Polish Pony Changes Lower Layer Biodiversity in Old Growth Scots Pine Stands

Abstract

The study examines the influence of Polish primitive horse grazing on vegetation in deciduous and coniferous old forest stands in north-east Poland. It was conducted in both forest sites in two complexes located in: (i) the fenced area of the Popielno Research Station of the Polish Academy of Sciences, with free-living Polish pony [Polish primitive horse (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758)] in 130-year-old stands, and (ii) in the open 116-year-old managed (harvested) Maskulińskie Forest District, without horses. In both areas the stands are inhabited by free-living red and roe deer. The impact of forest animals on ground cover layer as well as on understory shrub layer and undergrowth was compared. Very significant differences in the structure of the understory and undergrowth (above 0.5 m) layer vegetation communities between both areas and type of stands were found. The results suggest that the presence of the Polish horse substantially changed the species composition and increased the species diversity of the ground layer and shrub layer both in the coniferous forest and deciduous forest habitats. The height of the shrub layer trees was lower by 30% in the area with the Polish horse. The level of biodiversity of forest plants was dependent on the presence of the Polish horse, which in the past was one of the natural inhabitants of forests in the area of research.

Effecten van hoefdieren op Natura 2000-boshabitattypen op de Veluwe

“…In diverse oude loofbosopstanden in Polen, waar edelhert en ree voorkwamen met een dichtheid van respectievelijk ca. 7 en 2 dieren per 100 ha, bleken pony's een positief effect te hebben op de soortdiversiteit in de kruidlaag (Boiko et al, 2019 Bomen en struiken vormen een belangrijke voedselbron voor hoefdieren. Bij loofbomen concentreert de blad-en knopvraat zich vooral in het voorjaar en de vroege zomer, terwijl naaldbomen het meest in de late winter worden aangevreten (Groot Bruinderink et al, 1997b;Odermatt, 2014;Moore et al, 2000).…”

Genetic Variability and Population Structure of Polish Konik Horse Maternal Lines Based on Microsatellite Markers

“…The Hucul horse and Polish Konik studbooks were closed in the 1980s; therefore, these breeds have been kept pure, and the admixture of other breeds has been forbidden [ 1 , 2 ]. The Polish Konik horse ( Equus caballus )—sometimes called Polish primitive [ 3 ] or Polish pony [ 4 ]—is a native Polish breed. The history of the breed extends nearly 100 years.…”