica Helvetica 115: 109–124. DOI 10.1007/s00035-005-0727-6
Калов Р. О. Экологические аспекты рекреационного использования горно-предгорных ландшафтов Западного и Центрального Кавказа // Устойчивое развитие горных территорий, 2009. № 1. С. 38–43.
Канлоев М. Ж., Маломусов А. Х. Динамика нагрузки на горные пастбища Центрального Кавказа на примере Кабардино-Балкарской Республики // Горные экосистемы и их компоненты: Материалы международ. конф. (Москва, 13–18 августа 2007 г.). М., 2007. С. 46–48.
Kelemen A., Török P., Valkó O., Deák B., Miglécz T., Tóth K., Ölvedi T., Tóthmérész B. 2014. Sustaining recovered grasslands is not likely without proper management: vegetation changes and largescale evidences after cessation of mowing. Biodiversity and Conservation 23: 741–751. DOI 10.1007/s10531-014-0631-8
Klimek S., Richter K. A., Hofmann M., Isselstein J. 2007. Plant species richness and composition in managed grasslands: The relative importance of field management and environmental factors. Biological Conservation 134: 559–570. DOI 10.1007/s10113-011-0214-0
Korzeniak J. 2009. Murawy bliźniczkowe w Bieszczadzkim Parku narodowym – ocena stanu zachowania siedliska i zmian składu gatukowego zbiorowisk. Roczn Bieszcz 17: 217–242.
Миркин Б. М., Розенберг Г. С., Наумова Л. Г. Словарь понятий и терминов современной фитоценологии. М.: Наука, 1989. 221 с.
Pykälä J. 2003. Effects of restoration with cattle grazing on plant species composition and richness of semi-natural grasslands. Biodiversity and Conservation 12 (11): 2211–2226. DOI 10.1023/A:1024558617080
Разумов В. В., Батырбекова Л. М., Разумова Л. А. Экосистемы гор Центрального Кавказа и здоровье человека. М.; Ставрополь: Илекса: Ставропольсервисшкола, 2003. 447 с.
Темботов А. К., Шебзухова Э. А., Темботова Ф. А., Темботов А. А., Ворокова И. Л. Проблемы экологии горных территорий. Майкоп: Изд-во Адыгейского гос. ун-та, 2001. 186 с.
Цепкова Н. Л. К синтаксономии мезофильных лугов Центрального Кавказа (в пределах Кабардино-Балкарии) // Известия Уфимского научного центра Российской академии наук, 2016. № 4. С. 62–68.
Цепкова Н. Л., Гольдберг Л. М. К оценке пастбищного состояния высокогорных лугов // Труды Высокогорного геофизического института, 1988. Вып. 71. С. 111–121.
Цепкова Н. Л., Кучмезова И. Т., Абрамова Л. М. Некоторые ассоциации рудеральной растительности г. Нальчика (Кабардино-Балкарии) // Растительность России, 2008. № 12. С. 97–103.
Цепкова Н. Л., Разумов В. В., Калашникова Л. М. Горно-луговые экосистемы Кабардино-Балкарии // Вестник Кабардино-Балкарского государственного университета, 1997. № 2. С. 11–12.
Залиханов М. Ч., Коломыц Э. Г., Шарая Л. С., Цепкова Н. Л., Сурова Н. А. Высокогорная экология в моделях. М.: Наука, 2010. 487 с.
Turczaninowia is a golden publisher, as we allow self-archiving, but most importantly we are fully transparent about your rights.
Authors may present and discuss their findings ahead of publication: at biological or scientific conferences, on preprint servers, in public databases, and in blogs, wikis, tweets, and other informal communication channels.
Turczaninowia allows authors to deposit manuscripts (currently under review or those for intended submission to Turczaninowia) in non-commercial, pre-print servers such as ArXiv.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
