Grazing by wild red deer maintains characteristic vegetation of semi‐natural open habitats: Evidence from a three‐year exclusion experiment

Riesch, Friederike; Tonn, Bettina; Stroh, H. G.; Meißner, Marcus; Balkenhol, Niko; Isselstein, J.

doi:10.1111/avsc.12505

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…In this study, we combined different data sets that were compiled on six sampling dates in 2015 to 2016 (April, May, June, August, October 2015, andApril 2016). Data on vegetation productivity and quality as well as forage removal by red deer were collected as part of the studies by Riesch et al (2019Riesch et al ( , 2020. Dung data were collected by Wichelhaus (2020) investigating endogenous seed dispersal by red deer.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Native wild ungulates, in particular the widespread red deer (Cervus elaphus), have recently come into focus in Europe because grazing by free-ranging herbivores might be an alternative option for the conservation of open habitat types, especially in target areas not easily accessible to humans and livestock, such as military training areas or post-mining landscapes (Tschöpe et al 2011;Müller et al 2017;Riesch et al 2019). The effects of grazing by wild red deer on the vegetation have been investigated in different settings revealing benefits for the understory species richness in boreal old-growth forests (Hegland et al 2013;Hegland and Rydgren 2016), grassland diversity (Schütz et al 2003;Riesch et al 2020;Wichelhaus 2020) as well as the vitality of heathlands (Riesch et al 2019). From an applied conservation point of view, biomass removal by red deer hence appears to be an effective measure for preserving open habitats and counteracting forest succession.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grazing by wild red deer can mitigate nutrient enrichment in protected semi-natural open habitats

et al. 2022

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Eutrophication through atmospheric nutrient deposition is threatening the biodiversity of semi-natural habitats characterized by low nutrient availability. Accordingly, local management measures aiming at open habitat conservation need to maintain habitat-specific nutrient conditions despite atmospheric inputs. Grazing by wild herbivores, such as red deer (Cervus elaphus), has been proposed as an alternative to mechanical or livestock-based measures for preserving open habitats. The role of red deer for nutrient dynamics in protected open habitat types, however, is yet unclear. Therefore, we collected data on vegetation productivity, forage removal, quantity of red deer dung and nutrient concentrations in vegetation and dung from permanent plots in heathlands and grasslands (eight plots à 225 m2 per habitat type) on a military training area inhabited by a large population of free-ranging red deer over one year. The annual nutrient export of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by red deer grazing was higher than the nutrient import through red deer excreta, resulting in an average net nutrient removal of 14 and 30 kg N ha−1 a−1 and 1.1 and 3.3 kg P ha−1 a−1 in heathlands and grasslands, respectively. Even when considering approximate local atmospheric deposition values, net nutrient depletion due to red deer grazing seemed very likely, notably in grasslands. Demonstrating that grazing by wild red deer can mitigate the effects of atmospheric nutrient deposition in semi-natural open habitats similarly to extensive livestock grazing, our results support the idea that red deer are suitable grazing animals for open habitat conservation.

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Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing by wild red deer can mitigate nutrient enrichment in protected semi-natural open habitats

et al. 2022

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“…Even if the conservation state of the revisited sites was generally high and derived diversity made up only a minor share of the habitat diversity, these findings should drive specific management actions. A proper grazing regime directly maintains the habitat by hampering both an increase in sward height and litter accumulation and favours habitat characteristic diversity (Riesch et al, 2020), with opposite effects on derived diversity. Grazing livestock was also found to have positive effects on the semi‐natural grassland seed bank, thus countering local extinction processes in the mid‐term (Kapás et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat conservation state and plant diversity respond to different drivers in semi‐natural grasslands

Napoleone

Giarrizzo²,

Burrascano

2021

J Vegetation Science

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Questions Semi‐natural habitats are threatened by shifts in management with worrying effects on multiple facets of biodiversity. We revisited sites once representing a reference for a calcareous semi‐natural grassland habitat aiming to: (a) identify the drivers of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity, and habitat conservation state; (b) assess the role of characteristic and derived diversity in determining these patterns; and (c) discuss the possibility of reconciling the goals of habitat conservation and enhancement of different facets of plant diversity. Location Seven sites along the Apennines (Italy), from Mt. Catria (43.46206° N, 12.70397° E) to Mt. Alpi (40.11768° N, 15.98341° E). Methods For 132 revisited plots, we calculated vascular plant taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity using Hill numbers, and used boosted regression trees to investigate their response to the compositional dissimilarity from historical plots, to grazing intensity and to environmental variables. We identified characteristic and derived diversity and summarized them in an index of habitat conservation state whose drivers were investigated using the same approach. Results Plant diversity was influenced by the site, whereas the habitat conservation state responded more markedly to vegetation type. Grazing intensity, slope and soil variables drove taxonomic and functional diversity, and the habitat conservation state, with some differences in their relative importance. Phylogenetic diversity responded only partly to grazing intensity, while it showed a major response to increasing temperatures. Conclusions Patterns and drivers of different facets of plant diversity partially differ from those of the habitat conservation state, suggesting that the management of semi‐natural habitats should be carefully tailored on specific conservation objectives. Generalized actions on grazing regimes and litter removal can promote habitat conservation, whereas the outcomes of these actions for plant diversity may differ across sites. Identifying areas particularly subjected to land‐use changes and/or climate warming may drive conservation actions.

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“…An increasing number of studies support a strong connection between rewilding as a restoration strategy and sustainable human development, noting that the promotion of rewilding in policy and decision-making would strongly support the post-2020 biodiversity goals (Perino et al 2019, Pereira et al 2020, Svenning 2020. Trophic rewilding (Svenning et al 2016) recognizes the key role that megafauna species -here defined as terrestrial mammalian herbivores weighing at least 45 kg and carnivores weighing at least 21.5 kg (Malhi et al 2016) -have on ecosystem processes, from seed dispersal, frugivory, herbivory and nutrient cycles (Pérez-Méndez et al 2016, Enquist et al 2020, Villar et al 2020 to effects on fauna and flora communities (Galetti et al 2017), vegetation structure (Sandom et al 2014, Riesch et al 2020) and carbon storage (Bello et al 2015). The long history of coevolution with extant species and the disproportionate impact they have on the environment (Enquist et al 2020) make megafauna species a potentially key element in our efforts to restore biodiverse and resilient ecosystems (Svenning et al 2016, Fernández et al 2017, Perino et al 2019, Schowanek et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using recent baselines as benchmarks for megafauna restoration places an unfair burden on the Global South

Monsarrat

Svenning

2021

Ecography

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The potential for megafauna restoration is unevenly distributed across the world, along with the socio‐political capacity of countries to support these restoration initiatives. We show that choosing a recent baseline to identify species' indigenous range puts a higher burden for megafauna restoration on countries in the Global South, which also have less capacity to support these restoration initiatives. We introduce the Megafauna Index, which considers large mammal's potential species richness and range area at the country level, to explore how the responsibility for megafauna restoration is distributed across the world according to four scenarios using various temporal benchmarks to define species' indigenous range – current, historical (1500 AD), mid‐Holocene and Pleistocene. We test how the distribution of restoration burden across the world correlates with indicators of conservation funding, human development and governance. Using a recent or historical baseline as a benchmark for restoration puts a higher pressure on African and south‐east Asian countries while lifting the responsibility from the Global North, where extinctions happened a long time ago. When using a mid‐Holocene or Pleistocene baseline, new opportunities arise for megafauna restoration in Europe and North America, respectively, where countries have a higher financial and societal capacity to support megafauna restoration. These results contribute to the debate around benchmarks in rewilding initiatives and the ethical implications of using recent baselines to guide restoration efforts. We suggest that countries from the Global North should reflect on their responsibility in supporting global restoration efforts, by both increasing their support for capacity building in the Global South and taking responsibility for restoring lost megafauna at home.

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Grazing by wild red deer maintains characteristic vegetation of semi‐natural open habitats: Evidence from a three‐year exclusion experiment

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Cited by 18 publications

References 111 publications

Grazing by wild red deer can mitigate nutrient enrichment in protected semi-natural open habitats

Grazing by wild red deer can mitigate nutrient enrichment in protected semi-natural open habitats

Habitat conservation state and plant diversity respond to different drivers in semi‐natural grasslands

Using recent baselines as benchmarks for megafauna restoration places an unfair burden on the Global South

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