Table 1. Site characteristics of the nine investigated grassland sites (Neustift, N; Monte Bondone, MB; Torgnon, TN; Lethbridge, L; Vaira, V; Tojal, T; Dripsey, D; Wexford, W; Carlow, CW).
| Site | N | MB | TN | L | V | T | D | W | CW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Austria | Italy | Italy | Canada (AB) | USA (CA) | Portugal | Ireland | Ireland | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 47°07′ N 11°19′ E |
46° 01′ N 11° 2′ E |
45° 50′ N 7° 34′ E |
49° 43′ N 112° 56′ W |
38 °41′ N 120° 95′ W |
38°28′ N 8°01′ W |
51°59′ N 8°45′ W |
52°30′ N 6°40′ W |
52°52′ N 6°54′ W |
| Elevation (m a.s.l.) |
970 | 1550 | 2160 | 951 | 129 | 190 | 195 | 57 | 56 |
| Climate region | Cold-Temperate | Cold-Temperate | Cold-Temperate | Cold-Temperate | Mediterranean | Mediterranean | Maritime | Maritime | Maritime |
| Mean Ta (°C) | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 16.5 | 15.5 | 9.4 | 10.1 | 9.4 |
| Mean PPT (mm) | 852 | 1189 | 920 | 402 | 562 | 669 | 1207 | 877 | 824 |
| Snow cover and/or T < 0°C |
Nov - Apr | Nov - Apr | Nov - May | Oct - Apr | none | none | none | none | none |
| Management | intensive meadow |
extensive meadow |
abandoned pasture |
unmanaged prairie |
extensive pasture |
extensive pasture |
intensive meadow/ pasture |
intensive meadow/ pasture |
intensive meadow/ pasture |
| Nitrogen fertilizer application (kg N ha−1 y−1) |
manure | low | none | none | none | none | ~150-250 (inorganic, manure, slurry) |
~200-300 (inorganic, manure, slurry) |
~200 (inorganic, manure, slurry) |
| Soil type | Fluvisol | Typic Hapludalfs |
Cambisol | Orthic dark- brown chernozem |
Lithic haploxerepts |
Luvisol | Gleysol | (Gleyic) Cambisol |
Calcic Luvisol |
| Soil texture | (sandy) loam | loam | loamy sand | clay loam | silt loam | sandy (clay) loam | loam | loam | sandy loam |
| Soil C (kg C m−2) |
8.1 (0-30cm) | 8.7 (0-20cm) | 2.8 (0-20cm) | 3.7 (0-10cm) | 6.0 (0-30cm) | 3.3 (0-30cm) | 9.0 (0-30cm) | 3.9 (0-10cm) | 4.2 (0-10cm) |
| Soil N (kg N m−2) |
n.a. | 0.76 (0-20cm) | 0.22 (0-20cm) | n.a. | 0.60 (0-30cm) | n.a. | 0.76 (0-30cm) | 0.34 (0-10cm) | 0.42 (0-10cm) |
| Max. LAI (m2 m−2) |
5.5 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.5 | na | 5.1 |
| Dominant species |
Dactylis
glomerata,
Festuca pratensis, Phleum pratensis, Ranunculus acris, Trifolium spp. |
Festuca rubra,
Nardus stricta, Trifolium alpinum |
Nardus stricta,
Arnica montana, Trifolium alpinum, Carex sempervirens |
Agropyron
dasystachyum, Agropyron smithii, Vicia americana, Artemesia frigid, Koeleria cristata, Carex filifolia, Stipa comata, Stipa viridula |
Brachypodium
distachyon, Hypochaeris glabra, Trifolium spp., Dichelostema volubile, Erodium botrys |
Avena barbata,
Lusitanica spp., Vulpia spp., Medicago spp, Trifolium spp., Cynodon dactylon |
Lolium
perenne, Alopecurus pratensis, Holcus lanatus |
Lolium
perenne |
Lolium
perenne, Trifolium. repens |
| Data coverage | 2001 - 2009 | 2003 - 2009 | 2009 - 2010 | 1999 - 2006 | 2001- 2007 | 2005 - 2008 | 2003 - 2006, 2008, 2009 |
2004 - 2006, 2008, 2009 |
2003, 2008 |
| References | Wohlfahrt et al. (2008b) | Marcolla et al. (2011) | Migliavacca et al. (2011a) | Flanagan and Adkinson (2011) | Ma et al. (2007) | Aires et al. (2008) | Peichl et al. (2011) | Peichl et al. (2012) | Flechard et al. (2007) |