The grasslands, like the majority of the terrestrial systems, are complex ecosystems and such complexity comes from the high number of biotic and abiotic elements which form this systems and from the interactions between the same elements, which could vary in time and space their nature and intensity. Keeping attention to this complexity and knowing that there is an equilibrium state in which the plant community has the maximum possible number of species, for a certain soil-climate context, this research work is centred on the description of the components of the grassland ecosystem, of the relations which exist between them and on the possible way of management, to achieve improvements in the future, in terms of productivity of phytocoenosis, of soil defending, of biodiversity conservation and also in terms of improving the life conditions of human population. In particular, the main target of this phD was to create an exhaustive knowledge structure about Apennines grasslands, because until now, all the studies made were partial, tending to characterize the herbaceous communities from a phytosociological viewpoint, but not ecological-functional. Moreover, considering the size of the study area and the complexity of the research and of the management of grassland ecosystems, we thought to share the research work in the three years, the timing and the operations. In fact, the research plan was structured like a ''pyramid'' at the base of which there is the phytosociological research which is the support to all the other studies, while regarding on the timing we decided to concentrate each year in a bioclimatic belt, following this scheme: 1th year: − bibliography research − phytosociological survey of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − set up a sampling method for the ecological survey 2th year: − phytosociological survey of grassland of higher supratemperate belt − Ecological structure analysis of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − sinecological analysis of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − analysis of the vegetation for a zootechnical characterization of grasslands of higher mesotemperate and higher/lower supratemperate belts 3th year: − phytosociological survey of grassland of orotemperate and criotemperate belts − ecological structure analysis of grassland of higher supratemperate belts − sinecological analysis of grassland of higher supratemperate belt − zootechnical characterization of grassland of higher mesotemperate and higher/lower supratemperate belts [...] In the three years it was possible to finish all the phytosociological, ecological and zootechnical researches for the grasslands of higher mesotemperate and lower/higher supratemperate belts; then it was possible to implement phytosociological and sinecological knowledges of the grasslands of orotemperate belt and to realize a phytosociological placement of the herbaceous commmunities of criotemperate belt.

Ecology and management of grassland in Umbria-Marches Apennine (central Italy)

GATTI, RENATA
2009-01-01

Abstract

The grasslands, like the majority of the terrestrial systems, are complex ecosystems and such complexity comes from the high number of biotic and abiotic elements which form this systems and from the interactions between the same elements, which could vary in time and space their nature and intensity. Keeping attention to this complexity and knowing that there is an equilibrium state in which the plant community has the maximum possible number of species, for a certain soil-climate context, this research work is centred on the description of the components of the grassland ecosystem, of the relations which exist between them and on the possible way of management, to achieve improvements in the future, in terms of productivity of phytocoenosis, of soil defending, of biodiversity conservation and also in terms of improving the life conditions of human population. In particular, the main target of this phD was to create an exhaustive knowledge structure about Apennines grasslands, because until now, all the studies made were partial, tending to characterize the herbaceous communities from a phytosociological viewpoint, but not ecological-functional. Moreover, considering the size of the study area and the complexity of the research and of the management of grassland ecosystems, we thought to share the research work in the three years, the timing and the operations. In fact, the research plan was structured like a ''pyramid'' at the base of which there is the phytosociological research which is the support to all the other studies, while regarding on the timing we decided to concentrate each year in a bioclimatic belt, following this scheme: 1th year: − bibliography research − phytosociological survey of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − set up a sampling method for the ecological survey 2th year: − phytosociological survey of grassland of higher supratemperate belt − Ecological structure analysis of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − sinecological analysis of grassland of higher mesotemperate and lower supratemperate belts − analysis of the vegetation for a zootechnical characterization of grasslands of higher mesotemperate and higher/lower supratemperate belts 3th year: − phytosociological survey of grassland of orotemperate and criotemperate belts − ecological structure analysis of grassland of higher supratemperate belts − sinecological analysis of grassland of higher supratemperate belt − zootechnical characterization of grassland of higher mesotemperate and higher/lower supratemperate belts [...] In the three years it was possible to finish all the phytosociological, ecological and zootechnical researches for the grasslands of higher mesotemperate and lower/higher supratemperate belts; then it was possible to implement phytosociological and sinecological knowledges of the grasslands of orotemperate belt and to realize a phytosociological placement of the herbaceous commmunities of criotemperate belt.
2009
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11581/401749
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