Study

To seed or not to seed in alpine restoration: introduced grass species outcompete rather than facilitate native species

  • Published source details Hagen D., Hansen T.I., Graae B.J. & Rydgren K. (2014) To seed or not to seed in alpine restoration: introduced grass species outcompete rather than facilitate native species. Ecological Engineering, 64, 255-261.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Sow grass seeds

Action Link
Grassland Conservation
  1. Sow grass seeds

    A site comparison study in 2010 on 10 road verges in the Dovre Mountains, Norway (Hagen et al. 2014) found that sowing grass seeds increased vegetation cover overall but reduced native vegetation cover. Total vegetation cover was on average higher in areas where a commercial grass seed mixture was sown (85–96%) than in areas where no seeds were sown (65–90%). The opposite was true for native vegetation cover (seeded: 48–72%; unseeded: 65–74%). In 1989, ten road verges were sown with a commercial seed mixture containing four non-native grass species at a rate of 7 kg/1,000 m2. Commercial fertilizer was also added at a rate of 50 kg/1,000 m2. Ten other areas on each of the 10 road verges were not seeded. All sites were grazed occasionally. In July and August 2010, the abundance of plant species was recorded in five 0.5 × 0.5 m plots in each of the seeded and unseeded areas.

    (Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)

Output references
What Works 2021 cover

What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

More about What Works in Conservation

Download free PDF or purchase
The Conservation Evidence Journal

The Conservation Evidence Journal

An online, free to publish in, open-access journal publishing results from research and projects that test the effectiveness of conservation actions.

Read the latest volume: Volume 21

Go to the CE Journal

Discover more on our blog

Our blog contains the latest news and updates from the Conservation Evidence team, the Conservation Evidence Journal, and our global partners in evidence-based conservation.


Who uses Conservation Evidence?

Meet some of the evidence champions

Endangered Landscape ProgrammeRed List Champion - Arc Kent Wildlife Trust The Rufford Foundation Save the Frogs - Ghana Mauritian Wildlife Supporting Conservation Leaders
Sustainability Dashboard National Biodiversity Network Frog Life The international journey of Conservation - Oryx Cool Farm Alliance UNEP AWFA Bat Conservation InternationalPeople trust for endangered species Vincet Wildlife Trust