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24 November 2022 Exploring the potential of rising plate meter techniques to analyse ecosystem services from multi-species grasslands
Kilian Obermeyer, Martin Komainda, Manfred Kayser, Johannes Isselstein
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Abstract

Context. Continuous grazing in extensive grassland creates grazed and ungrazed patches, which are important for ecosystem service delivery. One possibility for optimising ecosystem services is to target a defined compressed sward height, which can be measured with rising plate meters supplied with internal global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers.

Aims. We assessed the ability of a modern rising plate meter to map long-term patch structure in extensively grazed grassland as a means to improve estimation of phytodiversity at paddock scale as a paramount ecosystem service.

Methods. The patch class proportions obtained from interpolating the georeferenced compressed sward height values were used to calculate phytodiversity indicators at paddock scale as determined by dry-weight ranking. In addition, a modern rising plate meter with internal GNSS receiver was compared with an established one without GNSS receiver.

Key results. The mapping of the patch classes revealed decreasing proportions of tall patches with increasing stocking intensity. Phytodiversity at paddock scale depended on the proportions of respective patches, highlighting the importance of accurate mapping of patches for ecosystem service assessment.

Conclusions. The new rising plate meter extends the utilisation of compressed sward height measurements into a spatial context. Patch size, spatial distribution of patches within a paddock and spatial clustering of patches, as well as repeated mapping over time, can be utilised to detect change and monitor long-term management schemes without the need for sophisticated remote-sensing applications.

Implications. The combination of the new rising plate meter and dry-weight ranking extends grazing management towards biodiversity monitoring in an easy-to-learn approach.

Kilian Obermeyer, Martin Komainda, Manfred Kayser, and Johannes Isselstein "Exploring the potential of rising plate meter techniques to analyse ecosystem services from multi-species grasslands," Crop and Pasture Science 74(4), 378-391, (24 November 2022). https://doi.org/10.1071/CP22215
Received: 20 June 2022; Accepted: 25 October 2022; Published: 24 November 2022
KEYWORDS
biodiversity
cattle grazing
pasture ecology
pasture management
patchiness
semi-natural grassland
spacial analysis
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