Response of a Miscanthus sinensis Grassland in an Early Successional Old-Field to Fertilization

The effects of fetilization on the structure and function of an early successional Miscanthus sinensis grassland were investigated in an old-field ecosystem at Honjo city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan from 1981 to 1982. Compared to control plot, life form composition of treatment plot was characterized by a decrease of phanerophytes and an increase of hemicryptophytes. Fertilization had a beneficial effect on the growth in aboveground phytomass of M. sinensis, the dominant species. However, it did not cause a change in the total number of stems of M. sinensis. Annual increment of patch diameter of M. sinensis was estimated to be 6-8 cm on an average and there was no significant differecne in the growth rate of patch size between fertilized and nonfertilized plots. To estimate the aboveground phytomass of M. sinensis, several non-destructive parameters were examined. As a result, the patch size showed a high correlation with aboveground phytomass. Thus the patch size was suggested to be most applicable to its estimation. Diversity indices based on phytomass data of component species were increased slightly by fertilizatin, because relative dominance of some other species, especially of Artemisia princeps increased, while that of M. sinensis decreased. Fertilizer application resulted in a decrease in the total number of species.