The Effects of Mowing Frequencies on Flowering Status of Grassland Plants as the Open Air Exhibition

27 Mar The Effects of Mowing Frequencies on Flowering Status of Grassland Plants as the Open Air Exhibition

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Abstract

English Abstract

Shimane Prefectural Sanbe ture Museum recognizes grassland plants in the neighboring field as the important asset representing the open air exhibition and therefore, performs mowing several times a year for the ma gement of Kitanohara grassland. The objective of the present study was to investigate influences of mowing frequencies on flowering of grassland plants, by monitoring the flowering status at 3 sites exposed to mowing at different frequencies to assess optimal care methods for grassland plants as the open air exhibition. Each plot measuring 20m square was assigned to each site, followed by recording number of flowering stems in the plot as well as time-course changes of vegetatio l heights and percentage of vegetatio l cover in sub-plots. Vegetatio l heights reflect influences of mowing while there was a tendency towards maintaining lower stems at the plots subjected to frequent mowing. As regards flowering status, plants characteristic of flowering in spring did not reflect differences in mowing frequencies so much; in contrast, however, plants characterized with flowering in autumn tended to show less flowering at the plots undergoing frequent mowing.