<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Terraces represent one of the most common agricultural landscape elements in the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus. In the Central and West Caucasus, most of the arable terraces were converted into grasslands for grazing and haymaking 60-70 years ago and then abandoned or underused during the last 20-25 years. The role of abandoned terraces in maintaining the diversity of grasslands of the mountain slopes was studied in the case of eight terraces of different types. Plant communities of subalpine meadows and meadow steppes were distinguished on the terraces depending mainly on slope steepness at the same altitudes and to a lesser extent on the slope aspect. In general, the grasslands of the terrace platforms and those of original unterraced slopes had similar traits. At that, the mesophilous communities on the rich soils of terrace edges and scarp communities similar to vegetation of steep slopes with eroded soils create regular patterns on the terraced slopes. Thus, former agricultural terraces conditioning geodiversity also contribute to the diversity of plant communities and landscape fragmentation. The current increase of temperature and humidity may lead to a reduction of climatic differences of the slopes, and the further convergence of grassland communities can be assumed.</p></abstract>

Terraces represent one of the most common agricultural landscape elements in the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus. In the Central and West Caucasus, most of the arable terraces were converted into grasslands for grazing and haymaking 60-70 years ago and then abandoned or underused during the last 20-25 years. The role of abandoned terraces in maintaining the diversity of grasslands of the mountain slopes was studied in the case of eight terraces of different types. Plant communities of subalpine meadows and meadow steppes were distinguished on the terraces depending mainly on slope steepness at the same altitudes and to a lesser extent on the slope aspect. In general, the grasslands of the terrace platforms and those of original unterraced slopes had similar traits. At that, the mesophilous communities on the rich soils of terrace edges and scarp communities similar to vegetation of steep slopes with eroded soils create regular patterns on the terraced slopes. Thus, former agricultural terraces conditioning geodiversity also contribute to the diversity of plant communities and landscape fragmentation. The current increase of temperature and humidity may lead to a reduction of climatic differences of the slopes, and the further convergence of grassland communities can be assumed.

Mountain grassland ecosystems on abandoned agricultural terraces (Russia, North Caucasus)

Hacquetia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Terraces represent one of the most common agricultural landscape elements in the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus. In the Central and West Caucasus,...

Mountain grassland ecosystems on abandoned agricultural terraces (Russia, North Caucasus)

Published Online: Mar 06, 2018

Page range: 61 - 71

Received: Mar 29, 2017

Accepted: Oct 09, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/hacq-2017-0010

Keywords
abandonment, convergence, fragmentation, grazing, meadow, meadow steppe, soil.

© by Raisa Gracheva

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Mountain grassland ecosystems on abandoned agricultural terraces (Russia, North Caucasus)

Published Online: Mar 06, 2018

Page range: 61 - 71

Received: Mar 29, 2017

Accepted: Oct 09, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/hacq-2017-0010

Keywordsabandonment, convergence, fragmentation, grazing, meadow, meadow steppe, soil.

© by Raisa Gracheva

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
abandonment, convergence, fragmentation, grazing, meadow, meadow steppe, soil.