The loss of biodiversity worldwide and methods of prevention are hot subjects receiving increased interest in todays’ research. Meadow construction in urban areas has been the focus of recent studies to increase both local and global biodiversity. In my report, I address potential analyses to conduct in advance before practical meadow constructions in a landscape. The subject I chose to focus on for this report was a LONA-project aimed to construct meadows on contemporary amenity grasslands in a semi-urban municipality. I used vegetation data from an inventory executed in 2021. Patches were in advance classified based on conditions observed during the inventory with class 1 obtaining the highest meadow potential, class 2 obtaining mediocre potential, and class 3 weak or no potential. I analysed vegetation data on species richness, environmental indicator values, and composition. Additionally, I analysed the soil types and historical land uses in the study area to display credible soil characteristics. The order of Lepidoptera was used as a model taxon for pollinators and the red-listed Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) was separately analysed for conservational purposes. To illustrate the landscapes’ ability to facilitate the dispersal of butterflies, connectivity analyses of varying meadow construction scenarios were executed. Results indicate higher species richness on average per patch and more indicator species in class 1, suggesting a better starting point and making quality assessments more credible in comparison to class 2. Underlaying soil type seems to some extent to influence the meadow potential by affecting vegetation composition and hence butterfly occurrence in terms of host plant distribution. I could however not draw any conclusions from the effect of historical land use on current patch classifications, and consequently meadow potential. To facilitate for E. aurinia to widen its distribution in the study area, and to avoid local extinction, further conservational efforts should focus on mimicking the conditions and current management of the powerline corridor, that currently yields high diversity of butterflies and abundance of E. aurinia, to other powerline corridors in the study area. To facilitate dispersal of butterflies and other pollinators, target meadow areas of both class 1 and class 2 patches should be constructed to avoid patch isolation, as illustrated in the connectivity analyses. Further research is needed to investigate other factors possibly affecting suitability of grasslands for meadow construction.

This thesis offers the first detailed palaeoenvironmental analysis of wetland areas within sub-Arctic enclosed homefield’s. Significance of meadows were previously mentioned only briefly in the literature, suggesting influences in settlement site selection as well as importance in quality fodder production, producing up to two thirds of total hay resources in a somewhat marginal agricultural landscape. Given the importance of hay resources in Iceland it seems unusual these areas have received so little attention to date, despite extensive research on all other aspects of the Norse farm system. The organic sediments within the meadows, given their development in-situ over extended time periods, have the ability to record aspects of the intimate relationship between societal and environmental change, and so in a robust and holistic way our methods set integrates radiocarbon measurement, tephrochronology, palynology and thin section micromorphology from the same core; reflecting these findings against existing paleoclimate and archaeological site data. This combined application of the core techniques – palynology and soil micromorphology, has proven successful in creating effective human ecodynamic records from each of the study farms. Records obtained from the three farm sites in northwest and northern Iceland exposed the varying importance and differing utilisation of these wetland areas. Meadows would appear to have played an import role in choice of settlement site across northern Iceland, through the provision of open areas, and additional and immediately available fodder resources at settlement, in a landscape dominated by dense scrub. Meadows were found to have been in continuous use, albeit at varying levels of intensity, from settlement to the present day. In this respect the semi-natural resources are found to be remarkably resilient, demonstrating little alterations to their composition following severe climatic downturns, including that of the Little Ice Age, and volcanic eruption. Acting as a robust resource and safety buffer for settlements, contributing to fodder resources where reliability of other resources is jeopardised by environmental conditions. Research in the more marginal northwest peninsula provides the first evidence of artificially created wet meadows in Iceland, developed to give sustained fodder production for over-wintering livestock in an environment that inherently had a short growing season and lacked soil fertility. A further example of the nuanced land management practices adopted in the agriculturally fragile farmscapes of the Norse North Atlantic. The findings of the thesis have wider implications for understanding the emergence of resilient and sustainable communities in agriculturally marginal environments; to this end there remains many opportunities to use palaeoenvironmental research to study ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenic stresses, giving us a better understanding of capacities to withstand future stresses.

Meadows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are an important ecological resource that have degraded in quality and distribution due to several environmental and anthropogenic stressors. The encroachment of conifers beyond forest meadow ecotones is largely responsible for the decline of meadow habitat throughout the past century. Currently, there is little research that quantifies the hydrologic response to removal of conifers encroaching meadows in terms of implicating successful meadow restoration. This study has implemented a before after control intervention (BACI) study design to determine the hydrologic response associated with the removal of conifers from a historic meadow encroached by conifers. The primary goals of this research were to: (1) establish a method to evaluate the weekly water balance of an encroached meadow before and after conifer removal (restoration) (2) characterize the hydrology of an encroached meadow and a nearby control meadow prior to restoration (3) assess the effectiveness of electrical resistivity tomography in improving the spatial interpretation of subsurface hydrology on our study site. A water budget approach was developed to quantify the hydrology of a control and study meadow (Marian Meadow) before and after restoration. In order to determine weekly changes in groundwater depth, 14 Odyssey water level capacitance instruments were installed to a 1.5 meter depth in PVC wells. In order to quantify changes in soil moisture storage, 14 soil moisture probes were installed to a ~1 ft (30 cm) depth. Both sets of instruments were installed using a spatially balanced random sampling approach. Electrical resistivity tomography was conducted on both meadows on three separate dates during: September 9-10 2013, May 5 2014 and September 6-7 2014. A method to quantify runoff from a stream that drains Marian Meadow (Marian Creek) was also established. The Priestley Taylor model was used to estimate daily evapotranspiration from both meadows. Electrical resistivity tomography improved the spatial interpretation of groundwater recharge and facilitated the use of a recession curve analysis to model groundwater recharge when the water table receded beyond instrument detection depths. Electrical resistivity also demonstrated a change in hydrologic characteristics across a forest –meadow ecotone. Analysis of the pre-removal hydrologic characteristics from September 2013 to December 2014 indicates that Marian Meadow may be a favorable candidate for restoration (in terms of hydrology). On Marian Meadow, volumetric soil moisture was higher than the Control Meadow from May-November 2014. Sufficient soil moisture in the summer months is thought to be critical to the maintenance of endemic meadow flora. The water table depth on Marian Meadow and the Control Meadow was similar throughout the analysis period, but Marian Meadow had a shallower water table during the summer months. The Control Meadow had near surface groundwater during short periods from February-April 2014 and December 2014. If conifer removal from Marian Meadow causes an increase in seasonal volumetric soil moisture and a decrease in seasonal groundwater depth, an augmented version of the stable hydrologic system already present on Marian Meadow may result in hydrologic conditions more favorable to meadow restoration.

Conventional production of meat products from ruminant animals in the United States requires inputs including the cultivation and nitrogen fertilization of annual grains such as corn and barley, and transportation of cattle and grain to feedlots. Consumers have concerns about the impact of feedlot conditions on animal health, and about the implications of pharmaceutical inputs such as growth hormones and antibiotics on the environment and human health. These concerns have led to a growing interest in pasturefinished meat production by consumers. Such smaller-scale livestock production systems can be healthier and lower-stress for animals, are integrated into local food systems and are more transparent to consumers, and have higher potential profitability for producers than traditional ruminant production methods. There is a strong market for pasture-finished beef products, and prices for naturally or organically raised beef have remained well above feedlot-produced product prices. There is also concern about the impact of ruminant production on the environment, including air and water pollution from feedlot production and greenhouse gasses that are emitted from ruminant animals during feed digestion. This thesis project explored the potential of a beef production system based on perennial legumes, including the non-bloating legume birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) for producing meat products from cattle while reducing concentrate feeding and methane production. The condensed tannins that are produced by BFT bind proteins in the rumen but allow them to be digested in the abomasum and intestines, which in turn leads to better utilization of forage nutrients during the finishing period and higher gains or milk production. The higher digestibility of legumes compared with grasses reduces methane emissions in cattle both through higher digestibility of the forage and through direct impacts on methanogens operating in the rumen. As reported in this thesis, steers finished on BFT gained significantly more weight per day than steers fed another perennial forage legume, cicer milkvetch, but did not gain as rapidly as feedlot-fed steers. At the end of summer grazing, the blood plasma of pasture-fed steers was lower in saturated and omega-6 fatty acids and higher in transvaccenic and omega-3 fatty acids than the blood plasma of feedlot-fed steers. When beef cows grazed grass and legume pastures, enteric methane emissions were lower on the legume pastures than the grass pasture. These results demonstrate that, compared with other feed sources, perennial legume pastures used for cattle production can improve cattle gains and reduce environmental impacts.

Montane meadows comprise less than 5% of the landscape of the western Cascades of Oregon, but they provide habitat for diverse species of plants and pollinators. Little is known about plant-pollinator network structure at these sites. This study quantified plant-pollinator interactions over the summer of 2011, based on six observations of 10 permanent subplots in 15 meadows, stratified by size and isolation. The study examined (1) relationships between richness and abundance of flowers, pollinators, and interactions; (2) distribution of abundance and richness of flowers, pollinators, and interactions with regards to surrounding meadow habitat; (3) change in flower and pollinator abundance over the season; (4) factors associated with the presence of various guilds of pollinators; and (5) the structure of plant-pollinator networks. The study showed that (1) richness of pollinators increased 2x faster than richness of flowers with increased abundance; (2) density of flowers and interactions was positively correlated with meadow size and diversity of pollinators and interactions were both correlated with surrounding habitat at two spatial scales; (3) peak flower abundance coincided with or preceded peaks in pollinator populations; (4) abundance of three guilds of bees exhibited different patterns of association to surrounding habitat and meadow soil moisture corresponding to various dispersal potential and phenology of guild species; and (5) the number of network pairings for plants and pollinators increased with increasing species richness of potential interaction partners and all networks were found to be significantly nested. Results of this study indicate that plant-pollinator networks are complex assemblages of species, in which spatial and temporal patterns of habitat affect species composition and network structure. In particular, flower and pollinator abundance and richness are depressed in small and isolated meadows. Significant nestedness emerged as a pattern of network level organization across the study meadows. / Graduation date: 2013

A series of experiments were conducted during 2005 and 2006 to evaluate five perennial grass species for forage yield and quality, steer performance and grazing capacity, animal intake, plant energy reserves and economic return under grazed conditions. In 1999, two 0.8 ha replicates each of Paddock meadow bromegrass (<i>Bromus riparius</i>Rehm.), Carlton smooth bromegrass (<i>Bromus inermis</i>Leyss.) and AC Knowles hybrid bromegrass (<i>B. riparius</i> x <i>B. inermis</i>) were seeded. In 2003, two 0.8 ha replicates each of AC Goliath crested wheatgrass (<i>Agropyron cristatum </i> (L.) Gaertn.), hybrid bromegrass, and Courtenay tall fescue (<i>Festuca arundinacea </i> Schreb.) were seeded. A long established stand of crested wheatgrass acted as the control pasture. For 2003 established pastures, AC Goliath crested wheatgrass (7515 kg ha-1) had greater (P<0.05) cumulative dry matter yield than hybrid bromegrass (3136 kg ha-1) during the 2005 grazing season. Average (2005-2006) crude protein (CP) was greatest (P<0.05) for hybrid and smooth bromegrass for 1999 established pastures at start and middle of period one. Control pastures had the greatest (P<0.05) neutral detergent fiber (NDF) mid-grazing period. Over 2 years, smooth bromegrass had greater acid detergent fiber (ADF) (P<0.05) than control pastures at the end of the grazing period one. Average (2005-2006) in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was greatest for hybrid and meadow bromegrass (P<0.05) at the start of grazing period one. Control pastures (129 g kg-1) had lower CP levels at the start of the 2005-2006 (average) grazing period 1 (P<0.05) compared to species seeded in 2003. Control and hybrid bromegrass pastures had the greatest NDF and ADF levels at the start of grazing period 1 (2005-2006 average) while tall fescue pastures had the lowest (P<0.05) NDF and ADF levels. Over 2 years, control pastures had the lowest IVOMD at start of grazing (P<0.05). In 2006, hybrid and smooth bromegrass had greater etiolated re-growth than control pastures (P<0.05). In 2006, grazed plants seeded in 1999 had greater (P<0.05) etiolated re-growth than ungrazed plants. For 2003 seeded grasses, crested wheatgrass produced greater (P<0.05) etiolated re-growth than tall fescue and control pastures. Average daily gain was similar (P>0.05) for all 1999 and 2003 seeded grasses. Overall, bromegrasses seeded in 1999 produced greater animal grazing days (AGD) than control pastures (P<0.05). Total beef production (TBP) was greater (P<0.05) for hybrid and meadow bromegrass compared to the control. All species seeded in 2003 produced greater AGD (P<0.05) compared to the control. Crested wheatgrass produced greater (P<0.05) TBP than the control over both years of the study. The C33:C32 alkane ratio estimated greater DMI (P<0.05) for hybrid bromegrass (9.9 kg d-1) and control pastures (9.6 kg d-1) compared to crested wheatgrass (6.8 kg d-1) or tall fescue (6.8 kg d-1) during period 1 in 2006. Over 2 years, net return to labor, equity and personal draw was greater (P<0.05) for hybrid bromegrass ($91.24 ha-1) compared to the control (-$54.32 ha-1). For 2003 seeded pastures, all pastures generated positive returns over 2 years. Crested wheatgrass ($92.49 ha-1) had greater net return than control pastures (-$54.32 ha-1) (P<0.05). Finally, the results of this grazing study indicate beef producers can manage these grasses during the summer grazing season and maintain high levels of animal performance and pasture production. This study has demonstrated that bromegrasses, crested wheatgrass and tall fescue could work well in a complementary grazing system.

A series of experiments were conducted during 2005 and 2006 to evaluate five perennial grass species for forage yield and quality, steer performance and grazing capacity, animal intake, plant energy reserves and economic return under grazed conditions. In 1999, two 0.8 ha replicates each of Paddock meadow bromegrass (<i>Bromus riparius</i>Rehm.), Carlton smooth bromegrass (<i>Bromus inermis</i>Leyss.) and AC Knowles hybrid bromegrass (<i>B. riparius</i> x <i>B. inermis</i>) were seeded. In 2003, two 0.8 ha replicates each of AC Goliath crested wheatgrass (<i>Agropyron cristatum </i> (L.) Gaertn.), hybrid bromegrass, and Courtenay tall fescue (<i>Festuca arundinacea </i> Schreb.) were seeded. A long established stand of crested wheatgrass acted as the control pasture. For 2003 established pastures, AC Goliath crested wheatgrass (7515 kg ha-1) had greater (P<0.05) cumulative dry matter yield than hybrid bromegrass (3136 kg ha-1) during the 2005 grazing season. Average (2005-2006) crude protein (CP) was greatest (P<0.05) for hybrid and smooth bromegrass for 1999 established pastures at start and middle of period one. Control pastures had the greatest (P<0.05) neutral detergent fiber (NDF) mid-grazing period. Over 2 years, smooth bromegrass had greater acid detergent fiber (ADF) (P<0.05) than control pastures at the end of the grazing period one. Average (2005-2006) in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was greatest for hybrid and meadow bromegrass (P<0.05) at the start of grazing period one. Control pastures (129 g kg-1) had lower CP levels at the start of the 2005-2006 (average) grazing period 1 (P<0.05) compared to species seeded in 2003. Control and hybrid bromegrass pastures had the greatest NDF and ADF levels at the start of grazing period 1 (2005-2006 average) while tall fescue pastures had the lowest (P<0.05) NDF and ADF levels. Over 2 years, control pastures had the lowest IVOMD at start of grazing (P<0.05). In 2006, hybrid and smooth bromegrass had greater etiolated re-growth than control pastures (P<0.05). In 2006, grazed plants seeded in 1999 had greater (P<0.05) etiolated re-growth than ungrazed plants. For 2003 seeded grasses, crested wheatgrass produced greater (P<0.05) etiolated re-growth than tall fescue and control pastures. Average daily gain was similar (P>0.05) for all 1999 and 2003 seeded grasses. Overall, bromegrasses seeded in 1999 produced greater animal grazing days (AGD) than control pastures (P<0.05). Total beef production (TBP) was greater (P<0.05) for hybrid and meadow bromegrass compared to the control. All species seeded in 2003 produced greater AGD (P<0.05) compared to the control. Crested wheatgrass produced greater (P<0.05) TBP than the control over both years of the study. The C33:C32 alkane ratio estimated greater DMI (P<0.05) for hybrid bromegrass (9.9 kg d-1) and control pastures (9.6 kg d-1) compared to crested wheatgrass (6.8 kg d-1) or tall fescue (6.8 kg d-1) during period 1 in 2006. Over 2 years, net return to labor, equity and personal draw was greater (P<0.05) for hybrid bromegrass ($91.24 ha-1) compared to the control (-$54.32 ha-1). For 2003 seeded pastures, all pastures generated positive returns over 2 years. Crested wheatgrass ($92.49 ha-1) had greater net return than control pastures (-$54.32 ha-1) (P<0.05). Finally, the results of this grazing study indicate beef producers can manage these grasses during the summer grazing season and maintain high levels of animal performance and pasture production. This study has demonstrated that bromegrasses, crested wheatgrass and tall fescue could work well in a complementary grazing system.

Hazel (Corylus avellana L.) is a common feature of meadows and pastures where it can grow in large populations and become very old. Is it possible to use the size of hazel stools for age determination and is it possible to use the size distribution of a population to provide information about how the land has been used? Hazel populations on ground where the lake-water level had been lowered, has been studied to validate an already developed growth model of hazel clones. Different hazel populations, on wooded meadows affected by mowing or grazing or overgrown meadows, were studied to evaluate the method utilizing hazel as land use indicator. The growth model was used to compare the size distributions of hazel populations with historical periods, which has been important for changes in agriculture or demography. The results show that the current growth model needs to be refined, but the method itself with a growth model based on the circumference of hazel bushes seems feasible. Additional studies about the influence of, for example, soils of different fertility are needed. The results also show that the size distribution in a population depends on how much meadows have been affected by mowing or grazing and that areas with similar land use have similar size distribution. Finally, some examples are reported about how a growth model can be used to compare historical periods of changes in agriculture, for example reduced livestock, with variations of the size distribution in a hazel population.

This thesis describes a relationship between maternal preference and offspring performance in a population of the butterfly Euphydryas editha that used two host plants, Pedicularis semibarbata and Collinsia torreyi from 1979 to 2001, but now no longer uses Collinsia. In the light of the known history of diet change in this butterfly population, it is not surprising that maternal oviposition preference was variable. Although the diet of the butterflies that evolved rapidly in the 1980’s is no longer changing, I still discovered some females with a chemical preference for Collinsia. This seems to be a legacy of recent anthropogenic diet evolution. The evolution of host preference of females in Rabbit Meadow has not finished yet. Variation of offspring weight and survival were measured and showed a complex relationship with adult preference. Although quite a few adults strongly rejected Collinsia, their offspring grew well on this host, and there was no significant trend for the offspring of strongly Pedicularis-preferring butterflies to perform more poorly on Collinsia. / text

Cape Bounty, Melville Island is a partially vegetated High Arctic landscape with three main plant communities: polar semi-desert (47% of the study area), mesic tundra (31%) , and wet sedge meadows (7%). The objective of this research was to relate biophysical measurements of soil, vegetation, and CO2 exchange rates in each vegetation type to high resolution satellite data from IKONOS-2, extending plot level measurements to a landscape scale. Field data was collected through six weeks of the 2008 growing season. Two IKONOS images were acquired, one on July 4th and the other on August 2nd. Two products were generated from the satellite data: a land-cover classification and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The three vegetation types were found to have distinct soil and vegetation characteristics. Only the wet sedge meadows were a net sink for CO2; soil respiration tended to exceed photosynthesis in the sparsely vegetated mesic tundra and polar semi-desert. Scaling up the plot measurements by vegetation type area suggested that Cape Bounty was a small net carbon source (0.34 ± 0.47 g C m-2 day-1) in the summer of 2008. NDVI was strongly correlated with percent vegetation cover, vegetation volume, soil moisture, and moderately with soil nitrogen, biomass, and leaf area index (LAI). Photosynthesis and respiration of CO2 both positively correlated with NDVI, most strongly when averaged over the season. NDVI increased over time in every vegetation type, but this change was not reflected in any significant measured changes in vegetation or CO2 flux rates. A simple spatial model was developed to estimate Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) at every pixel on the satellite images based on NDVI, temperature and incoming solar radiation. It was found that the rate of photosynthesis per unit NDVI was higher early in the growing season. The model estimated a mean flux to the atmosphere of 0.21 g C m-2 day-1 at the time of image acquisition on July 4th, and -0.07 g C m-2 day-1 (a net C sink) on August 2nd. The greatest uncertainty in the relationship between NDVI and CO2 flux was associated with the polar semi-desert class. / Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2011-12-28 23:27:34.824