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The effect of herbicides on vegetation dynamics: A five year study of temporal variation of species composition in permanent grassland plots

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Abstract

In a semi-natural, species-rich perennial grassland community permanent plots during secondary succession induced by herbicides selective to dicots and monocots and herbicides of total effect. The effectiveness of using different similarity matrices in detecting vegetation dynamic changes was investigated.

Differences caused by treaments in (1), the coenological similarity relations, (2) the direction of secondary succession, (3) the rates of change measured as floristic change (Sörensen index) and as change of species cover (Czekanowski’s coefficient), (4) the reestablishment of the original state, (5) the seasonal dynamics, (6) the responses to stress situation (drought) have been analysed.

The vegetation dynamic processes of the community near stable state were mainly influenced by the differences between years. During the 5 years of study the changes referred to the first sampling date showed a trend induced by changing climatic conditions. In the intact community, seasonal fluctuations can be detected very well. The community rich in species has been proved to be resistant to drought, but resilience referring to its recovery following disturbance was relatively small.

After having been drastically disturbed from its dynamically stable state, the grassland community regenerated very slowly. In fact, the community could not recover its original state within five years.

The direction and rate of change of the secondary successional and regeneration processes have been determined primarily by the species first occupying the bare ground after herbicide treatment, and the vegetative regeneration of the species present, namely the “competition for space”. The main differences between treatments lie in the behaviour of the constituent species in the different coenostates developed following the disturbance.

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  1. Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2163, Vácrátót, Hungary

    Klára Virágh

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  1. Klára Virágh
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Virágh, K. The effect of herbicides on vegetation dynamics: A five year study of temporal variation of species composition in permanent grassland plots. Folia geobot. phytotax. 22, 385–403 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853236

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