1. Forage nutritive value shows synergies with plant diversity in a wide range of semi-natural grassland habitats
- Author
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Cian Blaix, Olivier Chabrerie, Didier Alard, Manuella Catterou, Sylvain Diquelou, Thierry Dutoit, Jérôme Lacoux, Grégory Loucougaray, Alice Michelot-Antalik, Marine Pacé, Antoine Tardif, Servane Lemauviel-Lavenant, Anne Bonis, Laboratoire de Géographie Physique et Environnementale (GEOLAB), Université Blaise Pascal - Clermont-Ferrand 2 (UBP)-Institut Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société (IR SHS UNILIM), Université de Limoges (UNILIM)-Université de Limoges (UNILIM)-Université Clermont Auvergne [2017-2020] (UCA [2017-2020])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés - UMR CNRS 7058 (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biodiversité, Gènes & Communautés (BioGeCo), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et Nutritions NCS (EVA), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire des EcoSystèmes et des Sociétés en Montagne (UR LESSEM), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Laboratoire Agronomie et Environnement (LAE), Université de Lorraine (UL)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), This work is a result of the SUR-PAS project ('SURveillance de l’état de conservation des habitats agro-PAStoraux pelousaires et prairiaux') funded by Le Ministère de la Transition Ecologique et Solidaire (MTES) and driven by UMS PatriNat for the Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), within the framework of the 'Habitats, Fauna, Flora' directive, Natura 2000 Project., and This work is a result of the SUR-PAS project ('SURveillance de l’état de conservation des habitats agro-PAStoraux pelousaires et prairiaux') funded by Le Ministère de la Transition Ecologique et Solidaire (MTES), France, and driven by UMS PatriNat for the Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), within the framework of the 'Habitats, Fauna, Flora' directive, Natura 2000 Project
- Subjects
History ,LDMC ,Ecology ,Polymers and Plastics ,mineral content ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Evenness ,[SDV.SA.AGRO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Agronomy ,Functional diversity ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,permanent grasslands ,Grassland conservation ,Forage quality ,crude protein ,forage digestibility ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Natura 2000 ,SLA ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,Business and International Management ,semi-natural grasslands ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Species diversity - Abstract
International audience; Assessing the relationship between grassland plant diversity and agronomic value is a major challenge to reconcile nature conservation and agricultural use of extensive grassland habitats. To do this, multiple facets of forage production must be considered such as the quantity produced and its nutritive value, commonly assessed through its digestibility, energy content, and nutrient content. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of plant diversity and functional traits on forage productivity and nutritive value in a wide set of semi-natural grassland habitats.Forage was sampled in 202 plots located across 68 permanent extensive grasslands in eight regions of France. Species and functional diversity indices, community-weighted means (CWM) of plant functional traits, and the relative cover of main plant functional types (PFT; graminoids, forbs, and legumes) were used to describe plant communities. Forage production was evaluated by recording early standing biomass (SB), and nutritive value parameters, namely digestibility (DMD), crude protein content (CP), and average mineral content (MinAv) at the beginning of the vegetation growing season.Species richness was negatively associated with SB and MinAv. Species evenness was positively correlated with CP, DMD, and MinAv, while PFT evenness was positively correlated with CP and DMD. Forage standing biomass increased with increasing graminoid cover and decreased with increasing forb cover. A higher legume cover and specific leaf area CWM as well as a lower leaf dry matter content CWM was associated with improved forage nutritive value and had no effect on SB. Our results highlight that a better forage nutritive value can be obtained with a higher plant species evenness in permanent grassland habitats. Furthermore, in grasslands with an even distribution of plant functional types, forage nutritive value may be improved with no loss in early standing biomass.
- Published
- 2023
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