Towards the maintenance of montane meadows – a lesson from the long-term experiment on permanent plots

Traditional mowing and grazing have maintained the unique biodiversity of Carpathian montane meadows for centuries. However, the decline of these practices has triggered secondary succession and biodiversity loss. This study presents sixteen years of experimental restoration (2007-2023) in the Gorce Mountains (Western Carpathians), assessing how reintroduced mowing and grazing influence plant community structure, diversity, and successional dynamics. The treatments arrested secondary succession (stabilized β-diversity) in late-successional communities dominated by Calamagrostis villosa and Vaccinium myrtillus. Mowing increased α-diversity in Calamagrostietum and Vaccinium communities, while grazing promoted Agrostis capillaris in montane hay meadow Gladiolo-Agrostietum but transiently reduced α-diversity. In mat-grass swards Hieracio-Nardetum, grazing prevented succession toward mesophilous communities or Vaccinium heaths, stabilizing oligotrophic species like Nardus stricta. Across all communities, mowing suppressed Rubus idaeus and favoured valuable meadow grasses (A. capillaris, Festuca rubra), particularly in Rubus-dominated community. Our 16-year experiment in the Western Carpathians highlights the importance of long-term studies in understanding these dynamics.