Review: Prospects and limitations of prescribed burning as a management tool in European grasslands

Valkó, Orsolya; Török, Péter; Deák, Balázs; Tóthmérész, Béla

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2013.11.002

Cited by 145 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As burning had a contrasting effect on two functionally similar species, we can expect a diverse palette of responses to burning across other functional groups as well. In line with this, a previous study in this system has shown large differences among plant species and families in their seed recruitment after fire (Ruprecht et al 2013), while case studies based on few species also report variable effects of burning Valkó et al 2014). As native and fire-tolerant invasive species have different colonization and spreading probabilities in frequently burned grasslands, burning may dramatically change and depauperate native vegetation.…”

Section: Fig 2 Total Biomass (A) Shoot-root Ratio (B) and Number Ofmentioning

confidence: 79%

Does disturbance enhance the competitive effect of the invasive Solidago canadensis on the performance of two native grasses?

et al. 2015

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The impact of invasive species on native plant communities can strongly depend on habitat disturbances. Thus, the joint study of invasion and disturbances are necessary to distinguish whether invasive species (1) are just 'passengers' of major environmental changes, (2) are the real cause (drivers) of native species decline, or (3) do disturbances and invasive species additively suppress native species (back-seat drivers). Therefore, we experimentally explored both the single and additive effect of competition by an invasive species and fire as disturbance on the performance of native species. We examined the responses of two native rhizomatous perennial grass species (Elymus repens and Brachypodium pinnatum) to competition with European invasive and American native Solidago canadensis. This was done under burned and unburned conditions, a novel disturbance type in this system. We found that competition with S. canadensis had a very strong negative effect on the performance of B. pinnatum irrespective of disturbance. In contrast, disturbance and competition had a cumulative negative influence on the performance of E. repens, with competition having greater effect than burning. Fire reduced the number of shoots of European S. canadensis individuals, but did not affect the frequently burned American populations. However, these differences did not translate into increased competitive ability of European populations compared with American ones. Thus, the competitive superiority of S. canadensis irrespective of continent of origin explained the performance loss in B. pinnatum ('driver' model); whereas reduced performance after burning of grass species and competitive superiority of the invasive species jointly decreased the performance of E. repens ('back-seat driver' model).

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Section: Fig 2 Total Biomass (A) Shoot-root Ratio (B) and Number Ofmentioning

confidence: 79%

Does disturbance enhance the competitive effect of the invasive Solidago canadensis on the performance of two native grasses?

et al. 2015

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“…Dry grasslands can be emphasized within this group (Janišová et al, 2011) because of their high importance in biodiversity conservation in Hungary (Kun, 1998;Valkó et al, 2013a). Grasslands evolved with herbivores, burrowing animals and experienced recurrent fire and adapted to natural disturbances by various life forms and plant behavioural types (Knapp et al, 1998;Strauss and Agrawal, 1999;Gibson, 2009, Valkó et al, 2013b. Several studies concluded that high diversity of grasslands is positively related to the complexity of the disturbance regime (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

et al. 2014

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Zimmermann et al. : The impact of the lesser blind mole rat [ Nannospalax (superspecies leucodon)] on the species composition and diversity of a loess steppe in +36-30-360-122; fax: + 36-28-360-110) 2 Szent István University, Institute of Botany and Plant Ecophysiology, H-2100 Gödöllő, Páter K. Str. 1., Hungary (phone: + 36-28-522-000; + 36-28-410-804) 3 *Corresponding author e-mail: zimmermann.zita@okologia.mta.hu Abstract. Our aim was to investigate the species richness and diversity of a loess grassland influenced by the digging of the lesser blind mole rat [Nannospalax (superspecies leucodon)] and to study the effect of this disturbance to diversity. The study was conducted in the Külső-gulya loess grassland (Körös-Maros National Park), which is unique in Hungary due to its excellent soil quality and the large spatial extent of natural loess meadow steppe. We recorded the cover of species in 50x50 cm plots. Altogether 12 plots were sampled on mounds of mole rat and 12 plots as a control in the area with no mounds. Differences in species richness, Shannondiversity, evenness and total cover between disturbed and control plots were tested by One-Way ANOVA. There were no significant difference neither in the number of species, nor in the Shannondiversity and evenness. There were differences in the species composition detected by PCO ordination. We can conclude that the presence and disturbance of the mole rat influence the composition of the grassland significantly but it does not cause a difference in the species richness, diversity and total cover. Our results suggest that this grassland has adapted to these natural disturbances.

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“…However, grazing itself is most likely not effective for the restoration of aging or dying vegetation, as it is not effective in removing Calluna litter (Böhnert & Hempel 1987). Therefore, prescribed burning is often recommended as an appropriate management approach in addition to grazing (see, e.g., Sedláková & Chytrý 1999, Ascoli et al 2013, Valkó et al 2014. In Western Europe, however, adverse effects have been observed in association with high grazing intensity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Valkó et al (2014) emphasize that for the application of prescribed burning in Europe, the general findings of carefully designed case studies should be combined with the practical knowledge of conservation managers about the circumstances affecting the local application of fire to reach specific management objectives. It was not possible to apply fire treatments in our experiment because such treatments are strictly prohibited on the territory of the city of Prague; moreover, the vegetation did not contain sufficient dry matter to burn.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wall Vegetation in Old Royal Mining Towns in Central Slovakia

Kolbek¹,

Valachovič²,

Mišíková³

2015

Hacquetia

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The vegetation of low-altitude dry heathlands in Central Europe (Euphorbio cyparissiae-Callunion vulgaris) has declined because the abandonment of traditional management has resulted in gradual overgrowth by woody species and because nutrient inputs have changed. Low-intensity grazing and sod-cutting, which are traditionally recommended to regenerate heather (Calluna vulgaris) vegetation from the seed bank, were introduced to restore stands of heather that had disappeared. The study was conducted in the Zlatnice Nature Reserve, located in the northwestern part of Prague (Czech Republic). A system of 1 m² permanent plots was used to collect the data. Both grazing and sod-cutting were effective for the restoration of the Calluna vulgaris vegetation. During the two years after the introduction of grazing, the greatest increase in the heather cover occurred in the grazed areas. The heather cover in the areas managed by sod-cutting started to increase significantly in the third year following the removal of sods and reached values comparable with the grazed areas. Regular grazing hindered the increase in the cover of herbs; the increase in the herb cover was higher after single sodcutting. Sod-cutting facilitated the expansion of mosses. The experiment suggests that non-intensive sheep and goat grazing is most likely the most appropriate tool to restore dry heathland on shallow poor soils when more than 20 years have elapsed since the disappearance of the heathland. The use of sod-cutting itself is more demanding and brings a higher risk of overgrowth by unwanted herbs and woody species, resulting in repeated degradation of the Calluna vulgaris vegetation. Keywords: Calluna vulgaris, heather, moss, open landscape, sheep grazing, woody encroachment. IzvlečekVegetacija nižinskih suhih vresav v srednji Evropi (Euphorbio cyparissiae-Callunion vulgaris) je v upadanju zaradi opuščanja tradicionalnega gospodarjenja in to se kaže v postopnem zaraščanju z lesnatimi rastlinami in spremenjenem vnosu hranil. Za obnovitev sestojev z vreso, ki so izginili, smo uporabili pašo z nizko intenzivnostjo in košnjo, ki sta tradicionalno priporočena načina za obnavljanje vegetacije z vreso (Calluna vulgaris) iz semenske banke. Raziskavo smo opravili v naravnem rezervatu Zlatnice, ki se nahaja v severozahodnem delu Prage (Češka republika). Vzpostavili smo sistem stalnih 1 m² ploskev. Za obnovitev vegetacije z vrsto Calluna vulgaris sta bila uspešna tako paša kot košnja. Pokrovnost vrese se je povečala dve leti po začetku poskusa s pašo, na površinah s košnjo pa se je značilno povečala tretje leto in vrednosti so bile primerljive s pašenimi površinami. Redna paša je ovirala povečanje pokrovnosti zelišč, medtem ko se je njihova pokrovnost povečala po posamezni košnji. Košnja je tudi vplivala na povečanje pokrovnosti mahov. Poizkus je pokazal, da je slabo intenzivna paša ovac in koz verjetno najbolj primeren način obnove suhih vresav na plitvih, s hranili revnih tleh, po več kot 20 let od uničenja vresave. Košnja je bolj zahtevna, poja...

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Review: Prospects and limitations of prescribed burning as a management tool in European grasslands

Cited by 145 publications

References 26 publications

Does disturbance enhance the competitive effect of the invasive Solidago canadensis on the performance of two native grasses?

Does disturbance enhance the competitive effect of the invasive Solidago canadensis on the performance of two native grasses?

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

Wall Vegetation in Old Royal Mining Towns in Central Slovakia

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