IAI-Data-CRN_012_Altesor_Grass: Changes in diversity, floristic composition and plant traits of the major life forms in five Uruguayan grasslands

Our objectives were to analyse the changes in diversity, floristic
composition and plant traits of the major life forms (graminoids and
forbs) in response to nine years of grazing exclosure in five
Uruguayan grasslands. The floristic composition and species frequency
of five grazing exclosures set up between 1989 and 1990 were recorded
annually until 1998 by the Direccion de Suelos of the Ministerio de
Ganaderia, Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP, Uruguay). Frequency values were
obtained by recording all the species contacts in 50 points by a
needle. In each site 25 observations were distributed regularly along
two 50-m transects. We analysed the temporal trends using linear
regression models and Non-Metric Dimensional Scaling. We also analysed
the temporal changes of nine plant traits of the aminoid species. The
traits included morphological, physiological and ecological
characteristics of the species that are expected to change in response
to grazing.