Dry sandy grasslands in Southern Germany – a case study of how to re-develop remnants to achieve the former status of a high nature value landscape

Poschlod, Peter; Baumann, André; Biedermann, Harald; Bugla, Beate; Neugebauer, Klaus

doi:10.1163/9789004278103_014

Cited by 3 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…They host specific plant communities depending on soil pH (Mårtensson & Olsson ; Korneck ; Ellenberg ) and disturbance regime, such as grazing management (Ellenberg ; Jentsch & Beyschlag ; Poschlod et al. ). Grazing, mainly by sheep, was the dominant management on sandy deposits already in the Neolithic period (Poschlod et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients – a case study in dry sandy grasslands

Abedi

Bartelheimer

Poschlod

2012

J Vegetation Science

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Question Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the most important factors restricting plant establishment on acidic soils, but its ecological significance for the occurrence of species along natural pH gradients is still under investigation. Are species occurring on acidic sandy soils less susceptible to Al toxic effects on germination and seedling root growth rate than species from calcareous sandy soils? How strong is the explanatory power of species' Al susceptibility for their occurrence along a pH gradient, as represented by their Ellenberg indicator value (EIV) for soil reaction (R)? Can Al tolerance of species be used as an independent trait to support Ellenberg's empirically‐derived reaction indicator values? Location Dry sandy grasslands in Southern Germany, with soil reactions ranging from acidic to calcareous. Methods We tested early seedling responses to different Al concentrations in 15 species from dry sandy grasslands. A filter paper‐based system was used to germinate seeds under Al concentrations of up to 10 mM. Germination, absolute root growth and the length of the root hair zone were recorded 7 and 14 d after first germination. Al concentrations that reduced root growth by 50 or 95% (ED50 and ED95, respectively) were correlated to Ellenberg indicator values (EIV) for soil reaction. Results EIV explained 66% of the variance in species' Al sensitivity. Tolerated Al concentrations resemble those concentrations the individual species are exposed to in their natural habitats. Conclusions Among all soil factors varying with soil pH, Al is one of the strongest restrictions to species' occurrence in acidic soils. Al acts as an environmental filter by allowing only Al‐tolerant seedlings to grow roots and establish. Al sensitivity is a measurable objective trait that could form a crucial physiological component in defining R indicator values.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients – a case study in dry sandy grasslands

Abedi

Bartelheimer

Poschlod

2012

J Vegetation Science

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“…These grasslands experience a high degree of fragmentation and isolation as a result of changes in land use (Olsson 1994;Poschlod et al 2009). Mitchley and Xofis (2005) investigated the importance of landscape structure and management regime on the state of calcareous grasslands in the UK.…”

Section: Threats To Calcareous Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that unfavourable habitat conditions were related to a lack of management or to a high level of agriculture in the surrounding buffer zone (200 m around the site), and led to habitat degradation and nutrient enrichment. Wind erosion has been mentioned by several authors as an important factor in maintaining xeric sand calcareous grassland (Persson 2000;Poschlod et al 2009). A high proportion of forest in the surrounding landscape or a continuous vegetation cover would most likely lead to less wind erosion and thus less drifting sand.…”

Section: Threats To Calcareous Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a way of connecting fragments of these grasslands, it has been suggested that animals can be used as living corridors to transport seeds between them, something which could also be used to reintroduce species after restoration (Poschlod et al 2009). …”

Section: Propagule Supplymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly true for sandy grasslands. Historically, low intensive arable farming created patches of bare soil in these grasslands (Mattiasson 1974;Tyler 2003;Poschlod et al 2009), which were exposed to wind erosion and resulted in drifting sand (Mattiasson 1974;Poschlod et al 2009;Persson 2000). Today, the old agricultural practices in these grasslands have been abandoned, and they have been turned into pine plantations or pastures (Mattiasson 1974;Tyler 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil disturbance as a restoration measure in dry sandy grasslands

et al. 2012

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Severely disturbed habitats such as military training grounds, gravel pits and sand pits contribute to the species diversity of the agricultural landscape in Europe. They host a number of red-listed species not found elsewhere, illustrating that many plant species are threatened by extinction due to too little soil disturbance. Implementing a suitable disturbance regime is therefore crucial to ensure species-rich environments. We have reviewed the literature on soil disturbance as a restoration measure in dry sandy grasslands, with a special focus on xeric sand calcareous grasslands as these are severely threatened. Our objective was to elucidate the relations between diversity and disturbance regimes, and to determine how disturbance can be used to counteract acidification, to reduce nutrient availability and to create gaps in the vegetation. Our findings indicate that the current disturbance regime should be based on the historical disturbance regime, the productivity of the habitat and the propagule supply, in order to promote diversity at a landscape scale. Based on earlier studies and on the diversity/disturbance theory, we propose a conceptual model that can be used to determine the appropriate soil disturbance regime for restoration purposes. Our analysis highlights the importance of considering soil productivity, soil chemistry and dispersal limitations when choosing restoration measures and disturbance regimes for the conservation of biodiversity.

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Conservation of Sandy Calcareous Grassland: What Can Be Learned from the Land Use History?

Ödman

Olsson

2014

PLoS ONE

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Understanding the land use history has proven crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in the agricultural landscape. In southern Sweden, very small and fragmented areas of the disturbance-dependent habitat xeric sand calcareous grassland support a large number of threatened and rare plants and animals. In order to find out if historical land use could explain variation in present-day habitat quality, the land use on eight such sites was traced back to the 18th century and compared with key factors such as the amount of bare sand, lime content and P availability. There was no support for the common explanation of the decline in xeric sand calcareous grassland being caused by abandonment of agricultural fields during the last century. Instead, fertilization history was the main explanation for the difference in depletion depth of CaCO3 seen between the sites. The decline in xeric sand calcareous grassland since the 18th century is most probably the result of the drastic changes in land use during the 19th century, which put an end to the extensive sand drift. Since cultivation was shown to have played an important role in the historical land use of xeric sand calcareous grassland, grazing alone may not be the optimal management option for these grasslands. Instead more drastic measures are needed to restore the high calcium content and maintain proper disturbance levels.

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Dry sandy grasslands in Southern Germany – a case study of how to re-develop remnants to achieve the former status of a high nature value landscape

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients – a case study in dry sandy grasslands

Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients – a case study in dry sandy grasslands

Soil disturbance as a restoration measure in dry sandy grasslands

Conservation of Sandy Calcareous Grassland: What Can Be Learned from the Land Use History?

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