(2009). Available soil phosphorus in semi-natural grasslands: assessment methods and community tolerances. Biological Conservation, 142 (5) To test which methods are most suitable for measuring available P in soils of mesotrophic 20 grasslands, a bioassay experiment was undertaken to compare seven extraction methods with 21 the growth and P uptake of grassland species. Five species were grown together on a soil treated 22 to create a range of conditions of pH, mycorrhizal infection and P availability. 23 24 Olsen P and Bray P were found to be significantly correlated with P uptake in plant growth 25 across the range of soil treatments whilst ion exchange membrane P and resin P were 26 significantly correlated with P uptake in plant growth in all but the calcareous soils. The acid 27 extractions of Truog, acetic acid and EDTA-ammonium acetate were found to be less correlated 28 with P uptake in plant growth. All extraction methods correlated more strongly with P uptake in 29 the sterilised treatments than in those inoculated with mycorrhizal spores. 30 31The method of Olsen was therefore selected to analyse P availability in soils supporting a range 32 of mesotrophic grassland communities from eleven sites across England. At each sampling 33 location, the species composition of the vegetation was assessed and classified using the British 34 National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Species-rich hay meadows across a range of 35 alliances were found to occur on soils with low phosphorus availability. Olsen's method of P extraction is recommended for analysing soils of areas identified for 41 habitat creation; values of less than 10 mg kg -1 will give the greatest potential for the restoration 42 of species-rich mesotrophic grassland. 43
Three experiments were undertaken to investigate the influence of seed mixture on the establishment of a target grassland community on a site with high available phosphorus. In the first experiment autumn‐ and spring‐sown commercial seed mixtures were compared with seed harvested from a nature reserve with respect to their ability to produce an inundation grassland community similar to that described by the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) as Agrostis stolonifera–Alopecurus geniculatus grassland (MG13). In the second experiment the composition and sowing rate of a commercial seed mixture were altered to investigate whether these factors were significant in the establishment of a sward similar to MG13. Similarly, in the third experiment the composition of a commercial seed mixture designed to achieve an alternative community, Cynosurus cristatus–Caltha palustris grassland (NVC code MG8), was sown. The vegetation resulting from each of these treatments was monitored with permanent quadrats for a 3‐year period, and the hydrological regime of each quadrat location was modeled and quantified. The results showed that seed mixture, timing of sowing, and seeding rate had an initial effect on the vegetation that established. However, by the third year of monitoring there were no significant differences between these treatments, and hydrological regime had become the most important factor in determining the distribution of species. The vegetation was less diverse than predicted from germination tests and decreased in diversity over the monitoring period. It is suggested that this may be a result of the hydrological regime being unsuitable for several of the sown species or due to the extremely high available phosphorus concentration in the soil. This study highlights the need to understand the soil and hydrological conditions of a site before choosing a target community and designing a seed mixture.
Abstract:Measurements of evapotranspiration from contrasting stands of Phragmites australis [ET(Reed)] were obtained over several years at three sites within England between 1994 and 1998. A comparison with published ET(Reed) values showed the UK rates to be considerably lower than those measured in continental Europe. From the ET(Reed) data monthly crop coefficients [K c (Reed)] have been developed, which when used with Reference Crop Evapotranspiration will enable reedbed water use to be determined. Due to the differences in study site characteristics, values for K c varied widely, and it was not considered appropriate to combine results to produce a single set of monthly mean values. However, suggestions are made regarding the application of the K c (Reed) values to wetland design.
Developing a strategy for evidence-based conservation is often problematic where a given habitat is found on relatively few small sites. Here, we investigate the important environmental variables that control species a-diversity in wet mesotrophic grasslands in lowland England. We analysed data on species richness and three soils variables from 10 mesotrophic grasslands to test the following hypothesis: is species diversity related to these soil factors, and if so, which is the most important? Generalised linear modelling was used to derive minimum adequate models of these relationships. The analysis identified degree of waterlogging and its interaction with both soil available phosphorus and soil pH as significant. Species diversity decreased with increasing waterlogging and available phosphorus. If species richness is to be conserved in these mesotrophic grasslands, it would be best done by maintaining low levels of waterlogging (0-1 m weeks), and low available phosphorus concentrations (\10 lg P g -1 ). However, this approach may predicate against specialist wetland species. Our results will help develop sound conservation strategies for these mesotrophic grasslands, and points the way for further investigative research.
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