Soil disturbance as a restoration measure in dry sandy grasslands

Questions Is topsoil removal in combination with year‐round grazing a suitable method to restore and maintain nutrient‐poor open sand grasslands and wet heaths on ex‐arable land? Are there constraints in terms of animal nutrition? Location Pastures on ex‐arable land in pleistocene lowlands of Northwestern Germany, 120–160 m a.s.l. Methods We sampled vegetation, soil nutrient status and above‐ground biomass properties in 42 quadrats in a restored sand grassland and wet heath site and ten quadrats in an old sand grassland nearby. Data were analyzed using ordination, ANOVA and a generalized linear model. Results Soil phosphorus and nitrogen were significantly reduced by topsoil removal to the level of target communities. A remarkably high number of typical and endangered sand grassland species established, presumably from the seed/spore bank. Compared to old, seasonally grazed sand grassland, higher species diversity could be observed after topsoil removal. Reasons may be the raised pH as a heritage of arable cultivation and the very open vegetation structures enhancing early successional species. Year‐round grazing preserved open vegetation structures, but was not able to fully suppress birch encroachment in early stages of succession. Conclusions Our study showed that combining topsoil removal, self‐greening via recruitment from the seed/spore bank and subsequent year‐round grazing might be particularly successful approaches for the restoration of endangered sand grasslands and wet heaths on ex‐arable land. However, additional measures might be necessary to prevent undesired shrub encroachment in the first years after topsoil removal. Due to relatively low biomass quantity and quality of sand grasslands even in summer, we propose supplementary feeding in winter or a restriction to seasonal grazing to meet the requirements of animal welfare.

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“…; Ödman et al. ). In the old sand grasslands, bare ground was rare, as reflected in differing species composition and vegetation structure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Restoration of sand grasslands by topsoil removal and self‐greening

Gilhaus

Vogt

Hölzel

2015

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…Furthermore, the recorded plant species in the seed bank and in the vegetation were divided into functional groups that can be used as estimates of habitat disturbance and succession stage, which are important for seed bank dynamics (Bisteau & Mahy ; Rosef ; Ödman et al ), that is, Life forms: chamaephytes, geophytes, hemicryptophytes, hydrophytes, phanerophytes, and therophytes (annuals) (Lambinon & Verloove ). Habitat affinity: artificial pioneer habitats, semi‐natural pioneer habitats, wetlands, meso‐ to eutrophic grasslands, dry grasslands, heathlands, clearcuts and forest edges, and forests (Stieperaere & Fransen ). CSR strategies: competitors, stress‐tolerators, and ruderals (Grime et al ). Species indicator values for nutrient, light, soil reaction, and moisture requirements (Ellenberg et al ; Hill et al ). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can we rely on the soil seed bank for restoring xeric sandy calcareous grasslands?

Godefroid

Pajolec

Hechelski

et al. 2017

Restoration Ecology

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In western Europe, xeric sandy calcareous grasslands have been reduced to a few small and isolated fragments, as a result of sand quarrying and abandonment of agro‐pastoral practices leading to tree encroachment. The restoration of dry grasslands usually consists of reopening the land by cutting trees and removing the litter or the topsoil, relying on seed rain and soil seed bank for recolonization. We investigated whether the soil seed bank of degraded sandy grasslands can be a suitable tool in the restoration of typical sandy grassland communities. We examined the soil seed bank and the vegetation composition in a total of 20 plots of extant and recently restored sandy grasslands (Sedo‐Cerastion) in southern Belgium. Seed density ranged from 611 to 38,808 seeds/m2. Dry grassland species accounted for 42% of the soil seed bank in extant grasslands but dropped to 17% for restored sites, which were dominated by species from artificial pioneer habitats. Only a small number of the 122 species recorded in the vegetation germinated from the soil seed bank samples. Most of these were common species with large ecological amplitude (e.g., Arenaria serpyllifolia, Poa annua, and Rumex acetosella), already present in the site. The typical sandy grassland specialists (e.g., Cardaminopsis arenosa, Dianthus deltoides, Helichrysum arenarium, and Petrorhagia prolifera) were missing from the seed bank, except when present in the vegetation. Therefore, a successful restoration of degraded sandy grasslands based on local seed banks is unlikely. Additional management actions, such as active seed sowing of target species, may be necessary.

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“…However, a heterogeneous vegetation structure plays a significant role for the conservation of high species richness within grasslands. For example, local soil disturbance is crucial for the establishment of low-competitive plant species (Fleischer et al 2013;Ö dman et al 2012;Tschöpe and Tielbörger 2010). Furthermore, such sites act as important microhabitats for disturbance-dependent invertebrate species (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of a mound-building ecosystem engineer for a grassland butterfly

Streitberger

Rose

Hermann³

et al. 2014

J Insect Conserv

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Both land use intensification and abandonment within grasslands lead to a homogenisation of vegetation structure. Therefore, specially structured microsites such as vegetation gaps with bare ground play an important role for species conservation within grasslands. Vegetation gaps are crucial for the establishment of low-competitive plant species and offer special microclimatic conditions essential for the development of the immature stages of many invertebrate species. The influence of small-scale soil disturbance in the form of mounds created by ecosystem engineers such as ants or moles on biodiversity is therefore of special scientific concern. The effects of mound-building species on plant species diversity have been extensively studied. However, knowledge on the significance of these species for the conservation of other animals is rare. In this study we analyse the importance of mounds created by the European mole (Talpa europaea) as an oviposition habitat for the small copper (Lycaena phlaeas) within Central European mesotrophic grasslands. Our study showed that host plants occurring at molehills were preferred for oviposition. Oviposition sites were characterised by an open vegetation structure with a high proportion of bare ground (with a mean coverage of about 50 %), a low cover of herbs and low-growing vegetation (mean height: 4.5 cm). Our study clearly illustrates the importance of small-scale soil disturbance for immature stages of L. phlaeas and the conservation of this species within mesotrophic grasslands. Mound-building ecosystem engineers, such as T. europaea, act as important substitutes for missing dynamics within mesotrophic grasslands by diversifying vegetation structure and creating small patches of bare soil.

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Soil disturbance as a restoration measure in dry sandy grasslands

Cited by 29 publications

References 51 publications

Restoration of sand grasslands by topsoil removal and self‐greening

Restoration of sand grasslands by topsoil removal and self‐greening

Can we rely on the soil seed bank for restoring xeric sandy calcareous grasslands?

The role of a mound-building ecosystem engineer for a grassland butterfly

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