The Impact of Fertilizer Gradient on High Nature Value Mountain Grassland

High nature value (HNV) grasslands in mountain areas are important ecosystems for biodiversity maintenance and offer a multitude of ecosystem services, but they are constantly threatened by abandonment or intensive fertilization. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of organic and mineral fertilization, under mulching and abandonment scenarios, on the floristic composition and diversity of <i>Nardus stricta</i>-dominated grasslands located in the North-Eastern Carpathians (Romania). The field experiment included 11 variants (control, low, moderate, and high inputs), analyzed as communities with cluster, ordinations, indicator species, and α indices. The results showed a clear separation of communities along the input gradient, from the oligotrophic grassland dominated by <i>Nardus stricta</i> (control variant) to mesotrophic/eutrophic communities dominated by <i>Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis,</i> and <i>Trifolium pratense</i> at moderate and high inputs. Moderate fertilization (10-20 t ha^-1 manure; N₅₀P₅₀K₅₀-N₁₀₀P₁₀₀K₁₀₀) maximized species richness (37-38 species), Shannon diversity (H' = 2.5-2.6), and evenness (E = 0.70-0.75). High inputs reduced diversity and favored competitive grasses. Indicator species analysis highlighted a multitude of species that show the plant communities' response to adaptive management. Moderate fertilization provides a viable trade-off between productivity and biodiversity, while abandonment or overfertilization accelerates biodiversity loss.