Vegetation ecology of dry acidic grasslands in the lowland area of Central europe

Soil chemistry of local vegetation gradients in sandy calcareous grasslands

“…The biomass of C. canescens is restricted when growing on calcareous soils (Zohlen and Tyler 2004), indicating that measures to preserve K. glauca and sand steppe vegetation should include maintenance of high soil pH. Corynephorus canescens is, however, threatened in central Europe and is being replaced through succession by Calluna heath grasslands if sheep grazing occurs (Jentsch and Beyschlag 2003).…”

Effect of three mound-building ant species on the formation of soil seed bank in mountain grassland

“…Seedling recruitment is sensitive to the effect of competition and therefore depends on the presence of gaps in vegetation cover (Amiaud and Touzard, 2004;During and van Tooren, 1990;Ho¨lzel and Otte, 2004;Kitajima and Tilman, 1996;Sˇpacˇkova´et al, 1998;Zamfir, 2000;Zobel et al, 2000). Gaps emerge as a result of small-scale disturbances, for instance from plant deaths, substrate movement or animal activity such as trampling or burrowing (Edwards and Crawley, 1999;Jentsch and Beyschlag, 2003;Pickett and White, 1985;van Tooren, 1988). Diaspores that colonize gaps are derived from several sources, seeds present in the persistent seed bank, seeds produced in current year by adjacent vegetation, or seeds actively relocated by animals to the gaps over longer distances (Bullock et al, 1994;Edwards and Crawley, 1999;Kalamees and Zobel, 2002;Pakeman et al, 1998).…”

Impact of management on vegetation dynamics and seed bank formation of inland dune grassland in Hungary

“…Regeneration from soil seed banks is a crucial mechanism in dynamics of dry grasslands (Levassor et al, 1990;Espigares and Peco, 1993;Jentsch and Beyschlag, 2003).…”