Translocation of Herb‐Rich Grassland from a Site in Wales Prior to Opencast Coal Extraction

Abstract

Reinstatement of vegetation to a similar condition to that prior to disturbance is often required in industrial restoration schemes. Seeding with specially prepared seed mixes containing species suited to local soils is often the preferred option on grounds of practicality and cost. Turf translocation is more difficult and costly but, if successful, meets the reinstatement requirement more precisely. In a pilot study at a proposed opencast coal site in Wales, we compared the effectiveness of whole-turf translocation of herb-rich mesic grassland communities, with a less technically demanding and more cost-effective technique involving spreading turf over twice the area at the receiver site and rotovating it into the underlying soil. The translocated whole turf and rotovated turf plots were cut annually and the vegetation removed to simulate grazing that had occurred prior to translocation. Both the whole-turf and rotovated turf transplant techniques gave successful re-establishment of 50% or more of the species originally present. After three years, the cover and species composition were similar in "whole-turf" and "spread and rotovated" plots. This suggests that the "spread and rotovate" tech-nique provides a satisfactory ecological alternative to whole-turf translocation. However, plant communities changed, in some cases substantially, after translocation using either technique. Altered soil hydrology and nutrition combined with the substitution of cutting for grazing are probably the main causes of these changes.

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

“…Although topsoil spreading has been demonstrated to be a successful restoration method for temperate vegetation communities and ecosystems (Good et al 1999;Rokich et al 2000;Vécrin and Muller 2003;Jaunatre et al 2012), this technique does not appear to be effective for the conservation of Cu-Co communities. After two years, topsoil spreading communities did not tend to become similar to the reference ecosystem.…”

“…Whole-turf translocation involves the transfer of intact vegetation mats from the donor site to a receptor site (Bullock 1998). As this technique transfers entire intact mats with plants and attached root systems and soils, it was first drawn in a conservation context to move communities that would otherwise have been completely wiped out (Bullock 1998;Milton et al 1999;Good et al 1999;Bruelheide and Flintrop 2000;Butt et al 2003;Trueman et al 2007;Box et al 2011). It can be used as a strategy to create communities that closely resemble the original state (Bullock 1998;Box 2003).…”

Is transplanting an effective means of preserving vegetation?

“…While these large-scale transplants produced plant cover that was maintained for at least 6 years, both grassland and marsh communities were altered owing to variable species responses. In another attempt to extend grasslands using sod transplants, green cover developed but species composition was altered because more than half of those introduced were lost within 3 years (Good et al 1999).…”

Potential production of Aspidosperma cylindrocarpon seedlings viarescue seedlings

“…Increasing deforestation and the formation of degraded areas in tropical regions require urgent interventions to preserve biodiversity (LAMB et al, 2005). Therefore, the replacement of vegetation to a similar condition to what was present before the disturbance is frequently necessary in a reclamation system and an alternative to problems associated with individual flora rescue (GOOD et al, 1999).…”