Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Role Of Fires, Herbicides And Fertilizer In Manipulating Shrub/Grass Balance In Mediterranean Grasslands, Zalmen Henkin

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The decline of traditional pastoral systems has highlighted the problem of managing shrub encroachment in shrublands of the Mediterranean region, especially in marginal habitats. Ephemeral grasslands appear after fire in Mediterranean shrub communities on phosphorus-deficient soils, but natural successional processes rapidly led to their dominance. In a study, aimed at reducing the rate of successional change and extending the period of grassland dominance, phosphorus was applied after fire to improve herbaceous growth and two years later the regenerating Sarcopoterium spinosum shrubs were controlled with selective herbicide. Subsequently, the vegetation in the treated areas was monitored for more than 20 consecutive …