| Abstract [eng] |
The loss of biodiversity is one of the most significant challenges facing the modern world. Urban parks are an important part of biodiversity, providing diverse benefits to both human and animals. Park maintainance strategies vary, from intensive care to complete neglect. This study aimed to determine how mowing in urban parks affects biodiversity. The following objectives were set to achieve this goal: 1. to determine the biological diversity of herbaceous plants in mowed and unmowed areas of the studied parks; 2. to determine the biological diversity and abundance of Arthrapoda in mowed and unmowed park areas and to assess the biodiversity dynamics during the vegetation season; 3. to evaluate the current impact of mowing on biodiversity and compare it to other studies on selected topics. During the study, the grasslands of Dainų, Centrinis, and Salduvės parks in Šiauliai were evaluated. The square method was used to evaluate plant diversity, collecting 5 samples in different management types in each parks, for total of 25 sample locations. Differences in plant diversity were evaluated using the Braun-Blanquet scale. The diversity of Arthrapoda was assessed using an entomological net and observation methods. A total 25 transects were repeated 3 times. The results showed that mowed park areas were characterized by lower plant diversity, with a Shannon-Wiener index of 1,41, compare to 1,79 in umowed areas. There was no statistically significant difference in park biodiversity in Dainų park, but a significant difference was found in Salduvės park. The biological diversity of Arthrapoda was also higher in unmowed areas. The Shannon-Wiener index in unmowed areas was 2,71, while in mowed areas it was 2,55. Mowing has a significant impact (p=0,012*10-2 ) on Arthrapoda biodiversity in the studied parks. Finally, recommendations are provided for the Šiauliai municipality on how to improve park management to increase biodiversity. |
