Spatial Aggregation and Biometric Variability of the Grass Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth during Different Expansion Stages in Mesic Mountain Meadows.

Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth is one of the most expansive clonal grass species. Despite many publications about its biology, the expansive mechanism of C. epigejos is relatively unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine: I. the dependency between Calamagrostis epigejos ramet density, habitat properties, and the biometric variability of the species; II. the relation between clone architecture and the diversity parameters and the productivity of grassland biocoenoses; III. the expansion strategy of Calamagrostis epigejos within mesic meadows, representing three stages of degradation. The research was conducted in the Central Sudetes (SW Poland). Ten transects were selected for the study, each representing Arrhenatheretalia-type meadows with patches degraded as a result of Calamagrostis epigejos expansion:initial, intermediate, and advanced. The phalanx strategy was observed within the studied range of the Calamagrostis epigejos expansion in the mesic mountain meadows. The study showed no relation between the Calamagrostis epigejos expansion and the phenomenon of ramet self-thinning, though it noted the influence of the habitat on the variability of its biometric features.