Project information
Degradation of meadows of a natural hydrosere - coenological and soil processes

The proposed ecological study will evaluate the role of primary producers and changes in soil characteristics in degradation of meadows. Aims of the project are as follows: 1. Determine changes in plant species diversity and in production parameters in o riginal and degradated meadow communities. 2. Specify inborn interspecific differences in growth rate of important plant species of studied communities and find out physiological and morphogenetical basis of these differences. 3. Determine differences in the uptake of nutrients by plants, their use in biomass production and differences in retranslocation and losses of nutrients in various stands and habitats. 4. Determine the relative magnitudes of accumulation and mineralization of plant matter as sour ces of nutrient supply to plants. Specify the changes in size or activity of populations of decomposer organisms with respect to nitrogen availability. 5. Determine what factors or processes cause, or prevent both spreading of Calamagrostis epigejos and