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Grassland ecology and management research team

Members of the research team

 Jan Gaisler - Grassland Research Station, Research Institute of Crop Production, Rolnická 6, CZ-460 01 Liberec, Czech Republic

 Michal Hejcman - Czech University of Life Sciences, Department of Ecology and  Environment, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic

 Pavla Hejcmanová (Nežerková) - Czech University of Life Sciences, Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic

Long-term experiments

Amerika in the Jizerské hory Mts. – Continuous and rotational cattle (heifers) grazing was investigated there from 1993 to 1997. Cessation of grassland management on plant species composition of high productive grassland has been investigated since 1997. 
Responsible person: Vilém Pavlů

Betlém near Oldřichov v Hájích in the Jizerské hory Mts. - Experiment was established in spring 1998 and was arranged in two complete randomized blocks. Applied treatments were: intensive heifers grazing (IG), 1^st cut followed by intensive grazing (ICG), extensive grazing (EG), 1^st cut followed by extensive grazing (ECG), and unmanaged grassland (U) as the control. Each experimental plot was 0.35 ha large only with exception of unmanaged control, 0.12 ha was used there. Detailed description of applied treatments is in the Table.

 Table: Detailed description of investigated treatments.

Responsible person: Vilém Pavlů

Rýchory in the Giant Mts. (Krkonoše in Czech, Karkonosze in Polish) - In spring 2000, we established a randomized complete block experiment with four replications in 5x5 m plots (Figure). There were three treatments: unmanaged (U), mown once a year (M) and extensively grazed grassland by highland cattle without management of non-grazed vegetation (G). The M plots are mown and biomass is removed in early July each year. Grazing is continuous and relatively extensive in spring, but intensive in autumn. The mean height of pasture sward is approximately 100 mm in spring and 50 mm in autumn. To increase profitability, pasture is not mown, mulched or harrowed after or during grazing season because we can not suppose performance of this activity from farmers trying to minimize cost of the management.

Figure Spatial arrangement of monitoring plots in four complete randomized blocks. Experimental treatments are mowing (M), grazing (G) and grassland without management (U).

Figure Exclosure cages are used to investigate biomass growth in the experiment with year-round highland cattle grazing in the Giant Mts.
Responsible person: Michal Hejcman

Mníšek in the Jizerské hory Mts. – Effect of various cutting and mulching regimes on grassland functioning is investigated there. The experiment was established in two complete randomised blocks in spring 1997. An each plot is rectangle 10.0 x 3.7 m. Investigated treatments are described in following Table. We used unmanaged control, two cuts per a year with biomass removal, two cuts per a year without biomass removal, mulching once per a year in July or in September and mulching three times per a year.

Table 1. Investigated treatments

 Responsible person: Jan Gaisler