Heterogeneity of the mowing regime in grasslands and impacts of agri-environmental schemes in Bavarian landscapes (Germany)

Abstract

Grasslands are multifunctional components of Bavarian landscapes, and their management requires balancing trade-offs between different ecosystem services, such as fodder production, habitat provision, and biodiversity conservation. One ecologically important aspect of grassland management is the mowing regime, including the timing of cutting events. The timing of cuts in neighboring fields affects the extent of habitat disruption; therefore, identifying homogeneously managed grassland areas is important. To maintain agricultural productivity while supporting biodiversity, agri-environmental schemes (AES) aim to encourage environmentally friendly farming practices. This study combines remote sensing data with AES monitoring data to examine spatial autocorrelation in mowing events across Bavarian grasslands from 2018 to 2020. Additionally, we explore the spatiotemporal autocorrelation between enrollment in mowing- related AES and the timing of the first cut. The results reveal areas with statistically significant clustering of first cut dates across Bavaria and regions where AES-enrolled fields are specifically clustered in space and time. These findings suggest that AES may contribute to management and habitat homogeneity, potentially reducing landscape multifunctionality. The results may inform biodiversity advisors and farmers in making management decisions and aid in the application and design of AES in Bavarian grasslands.