ONTOGENETIC STRUCTURE OF CEREAL POPULATIONS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAZING AND MOWING ON FLOODPLAIN MEADOWS IN FOREST-STEPPE ZONE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The effects of grazing and mowing on the ontogenetic structure of cereal population of Dactylis glomerata L., Festuca pratensis Huds., Phleum pratense L., Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv., Alopecurus pratensis L., Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski., Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub. were studied in the floodplains meadows of Psel River and Sula River (Forest-Steppe zone of the North-Eastern Ukraine). It was established with the decrease in the abundance (projective cover) of cereal grasses significant changes in the ontogenetic structure of populations occurred simultaneously on the pasture and mowing gradients. Grazing caused deeper transformation of the population structure of meadow grass than moving. The experimental results confirmed that the systematic implementation of geobotanical and population monitoring of meadow lands can be the advisable tool for organizing their optimal use and successful management. This will allow making corrections to the technology of using pastures and hayfields in order to prevent their degradation.