Dispersal by cattle of salt-marsh and dune species into salt-marsh and dune communities

Question To what extent does the movement of animals between fragmented habitat patches provide functional connectivity via endozoochorous seed dispersal? Location The Stockholm archipelago, Sweden. Methods We followed all movements of livestock between islands during one grazing season. After each movement, manure was collected and its seed content assessed through seedling emergence. Seedling data were then compared to vegetation surveys from the grazed islands with regard to functional traits. Results Light‐ and nitrogen‐demanding locally abundant species, and those with relatively small and persistent seeds were more likely to be moved between islands. For quantitative traits, only a subset of the available trait ranges were dispersed, with extreme values left behind. Species apparently specialized to other means of dispersal emerged from the manure samples. Neither dispersed traits nor seed density changed with timing of movement, but seed richness and diversity both increased throughout the season. The subsets of endozoochorously‐dispersed species in the established vegetation were more similar than non‐dispersed subsets between islands linked by livestock. Conclusions Grazing networks contribute to the connectivity of the core species in the system, and could provide useful tools for grassland management in fragmented landscapes.

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“…Similar results have also been found in other grazing systems (Bakker et al. ; Stroh et al. in press).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Grazing networks provide useful functional connectivity for plants in fragmented systems

Auffret

Schmucki

Reimark

et al. 2012

J Vegetation Science

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“…They can travel rapidly – thereby bringing about long‐distance seed dispersal (i.e. > 100 m; Cain et al , Heinken et al , Mouissie et al ) – and they use a wide variety of habitats (Nugent , Heinken et al , Bakker et al , Kuiters and Huiskes ).…”

Section: Description Of the Different Plant And Ungulate Traits Knownmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using basic plant traits to predict ungulate seed dispersal potential

Albert¹,

Mårell²,

Picard³

et al. 2015

Ecography

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Habitat fragmentation contributes to the decline of plant species by decreasing gene flow among populations. Restoring connectivity among habitat patches is therefore a major issue for plant conservation. However, deciding where to focus restoration efforts requires identifying suitable dispersers for each target plant species. We collected data from the literature on wild and domesticated ungulates, known to be effective seed dispersers, and on the plants they dispersed in Europe via epi‐ and/or endozoochory. We performed a systematic literature review to identify plant and animal traits relevant for seed dispersal. We first modeled the relationships between epi‐ or endozoochory and a priori selected plant traits (diaspore releasing height, length, shape and morphology, and habitat openness). The differences we underlined between the two dispersal mechanisms justified splitting our analyses accordingly. Then, for each dispersal mechanism, we asked whether basic plant traits could be used to predict specific traits of ungulates as endozoochorous or epizoochorous seed dispersers. We modeled the relationships between a priori selected ungulate traits for epizoochory (habitat openness, shoulder height, hair curliness, and hair length) and for endozoochory (habitat openness, body mass, feeding type and digestive system) and plant traits. Plant habitat openness and diaspore morphology were the predictors that most often explained differences among ungulates for epizoochory, whereas plant habitat openness and diaspore releasing height most often explained differences for endozoochory. Our trait‐based predictive models can help improve our ability to propose more precise management decisions for the conservation of plant populations worldwide by taking into account ungulate dispersers.

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“…It is highest in the dunesaltmarsh transition probably due to the higher abundance of palatable species (Bakker et al 2008), which could be shown by the higher forage value. Moreover, the data show a trend that rabbits probably prefer light and moderately warm sites for grazing.…”

Section: Habitat Preferencementioning

confidence: 98%

Interactive effects of rabbit grazing and environmental factors on plant species-richness on dunes of Norderney

Isermann

Koehler

Mühl³

2009

J Coast Conserv

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On the German island Norderney rabbit grazing effects on vegetation, soil and microclimate were investigated with exclosures in different dune vegetation. Differences in species composition between grazed and ungrazed plots increased with grazing activity. A decline in growth height resulted in higher light availability and temperature on the grazed sites. One of the most visible effects was the decline in flowering plants. Most grazing effects varied between habitat types. Grey dunes were distinctly affected by rabbit grazing. In relation to the habitat type, life forms were differently affected: in closed vegetation, rabbit activities further open patches, resulting in more therophytes. In contrast, in open vegetation rabbit activities were too strong and following sand dynamics too high for many therophytes. In general, grazing diversified habitats, slightly supported the total species-richness, and enhanced the heterogeneity of species composition. Highest speciesrichness in total and of herbs was reached at intermediate levels of grazing pressure. The study is in line that highest species-diversity will be found at intermediate levels of disturbance and environmental stress and that grazing effects vary with the habitat type.

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Dispersal by cattle of salt-marsh and dune species into salt-marsh and dune communities

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Grazing networks provide useful functional connectivity for plants in fragmented systems

Grazing networks provide useful functional connectivity for plants in fragmented systems

Using basic plant traits to predict ungulate seed dispersal potential

Interactive effects of rabbit grazing and environmental factors on plant species-richness on dunes of Norderney

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