engleski

Model of rocky grasslands recovery in National park "Krka" (southern Croatia) through controlled burns

The large areas of National park "Krka" (Miljevački Plataou) were covered by grasslands belonging to Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia H-ić et Ht. (1956). For centuries this area has been used as pastures and additionaly maintained by permanent coppicing and occasional burning. The abandonment of this traditional land use in the second half of the 20th centurycaused gradual but major cnahges of grasslands through reinvasion of shrubs and trees due to strong depopulation and war crises. The most invasive among them is Juniperus oxycedrus L. causing transformation of grasslands into more or less dense shrubberies with lowered plant diversity. In order to study effects of controlled burns on recovery of grasslands three experimental permanent plots of cca 800 nad 900 m2 have been established: (1) control plot without burning, (2) experimental plot with only one controlled burn for continuous succession monitoring, (3) experimental plot with periodic controlled burns as simulation of casual natural fires. The two burned areas, inside which plots were formed, cover 4400m2 and 4600m2. Vegetation was monitored in closed transect formed of 8 and 9 subplots (10x10m) using Braun-Blanquet extended scale. in addition, the vegetation height and functional groups were registered. THe vegetation was sampled before and one month after the controlled burns was performed. The plant recolonisation will be monitored continuously on monthly basis in the first six months after fire and during following three years seasonally. it is expected that results of this experiment will help to understand the dynamics of plant recolonisation on rocky grasslands and provide a sustainable model for habitat maintenance.

Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia ; Braun Blanquet ; Juniperus oxycedrus ; monitoring

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