Annual mowing maintains plant diversity in threatened temperate grasslands

• Published in: Applied vegetation science 2018-04, Vol.21 (2), p.207-218
• Main Authors: Smith, Annabel L., Barrett, Russell L., Milner, Richard N. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Biodiversity; Biomass; Community composition; community ecology; Conservation; Disturbance; disturbance regime; Forbs; functional ecology; Functional groups; Grasses; Grasslands; Herbivores; Heterogeneity; Hygiene; Indigenous species; Introduced species; Invasive species; meadow; Mowing; Native species; Nature reserves; Plant communities; prairie; savanna; slashing; Spatial distribution; Species richness; Vegetation
• ISSN: 1402-2001; 1654-109X
• DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12365

Questions: Disturbance regimes shaped the evolution of grasslands but grazing exclusion and fire suppression have caused unprecedented increases in grassland biomass and biodiversity declines. Mowing reduces biomass but is not widely practiced in conservation reserves because of concerns about facilitating exotic plant invasion and altering ecosystem function. We asked whether regular mowing affected (1) the diversity of native and exotic functional groups, (2) spatial turnover in vegetation composition (β-diversity), (3) vegetation attributes relating to biomass and structural heterogeneity, (4) community composition and (5) the distribution and abundance of individual native and exotic species. Location: Five temperate grassland reserves, south-eastern Australia, encompassing C3 and C4 dominated communities. Methods: Vegetation within reserves had been cut to 10 cm, once per year, for 10 years in late spring/early summer to maintain access tracks. We surveyed plant communities in mowed areas and nearby (