Vegetation composition and dynamics in natural grasslands of the South-Eastern Range Region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Abstract
The botanical composition and the effects of the yearly seasons and grazing were studied in natural grasslands at the South-Eastern Range Region of Rio Grande do Sul. The grazing management previous to the experiment beginning differed between areas (Area 1: moderate stocking rate; Area 2: overgrazing). The stocking rate over winter was 0.4 AU ha-1 and 0.6 AU ha-1 through the other seasons (AU = 500 kg). There was low available forage during late autumn and early winter. The grasslands “medium” and “superior” layers (35 to 50% of the soil area cover) were occupied by bushy species and tall grasses. In the “lower layer” the warm-season grasses and broad leaves species contributed respectively with 74 % and 20 % of the available forage over spring-summer. Over autumn-winter warm- season grasses and broad leaves contributed respectively with 72 % and 23 %. Forage legumes contribution to the available forage was minimum. The overgrazing before the beginning of the experiment favoured legumes appearance.
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