Seedling recruitment in mountain grassland restoration: Effects of soil preparation and grazing

Durbecq, Aure; d’Ambly, Margaux; Buisson, Élise; Jaunatre, Renaud; Cluchier, Alexandre; Bischoff, Armin

doi:10.1111/avsc.12564

Cited by 12 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 71 publications

(122 reference statements)

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“…This is a common observation among different grassland types, so that soil preparation prior to diaspore introduction in species-poor grassland is often recommended (Kiehl et al, 2010). However, studies deriving such advice from their findings mostly have short observation timeframes and to the best of our knowledge do not exceed 8 years (Edwards et al, 2007;Bischoff et al, 2018;Durbecq et al, 2021). In line with our findings, recent studies on floodplain meadow restoration by Harvolk-Schöning et al (2020) and Heilscher (2020) indicate that the positive effect of soil preparation on the number and cover of introduced species diminishes in the long run.…”

Section: Vegetation Development Over Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term success of floodplain meadow restoration on species-poor grassland

et al. 2023

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Restoration of floodplain meadows remains a challenge, as many degraded sites suffer from seed limitation. The transfer of seed-containing plant material from species-rich donor sites is a widely used method to restore semi-natural grasslands. However, most studies on the success of such restoration projects comprise limited time frames. As factors determining restoration success may only become evident after many years, long-term observations are crucial. We re-investigated 20 restored grassland sites in the floodplain of the Northern Upper Rhine 13–16 years after plant material transfer with different soil preparation treatments. To this end, we carried out vegetation surveys on 254 permanent plots and studied the potential influence of soil preparation, soil nutrients, and hydrology on plant species composition, diversity, and transfer of target species. Since sustainable agricultural use is important to ensure the long-term stability of restored semi-natural grasslands, we further investigated biomass productivity and feeding value. While most target species increased in frequency or remained stable over time, we found no positive long-term effect of soil preparation on vegetation development and target species establishment. Instead, increased biomass yield and flooding frequency led to reduced restoration success, while higher soil C/N ratios had a positive effect. Overall, restoration measures did not affect the agricultural value of the restored grasslands, which had higher dry matter biomass yields compared with the donor sites. Our results indicate that the positive effect of soil preparation on the number and cover of target species, which is regularly reported in short-term studies, diminishes over time, and other factors such as site conditions become increasingly important. Furthermore, additional plant material transfer or manual seeding may be necessary to support target species establishment. Concerning agricultural usability, the integration of restored floodplain meadows in farming systems is possible and can ensure long-term management and thus stability of these ecosystems. Our study shows that long-term monitoring of restoration projects is necessary, as factors determining restoration success may only become evident in the long-term.

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Section: Vegetation Development Over Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term success of floodplain meadow restoration on species-poor grassland

et al. 2023

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“…Similarly to hay mulch, soil preparation increases seed and water retention as well as seed adhesion (Chambers, 2000) and may thus compensate for the absence of a hay mulch layer limiting seed run-off. In our study area, a previous experiment testing soil preparation effects on seedling recruitment showed a strong increase in first-year abundance of transferred species (Durbecq et al, 2021). Thus, the plots that received brush material in our study may particularly benefit from previous soil tillage and a combination with additional wheat sowing may be the optimum strategy for seedling recruitment and establishment.…”

Section: Effect Of Seed-addition Techniques On Transferred Species Re...mentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Hay transfer was the best method to increase germination and seedling recruitment but the difference to brush material transfer with wheat sowing vanished in the second year indicating higher seedling mortality in the hay mulch (Eckstein & Donath, 2005). The lower seedling recruitment in brush material transfer may be compensated by harrowing the soil before brush material transfer to improve recruitment conditions (Kiehl et al, 2010;Klaus et al, 2017;Durbecq et al, 2021). Propagule transfer did not improve the soil erosion control.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Mountain grassland restoration using hay and brush material transfer combined with temporary wheat cover

Durbecq

Rocher

Jaunatre

et al. 2022

Ecological Engineering

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“…Nevertheless, seed‐bed preparation remains a crucial step in active grassland restoration. There is a consensus that the seed bed must absolutely be prepared through harrowing or ploughing in order to allow seed germination (Durbecq et al, 2021; Freitag et al, 2021). In effect, over‐sowing over an extant vegetation layer is not a good option for mesic grasslands: the seeded plants would be exposed to unfavourable abiotic conditions for seedling recruitment and mostly be outcompeted by the already established plant community (Freitag et al, 2021; Kiehl et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative effectiveness of different grassland restoration methods: A systematic literature search and meta‐analysis

Slodowicz

Durbecq

Ladouceur

et al. 2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Active grassland restoration has gained importance in mitigating the dramatic decline of farmnland biodiversity. While there is evidence that such operations are generally effective in promoting plant diversity, little is known about the effectiveness of the different methods applied. Restoration methods can differ in intensity of seed bed preparation, seed source and method of seed application. In this systematic literature search and meta‐analysis, we screened the literature for studies of the restoration of mesic grasslands in temperate Europe. We focused on active restoration experiments that included a treatment and lasted for more than 3 years. We evaluated the influence of restoration factors on plant species richness relative to non‐restored controls. We found 187 articles that investigated the outcome of operations aimed at actively restoring mesic temperate grasslands. Most articles focused on plants, with only 9.6% dealing with other organisms (e.g. beetles, pollinating insects). Many papers had to be excluded due to incomplete data, too short study duration and/or lack of an adequate control. This resulted in 13 articles fulfilling our criteria for inclusion, yielding a total of 56 data points for the meta‐analysis. Restoration actions increased plant species richness by, on average, 17.4%, compared to controls. The seed source explained a significant amount of variation in plant species richness: seeds originating from a speciose donor grassland had a positive effect. This effect was even enhanced when combined with a commercial seed mix, whereas commercial seed mixes alone had no significant effect. We did not observe any effect of other factors, such as the type of seed bed preparation or the seed application method. A seed‐source obtained from species‐rich grasslands seems to be key to efficient grassland restoration in mesic grasslands of temperate Europe. Even though seeds from a speciose donor grassland should be preferred over commercial seeds, associating natural and commercial seed mixes increases plant species richness. This systematic literature search further revealed two major research gaps in grassland restoration ecology: a deficit in long‐term investigations as well as a deficit in studies focusing on non‐plant organisms.

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Seedling recruitment in mountain grassland restoration: Effects of soil preparation and grazing

Cited by 12 publications

References 71 publications

Long-term success of floodplain meadow restoration on species-poor grassland

Long-term success of floodplain meadow restoration on species-poor grassland

Mountain grassland restoration using hay and brush material transfer combined with temporary wheat cover

The relative effectiveness of different grassland restoration methods: A systematic literature search and meta‐analysis

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