Plant Science and Biodiversity Center SAS
Topic
Combination of mowing and grazing as a tool for enhancing grassland biodiversity
PhD. program
botany
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Monika Janišová, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Prírodovedecká fakulta UK
Annotation
Protection, enhancement, and potential extension of the biodiversity-rich areas is a top priority of policies within the states, continents or globally. The most recent EU Green Deal Call of the European Union identified biodiversity and ecosystems as key areas capable of improving the quality of the landscape and mitigating the effects of climate change. Areas of agricultural production and semi-natural landscapes are those areas, where most of the action can be taken. Eastern Europe belongs to the European hotspots of the best-preserved traditional landscapes with high conservation value. However, the mechanisms of enhancing grassland biodiversity by application of traditional management practices it is still insufficiently known. The combination of mowing and grazing is one of promising approaches to support both, plant, and animal grassland diversity. The main aim of the thesis is to investigate multiple aspects of a mowing-grazing combination in both, traditional and modern landscapes. The following questions should be answered:
1) Where and when various types of a combined grassland management were used during the European history, and where are they used nowadays?
2) What are the main environmental impacts of grazing and mowing in various grassland habitats?
3) What are the positive and negative impacts of the grazing-mowing combination on grassland plant and animal diversity?
4) How the combined grassland management should be applied by state and non-governmental support in grassland conservation and ecological restoration?
1) Where and when various types of a combined grassland management were used during the European history, and where are they used nowadays?
2) What are the main environmental impacts of grazing and mowing in various grassland habitats?
3) What are the positive and negative impacts of the grazing-mowing combination on grassland plant and animal diversity?
4) How the combined grassland management should be applied by state and non-governmental support in grassland conservation and ecological restoration?