Early season grazing triggers positive herbivore-plant-soil feedbacks in Festuca paniculata grasslands: A study combining field and satellite data

Castillo-García, Miguel ; Alados, Concepción L. ; Pérez-Cabello, Fernando (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Montorio, Raquel (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Anadón, José D. ; Fillat, Federico ; Pueyo, Yolanda

Resumen: The abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices in European mountain regions is leading to grassland degradation through ecological succession, a process that typically involves the expansion of large graminoids of relatively low pastoral value in their early stages. In this context, extensive grazing management may become a key tool for mountain grassland conservation, preventing undesired ecological succession and enhancing biodiversity, forage quality and soil functioning. This study assessed the effect of two different grazing regimes on biodiversity, pasture quality and soil properties of Festuca paniculata grasslands, which are usually associated to early stages of ecological succession of subalpine pastures and meadows: grazing from the beginning of the growing period, i.e., mid-May (spring grazing, SPG), and grazing from the peak of the growing season, i.e., July (summer grazing, SUG). Moreover, pasture photosynthetic activity during the growing season was characterized using NDVI. This vegetation index was also contrasted against pasture quality and biomass to assess its suitability for monitoring these parameters. Our results showed similar vegetation biodiversity and structure in both grazing treatments. SPG stimulated greater plant regrowth than SUG, improving pasture quality toward the end of the summer. SPG also enhanced soil nutrient content and microbial activity compared to SUG. Furthermore, SPG advanced the start of the growing season and photosynthetic phenology of Festuca paniculata grasslands. NDVI showed strong predictive power for pasture biomass, but did not for plant nutrient content. Our study demonstrated how grazing management can trigger positive herbivore-plant-soil feedback mechanisms in the medium term in Festuca paniculata grasslands, as well as the potential of NDVI for characterizing pasture photosynthetic phenology and complementing field surveys.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2025.109886

Año: 2025

Publicado en: AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT 394 (2025), 109886 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 0167-8809

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E03-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIN-AEI/PID2020-118886RB-I00-AEI-10.13039-501100011033
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/FPU16-05508
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/MICINN/TED2021-130005B-C22
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICIU/CGL2016-80783-R

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Análisis Geográfico Regi. (Dpto. Geograf. Ordenac.Territ.)