Species traits determining species composition on abandoned fields

Though succession is a widely studied process, there are only a few reports dealing with changes in plant functional types in the course of succession. Even fewer studies are dealing with agricultural, wet meadows, which are under continuous impact of mowing. The aim of this work is to fill this gap. The studied area is situated in south part of CHKO Slavkovský Les (region of Karlovy Vary, West Bohemia). In previous works grasslands on arable field after 15, 35 and 55 years after abandoned and continual grasslands in last 100 years were detected from historical agriculture maps. The releves on all types of grassland were made and the species pool was investigated. I this work I investigate the functional types and live-history traits of these species and I also look for Ellenberger values and changes of abiotic environment. The result suggests that the late - successional species are long-lived and have slower live cycle (they mature later). Their seeds are less persistent and have worse dispersal ability. Their seedlings are more viable and the species invest more to aboveground biomass than to underground. Late-successional species also flower earlier and shorter time, what seems to be an adaptation to mowing. I found no relationship between successional age in which the species occur and seed mass,..