Grazing with Galloway cattle for floodplain restoration in the Syr Valley, Luxembourg
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Published source details
Schaich H., Szabó I. & Kaphegyi T.A.M. (2010) Grazing with Galloway cattle for floodplain restoration in the Syr Valley, Luxembourg. Journal for Nature Conservation, 18, 268-277.
Published source details Schaich H., Szabó I. & Kaphegyi T.A.M. (2010) Grazing with Galloway cattle for floodplain restoration in the Syr Valley, Luxembourg. Journal for Nature Conservation, 18, 268-277.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Raise water level to restore/create freshwater marshes from other land uses Action Link |
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Raise water level to restore/create freshwater marshes from other land uses
A study in 2003–2006 aiming to restore wetland plant communities on a floodplain in Luxembourg (Schaich et al. 2010) reported that following rewetting by redirecting the river, wetland plant communities developed. Before rewetting, the floodplain was dominated by dry grassland (not quantified). After 1–3 years of rewetting, wetland plant communities comprised 53–65% of the vegetated area on the floodplain. These communities included wet grasslands (29–30%), sedge meadows (12–24%) and reedbeds (11%). Methods: In winter 2003, a historically drained valley was rewetted by redirecting the river from a deep, artificial channel at the valley edge to a shallower channel in the valley bottom. At the same time, biannual mowing ceased (H. Schaich pers. comm.) and in August 2004, year-round rotational cattle grazing began. Note that this study evaluates the combined effect of rewetting, cessation of mowing, and grazing. Plant community types were mapped, in the field, in summer 2004–2006.
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
