Floristic Composition: Dynamic Biodiversity Indicator of Tree Canopy Effect on Dryland and Improved Mediterranean Pastures

Montado is a characteristic ecosystem of the Mediterranean region. The adequate management of this silvo-pastoral ecosystem requires good understanding of the effect of factors such as tree canopy, fertilization and soil amendment on pasture growth. The main objectives of this work were: (1) to eval...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agriculture (Basel) 2021-11, Vol.11 (11), p.1128
Main Authors: Serrano, João, Shahidian, Shakib, Machado, Eliana, Paniagua, Luís L., Carreira, Emanuel, Moral, Francisco, Pereira, Alfredo, de Carvalho, Mário
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arid zones
Biodiversity
Bioindicators
botanical species
Canopies
Composition
Ecosystems
Environmental economics
Evaluation
Fertilization
Flowering
Indicator species
ISA
Mathematical analysis
Moisture content
Montado
Pasture
pasture productivity and quality
Pastures
Pattern analysis
Precipitation
Productivity
Seasons
Soil amendment
Soil characteristics
Soil dynamics
Soil fertility
Soil improvement
Soil moisture
Soil temperature
Summer
Surface temperature
Topsoil
Trees
Water content
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Summary:Montado is a characteristic ecosystem of the Mediterranean region. The adequate management of this silvo-pastoral ecosystem requires good understanding of the effect of factors such as tree canopy, fertilization and soil amendment on pasture growth. The main objectives of this work were: (1) to evaluate the effect of tree canopy on soil characteristics and pasture productivity and quality; and (2) to test floristic composition assessment as a bio-indicator of soil improvements (amendment and fertilization) in each study area (under and outside tree canopy). Topsoil was characterized at the beginning of the project (October 2015) and at the end of the experiments (spring 2020). Soil parameters obtained by electronic sensors (soil moisture content, soil cone index and surface temperature) were monitored monthly during the 2017/2018 pasture vegetative cycle. Pasture productivity, quality and floristic composition were evaluated every two years (2016, 2018 and 2020) in the spring flowering period. The results of the floristic inventory were submitted to a multilevel pattern analysis (Indicator Species Analysis, ISA). Pasture biodiversity was evaluated based on the calculation of richness indices. This study showed a positive effect of tree canopy on soil fertility and pasture quality (e.g., CP). Pasture productivity, on the other hand, was higher in areas outside tree canopy. The great potential of ISA as a tool for identification of bio-indicator species was also demonstrated. Pasture species were identified as ecological and dynamic attributes characteristic of each study area, before and after soil amendment and fertilization.
ISSN:2077-0472
2077-0472
DOI:10.3390/agriculture11111128