New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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Sustainability of high-country pastures under contrasting development inputs. 9. Vegetation dynamics

D. Scott

AgResearch
PO Box 60
Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
scottd_hc@xtra.co.nz

Abstract    Changes in pasture composition over 24 years are reported for two grazed multiple-species mixture trials on a high-country soil. Quantified response equations (34) between different plant species ranking, vegetation types, time, fertiliser and grazing input treatments for 19 years are reported depending on whether estimation is of “species from environment” (species response from treatment variables) or “environment from species” (treatment variables from species composition). Species abundance and vegetation type were primarily determined by S and P fertiliser levels, duration of development, and only secondarily by relative stocking rate or grazing method. Species dominance and vegetation continued to change over time. Lupinus polyphyllus was dominant over most of the period at low fertiliser input levels, while Trifolium ambiguum increased steadily to dominate in the higher fertiliser input levels during the second decade, with both as sustainable pasture species options.

Keywords    grazing management; high country; New Zealand; response functions; vegetation

A05058; Online publication date 6 July 2007; Received 24 November 2005; accepted 15 March 2007

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50: 393–406
0028–8233/07/5003–0393 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007

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