Benefits of conservation-driven mowing for the EU policy species Gladiolus palustris Gaudin in mountain fen meadows: a case-study in the European Alps

Abstract

The sword lily Gladiolus palustris Gaudin is protected on European level and listed in Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC. It grows in nutrient-poor, calcareous meadows in central and eastern Europe. Tree encroachment in montane meadows of the European Alps as a result of recent land use changes and the abandonment of traditional farming practices threaten the survival of this species. Conservation-driven mowing is considered a feasible conservation measure for maintaining high species diversity in abandoned semi-natural grasslands. To assess the effects of ten years of biennial mowing on a grassland community in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, Italy (Site of Community Importance, Natura 2000 network), ten 25 m2 plots were established whereby four plots were placed in the mowed area, four in the non-mowed area and two in a small non-mowed patch of grassland inside the mowed area. In each plot the following variables were recorded, total percentage of plant cover, percentage cover of woody species, percentage cover of herbaceous species, percentage cover and number of flowering ramets of G. palustris and a complete list of species and their percentage abundance. Mowed plots showed a higher species richness than non-mowed plots. The number of G. palustris flowering ramets and percentage cover increased manifold in mowed plots compared to non-mowed plots. The resumption of mowing for conservation purposes undertaken by the managing authority halted the process of tree encroachment and avoided a drastic change in plant composition. Periodic mowing (every second or third year) was demonstrated to be a cost-effective conservation measure in non-productive grasslands to keep grasses at bay in favour of forbs of high conversation value.

Combining conservation status and species distribution models for planning assisted colonisation under climate change

“…For instance, some of the species considered in this study are affected by habitat degradation as a consequence of abandonment of traditional landscape management or habitat destruction due to planned future activities (e.g. Canella et al., 2020; Draper et al, 2016; Orsenigo et al., 2021).…”

New records and noteworthy data of plants, algae and fungi in se Europe and adjacent regions, 7

“…The main threat leading to extinction is excessive habitat destruction, in particular water regime destabilization and pasture fertilization. Suitable management in protected areas should be carried out by mowing at the end of July and August after the seeds are shed (Canella et al 2020). This species is protected by The Habitats Directive, Bern Convention and also in Serbia by the Law on Nature Protection and the Law on Trade in Endangered and Protected Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.…”