Assessment of pasture renovation systems in an area of northern Apennines

Vegetation evolution in pastures produces often negative effects on botanical composition and on pastoral value, and this is emphasized in relation to reduced stocking rates. In order to assess the development of pastoral resources along time and to analyze the effect of management activities on botanical composition and on grazing value, a survey was conducted in summer 2015 on a pastoral area of about 65 ha grazed by Limousine cows and placed inside the Dynamo Camp of Limestre (a WWF Oasis), in the Northern Apennine (Tuscany Region). The area is located at an altitude ranging from 900 to 1,100 a.s.l. with pastures that are periodically sown with appropriate seed mixtures or mechanically treated to remove shrubs and undesirable species. Linear transects were assessed in order to compare the effect of sowing and of shrubs cutting on botanical composition and on pastoral value. The comparison between different techniques of pasture renovation, showed a better performance of sowing in terms of overall botanical composition (a presence of more than 70% of grasses and legumes in sown pastures, less than 50% in brush-cutted ones) and of pastoral value (55 vs. 40); on the contrary the latter kind of restoration presented higher floristic richness in terms of species occurring along transects. Regression analysis between years since sowing and botanical composition or pastoral value gave evidence of the close relationship of these two variables with age of pastures, providing useful technical suggestions for the future renovation programs in the area.