Species introduction in restoration projects – evaluation of different techniques for the establishment of semi-natural grasslands in central and northwestern Europe
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Published source details
Kiehl K., Kirmer A., Donath T.W., Rasran L. & Hölzel N. (2010) Species introduction in restoration projects – evaluation of different techniques for the establishment of semi-natural grasslands in central and northwestern Europe. Basic and Applied Ecology, 11, 285-299.
Published source details Kiehl K., Kirmer A., Donath T.W., Rasran L. & Hölzel N. (2010) Species introduction in restoration projects – evaluation of different techniques for the establishment of semi-natural grasslands in central and northwestern Europe. Basic and Applied Ecology, 11, 285-299.
Actions
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 review in 2010 of 13 studies of grassland restoration in Europe (Kiehl et al. 2010) found that after sowing seeds most studies reported that more than half of sown species became established and cover of sown species tended to be high. In 14 of 16 sites, more than half of sown plant species became established (53–96%), while in two of 16 sites, establishment was relatively low (28–32%). In eight sites, cover of sown plant species was 33–96%. The studies in the review lasted for 4–21 years and were carried out in a mixture of ex-arable fields, species-poor grasslands and mining sites. The soil was disturbed by ploughing or turf removal before sowing in some sites, and some sites were mowed or grazed by livestock after sowing. The seeds of 11–41 grass and forb species were sown at the restoration sites.
(Summarised by: Philip Martin)
