Long-term heathland restoration on former grassland: The results of a 17-year experiment

Pywell, Richard F.; Meek, William R.; Webb, N. R.; Putwain, P. D.; Bullock, James M.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.02.010

Cited by 51 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…While resulting in the successful translocation of a high proportion SoC, the whole-turf translocation method did not exactly duplicate the reference Cu-Co communities due to disturbance during translocation and changes in vegetation cover and dominant species, particularly an increase in grasses and decrease in forbs. This was already noticed for numerous community translocation studies (Conlin and Ebersole 2001;Bruelheide 2003;Bay and Ebersole 2006;Fahselt 2007;Trueman et al 2007;Klimes et al 2010;Box et al 2011;Pywell et al 2011). …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…In a restoration perspective, the translocated steppe community structure was close to the reference ecosystem and most of the structuring species were successfully translocated, with only one SoC missing: Ocimum vanderystii. Xeric communities, such as the steppe, seem to transfer most successfully (Bullock 1998;Trueman et al 2007;Pywell et al 2011), as the shallower soils improve the ability to salvage intact underground root systems. Steppe contains shallow soils, commonly around 40cm in depth (unpublished data), which limits root breakage and increases survival translocation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, long term monitoring (i.e. up to 20 years, Pywell et al 2011) is required to conclude on successful outcomes of these translocations, which is why translocation monitoring is continuing. In addition, it should be noted that this study assessed success of one project, and, based on these short-term results, TFM has made modifications to the translocation program based on the results of this study including development of a layer of highly mineralized subgrade at translocation sites and improving quality and efficiency of topsoil and mat transfer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of translocation methods to conserve metallophyte communities in the Southeastern D.R. Congo

Stradic

Séleck

Lebrun

et al. 2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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In Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo, unique metallophyte communities supporting numerous endemic species occurred on the highly mineralized copper cobalt (Cu-Co) hills throughout the province. These hills are economically valuable mineral reserves, mining activities represent therefore a threat to the long-term persistence of these communities. Ex-situ conservation program was set up by a mining company to rescue and conserve the diversity of Cu-Co communities until restoration activities are initiated. Two kind of Cu-Co communities, the steppe and the steppic savanna were translocated using topsoil spreading and whole-turf translocation. In this study we assessed the effectiveness of these two techniques in conserving Cu-Co communities and their potential use in future restoration programs. More than two years after the translocation, whole-turf translocation appeared to be the better technique for ex-situ conservation of endemic Cu-Co species.Not only did whole-turf successfully translocate numerous target species that were not present in the topsoil areas, but it also resulted in fewer ruderal and non-target species compared to topsoil spreading. Topsoil spreading recorded low seedling emergence from seed bank due to large proportions of dormant seeds or the absence of a seed bank, especially for the steppic savanna. Restoration of the steppe, is currently more successful than for steppic savanna where the lack of dominant and structuring species likely contributed to divergence in species composition compared to reference ecosystem. Our study stress the fact that tropical old-growth grasslands, which require probably several centuries to assemble, are difficult to restore or translocate.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of translocation methods to conserve metallophyte communities in the Southeastern D.R. Congo

Stradic

Séleck

Lebrun

et al. 2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…Large extensions of low-productive agricultural lands should be acquired to regenerate natural steppes, and regeneration may need the implementation of techniques whose evaluation of effectiveness may require decades of work (see Pywell et al, 2011 for the case of grassland regeneration). Facing this likely slow management process, translocation of individuals could be considered as a complementary and faster way to attenuate the genetic effects of population fragmentation and the extinction risk of small populations.…”

Section: Conclusion and Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restricted gene flow and genetic drift in recently fragmented populations of an endangered steppe bird

Méndez

Tella

Godoy

2011

Biological Conservation

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a b s t r a c t Identifying the genetic processes derived from habitat fragmentation is critical for the conservation of endangered species. We conducted an integrated analysis of genetic patterns in the endangered Dupont's lark (Chersophilus duponti), a circum-Mediterranean songbird threatened by the loss and fragmentation of natural steppes in recent decades. After sampling all the remaining Spanish populations and the two closest North African ones, we found that the Mediterranean Sea acts as a major barrier against gene flow and that recent habitat fragmentation is isolating Spanish populations at different spatial scales. While we found a historical signal of gene flow among Spanish regions, a coalescent model supported that the ancestral panmictic population is evolving into several different units in the absence of current gene flow, genetic drift being more intense in the smaller and more isolated populations. Moreover, small-scale spatial autocorrelation analyses showed that genetic differentiation is also acting within populations. The spatial genetic structure, significant levels of inbreeding and high relatedness within patches raise concerns on the viability of most of the extant populations. We highlight the urgency for steppe patches to be protected, expanded and reconnected, considering the genetic clusters identified here rather than the previously considered eco-geographic regions occupied by the species. Meanwhile, translocations could be considered as a complementary, faster management action to attenuate the crowding and genetic effects of population fragmentation and the extinction risk of small populations without compromising the current local adaptations, culture diversity and genetic clusters already known for the species..

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“…These changes have favored scrubland and forest expansion (Chauchard et al 2007, Garbarino et al 2011, Hooftman and Bullock 2012, Rego et al 2013 as well as the accumulation of nutrients (Heil & Diemont 1983, van Rheenen et al 1995. To maintain these threatened habitats, with their narrow specialist organisms and complex interactions (De Graaf et al 2009), the importance of heathland conservation has been highlighted in recent decades and has received much attention by the European Union and individual countries in relationship to conservation management and restoration methods intended to counteract the negative effects of various drivers of biodiversity loss on habitat quality (Pywell et al 2011, Diemont et al 2013, Fagúndez et al 2013.…”

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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Long-term heathland restoration on former grassland: The results of a 17-year experiment

Cited by 51 publications

References 35 publications

Comparison of translocation methods to conserve metallophyte communities in the Southeastern D.R. Congo

Comparison of translocation methods to conserve metallophyte communities in the Southeastern D.R. Congo

Restricted gene flow and genetic drift in recently fragmented populations of an endangered steppe bird

Wall Vegetation in Old Royal Mining Towns in Central Slovakia

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