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Plant diversity and nutritive value of meadows and pastures on the Ćićarija mountainous plateau (Istria, Croatia)

Grasslands (meadows and pastures) are exceptionally significant habitats that enrich plant and landscape diversity. Since the preservation of plant diversity is highly influenced by the land-use management, it is necessary to gain insight into the abundance and diversity of flora, as well as the nutritive value of meadows and pastures. The intention of the study in the area of Ćićarija in Istria, covered by the NATURA 2000, was to establish how land-use management of the grassland community Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia influences the plant diversity, the yield and the nutritive value of the dominant plant species and grasslands in general. During research conducted from 2008 to 2010, a total of 626 vascular plant taxa were found. The taxa belonged to 275 genera and 62 families. The highest diversity and heterogeneity were found in abandoned areas, while they were lower in used areas. The chemical composition of the grasslands and the digestibility were significantly different with regard to the vegetation season, but they also varied depending on land-use management. Regular mowing in comparison to irregular mowing significantly (P<0.01) increases the dry matter yield (5.0 : 2.9 t/ha), and in dry matter: ash content (90.04 : 56.90 g/kg), crude protein (116 : 94.5 g/kg), in vitro dry matter digestibility (533 : 476 g/kg), and energy for lactation (4.10 : 3.56 MJ/kg). The results of this study can contribute not only to the preserve the diversity of flora and vegetation of the meadows and pastures in Istria, but also to the improvement of the livestock production.

grassland; plant diversity; nutritive value; Ćićarija; Croatia

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