Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 36
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Impact Of The Brachiaria Hybrids On Both Soil Health And Carbon Stock On Livestock Production, A. Silva, T. Madeira, D. Florian, E. A. Pizarro, R. N. Jauregui, G. Lobato, A. Santi, D. Fagundes, F. Pinheiro, A. Rieger, A. Cagliari
Impact Of The Brachiaria Hybrids On Both Soil Health And Carbon Stock On Livestock Production, A. Silva, T. Madeira, D. Florian, E. A. Pizarro, R. N. Jauregui, G. Lobato, A. Santi, D. Fagundes, F. Pinheiro, A. Rieger, A. Cagliari
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Pastures occupy 30% of Earth and 80% of the entire agricultural area of the planet. To ensure food to the world and contribute to the quality of the environment, pasture-based animal production systems will also have to undergo through a more intense evolution. The intensification of tropical grasslands is an important strategy of land utilization in developing countries, contributing to increase production and minimize environmental impact through the best management practices. In this sense, the use of Brachiaria hybrids represents an excellent option, since combining the best traits of different Brachiaria species, with higher nutritive value, forage, and seed yield. …
Biodiversity And The Ecological Role Of Grasslands Environment And Territory, Elimane Lo, Makhmutov Serguei, Badim Almazov
Biodiversity And The Ecological Role Of Grasslands Environment And Territory, Elimane Lo, Makhmutov Serguei, Badim Almazov
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Biodiversity is all the living species that inhabit the planet: plants, animals, microorganisms, but also their genetic diversity and all the ecosystems in which they live. The preservation of biodiversity is vital, because the organisms that constitute it participate in the major ecological cycles of air, soil and water It is today recognized for its intrinsic value and for the functions it provides in ecosystems. The grassland and the hedges that surround them play a key role in carbon storage, water purification, biodiversity and the typicity of landscapes. They partly provide the plants necessary for feeding herds of herbivores (cattle, …
Using Functional Ecology To Predict Restoration Success In Managed Grasslands, J. Bergman
Using Functional Ecology To Predict Restoration Success In Managed Grasslands, J. Bergman
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Plants have developed remarkable functional variation over evolutionary time to cope with different environmental conditions. As a result, functional variation – measurable as functional traits above and below ground – can be found within but also among grassland communities today. The functional space covered by a community is thereby restricted by environmental factors while each single species within the community inhabits a specific niche with a certain breadth along different environmental gradients. Data from field sampling in European grasslands have shown, that species intraspecific functional variation can cover considerable amounts of possible functional spaces, hence holding the potential to establish …
The Effect Of Manipulated Conservation Margins In Intensively Grazed Dairy Paddocks On The Biodiversity Of Pteromalidae And Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Parasitica), A. Anderson, G. Purvis, A. Helden, H. Sheridan
The Effect Of Manipulated Conservation Margins In Intensively Grazed Dairy Paddocks On The Biodiversity Of Pteromalidae And Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Parasitica), A. Anderson, G. Purvis, A. Helden, H. Sheridan
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Conserving field margins provides an opportunity to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. The parasitoid Hymenoptera represent one of the most diverse and biologically specialised of all insect groups and play an important role in insect pest control (LaSalle & Gauld, 1993). The diversity of parasitiods in any habitat is theoretically likely to reflect the diversity of host taxa. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of field margin manipulations on the diversity of parasitoids as a wider indication of effects on general arthropod diversity.
A New System For Plant Experiments On Biodiversity Or Multi-Species Competition, John Connolly, L. Kirwan
A New System For Plant Experiments On Biodiversity Or Multi-Species Competition, John Connolly, L. Kirwan
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Considerable discussion in recent years has focused on the design of competition and biodiversity experiments (Connolly et al., 2001a; Allison, 1999). Few agronomic experiments with >2 plant species have been conducted in greenhouse conditions (Gibson et al, 1999) or in the field (Connolly et al., 2001b). In many experiments the effects of density and initial species size have been confounded. The effects of species richness and evenness also are confounded frequently. The proposed system provides a framework of design and analysis, in which to address questions of function at community level and of structure and competition at …
The Ag-Biota Project: A Preliminary Assessment Of Potential Indicators Of Biodiversity In Agricultural Grasslands, Gordon Purvis, A. Anderson, A. J. Helden, L. Kirwan
The Ag-Biota Project: A Preliminary Assessment Of Potential Indicators Of Biodiversity In Agricultural Grasslands, Gordon Purvis, A. Anderson, A. J. Helden, L. Kirwan
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
In compliance with European commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity within agricultural land is a primary objective of current agri-environmental measures. However, there is a widespread lack of information concerning the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes in Europe, (Kleijn & Sutherland, 2003). In large part, this is due to uncertainties about selection of appropriate biological indicators of biodiversity (Buchs, 2003; Duelli & Obrist, 2003).
Impact Of The Agricultural Use On The Biodiversity Of A Festuca Rubra Meadow, I. Rotar, F. Păcirar, R. Vidican, N. Sima
Impact Of The Agricultural Use On The Biodiversity Of A Festuca Rubra Meadow, I. Rotar, F. Păcirar, R. Vidican, N. Sima
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Technological inputs into meadow ecosystems trigger significant changes in the sward. In this paper we present the effect of organic and mineral fertilisation on the biodiversity of a Festuca rubra meadow.
Long-Term Effect Of Levels Of N-, P-, K-Supply On The Shannon-Index For Two Pastures Located In Central Germany, Judith F. Oerlemans, W. Opitz Von Boberfeld
Long-Term Effect Of Levels Of N-, P-, K-Supply On The Shannon-Index For Two Pastures Located In Central Germany, Judith F. Oerlemans, W. Opitz Von Boberfeld
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Intensive grassland production, including the use of mineral fertilisers, has degraded the botanical diversity of grassland communities seriously (Chapman, 2001). There is little information on optimal amounts of soil nutrient availability to maintain/regenerate species-rich grassland communities. This study in Central Germany aimed to quantify the long-term effect of different N-, P-, K-supply combinations on biodiversity, expressed in terms of the Shannon-Index (Sh-Id), of 2 pastures classified as Lolio-Cynosuretum.
Is Biodiversity Declining In The Traditional Haymeadows Of Skye And Lochalsh, Scotland?, G. E. D. Tiley, D. G. L. Jones
Is Biodiversity Declining In The Traditional Haymeadows Of Skye And Lochalsh, Scotland?, G. E. D. Tiley, D. G. L. Jones
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Species-rich haymeadows have developed on crofts in the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh Districts of north-west Scotland as a result of a century or more of traditional land use. This has involved long rotations of late cutting for hay with aftermath grazing by cattle and short breaks for cropping. The traditional haymeadows are increasingly coming under threat from changes taking place in the countryside. A survey of the main haymeadows still remaining in Skye and Lochalsh was carried out during 2003 to assess the current botanical composition, management and conservation value, and to compare with earlier surveys.
Grazing, Biodiversity And Pastoral Vegetation In The South Sudanien Area Of Burkina Faso, E. Botoni-Liehoun, P. Daget
Grazing, Biodiversity And Pastoral Vegetation In The South Sudanien Area Of Burkina Faso, E. Botoni-Liehoun, P. Daget
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Grazing impact on plant diversity is dominated by two contradictory views. In some studies, it has been found to lead to an increase in diversity and in other studies to a decrease associated with dominance of a few species (Nösberger et al, 1998, Hiernaux, 1998). In an Isoberlinia doka forest ecosystem, considered as the climax vegetation in the South Sudanien area of Burkina Faso, a study was carried out to assess the impact of grazing on the diversity of herbaceous species. The Isoberlinia doka forest is one type of South Sudaniensavanna. The woody stratum is open and allowed development …
Does Niche Complementarity Explain The Relationship Between Biodiversity And Ecosystem Functioning In Managed Grasslands?, Nina Buchmann, A. Kahmen
Does Niche Complementarity Explain The Relationship Between Biodiversity And Ecosystem Functioning In Managed Grasslands?, Nina Buchmann, A. Kahmen
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Niche complementarity was suggested to largely explain the positive relationship noted between plant diversity and productivity in some recent studies. This suggests that an increasing number of species exploits resources more efficiently and thus enhance ecosystem functions. This hypothesis, however, implies that niches occupied by different plant species are rather distinct so that niches from extinct or missing species stay unoccupied by the remaining species of an ecosystem. This experiment tested if plant species occupy different and distinct niches with respect to soil N uptake, being a possible functional explanation for the biodiversity ecosystem functioning relationship.
Grassland Arthropod Species Richness In A Conventional Suckler Beef Production System And One Compatible With The Irish Agri-Environment Scheme (Reps), Alvin J. Helden, A. Anderson, Gordon Purvis
Grassland Arthropod Species Richness In A Conventional Suckler Beef Production System And One Compatible With The Irish Agri-Environment Scheme (Reps), Alvin J. Helden, A. Anderson, Gordon Purvis
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Grassland management practices, such as grazing, strongly affects the biodiversity of grassland arthropods; increasing grazing intensity causes a general decline in species richness (Morris, 2000). One of the aims of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) is to conserve and enhance biodiversity within Irish agricultural land (Feehan et al., 2002). In order to determine the effectiveness of this aspect of REPS, one must compare the relative biodiversity of grassland under REPS with that of conventionally managed grassland. Aiming to determine whether species richness was higher in REPS-compatible compared with a standard system of management, we measured the species richness …
Contributions Of The United States Department Of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service To Conserving Grasslands On Private Lands In The United States, L. P. Heard
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The future of biodiversity in the USA is tied inseparably to activities taking place on private lands. Agriculture is by far the most important user of these lands, with about 50% or 900M acres managed as private cropland, grassland or rangeland. Decisions made by America's farmers and ranchers directly affect grasslands and their impact on food supply, biodiversity, soil protection and water quality. Agricultural programs and policies in the USA have had a large influence on the choices available to farmers and ranchers in land management. Since the 1930s, USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has been working with farmers, …
Biodiversity In Grassland: Bangladesh Perspective, B. Hossain
Biodiversity In Grassland: Bangladesh Perspective, B. Hossain
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The rapidly increasing human population in Bangladesh has caused widespread damage to and disturbance of natural habitats and a loss of indigenous wildlife. There are now very few, if any, extensive patches of grassland in Bangladesh and any that might remain are inundated for two-thirds of the year with no alternative refugia available. Most remaining grassland areas are fragmented, heavily used and harvested up to three times a year. Furthermore, the reed lands of northeast Bangladesh were leased out for paper production and are reported to have been entirely destroyed and settled by encroachers. Tall grasslands around rivers and lakes …
The Global Environment Programme (Gef) And United Nations Development Programme (Undp) Supporting The Conservation Of Grassland Systems In Africa, W. A. Rodgers, M. Niamir-Fuller
The Global Environment Programme (Gef) And United Nations Development Programme (Undp) Supporting The Conservation Of Grassland Systems In Africa, W. A. Rodgers, M. Niamir-Fuller
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was created after the World's Environmental Summit in Rio in 1992. The GEF provides funding for developing countries to meet their responsibilities and commitments under global conventions. The GEF is the financing mechanism for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention for Combating Desertification (CCD). The conservation and wise use of grasslands can be supported through a variety of funding opportunities. The GEF channels support through Implementing Agencies, of which UNDP specialises in technical assistance and capacity building. The HQ of UNDP is in New York. There are Regional Offices …
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: Conserving Mountain Biodiversity In Southern Lesotho, W. A. Rodgers
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: Conserving Mountain Biodiversity In Southern Lesotho, W. A. Rodgers
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The Kingdom of Lesotho contains some 70% of the Drakensberg-Maloti Mountains, recognised as the Eastern Mountains "Centre of Biodiversity and Endemism" of southern Africa. The Mountains have globally significant plant diversity, with unique habitats and high endemism. These resources have been increasingly degraded by a grazing regime based on communal access, with reduced regulatory capability. Lack of ownership has restricted investment in conservation. Lesotho has the lowest Protected Area coverage of any nation in Africa (<0.4%). Biodiversity is thus at risk.
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: The Southern Africa Botanical Network "Sabonet", Y. Steenkamp, W. A. Rodgers
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: The Southern Africa Botanical Network "Sabonet", Y. Steenkamp, W. A. Rodgers
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
This six-year biodiversity capacity building project closes at the end of June 2005. The principal outcomes have been greatly strengthened capacities within, and interaction between, the national herbaria of southern Africa, in order to improve plant taxonomic outputs to better serve the needs of conservation end-users. Grassland plants have in many ways been the main regional focus. The project was based in the National Botanical Institute (NBI) of Southern Africa (now the South Africa Biodiversity Institute - SANBI) and had components in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The NBI provide regional coordination and technical support.
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: Mainstreaming Biodiversity Into Productive Landscapes: The Southern African Grasslands Programme, C. Maze, W. A. Rodgers
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: Mainstreaming Biodiversity Into Productive Landscapes: The Southern African Grasslands Programme, C. Maze, W. A. Rodgers
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
This is an exciting new initiative under the second strategic priority for the Global Environment Programme (GEF)'s Biodiversity Focal Area: Mainstreaming biodiversity into productive landscapes and sector. The rationale is that whilst grassland biomes cover some 30% of South Africa, (within montane, coastal and high-veld systems) less than 3% is formally protected at national, provincial or private land-owner levels. Over 40% of the grasslands have been totally converted to other land usages and 30% is degraded. Forces of degradation and conversion (cultivation, forests, urban spread) continue. The issues of conservation are of land use and putting in place incentives to …
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: The Tanzania Montane Grasslands Project, T. Davenport, W. A. Rodgers
Undp-Gef Grasslands Project: The Tanzania Montane Grasslands Project, T. Davenport, W. A. Rodgers
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The Tanzania Southern Highlands and adjacent Nyika montane grasslands in Malawi form a distinct centre of plant diversity and endemism. The area is characterised by complex geology with old basement mountains and much more recent volcanoes (Mount Rungwe) adjacent to the rift valet faulting with Lakes Malawi (Nyasa) and Rukwa. Lake proximity generates rainfall up to 3,000 mm per annum. The maximum altitude is 3,000 m asl.
Soil Microbial Diversity Of An Artificial Caragana Korshinskii Plantation On The Loess Plateau Of China, W. Zhang, H. L. Wei, H. W. Gao, Y. G. Hu
Soil Microbial Diversity Of An Artificial Caragana Korshinskii Plantation On The Loess Plateau Of China, W. Zhang, H. L. Wei, H. W. Gao, Y. G. Hu
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Peashrub (Caragana korshinskii) is an important dune-fixation plant on the loess plateau of China and is valuable in ecological environment construction of North-western China. For determining relationships between peashrub and soil microbes, three clone libraries of 16S rDNA from rhizoplane, rhizosphere and bulk soil communities of peashrub were constructed with a culture-independent approach. The data obtained from three clone libraries were used to investigate the magnitude of vegetative changes in the microbial community, and to search for general ecological relationships.
Species-Rich Grassland As An Ecological Good In An Outcome-Based Payment Scheme, E. Bertke, R. Marggraf, Johannes Isselstein
Species-Rich Grassland As An Ecological Good In An Outcome-Based Payment Scheme, E. Bertke, R. Marggraf, Johannes Isselstein
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Agriculture plays an important role in protecting the biodiversity of the rural environment. Since the reform of the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) in 1992, agri-environment schemes have been supported by the EU within the framework of the second pillar of CAP. In these programmes, farmers were rewarded for environmental services. The predominantly action-oriented programmes imply particular disadvantages; they tend to lack economic efficiency and to fail with regard to the conservation and improvement of biodiversity (Kleijn & Sutherland, 2003; Wilhelm, 1999). This situation was the starting point for the development of an outcome-based payment scheme. We focus on the …
Sustainable Grazing On Saline Land In Western Australia - Multidisciplinary Research Linking Producers And Scientists, Hayley C. Norman, D. G. Masters, M. G. Wilmot, A. J. Rintoul, R. Silberstein, E. Lefroy, T. York
Sustainable Grazing On Saline Land In Western Australia - Multidisciplinary Research Linking Producers And Scientists, Hayley C. Norman, D. G. Masters, M. G. Wilmot, A. J. Rintoul, R. Silberstein, E. Lefroy, T. York
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Dryland salinity is one of the most critical environmental issues challenging Western Australian farmers. Currently 10% of the cropping zone (1.8 million ha) is salt-affected and this is predicted to increase dramatically in the next 50 years (NLWRA, 2001). Animals grazing saline pasture systems represent the most likely large-scale opportunity for economic return from saline land in the short to medium term. To date, few farmers have invested in large-scale revegetation of saline land as the economic return from grazing has not been perceived to cover costs. Furthermore other benefits of saltland pasture systems, such as biodiversity, water use and …
A Sward Based Method To Estimate Herbage Selection Of Grazing Dairy Cows, F. Taube, M. Wachendorf, J. Baade
A Sward Based Method To Estimate Herbage Selection Of Grazing Dairy Cows, F. Taube, M. Wachendorf, J. Baade
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Diet selection of grazing animals is influenced by sward composition and vertical sward structure. Grazing studies were established in northern Germany (Kiel, Schleswig - Holstein state) to determine if selective grazing behaviour in a mixed sward can be measured by a sward based method. The hypothesis that active selection of different functional groups of forages can be documented by using the selection index (Figure 1, Hodgson, 1990) and regressive approaches vs time was tested.
Riparian Management In Intensive Grazing Systems For Improved Biodiversity And Environmental Quality: Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers, S. R. Aarons, M. Jones-Lennon, P. Papas, N. Ainsworth, F. Ede, J. Davies
Riparian Management In Intensive Grazing Systems For Improved Biodiversity And Environmental Quality: Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers, S. R. Aarons, M. Jones-Lennon, P. Papas, N. Ainsworth, F. Ede, J. Davies
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Within high rainfall intensive grazing systems of southern Victoria, riparian zones are often degraded due to vegetation clearing, stock access and inappropriate farm management. Streams in these landscapes often have poor water quality and reduced biodiversity due to degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Improved management of riparian zones depends on developing tools and practices for integration into productive grazing systems. This paper describes the approaches used and the tools developed in the 'Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers: Improving riparian and in-stream biodiversity' project
Diversity And Variation In Nutritive Value Of Plants Growing On 2 Saline Sites In Southwestern Australia, Hayley C. Norman, R. A. Dynes, D. G. Masters
Diversity And Variation In Nutritive Value Of Plants Growing On 2 Saline Sites In Southwestern Australia, Hayley C. Norman, R. A. Dynes, D. G. Masters
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
In south-western Australia 10% or 1.8 million ha of the farmed area is affected by dryland salinity and a further 6 million ha are at risk of salinity (NLWRA, 2001). Animal production from saltbush (Atriplex spp.)-based pasture systems represents the most likely large-scale opportunity for productive use of saline land in the short to medium term. Feeding saltbush-based pastures as a maintenance feed during the prolonged autumn feed gap typical in Mediterranean-type climates maximises their economic value. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity and nutritive value of plants that typically persist in saltbush-based saltland pastures.
Inner Mongolian Herders Move Toward Sustainability And Elevate Their Incomes From Cashmere Goat Production By Reducing Grazing Pressure On Fragile Grasslands, B. P. Fritz, M. Zhao
Inner Mongolian Herders Move Toward Sustainability And Elevate Their Incomes From Cashmere Goat Production By Reducing Grazing Pressure On Fragile Grasslands, B. P. Fritz, M. Zhao
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Overgrazing, mainly caused by Cashmere goats, is contributing to the desertification of West Erdos fragile grasslands resulting in the threat of extinction of several endangered wild plant species. This transition area between desert and grassland includes some 400,000 ha and some 72 unique, relic and endangered plant species. The area is home to 5,000 inhabitants, mainly subsistent goat farming families and coal mining activity. Industrial land use in the reserve adds additional economic pressure to herders operating on a shrinking land base. This phenomenon has elicited the entrenched, traditional response of producing more livestock thus jeopardizing current levels of production …
Is Biodiversity Declining In The Traditional Haymeadows Of Skye And Lochalsh, Scotland?, G. E. D. Tiley, D. G. L. Jones
Is Biodiversity Declining In The Traditional Haymeadows Of Skye And Lochalsh, Scotland?, G. E. D. Tiley, D. G. L. Jones
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Species-rich haymeadows have developed on crofts in the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh Districts of north-west Scotland as a result of a century or more of traditional land use. This has involved long rotations of late cutting for hay with aftermath grazing by cattle and short breaks for cropping. The traditional haymeadows are increasingly coming under threat from changes taking place in the countryside. A survey of the main haymeadows still remaining in Skye and Lochalsh was carried out during 2003 to assess the current botanical composition, management and conservation value, and to compare with earlier surveys.
Eating Biodiversity: Investigating The Links Between Grassland Biodiversity And Quality Food Production, A. Hopkins, H. Buller, C. Morris, J. D. Wood
Eating Biodiversity: Investigating The Links Between Grassland Biodiversity And Quality Food Production, A. Hopkins, H. Buller, C. Morris, J. D. Wood
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Modern food production systems are generally detrimental to biodiversity, and the widespread loss of species-diverse grassland as a consequence of intensive farming methods is well documented. Since the 1980s, a range of policy measures and financial incentives for farmers have been introduced in Europe to halt (and in some cases, reverse) this trend, primarily to meet environmental objectives of species and habitat conservation and landscape protection. Biodiversity, where associated with agricultural production, has largely been regarded as a positive 'externality' to the process of food production; a ‘product’ which benefits wider society without necessarily conferring an agricultural benefit to the …
Grazing, Biodiversity And Pastoral Vegetation In The South Sudanien Area Of Burkina Faso, E. Botoni-Liehoun, P. Daget
Grazing, Biodiversity And Pastoral Vegetation In The South Sudanien Area Of Burkina Faso, E. Botoni-Liehoun, P. Daget
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
Grazing impact on plant diversity is dominated by two contradictory views. In some studies, it has been found to lead to an increase in diversity and in other studies to a decrease associated with dominance of a few species (Nösberger et al., 1998, Hiernaux, 1998). In an Isoberlinia doka forest ecosystem, considered as the climax vegetation in the South Sudanien area of Burkina Faso, a study was carried out to assess the impact of grazing on the diversity of herbaceous species. The Isoberlinia doka forest is one type of South Sudanien savanna. The woody stratum is open and allowed …
Species Richness Affects Grassland Yield And Yield Stability Across Seasons, Sites And Years, David J. Barker, Reuben M. Sulc, M. R. Burgess, T. L. Bultemeier
Species Richness Affects Grassland Yield And Yield Stability Across Seasons, Sites And Years, David J. Barker, Reuben M. Sulc, M. R. Burgess, T. L. Bultemeier
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
The benefits of biodiversity (specifically species richness) are proposed to include both greater yield and greater stability of yield in a variable environment (Sanderson et al., 2004). Experimental evidence showing yield benefits is inconsistent (White et al., 2004). There is relatively little experimental data showing the effects of species richness on yield stability. The objective of this study was to measure the yield from mixtures with up to 12 species, and to measure the variability of yield between 2 sites, between spring and summer, and in 2 successive years.