Preserving grassland biodiversity requires their proper utilization. In many cases, especially in protected areas, preserving species diversity becomes the main task of cultivation measures. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of several utilization systems of low intensity on changes in sward species composition. The experiment was carried out during 2001-2007 in the vicinity of Kraków (Bielany, 50°02’ N; 19°50’ E), on sandy soil of low fertility. Four ways of fertilization was applied. The sward was cut at two times – at the beginning of June and at the end of July. In spite of a considerable increase in yield under the influence of fertilization, no statistically significant effect of the utilization system on the number of species and Shannon-Wiener diversity index was observed. Differences in the share of the most important species (red fescue, Yorkshire fog and yarrow) were greater between particular years of the experiment than between the treatments. One of the reasons for the lack of the effect of various utilization systems on species diversity could be the impossibility of the appearance of meadow species diasporas from the neighborhood. In conclusion it was found that additional sowing of selected meadow species can be necessary for regeneration of multi-species meadow communities.

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