Nature will have its way: local vegetation trumps restoration treatments in semi-natural grassland
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Published source details
Auestad I., Austad I. & Rydgren K. (2015) Nature will have its way: local vegetation trumps restoration treatments in semi-natural grassland. Applied Vegetation Science, 18, 190-196.
Published source details Auestad I., Austad I. & Rydgren K. (2015) Nature will have its way: local vegetation trumps restoration treatments in semi-natural grassland. Applied Vegetation Science, 18, 190-196.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Sow native grass and forbs Action Link |
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Sow native grass and forbs
A replicated, randomized, controlled, paired study in 2003–2006 in an unvegetated, former grassland in Norway (Auestad et al. 2015) found that sowing native grass and forb seeds initially increased plant species richness compared to areas where seeds were not sown, but this difference declined over time, and species composition of areas where seeds were sown became more similar to that of areas where seeds were not sown. After one year, the number of species in areas where seeds were sown (19 species/plot) was higher than in areas where seeds were not sown (15 species/plot), but after three years there was no longer a significant difference (seeded: 14 species/plot, unseeded: 12 species/plot). The species composition of sown and unsown areas became more similar over time (result based on ordination analysis). In 2003, all vegetation was removed from the site. Seeds were collected from road verges <10 km from the study area. In sixteen 0.5 x 0.5 m plots, seeds of two grass and 13 forb species were sown at a density of 2,300 seeds/m2, and in 16 plots no seeds were sown. Plant abundance and species richness were recorded in June–August 2004–2006 in each plot.
(Summarised by: Philip Martin)
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