2 Materials > Methods
2.1.1 Experimental Design / Introduction of Species
2.1.1.1 Species Description
Holcus lanatus L. (Common Velvet Grass, Figure 2), enduring Poaceae species, 30-100 cm in height, growth lawn alike or in low cushion shaped sparse thickets with creeping sprouts. H.
lanatus blades are soft, with numerous 0.02 up to 0.95 mm long hairs. The homorhizal root system reaches depths of about 60 cm. (KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER,1982). H. lana-tus blooms from June to August with plain a reddish colour.
The species prefers collin (max. 300 m above sea level, ESL) up to mountainous (max. 1600 m) elevation zones (R OTH-MALER,1994). ELLENBERG (1991) characterized H. lanatus as an ecophysiological indicator of light habitats of medium warmth (Table 5). H. lanatus prefers soils with a good water supply and medium Nitrogen availability. It shows enhanced competition ability under high N availability (KLAPP, 1965).
According to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1982), the preferred soil texture is from loamy to rich in clay. H. lanatus occurs frequently on Cambisols, Fluvisols and other soils with stagnic and gleyic properties. WILMANNS (1998) referred to H. lanatus as a typical species of agronomic grasslands in Europe (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea) within the order of rich meadows and pastures (Arrhenatheretalia).
Arrhenatherum elatius L. (Tall Oat Grass, Figure 3), enduring Poaceae species. KUTSCHERA >
LICHTENEGGER (1982) described Arrhenatherum elatius (A. elatius) as a species of 50 up to 180 cm growth height, with a rooting depth of 150 cm up to 250 cm. It grows in huge thickets build-ing up sparse stands. A. elatius blooms from June to July with small white coloured flowers. The species occurs in the mountainous elevation zone up to 1600 m ESL (ROTHMALER, 1994). A.
elatius is described as an indicator of bright habitats of medium warmth.
Figure 2 Sectional view of Holcus lanatus L.
according to KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER
(1982), modified
A. elatius is indifferent in concern of soil water sup-ply, but it prefers soils with higher base saturation and N availability (ELLENBERG,1991, Table 5), where it can acclaim major dominance in grasslands. According to KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER (1982), a sandy soil texture and balanced water supply is preferred. A.
elatius is the key species of agronomic grasslands in Europe (WILMANNS, 1998). It is name giving for the class of Molino-Arrhenatheretea and its orders of dry communities (Arrhenatheretalia) including several
lower level associations (e.g. Arrhenatherion elati-oris).
Plantago lanceolata L. (Narrow Leaf Plantain, Figure 4), enduring Plantaginaceae species. KUTSCHERA > LICH
-TENEGGER (1992) described Plantago lanceolata (P.
lanceolata) as a plant of 5 to 50 cm height. Its leaves are lance-shaped, slightly waxy with some hairs. P.
lanceolata has a tap-root system with an expansion up to a depth of 90 cm and deeper. It blooms from May to September with small white flowers. It occurs in zone up to sub alpine (max. 2000 m ESL) elevation zones (ROTHMALER, 1994). ELLENBERG (1991) characterized P. lanceolata as an ecophysiological indicator of shadow to light habitats of varying warmth (Table 5). It shows no preferences in water supply, reaction and N availability of soils (KLAPP, 1965). According to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1992), the preferred soil texture is sandy. P. lanceolata occurs frequently on
Cambisols, sandy Fluvisols, profound Leptosols, Calcaric Regosols or Rendzic Leptosols. P.
lanceolata is a ubiquitous species, which appears on rubble heaps, waysides, meadows and pas-tures. In Europe, it centres in agronomic grasslands (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea) within the order of rich meadows and pastures (Arrhenatheretalia) and in dry grasslands associations (Festuco-Brometea).
Figure 4 Sectional view of Plantago lanceolata L.
according to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1992), modi-fied
Figure 3 Sectional view of Arrhenatherum elatius L.
according to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1982), modi-fied
Geranium pratense L. (Meadow Crane’s Bill, Figure 5), enduring Geraniaceae species. KUTSCHERA >
LICHTENEGGER (1992) described Geranium pratense (G. pratense) as a species from 30 up to 80 cm in height. Its root system is cylindrical with one small tap root, branching in several lateral roots. The shal-low root system expands merely up to 30 cm depth.
The leaf shape is deeply palmately lobed. Their col-our is reddish-brown. G. pratense blooms from June to August with intensively violet coloured flowers.
The species also occurs up to the mountainous zone (ROTHMALER, 1994). G. pratense is an indi-cator of light habitats of higher warmth. It shows lower preferences in concern of soil water sup-ply but demands good base saturation and higher N availability (ELLENBERG, 1991). Its competi-tion ability is highest under higher N availability condicompeti-tions (KLAPP, 1965). G. pratense fre-quently occurs on Fluvisols with slight gleyic properties and occasionally on Cambisols. W IL-MANNS (1998) characterizes G. pratense as a common species in nutrient rich agronomic grass-lands within the association of Arrhenatherion elatioris.
Table 5 Ecophysiological indicator values for species used in experimental grassland stands I-IV on lysimeter facilities according to ELLENBERG
(1991) and N competition value according to KLAPP (1965)
L = 1 shadow indicator – 9 bright light indicator
T = 1 low temperature indicator (alpine conditions) – 9 extreme warmth indicator (Mediterranean conditions) F = 1 dryness indicator – 12 occasionally or permanently submerged species
R = 1 acidity indicator – 9 base or CaCO3 indicator
N = 1 high competition ability at nil or low N fertilization – 5 high competition ability at high N fertilization (45 g N m-2 yr-1) X = indifferent
Species L T F R N
Light Temperature Soil Moisture Soil Reaction Soil Nitrogen
Holcus lanatus 7 6 6 x 5
Arrhenatherum elatius 8 5 x 7 5
Plantago lanceolata 6 x x x 3
Geranium pratense 8 6 5 8 4
Range of Indicator values 1-9 1-9 1-12 1-9 1-5
Figure 5 Sectional view of Geranium pratense L.
according to KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER (1992), modified
2.1.1.2 Additional Species of Stand V Anthoxanthum odoratum L. (Sweet Vernal Grass,
Figure 6), enduring Poaceae species. Anthoxanthum odo-ratum (A. odoodo-ratum) is a species of 15 up to 50 cm height. Its root system is homorhizal, it is shallow with depth up to 30 cm. The blades and roots contain derivates of coumarine, which gives an intensive scent of Gallium odoratum (woodruff) (KUTSCHERA
> LICHTENEGGER, 1982). A. odoratum blooms from Mai to June with small whitish flowers. It occurs up into the sub alpine zone (ROTHMALER,1994). E
LLEN-BERG (1991) characterized A. odoratum as a species with wide ecophysiological amplitude (Table
6). It only shows a preference in soils with at least medium base saturation. A. odoratum avoids soils featuring gleyic properties, thus a wide range of European soils can be inhabited (KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER, 1982). It centres within agronomic grasslands in meadows, pas-tures and waysides of the Nardetalia (Mat Grass Meadows) order (ROTHMALER, 1994).
Alopecurus pratensis L. (Meadow Foxtail, Figure 7), enduring Poaceae species. Alopecurus pratensis (A.
pratensis) has a growth height from 30 up to 120 cm.
Its homorhizal root system expands up to a depth of 60 cm (KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER, 1982). A.
pratensis blooms from May to June in plain white flowers. It grows up to sub alpine zone and sporadic in the alpine zone (› 2000 m ESL, ROTHMALER, 1994). The species has its centre on habitats in half-shadow up to half-light on soils with good water sup-ply and base saturation with high N availability (E L-LENBERG, 1991, Table 6), where it shows pronounced competition ability (KLAPP, 1965) A. pratensis pre-fers sandy up to loamy textured Gleysols, Fluvisols and seldom Cambisols (KUTSCHERA >
LICHTENEGGER, 1982). The species occurs in agronomic grassland within moist associations of the Arrhenatherion and other orders (ROTHMALER,1992).
Figure 6 Sectional view of Anthoxanthum odoratum L.
according to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1982), modi-fied
Figure 7 Sectional view of Alopecurus pratensis L.
according to KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER (1982), modi-fied
Taraxacum officinale, L. (Common Dandelion, Figure 8), enduring Asteraceae species. Taraxacum officinale (T.
officinale) is grows up to a height of 50 cm. The blades are arranged within a rosette, they contain a milky xy-lem sap. The root system is allorhizal with a dominat-ing tap root and only less branchdominat-ing. It can occur up to alpine elevation zone (KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER, 1992). The species blooms from April to July in huge and bright yellow coloured flowers (ROTHMALER, 1994). T. officinale is characterized as a plant prefer-ring half-light conditions, and high base saturation (ELLENBERG, 1991, Table 6). At high N availability, it shows high competition ability (KLAPP, 1965). It oc-curs on Gleysols, Fluvisols and on a wide range of Cambisols (KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER, 1992).
ROTHMALER (1992) classifies T. officinale as belonging to the Arrhenatherion and other N rich grassland orders (meadows, pastures, rural sites and waysides).
Ranunculus acris, L. (Meadow Buttercup, Figure 9), enduring Ranunculaceae species. Ranunculus acris (R. acris) is of a growth height from 30 to 100 cm. It grows in thickets. Its allorhizal root system expands up to 100 cm depth. The leaf shape is palmately lobed. It occurs up to sub alpine elevation zones (KUTSCHERA >LICHTENEGGER, 1992). Blooming is from May to September with whitish-yellow flowers (ROTHMALER, 1994). ELLENBERG (1991) described R. acris as an indicator for half-shadow – half-light conditions on soils with good water supply (Table 6).
Its occurrence is widespread excluding soils with distinct gleyic properties (KUTSCHERA > L ICHTE-NEGGER, 1992). ROTHMALER (1992) ascribes R. ac-ris to meadows, pastures and waysides of Molinio-Arrhenatheretea.
Figure 8 Sectional view of Taraxacum officinale, L. according to KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER
(1992), modified
Figure 9 Sectional view of Ranunculus acris L.
according to KUTSCHERA > LICHTENEGGER (1992), modified
Table 6 Ecophysiological indicator values for species used in experimental grassland stand V on lysimeter facilities according to ELLENBERG
(1991) and N competition value according to KLAPP (1965)
L = 1 shadow indicator – 9 bright light indicator
T = 1 low temperature indicator (alpine conditions) – 9 extreme warmth indicator (Mediterranean conditions) F = 1 dryness indicator – 12 occasionally or permanently submerged species
R = 1 acidity indicator – 9 base or CaCO3 indicator
N = 1 high competition ability at nil or low N fertilization – 5 high competition ability at high N fertilization (45 g N m-2 yr-1) X= indifferent
n.a. no account
Species L T F R N
Light Temperature Soil Moisture Soil Reaction Soil Nitrogen
Anthoxanthum odoratum x x x 5 n.a.
Alopecurus pratensis 6 x 6 6 5
Taraxacum officinale 7 x 5 8 5
Ranunculus acris 7 x 6 x 3
Range of indicator values 1-9 1-9 1-12 1-9 1-5
2.1.2 Installation > Maintenance