Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):236-245 | DOI: 10.17221/65/2023-SWR

Changes in grassland area in lowlands and marginal uplands: Medium-term differences and potential for carbon farmingOriginal Paper

Jana Poláková ORCID...1*, Anna Maroušková1, Josef Holec ORCID...1, Michaela Kolářová ORCID...1, Jaroslava Janků ORCID...2
1 Department of Agroecology and Crop Production, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Grassland as a part of farmland is important for agrobiodiversity, soil protection and agricultural production (grazing, hay production). In the Czech Republic, grassland area increases with increasing altitude. In this study we evaluated the period 1966–2021 and the change in grassland area in different locations in South Bohemia region: fertile lowlands (Písek, České Budějovice, Tábor districts) and marginal uplands (Český Krumlov, Prachatice districts). Data on land use including the share of grassland were obtained from the Czech Cadastral and Surveying Office and Czech Statistical Office. In the upland districts, there is the largest share of grassland areas in the whole region. The prevalence of grasslands is probably due to the geographic and climatic conditions, which are challenging here. Our research shows the results of changes in grassland areas between 1967 and 2021, with regard to the assessed districts. The difference in the percent area of grassland in 2021 compared to 1967 is –0.04 to –1.77 for lowlands, and +1.45 to +5.99 for uplands. Despite this, uplands farmers practice relatively extensive farming methods and extensive grazing due to low ruminant numbers. Although farmers maintain relevant carbon sinks, it is unlikely to increase the carbon stocks per hectare of extensive grasslands on an annual basis, which would be a barrier to participation in a carbon farming system.

Keywords: climate; extensive management; grasslands; medium-term changes

Received: July 11, 2023; Revised: August 21, 2023; Accepted: August 22, 2023; Prepublished online: September 13, 2023; Published: October 30, 2023  Show citation

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Poláková J, Maroušková A, Holec J, Kolářová M, Janků J. Changes in grassland area in lowlands and marginal uplands: Medium-term differences and potential for carbon farming. Soil & Water Res. 2023;18(4):236-245. doi: 10.17221/65/2023-SWR.
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