Specialist plant species harbour higher reproductive performances in recently restored calcareous grasslands than in reference habitats

Harzé, Mélanie; Mahy, Grégory; Bizoux, Jean-Philippe; Piqueray, Julien; Monty, Arnaud

doi:10.5091/plecevo.2015.1013

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The restoration of dry grassland habitats, usually consisting of reopening the land by cutting trees and removing the litter or the topsoil, followed by mowing or grazing, aims at creating favorable conditions for seed germination and for a successful seedling development to mature individuals of the characteristic plant species (Miller & Hobbs ; Harzé et al ). The restoration of sandy grasslands can also be considered during or at the end of the exploitation of sandstone quarries, especially if populations of characteristic species remain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…The extremely low level of polymorphism in the population may have originated from somatic mutations, related to extensive vegetative propagation, but it is also compatible with relictual sexually segregating genetic diversity (Ellstrand & Roose 1987, Klekowski 1997. Somatic mutations can be a source of genetic diversity, especially when sexual reproduction is disrupted (Gross et al Van Rossum et al, Preserving endemics in highly anthropogenic landscapes 2012), as reported for the rare sterile clonal shrub Grevillea renwickiana (James & McDougall 2014) and for the clonal serpentine endemic Calystegia collina (Wolf et al 2000).…”

Section: Genetic Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Protection of the known populations is the priority, but additional conservation efforts may be needed to recover suitable habitat conditions, especially when habitat quality has been degraded. In situ ecological management practices, often replacing traditional agro-pastoral practices, aim at restoring or maintaining habitat quality and increase population sizes of habitat specialists (Miller & Hobbs 2007, Harzé et al 2015. If restoring habitat quality of existing sites is not possible, relocation to other sites suitable for the target species may be an alternative solution (Volis 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clonal propagation can contribute to population persistence by increasing genet longevity, and allow somatic mutations propagation and accumulation of somatic mutations on the long term (de Witte & Stöcklin 2010, Gross et al 2012). The role of clonal propagation is particularly important for population persistence if sexual reproduction and seedling recruitment are reduced, in case of extreme ecological conditions such as fire-prone or metalliferous habitats or as a result of sterility or of pollination disruption in highly fragmented habitats (Wolf et al 2000, Gross et al 2012, James & McDougall 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Preserving the only endemic vascular plant taxon in Belgium in a highly anthropogenic landscape

Rossum¹,

Michez²,

Beeten³

et al. 2017

Plecevo

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Background and aims-Sempervivum funckii var. aqualiense, considered the only endemic vascular plant taxon of Belgium still existing in the wild, is threatened by urban development. There is a need for proposing appropriate in situ or ex situ conservation strategies through a precise evaluation of population demographic and genetic characteristics. Methods-We investigated demographic dynamics for six years (rosette density, floral production, reproductive success, seed germination and seedling recruitment), pollination (visiting insects and potential pollinators) and genetic diversity using ISSR markers of the unique population of S. funckii var. aqualiense. Key results-Visiting insects and potential pollinators, especially common and generalist pollen foraging bees, are abundant in the population of S. funckii var. aqualiense and the plant seems highly attractive. Pollination limitation does not represent a conservation issue. Despite a good floral production in most years (250-1,558 flowering ramets, comprising 4-36 flowers), viable seed production and germination represent very rare events (0.05% viable seeds and 1 seedling) because of meiosis abnormalities related to the hybrid origin of the taxon. Recruitment by clonal propagation (vegetative rosettes) has been detected. Genetic diversity is very low (H = 0.0148), and may have originated from somatic mutations, related to extensive vegetative propagation, but is also compatible with relictual segregating sexual reproduction. Conclusions-The most cost-effective method for establishing new populations is the transplantation of rosettes. Given the low viable seed production, creating an ex situ seed bank requires collecting seeds for many nonconsecutive years. Conserving the rare genotypes can be done by preserving seeds and as many rosettes as possible. The preservation of the only existing population in its entirety appears to be the best option for long-term sustainable conservation of S. funckii var. aqualiense, and any partial destruction of the population should be avoided.

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“…According to the Society for Ecological Restoration (), the ultimate goal of restoration projects is to develop an ecosystem that is self‐supporting and resilient to perturbations. Numerous criteria can be employed to evaluate the success of restoration interventions (Hobbs & Norton ; Piqueray et al ; Harzé et al ), including different disciplines (Wortley et al ) as well as various ecological complexities, that is individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes (Ruiz‐Jaen & Aide ; Cristofoli & Mahy ). According to Ruiz‐Jaen and Aide (), most studies use three community or ecosystem attributes to assess restoration success, that is vegetation structure, species diversity, and ecosystem processes, while population characteristics are less represented.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a population approach for evaluating grassland restoration—a systematic review

Harzé

Monty

Boisson

et al. 2018

Restoration Ecology

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Persistence of restored populations depends on growth, reproduction, dispersal, local adaptation, and a suitable landscape pattern to foster metapopulation dynamics. Although the negative effects of habitat fragmentation on plant population dynamics are well understood, particularly in grasslands, the population traits that control grassland restoration are less known. We reviewed the use of population traits for evaluating grassland restoration success based on 141 publications . The results demonstrated that population demography was relatively well-assessed but detailed studies providing information on key stages of the life cycle were lacking despite their importance in determining population viability. Vegetative and generative performances have been thoroughly investigated, notably the components of plant fitness, such as reproductive output, while genetic and spatial population structures were largely ignored. More work on the population effects of ecological restoration would be welcomed, particularly with a focus on population genetics. Targeted species were principally common and dominant natives, or invasive plants while rare or threatened species were poorly considered. Evaluation of ecological restoration should be conducted at different scales of ecological complexity, but so far, communities and ecosystems are over represented, and more focus should be directed towards a population approach as population traits are essential indicators of restoration success. Conceptual Implications• Evaluation of grassland restoration success should be done at different scales of ecological complexity, but so far, only few studies have employed plant population traits that are essential indicators of restoration success. • Among population traits measured, detailed demographic studies were lacking despite their importance in determining population viability. Genetic and spatial population structures were also largely ignored. • Habitat fragmentation has well-known negative consequences on plant populations' functioning. The success of restoration in enhancing metapopulation dynamics must therefore be of concern.

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Specialist plant species harbour higher reproductive performances in recently restored calcareous grasslands than in reference habitats

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

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

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

Preserving the only endemic vascular plant taxon in Belgium in a highly anthropogenic landscape

Towards a population approach for evaluating grassland restoration—a systematic review

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