Characterizing and predicting plant phenology in species-rich grasslands.

The use of plant phenology for determining the timing of management practices is poorly understood in species-rich grasslands. The objectives were to assess the effect of management practices on the dates at which phenological stages occur and to compare different methods of calculating the growing degree-days in order to predict them. Dates at which phenological stages of plant species occurred were recorded and plant strategy for resource capture and use was assessed through measurements of the dry matter content of leaves in two experiments in regions with contrasting climatic conditions. In Experiment 1, conducted near Toulouse, France, a set of 31 species was sown in pure stands at two levels of N availability. In Experiment 2, a network of 18 permanent grasslands, located in the French Pyrenees, was studied. In both experiments, the dry matter content of leaves, and flowering and ripening times, were measured. In Experiment 1, the dates on which a given phenological stage occurred were correlated with one another, and the grass species showed a significant ranking of dry weight of leaves for these dates. In Experiment 2, the difference between average flowering times of plant communities was shown to be around 40 d and resulted more from the species composition of the plant community than from their sensitivity to management practices. Plant communities were significantly ranked by dry weight of leaves for their flowering time. The minimum and maximum base temperatures which minimized the growing degree-days between the two locations were 0 and 25°C, respectively, and the most appropriate date from which to start to accumulate temperatures was found to be 1 February.

[1]  M. Robson,et al.  The grass plant—its form and function , 1988 .

[2]  G. Zanin,et al.  Modelling the correlation between plant phenology and weed emergence for improving weed control , 2007 .

[3]  J. M. Peacock,et al.  Temperature and Leaf Growth in Four Grass Species , 1976 .

[4]  Eric Garnier,et al.  PLANT FUNCTIONAL MARKERS CAPTURE ECOSYSTEM PROPERTIES DURING SECONDARY SUCCESSION , 2004 .

[5]  K. Thompson,et al.  Specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content as alternative predictors of plant strategies , 1999 .

[6]  J. Wilson,et al.  An index of functional diversity , 2003 .

[7]  P. Šmilauer,et al.  Phenological pattern of grassland species: relation to the ecological and morphological traits , 2002 .

[8]  S. Plantureux,et al.  Variation in leaf traits through seasons and N-availability levels and its consequences for ranking grassland species , 2005 .

[9]  W. Carson,et al.  Phenological complementarity, species diversity, and ecosystem function , 2001 .

[10]  M. Duru.  Leaf and stem in vitro digestibility for grasses and dicotyledons of meadow plant communities in spring , 1997 .

[11]  G. Lemaire,et al.  N Uptake and Distribution in Plant Canopies , 1997 .

[12]  J. Woledge.  Effect of Flowering on the Photosynthetic Capacity of Ryegrass Leaves Grown With and Without Natural Shading , 1979 .

[13]  S. Singh,et al.  Phenological features in relation to growth forms and biomass accumulation in an alpine meadow of the Central Himalaya , 1992, Vegetatio.

[14]  W. Wilhelm,et al.  Growing degree-days: one equation, two interpretations , 1997 .

[15]  R. Sosebee,et al.  Effect of phenological development on radiophosphorus translocation from leaves in crested wheatgrass , 1973, Oecologia.

[16]  Sandra Díaz,et al.  Grazing and the phenology of flowering and fruiting in a montane grassland in Argentina: a niche approach , 1994 .

[17]  Duru,et al.  The effect of N and P fertilizer application and botanical composition on the leaf/stem ratio patterns in spring in Pyrenean meadows , 1999 .

[18]  M. Duru,et al.  Effect of nitrogen fertiliser supply and winter cutting on morphological composition and herbage digestibility of a Dactylis glomerata L sward in spring , 2000 .

[19]  M. Duru,et al.  A nitrogen and phosphorus herbage nutrient index as a tool for assessing the effect of N and P supply on the dry matter yield of permanent pastures , 1996, Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems.

[20]  Modeling Net Herbage Accumulation of an Orchardgrass Sward , 2002 .

[21]  Amy J. Symstad,et al.  Species diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem functioning , 2002 .

[22]  T. Sparks,et al.  An examination of the relationship between flowering times and temperature at the national scale using long-term phenological records from the UK , 2000, International journal of biometeorology.

[23]  P. Reich,et al.  A handbook of protocols for standardised and easy measurement of plant functional traits worldwide , 2003 .

[24]  A. J. Cairns,et al.  A changing climate for grassland research. , 2006, The New phytologist.

[25]  G. Dong,et al.  A reexamination of the relationships among phenological complementarity, species diversity, and ecosystem function , 2003 .

[26]  F. Coléno,et al.  Hay-meadows production and weed dynamics as influenced by management , 2003 .

[27]  M. Roderick,et al.  Challenging Theophrastus: A common core list of plant traits for functional ecology , 1999 .

[28]  R. Snaydon,et al.  The effects of environmental factors on components and attributes of a Mediterranean grassland , 1997 .

[29]  M. Williamson,et al.  Relationships between first flowering date and temperature in the flora of a locality in central England , 1995 .

[30]  J. Soussana,et al.  Plant traits and functional types in response to reduced disturbance in a semi-natural grassland , 2005 .

[31]  E. Garnier,et al.  A standardized protocol for the determination of specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content , 2001 .

[32]  A. Sparrow,et al.  Assembly rules operating along a primary riverbed–grassland successional sequence , 2006 .

[33]  M. Werger,et al.  Light partitioning among species and species replacement in early successional grasslands , 2002 .

[34]  M. Duru,et al.  Functional diversity in low-input grassland farming systems: characterisation, effect and management , 2005 .

[35]  J. L. Dodd,et al.  Phenological Pattern in the Shortgrass Prairie , 1976 .

[36]  B. Rathcke,et al.  Phenological Patterns of Terrestrial Plants , 1985 .

[37]  D. Schemske,et al.  Flowering Ecology of Some Spring Woodland Herbs , 1978 .

[38]  H. Lieth,et al.  Phenology, Resource Management, and Synagraphic Computer Mapping , 1971 .

[39]  S. Andelman,et al.  Invasion in space and time: non‐native species richness and relative abundance respond to interannual variation in productivity and diversity , 2004 .