Temporal and Spatial Distributions of Rotifers in Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

From July 2003 to June 2005, investigations of rotifer temporal and spatial distributions were carried out in a bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, Xiangxi Bay, which is the downstream segment of the Xiangxi River and the nearest bay to the Three Gorges Reservoir dam in Hubei Province, China. Thirteen sampling sites were selected. The results revealed a high species diversity, with 76 species, and 14 dominant species; i.e., Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella cochlearis, Keratella valga, Synchaeta tremula, Synchaeta stylata, Trichocerca lophoessa, Trichocerca pusilla, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus forficula forficula, Ascomorpha ovalis, Conochilus unicornis, Ploesoma truncatum and Anuraeopsis fissa. After the first year of the reservoir impoundment, the rotifer community was dominated by ten species; one year later it was dominated by eight species. The community in 2003/2004 was dissimilar to that in 2004/2005, which resulted from the succession of the dominant species. The rotifer community exhibited a patchy distribution, with significant heterogeneity observed along the longitudinal axis. All rotifer communities could be divided into three groups, corresponding to the riverine, the transition and the lacustrine zone, respectively.

Changes in the benthic macroinvertebrates in Xiangxi Bay following dam closure to form the Three Gorges Reservoir

Benthic macroinvertebrates were assessed monthly in Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir for two years after the initial closure of the dam. Mean total density of macroinvertebrates varied from 275 ind./m(2) during the first year to 5,094 ind./m(2) during the second year, and the community of 50 taxa was overwhelmingly dominated by oligochaetes and chironomids (44 and 48% of the total taxa, respectively). As sediment accumulated in the substrate of the bay, the species composition changed dramatically, with oligochaetes comprising 91.3-99.3% of the total abundance during the second year. The dominant oligochaetes were Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Nais inflata. The chironomids Procladius sp., and Polypedilum scalaenum group sp. were similarly abundant in both years.

植物生长与土壤水关系调控起始期

确定植物生长与土壤水关系调控起始期是可持续利用土壤水资源的基础。以柠条为研究对象,采用中子仪对黄土丘陵半干旱区撂荒地,1～5年生柠条林生长和土壤水分进行长期定位观测和分析。结果表明:1 a内,随着时间推移,柠条利用土壤水分深度从播种时的表层土壤增加到220 cm;随着林龄增加,除丰水年2年生柠条林地土壤储水量增加外,柠条利用土壤水分深度和耗水量增加,林地土壤储水量下降。在2004年生长末期,3年生柠条林地100 cm土层的土壤含水量低于萎蔫系数,4年生柠条林地土壤旱化加剧,柠条生长与土壤水关系调控起始期是第5年。此时需要调控柠条生长与土壤水关系,采取措施降低柠条水分耗水量,实现土壤水资源可持续利用。

岷江冷杉林群落几种树苗对光强的响应与适应

在青藏高原东部的亚高山针叶林区，如何尽快恢复这一生态脆弱地区的植被，改变生态环境恶化的趋势，是一个十分重要的课题。光一直被认为是植物种间相互替代，尤其是森林演替过程中植物相互替代或植被恢复中的关键环境要素之一。植物能否适应林冠下或林窗中异质的、或多变的光照条件，对其在林中的生存、分布、更新以及森林动态都是非常重要的。 本文以青藏高原东部亚高山针叶林的主要森林类型——岷江冷杉林群落的几种树苗为研究对象，采用实验生态学、生理及生物化学等方法，通过模拟针叶林不同大小林窗内光照强度的变化，在中国科学院茂县生态站内采用遮荫处理设置6个光照梯度（100、55、40、25、15与7%全光照），来研究具有不同喜光特性的植物对光强的响应与适应机制，其研究结果可为揭示亚高山针叶林的演替规律、以及人工林下幼苗的存活与定居提供科学依据，也能为苗木的生产与管理提供科学指导，尤其是对针阔树种在不同光强下的响应与适应的比较研究，能为如何将阔叶树种整合到人工针叶林中提供新的思路。 光强对植物生长的影响 光强对植物的生长具有重要作用，不同植物在各自适宜的光强梯度下才能生长良好。通过一个野外盆栽实验，来研究不同光强对植物生长的影响（第三章）。主要研究结果如下，低光强下植物株高/茎生物量增加，说明植物会将生物量更多用于高生长，以便有效地拦截光资源；在强光下，植物将生物量更多地向根部分配，使得植物在强光下能够吸收更多的水分，而避免干旱胁迫。 在第一个生长季节，以相对生长速率（RGR）表示，红桦和青榨槭在100%全光照下RGR最大，粗枝云杉在55%最大，岷江冷杉在25-40%下较好；然而，在第二个生长季节，2种阔叶树的相对生长速率（RGR）的适宜光强则变为25-55%，云杉为55-100%，而冷杉为25-100%。可见，从第一年到第二年，2种阔叶树苗更适宜在部分荫蔽的条件下生长；而2种针叶树苗对光的需求则逐渐增加，这可能是增加对根生物量相对投资的结果，因为以这种方式，强光下生长的针叶树幼苗更能保持其内部水分平衡，其生长不会因干旱胁迫而受到严重影响。另外，严重遮荫会引起冷杉幼苗死亡。 植物对光强的生理适应 植物可以通过自身形态和生理特征的调整，来发展不同的光能利用策略从而能够在林中共存。通过一个野外盆栽实验，研究了不同光强下生长的几种树苗的生理特征（第四章）对不同光强的响应与适应。结果显示：强光下，粗枝云杉和红桦的光合能力增加，而岷江冷杉和青榨槭在中度遮荫（25-55%）的条件下光合能力最大。植物叶氮和叶绿素含量增高，而光补偿点和暗呼吸速率降低，这些都是植物对低光环境的适应性反应；而强光下植物叶片和栅栏组织变厚，是对强光的一种保护性反应。 植物对光的可塑性反应 不同植物会表现出对光适应有利的生理和形态可塑性反应。本文对第三章、第四章的实验数据进行可塑性指数分析，来研究植物对光强的表型可塑性反应（第五章）。结果显示，生理特征调整是植物对不同光环境的主要适应途径。红桦和青榨槭的可塑性指数平均值要大于粗枝云杉和岷江冷杉，充分表明这2种阔叶树在生理和形态上较强的可塑性更有利于对光环境的适应，而具有比耐荫树种更强的适应能力。另外，2种针叶树相比，云杉的适应性更强。本研究结果支持树种的生理生态特性决定了其演替状况和生境选择的假说。 植物的光抑制与防御 当植物叶片吸收了过多光能，会发生光抑制现象。植物对光抑制的敏感性及防御能力对其生长具有重要意义。本文通过两个野外盆栽实验，研究了生长在强光下（第六章）和变化光强下（第八章）植物的光抑制现象及其防御策略。结果表明，在强光下或从遮荫状态转入强光下，植物都会发生光抑制，其对光抑制的敏感性与植物的耐荫性（或喜光）和演替状态有密切联系。长期生长在强光下的植物受到光抑制是可恢复的，而当处于荫蔽环境的植物突然暴露于强光下时，受到的光抑制不能完全恢复，可能是（部分）光合机构受到破坏的缘故。粗枝云杉和青榨槭防御光抑制伤害的能力较强，热耗散是其防御光抑制的主要途径。长期的强光作用能使岷江冷杉和红桦发生严重光抑制，甚至光伤害，而红桦能够通过“凋落老叶，萌发新叶”的途径来适应新的强光环境。 How to restore the vegetation of subalpine coniferous forest in eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and change the trend of ecological deterioration is a very important issue. Acclimation of tree seedlings to different and varing light environment affects to a great extent the successful regeneration and establishment of subalpine coniferous forests in southwestern China’s montane forest areas, because the ability to respond to such changing resource are commonly assumed to be critical to plant success, and have a growth advantage than others. In this paper, several species seedlings in Abies faxoniana community were chosed to study the response and adaptation to light intensity and the interspecific differences of adaptability in six shaded sheds (100, 55, 40, 25, 15 and 7% of full sunlight) in the Maoxian Ecological Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Our results could provide a strong theoretical evidence for understanding the forest succession laws of subalpine coniferous forests, and the survival and settlement of seedlings under plantations, and provide scientific direction for the production and management of seedlings, especially the comparative studies of the acclimation to light between the conifer and broadleaf trees could provide new ideas for how to integrate the broad-leaved trees into the artificial coniferous forest. Growth under different light intensity Light intensity plays an important role on plant growth. One field experiments was conducted to study the growth of tree seedlings of Picea asperata, Abies faxoniana, Betula albo-sinensis and Acer davidii under different light intensities. The results showed that plants under low light environment could increase the specific stem length (stem length/ stem dry mass), in order to effectively intercept light resources, while biomass greater allocation to the roots, could make plants under high light environment absorb more water, and avoid drought stress. During the first growing season, the relative growth rates (RGRs) of Betula albo-sinensis and Acer davidii had the greatest values under the 100% of full light, for 55% of Picea asperata, and for 25-40% of Abies faxoniana. However, in the second growing season the the relative growth rates of the two broad-leaved trees changed and were appropriate for 25-55% of full light, for 55-100% of spruce, and for 25-100% of fir. Thus, from the first year to the second year, two broad-leaved seedlings maybe more suitable to partly shading environment, and two coniferous seedlings would have an increase in light demand, which may be an increased root biomass investment. Because in this way, seedlings grown under high light could better maintain their internal water balance, and thus its growth would not be seriously affected by drought stress. In addition, serious shading would cause fir seedlings to die. Acclimation of physiology to light Plants could coexist in forest ecosystem by forming different strategies of light use. One field experiments was conducted to study the acclimation of tree seedlings to different light intensity of Picea asperata, Abies faxoniana, Betula albo-sinensis and Acer davidii. The results showed that the photosynthetic capacity of Picea asperata and Betula albo-sinensis exhibited a general tendency of increase with more light availability; but for Abies faxoniana and Acer davidii seedlings, their highest values of the same parameters were found under intermediate light regime (i.e. 25-55% of PFD relative to full sunlight). Plants under low light environment could increase the specific stem length (stem length/ stem dry mass), in order to effectively intercept light resources. Leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll content increased, while dark respiration rate and light compensation points decreased, all of which were adaptive response to the low light environment. On the contrary, plants under high light environment had the thicken leaves and palisade tissue, which was a protective response to high light. Phenotypic plasticity to light Phenotypic plasticity can be exhibited in morphological and physiological processes. Physiological characteristical adjustment is the main for plant adaptation to different light environment.The means of plasticity indexes for Betula albo-sinensis and Acer davidii seelings were greater than Picea asperata and Abies faxoniana, amplied that the two broad-leaved trees were much more adaptable to the environment. In addition, spruce had the higher adaptablity than fir. The findings supported the hypothesis that the ecological characteristics of the species determined the biological status and its biological habitat selection. Photoinhibition and photoprotection to light Compared with conifer, broad-leaved trees could better change leaf morphology and adjust biomass allocation to adapt to changing light environment. However, excess light can photoinhibit photosynthesis and may lead to photooxidative destruction of the photosynthetic appatus. Two field experiments were conducted to study the photoinhibition of photosynthesis. The results showed that when plants grown under high light environment or plants transferred from low to high irradiance, the four tree seedlings would undergo a period of photoinhibition. In four species, photoinhibited leaves could recover to initial photosynthetic rates when they were long-term planted under high light environment. However, when plants were suddenly exposed to high irradiance, this photoinhibition could not be reversible, may be the photosynthesis apparatus were (or partly) photooxidatively destructed.

模拟增温对川西亚高山人工云杉林土壤碳含量和土壤呼吸的影响

全球气候变化已经成为不争的事实，其中全球变暖是近年来国内外的研究热点之一。土壤碳库作为陆地生态系统最大的碳库，气温升高必然会导致一系列的土壤碳储量和碳通量的变化，这些微小的变化又可能导致大气CO2浓度的变化并强化这种变暖的趋势。目前，土壤碳循环对温度升高的响应仍然是陆地碳循环研究最缺乏的部分，对土壤有机碳动态变化的研究仍存在着很大的不确定性与争议。四川西部的亚高山人工针叶林是青藏高原东部高寒林区的重要组成部分，是研究全球变化对森林生态系统影响的关键地区和重要森林类型。本研究通过采用原位人工模拟增温装置（Open-top chambers，OTCs）对川西米亚罗60年人工云杉林土壤实施增温，研究高海拔地区森林，尤其是人工森林系统下的土壤有机碳 含量、土壤呼吸及土壤酶活性对温度升高的响应。结果表明： 1. 增温处理的660天（2005年11月至2007年9月）期间，增温条件下的平均气温和土壤平均温度分别比对照提高0.43 ℃和0.27 ℃；0~10 cm土壤含水量在增温的不同时期均有不同程度的降低。 2. 土壤蔗糖酶、蛋白酶和脲酶活性在温度升高的不同阶段均有不同程度的提高。在增温处理300天（2006.09）、540天（2007.05）、600天（2007.07）和660天（2007.05）后，0~10 cm层的蔗糖酶活性分别比对照提高了36.36%（P<0.05）、24.31%、14.54%（P<0.05）和7.22%，脲酶活性分别提高了12.90%、24.19%（P<0.01）、34.48%（P<0.05）和14.64%(P<0.05)，蛋白酶活性分别提高了31.37%、1.99%、3.70%和17.80%。10~20 cm层的土壤酶活性也均有不同程度的提高，但均没有显著差异。蔗糖酶、脲酶和蛋白酶活性均呈现出随土层加深而减弱的趋势。 3. 土壤过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶活性在增温的第1年内均有不同程度的提高，但在增温的第2年内比对照有所降低。增温300天后（2006.09），过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶在0~10 cm层分别比对照增加3.76%和49.25%（P<0.05），10~20 cm层分别增加了5.54%和29.67%。在增温的第2年内，增温540天（2007.05）、600天（2007.07）和660天（2007.09）后，0~10 cm层的过氧化氢酶活性分别比对照降低了27.70%（P<0.05）、4.34%和1.47%，多酚氧化酶活性分别降低了5.86%、11.76%（P<0.05）和7.47%。增温的第2年内，10~20 cm层的过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶活性也均有不同程度的降低，但差异均未达到显著水平。不同土层之间相比较，过氧化氢酶活性随土层加深而降低，多酚氧化酶活性随土层加深而增加。 4. 土壤有机碳和有机质在增温的不同阶段，含量比对照均有所降低；且随增温时间的延长，降低的幅度下降。0~10 cm层的土壤有机碳和土壤有机质在增温300天（2006.09）、540天（2007.05）、600天（2007.07）和660天（2007.09）后分别降低了8.69%、4.35%、3.80%和2.44%，差异均未达到显著水平。土壤全氮含量在增温后与对照相比无明显的增加或者降低趋势。增温条件下的土壤C/N比与对照相比有所降低，但在增温各阶段的差异均不显著。10~20 cm层的有机碳、有机质和C/N比也有不同程度的降低趋势，但差异均不显著。不同土层之间相比，0~10 cm层的有机碳、有机质、全氮含量和C/N比均高于10~20 cm层，呈现出随土层加深而降低的趋势。 5. 土壤呼吸速率在增温第1年内，与对照相比明显提高，但在增温处理2年后，与对照相比无显著变化。增温300天（2006.09）和360天（2006.11）后分别提高了13.32%和21.17%，差异显著。增温处理540天（2007.05）到660天（2007.09）期间，与对照相比，不仅没有明显的提升，反而有些月份比对照有所降低，对温度升高的敏感性降低，呈现出对温度升高的适应性。土壤呼吸的日呼吸速率呈现单峰曲线形式，在14:00~20:00期间达到最大值，在4:00~10:00期间具有最低值。土壤呼吸的季节变化，呈现出与外界环境温度相一致的趋势，在7月份（夏季） 最高，11月份（冬季）最低。土壤呼吸与2 cm土壤温度、5 cm土壤温度和空气温度均呈极显著指数相关，与0~10 cm土壤含水量呈线性相关，相关性达到显著水平，但低于土壤呼吸与温度的相关性。 The past century has seen a marked increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and a concomitant warming that has drawn scientific attention to the link between global carbon stocks and climate change. In particular, the decomposition and turnover of soil organic matter is recognised as an important determinant of carbon driven climate change. The slightly variation in soil organic carbon will result in the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and reinforce the tendency of warming. The experiment was conducted in Subalpine coniferous forest in western Sichuan province. Subalpine coniferous forest in western Sichuan was a important part of eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which play a important role in reseaching the sensitivity of forest ecosystem to climate change. To investigate the effects of elevated temperature on soil organic carbon content, soil respiration rates, and soil enzyme activities in subalpine Picea asperata plantations, a esimulated warming measure was applied with Open-top chambers. The results were as followed: 1) During the period from Nov. 2005 to Sep. 2007, mean air temperature and soil temperature were respectively 0.43℃ and 0.27℃ the ambient higher. Soil water content decreased to different exent in different months in warmed plots than in unwarned plots at depth of 0-10 cm. 2) In general, elevated temperature enhanced the soil enzyme activities of invertase, protease, and urease. In the first year of warming—after 300 days’ treatment (in Sep,2006), the activities of invertase, protease, and urease increased by 36.36%, 12.90% and 31.37% respectively at the depths of 0-10 cm，among which the activity of invertase reached statistic significance. In the second year of warming, invertase activity increased by 24.31% after 540 days’ treament (in May, 2007), 14.54% after 600 days’ treament (in Jul, 2007) and 7.22% after 660 days’ treatment (in Sep, 2007) at the depths of 0-10 cm, and the differences in July and Septemmber were statistically significant. Elveated temperature also increased the activity of urease in the second year of warming and had significant effects in May and July. The activity of protease in warmed plots was also higher than in unwarmed plots at depths of 0-10 cm, but there was no significant difference. Elevated temperature had no significant effects on all soil enzyme acitivities at the depths of 10-20 cm in the first and sencond year. The values of above-mentioned soil enzyme all decreased with soil layers. 3) Eleavted temperature enhanced the activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase in the first year of warming while they turned out downtrend in the second year. The activity of catalase increased by 3.76% and 5.54% at depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm respectively in the first year—after 300 days’ warming (in Sep, 2006), the differences of which had no statistical significance. The activity of polyphenol oxidase was significantly increased by 49.25% at depths of 0-10 cm and not significantly increased by 29.67% at depths of 10-20 cm after 300 days’ warming. In the second year of warming, the catalase activity was significantly decreased by 27.70% after 540 days’ treament (in May, 2007) and not significantly decreased by 4.34% and 1.47% after 600 days’ (in Jul, 2007) and 660 days’ treament (in Sep, 2007) respectively. The activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase at depths of 10-20 cm were decreased to different extent, but there was no significant difference. Catalase activity stepped down with soil layers while polyphenol oxidase activity stepped up. 4) Increased temperature in both the first year and the second year resulted tendency of decrease in the contents of soil organic carbon and soil organic matter, and C/N ratios at soil depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. However, with the prolonged warming, the tendency of decrease gradually tapered off and the extent of decrease in the second year of experiment were lower than that in the first year. The contents of soil organic carbon and soil organic matter were all decreased 8.69% by warming in the first year and dcreased 4.35%, 3.80% and 2.44% in May, July and September of the second year, but no significant difference were found. The C/N ratios increased 8.52% in the first year of warming and had less increment in the second year, all of which were not statistical significant. Eleveated temperature had no obvious effect on the content of tatol N in two year consecutive warming experiment. The contents of soil organic carbon and soil organic matter, total N and C/N ratios all had the tendency of dcreasing with soil layers. 5) Soil respiration rates were significantly enhanced by 13.32% and 21.17% after 300 days’ (in Sep, 2006) and 360 days’ (in Nov, 2006) treament in the first year of warming, but the same showed no obvious difference in the second year of treatment, which was assumed the adaptability of soil respiration with a certain heightened temperature. Diurnal soil resspiration showed a daily variation with a minimum value between 4:00 and 10:00 h and a maximum value between 14:00 and 20:00 h, coinciding with the minimum and maximum values of soil temperature at 2 cm. Soil respiration rates exhibited a pronounced seasonal variation with minimum values in Novmber and a maximum value in July, approximately coinciding with the seasonal variation of air and soil temperature. An exponential function provided the best fit for soil respiration with temperature while a quadric equation was used to estimate the effect of soil moisture on soil respiration, which were all significantly correlated. Soil respiraion rate was more highly correlated with the soil temperature than soil moisture.

Analysis on suspended sediment deposition rate for muddy coast of reclaimed land

A new expression for calculating suspended fine-sediment deposition rate is developed based on theoretic analysis and experiments. The resulting equation is applied to simulation of fine sediment deposition in the reclaimed land in the Hangzhou Bay, China. The hydrodynamic environment in this area is solved by use of a long wave model, which gives the 2D-velocity field and considers bathymetric changes due to fine sediment deposition. The expression is proved convenient to use in engineering practice, and the predicted deposition rate agrees with the annual data available from field measurements from the first year to the third year after the construction of the long groin as a reclaiming method.

Growth, survival and immune activity of scallops, Chlamys farreri Jones et Preston, compared between suspended and bottom culture in Haizhou Bay, China

We examined the growth, survival and immune response of the scallop, Chlamys farreri, during a 1-year period in deep water of Haizhou Bay. Scallops were cultured using two methods: (1) in lantern nets at a 5 m depth and (2) in a bottom culture system (sleeves) on the seabed at about a 25 m depth. Shell heights, meat dry weight and immune activities in the haemolymph (superoxide dismutase and myeloperoxidase) were measured bimonthly or quarterly from July 2007 to June 2008. Survival was measured at the end of the study and environmental parameters in the experimental layers were monitored during the experiment. The growth and immune activities of scallops were lower when the water temperature was high, which was consistent with the main mortality occurring in summer. The growth and immunity of scallops were higher in the suspended culture than in the bottom culture during the experiment, with the exception of shell growth during the last study period. Survival of scallops in the suspended culture (54.6 +/- 12.3%) was significantly lower than that in the bottom culture (86.8 +/- 3.5%) at the end of this study. We conclude from our results that the high mortality of C. farreri can be prevented by culturing them in a bottom culture system before November of the first year, and then transferring them to a suspended culture to improve scallop production.

Seasonal variations in growth and clearance rate of the Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri suspended in the deep water of Haizhou Bay, China

The growth and survival of the Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri suspended in deep water of Haizhou Bay were studied from July 2007 to June 2008, and the biodeposition method was used to estimate the clearance rate of C. farreri under field conditions. Results showed that the scallop grew fast during all the culture time, with the exception of summer. The condition index of the scallop increased with time and reached the highest value in spring of the second year. The survival of scallops was 60.8 +/- A 3.9% at the end of this study, mortality occurring mainly during the summer and autumn of the first year. The clearance rate fluctuated obviously with season,with the highest value in September 2007, and the lowest value in March 2008. Factors accounting for variations in growth and clearance rate of scallops are also discussed.

Productivity and persistence of perennial grass mixtures under competition from annual weeds in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

In the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau four indigenous perennial grass species Bromus inermis (BI), Elymus sibiricus (ES), Elymus nutans (EN) and Agropyron cristatum (AC) were cultivated as three mixtures with different compositions and seeding rates, BI + EN, BI + ES + AC and BI + ES + EN + AC. From 1998 to 2001 there were three different weeding treatments: never weeded (CK); weeded on three occasions in the first year (1-y) and weeded on three occasions in both the first and second year (2-y) and their effect of grass combination and interactions on sward productivity and persistence was measured. Intense competitive interference by weedy annuals reduced dry matter (DM) yield of the swards. Grass combination significantly affected sward DM yields, leaf area index (LAI) and foliar canopy cover and also species composition DM and LAI, and species plant cover. Interaction between weeding treatments and grass combination was significant for sward DM yield, LAI and canopy cover, but not on species composition for DM, LAI or species plant cover. Grass mixture BI + ES + EN + AC gave the highest sward DM yield and LAI for both weeding and non-weeding treatments. Species ES and EN were competitively superior to the others. Annual weedy forbs must be controlled to obtain productive and stable mixtures of perennial grasses, and germination/emergence is the most important time for removal. Weeding three times (late May, late June and mid-July) in the establishment year is enough to maintain the production and persistence of perennial grass mixtures in the following growing seasons. Extra weeding three times in the second growing year makes only a slight improvement in productivity.