MANAGEMENT OF MEADOWS IN THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE EAST CARPATHIANS - I -METHODOLOGY AND FIRST RESULTS

Grasslands in the Biosphere Reserve East Carpathians are of cultural-h istorical as well as of scientific and nature conservation importance. They have a high biodiversity, are rich on endangered and rare specie s as well as east-carpathian species with occurrence on the west bound ary of their area of distribution. During the last 25 years large chan ges were carried out in the mood of these grassland management, they a re endangered by degradation and retreat, resp. extinction. Permanent monitoring plots were established covering all endangered meadow commu nities and 75% of grassland and wetland plant species, known from the Slovak part of the Biosphere Reserve. Species composition and abundanc e in relationship with mood of management is recorded each year. The a im of presented project is to find effective mechanisms of conservatio n, resp. restitution the species composition of grasslands in this reg ion. Methodology and first results are presented in this paper.