Vegetation of semi-natural grassland pastures in southwestern Finland, 1999 - 2004

The data originates from national monitoring on the effects of the Finnish agri-environment support scheme (MYTVAS). In 1999, 2000 and 2004, data on vascular plants was collected in 36 mesic semi-natural grasslands, representing different management types: 1) continuous seasonal cattle grazing, 2) cattle grazing resumed 3–8 years ago after over 10 years of abandonment, and 3) overgrowing, abandoned over 10 years ago. Each grassland was studied in 1999 or 2000 and the second time in 2004.

The study sites were situated in southwestern Finland on mainly southwestern and southeastern slopes by small rivers and brooks on clay soil. All study sites were open grassland without trees and shrubs. The new and most of the old pastures were under the EU agri-environmental scheme of management of traditional rural biotopes.

Coverages of vascular plants were estimated on 15 1 m2 plots randomly placed per study area. Additionally, in 1999, all plant species of the whole study area were recorded; in 2000 and 2004, coverages of plant species in the whole study area were estimated using a nine-class scale (1<0.125 %, 2=0.125-0.5 %, 3=0.5-2 %, 4=2-4 %, 5=4-8 %, 6=8-16 %, 7=16-32 %, 8=32-64 %, 9>64 %).

The methods are described in the following publications:

Pykälä, J. 2008. Perinnebiotooppien hoidon erityistuella aloitetun karjan laidunnuksen merkitys niittykasveille. In: Kuussaari, M., Heliölä, J., Tiainen, J., Helenius, J. (Eds.). Maatalouden ympäristötuen merkitys luonnon monimuotoisuudelle ja maisemalle. MYTVAS-loppuraportti 2000-2006 (Significance of the Finnish agri-environment support scheme for biodiversity and landscape: Final report 2000-2006, in Finnish). Suomen ympäristö 4/2008: 160-175.

Pykälä, J. 2005. Plant species responses to cattle grazing in mesic semi-natural grassland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 108: 109-117.