Strategies to restore floodplain vegetation after abandonment of human activities

Restoring the flooding‐related disturbance regime by removing and setting back flood defenses (channel widening) is the most efficient strategy for recovering riparian plant communities in floodplains formerly impacted by human activities such as agriculture, mining, and forestry. Removing flood defenses is generally not socially accepted, and alternative recovery strategies must be explored. We assessed vegetation establishment on 33 sites in the floodplains of the Middle Ebro River and three of its tributaries (NE Spain) where restoration approaches applied in the last 20 years include channel widening, floodplain excavation, and abandonment of agriculture, gravel extraction, and hybrid poplar plantations, with and without plantation of native species. Using analysis of similarity and ordinations, we found that channel widening led to plant communities closely resembling those found on natural gravel bars, including new recruits of keystone tree species. Excavation of the floodplain as the restoration approach resulted in pioneer, non‐strictly riparian communities. Abandonment of agricultural land or clearing of poplar plantations resulted in alternative stable states predominating, regardless of time elapsed since restoration and whether poles of native species were planted. However, forest‐like communities relatively similar to mature, natural riparian references were attainable when hybrid poplars were allowed to resprout after clear‐cutting, or after the human activities were abandoned and trees were not cut. Combining channel widening and assisted revegetation where flood defenses cannot be altered may partially reproduce a mosaic of habitats typical of natural floodplains.     

Fast-growing hybrids do not decrease understorey plant diversity compared to naturally regenerated forests and native plantations

Plantations of fast-growing hybrid trees, such as hybrid poplars and hybrid larch, are increasingly used for wood and timber production, but they are also believed to impair forest biodiversity. Most studies that have assessed how such plantations may alter the diversity and composition of understorey plants were established in agricultural landscapes or have compared tree plantations with old-growth natural forests. Moreover, many important aspects of biodiversity have been overlooked in previous studies, such as functional and beta-diversity. Here, we present results from a study that was aimed at quantifying alpha- and beta-diversity of understorey plant species and functional groups in hybrid poplar (9–10 years) and hybrid larch plantations (16 years) located within a forested landscape of Quebec, Canada. These hybrid plantations were compared to naturally regenerated secondary forests and to native plantations of black spruce of the same origin (clear cut) and similar age. Our results indicate that fast-growing hybrid plantations do not present lower taxonomic and functional alpha-biodiversity indices, but may harbour more diverse communities, in part through the introduction of plant species that are associated with open habitats. We provide further evidence that planted forests may be as heterogeneous as naturally regenerated forests in terms of understorey plant composition. Plant species and functional composition differed slightly between stand types (naturally regenerated forests, native and fast-growing hybrid plantations), with plantations offering a greater potential for colonisation by ruderal species, while being detrimental to species of closed forest habitats. Lastly, plantations of fast-growing hybrids do not induce greater changes in understorey vegetation relative to native plantations of black spruce, at least during the first stand rotation.     

High value of short rotation coppice plantations for phytodiversity in rural landscapes

The demand for wood from short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations as a renewable energy source is currently increasing and could affect biodiversity in agricultural areas. The objective was to evaluate the contribution of SRC plantations to phytodiversity in agricultural landscapes assessed as species richness, species–area relationships, Shannon indices, detrended correspondence analysis on species composition, Sørensen similarities, habitat preference proportions, and species proportions found in only one land use. Vegetation surveys were conducted on 12 willow (Salix spp.) and three poplar (Populus spp.) coppice sites as well as on surrounding arable lands, grasslands and forests in central Sweden and northern Germany. SRC plantations were richer in plant species (mean: 30 species per 100 m²) than arable land (10), coniferous forests (13) and mixed forests in Germany (12). Comparing SRC plantations with other land uses, we found lowest similarities in species composition with arable lands, coniferous forests and German mixed forests and highest similarities with marginal grassland strips, grasslands and Swedish mixed forests. Similarity depended on the SRC tree cover: at increased tree cover, SRC plantations became less similar to grasslands but more similar to forests. The SRC plantations were composed of a mixture of grassland (33%), ruderal (24%) and woodland (15%) species. Species abundance in SRC plantations was more heterogeneous than in arable lands. We conclude that SRC plantations form novel habitats leading to different plant species composition compared to conventional land uses. Their landscape‐scale value for phytodiversity changes depending on harvest cycles and over time. As a structural landscape element, SRC plantations contribute positively to phytodiversity in rural areas, especially in land use mosaics where these plantations are admixed to other land uses with dissimilar plant species composition such as arable land, coniferous forest and, at the German sites, also mixed forest.     

Impacts of Wildfire on the Composition and Structure of Riparian Forests in Southern California

In southern California, wildfire is a ubiquitous agent shaping plant communities. Although fire impacts have been widely studied in chaparral-covered uplands, few data are available regarding fire and riparian vegetation. This study provides an example of the impact of a severe fire on riparian habitat. Plant species found in southern California gallery forests are typically adapted to maintaining populations following flood disturbances; we seek to determine whether structural and compositional changes following fire here demonstrate a similar quasi-equilibrium response. We sampled 65 quadrats on 11 transects along two streams in the Los Padres National Forest to characterize tree species size–class distributions before and after the 2002 Wolf Fire. We tested whether species exhibited differential patterns of survivorship and regeneration following the fire, and also tested for spatial variability in mortality within the floodplain. Alnus rhombifolia dominated the pre-fire forest, but experienced severe mortality in the fire and showed very limited resprouting after 3 years. Other prominent taxa (Populus, Salix, Quercus spp.) also lost considerable standing basal area, but had substantially greater rates of resprouting, resulting in a dramatically altered post-fire vegetation composition and structure. Fire impacts did not vary with landform position, leading to a distinctive homogenizing disturbance that contrasts with the spatially zoned and relatively stabilizing compositional influence that flood events have in this same riparian setting.     

Land-Use History and Forest Regeneration in the Cayey Mountains, Puerto Rico

Although deforestation continues to be a major threat to tropical biodiversity, abandonment of agricultural land in Puerto Rico provides an opportunity to study long-term patterns of secondary forest regeneration. Using aerial photographs from 1937, 1967, and 1995, we determined land-use history for 2443 ha in the Cayey Mountains. Pastures were the dominant land cover in 1937 and <20% of the area was classified as forest. Between 1937 and 1995, forest cover increased to 62% due to widespread abandonment of agriculture. To examine the effect of historic land use on current forest structure and species composition, we sampled secondary forests in 24 abandoned pastures, 9 abandoned coffee plantations and 4 old-growth forest sites. Sites were located on two soil types along an elevational gradient (125–710 m) and included a chronosequence from 4 to over 80 years old. After 25–30 years, basal area and species richness in secondary forest sites derived from abandoned pastures and coffee plantations were similar to old-growth forest sites. The species composition of secondary forests derived from abandoned pastures and coffee plantations remained distinct from old-growth forest. In addition to historic land use, age and elevation were important environmental variables explaining variation in secondary forest species composition. Non-indigenous species were common in recently abandoned pastures and coffee plantations, but their importance declined in the older sites. This study demonstrates that secondary forests on private land can be an important component of the conservation of tropical tree biodiversity. Received 16 June 1999; Accepted 8 October 1999.     

Forest recovery in abandoned agricultural lands in a karst region of the Dominican Republic

This study documents the status of forest vegetation in the karst region of Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic, following the abandonment of pastures (5 years), young (5 years) `conucos' (mixed plantings), old (7–30 years) conucos, and cacao plantations (>25 years). We compared these sites to vegetation characteristics of patches of forest in karst valleys (`old forest'–too old to know their exact land use) and on mogote tops with no recent history of human disturbance. The youngest sites date to when squatters were removed from Los Haitises National Park. Forest structure (density, basal area, and species richness of woody plants 1 cm DBH) were all significantly affected by land use. Density was highest in intermediate-aged valley sites (old conucos) and mogote tops, while both basal area and species richness tended to increase with age of abandonment. Although cacao plantations had been abandoned for more than 25 years the species diversity was low, due to continued regeneration of this persistent crop. Abandoned pastures had the greatest nonwoody biomass and were dominated by the fern Nephrolepis multiflora which had completely replaced pasture grasses. An ordination of the woody plant communities separated the mogote tops from valleys, emphasizing the strong control that topography has on the forest community in moist and wet tropical forests on karst substrates. Valley sites were arranged in the ordination in order of their age, suggesting a successional sequence converging on the composition of the `old forest' sites.     

Benthic invertebrate community structure is influenced by forest succession after clearcut logging in southeastern Alaska

To assess the effects of timber harvesting on headwater streams in upland forests, benthic community structure was contrasted among four dominant forest management types (old growth, red alder-dominated young growth, conifer-dominated young growth, clearcut) and instream habitats (woody debris, cobble, gravel) in southeastern Alaska. Benthos in streams of previously harvested areas resulted in increased richness, densities and biomass relative to old growth types, particularly in young growth stands with a red alder-dominated riparian canopy. Woody debris and gravel habitats supported a combination of higher densities and biomass of invertebrates than cobble habitats. In addition, woody debris also supported a richer and more diverse invertebrate fauna than either cobble or gravel substrates. Maintaining both a woody debris source and a red alder component in regenerating riparian forests following timber harvesting should support greater invertebrate densities and diversity following clearcutting.     

Afforestation causes changes in post‐fire regeneration in native shrubland communities of northwestern Patagonia,Argentina

Question: What are the effects of fire in native shrubland communities and in pine plantations established in these shrublands? Location: Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Methods: We surveyed four sites in Chall‐Huaco valley, located in northwest Patagonia. Each site was a vegetation mosaic composed of an unburned Pinus ponderosa plantation, a plantation burned in 1996, and an unburned matorral and a matorral burned by the same fire. We recorded the cover of all vascular plant species. We also analysed species richness, total cover, proportion of exotic species, abundance of woody species and herb species, cover of exotic species, abundance of woody and herb species and differences in composition of species. For both shrubs and tree species we recorded the main strategy of regeneration (by resprouting or by seed). Results: We found that fire had different effects on native matorral and pine plantations. Five years after fire, plantations came to be dominated by herbs and exotic species, showing differences in floristic composition. In contrast, matorral communities remained very similar to unburned matorral in terms of species richness, proportion of woody species, and herb species and proportion of exotics. Also, pine plantations were primarily colonized by seedlings, while matorrals were primarily colonized by resprouting. Conclusions: Matorrals are highly fire resilient communities, and the practice of establishing plantations on matorrals produces a strong reduction in the capacity of matorral to return to its original state. The elimination of shrubs owing to the effect of plantations can hinder regeneration of native ecosystems. Burned plantations may slowly develop into ecosystems similar to the native ones, or they may produce a new ecosystem dominated by exotic herbs. This study shows that plantations of exotic conifers affect native vegetation even after they have been removed, as in this case by fire.     

Long‐term effects of the abandonment of grazing on steppe‐like grasslands

Question: What are the consequences of grazing abandonment on the Stipa lessingiana dominated steppe‐like grasslands? What is the relative importance of management and environmental factors in causing variation in species composition and abundance in the continuously grazed and abandoned grassland stands? Location: Transylvanian Lowland, Romania. Methods: Repeated vegetation mapping of a grassland stand, where grazing was abandoned 35 years ago; re‐sampling six grassland stands surveyed 29–57 years ago. For revealing long‐term changes in species composition and rank abundance PCoA ordination was applied. The relative importance of management and environmental factors in structuring vegetation were explored by CCA ordination. Diversity, evenness and the relative number and abundance of red‐listed species were compared between managed and abandoned stands. Results: Our results pointed out that grasslands which were formerly grazed and dominated by S. lessingiana, in the long‐term absence of grazing, have been transformed into a S. pulcherrima dominated type. Management, probably by creating bare surfaces and preventing litter accumulation, had the strongest effect on the species composition and abundance in the grasslands. Abandoned grassland stands had lower diversity and evenness compared to continuously grazed stands. While at the same time, the relative number of threatened, rare species did not differ between managed and abandoned sites. Conclusion: Maintaining extensively grazed, as well as un‐managed, Stipa dominated grasslands would be important in order to create various habitat conditions for plant species, especially threatened and rare species, and promote diversity on the landscape scale.     

Effects of the abandonment of alpine summer farms on spider assemblages (Araneae)

In parallel with the current effects and responses to climate change ongoing changes of land use strongly affect alpine areas. The aim of this study was to analyse spider assemblages occurring on farmlands with differing stages of land use intensity. We collected the ground-dwelling spider fauna of semi-natural grasslands in currently farmed and abandoned farmland in the alpine zone of Hardangervidda, Norway, using pitfall traps. Trapping during the whole vegetation period resulted in 1,548 individuals belonging to 39 species of spiders. Linyphiids and lycosids dominated. The total number of species differ little between sites, but there was a general trend of increasing proportions of lycosids, gnaphosids and thomisids individuals and species, and a decrease in the proportion of linyphiids with farmland abandonment. Two main groupings of spider assemblages were found using a principal component analysis: One grouping was characteristic of intensely disturbed sites, mainly dominated by typical pioneer species. The other was characteristic of abandoned and less disturbed sites, dominated by widespread species. The abandonment of summer farms led to a succession in spider assemblages, including a decline in spider species with a high ballooning activity and an increase of species with a larger body size. We suggest that the main reason lies in the absence of disturbance by grazing including differing vegetation architecture and the proportion of bare ground with abandonment. Spider assemblages react quickly to environmental changes that occur in alpine habitats after abandonment. Thus, it is necessary to include spiders and other invertebrate animal indicator groups in field studies and experiments dealing with grazing impacts on alpine habitats.     

Compositional patterns of riparian woodlands in the Rift Valley of northern Kenya

Environmental factors governing the composition of riparian woodlands of the Gregory Rift Valley, northern Kenya were investigated. We collected tree species composition data on elevational transects along four active stream channels and two recently abandoned channels in Turkana District, Kenya and examined variation in riparian woodland species richness and composition at two scales: first, regional differences among channels and second, patterns along individual channels. The major factors governing woodland composition were: geographic location in relation to rainfall distribution, local heterogeneity in stream substrate, fluvial disturbance within individual channels and, in some cases, location along elevation gradients. Species richness increased with increasing rainfall. There were no significant differences in the composition of woodlands associated with active and recently abandoned channel segments. However, the species richness of riparian woodlands along abandoned channel segments seemed to decline with time since abandonment. The species richness of riparian woodlands in Turkana is an order of magnitude lower than that of comparable neotropical dry forests.     

Last Remnants of Riparian Wooded Meadows along the Middle Drava River (Slovenia): Species Composition Is a Response to Light Conditions and Management

In the present study, we investigated the species richness and species composition in relation to light and management regime in remnants of wooded meadows within the riparian forests along the middle Drava River in Slovenia. 41 plots of still managed and, at different time periods (<5 yrs, 5–15 yrs, >15 yrs), abandoned riparian wooded meadows (RWM) were sampled. In addition to vegetation relevés, light intensity (PAR) was also measured in plots. Within the still-managed RWM, two floristically distinct types were recognized using TWINSPAN analysis: meadow-like and forest-like. Light intensity differed significantly between types. The CCA of active RWM showed a significant relation between species composition and light conditions. The number of species per relevé on active RWM was negatively correlated with light intensity – in contrast to North European wooded grasslands. This could be explained by the influence of species-rich riparian hornbeam forests that contribute many understorey species, in contrast to naturally mesotrophic meadows. CCA of both active and abandoned RWM demonstrated that light was a good predictor of RWM species composition and that abandonment caused profound changes in floristic composition. The species turnover during succession was more pronounced in less shaded meadow-like RWM where more light-requiring (grassland) species occurred. Species richness was the highest in active forest-like RWM. There were no significant differences in species richness between active meadow-like RWM and groups of abandoned RWM. The remains of riparian forests stretching along the flood plains of Central and Eastern Europe are considered one of the most natural ecosystems in the prevailing agricultural landscape. But naturalness could be in many cases only the consequence of abandonment of ancient land-use practices, like grazing of livestock, cutting between the trees, litter collecting, etc. Examination of the middle Drava River in Slovenia suggests the need to recognize the remains of ancient cultural landscape.     

Restoration of species‐rich flood‐plain meadows from abandoned arable fields in NE France

Abstract. Attempts to restore species‐rich flood‐plain meadows from abandoned arable fields in the valley of the river Meuse, NE France, were studied. The study area was sown with a commercial seed mixture, composed of Phleumpratense, Festuca pratensis, Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens. The above‐ground vegetation in the study area 1, 2 and 3 yr after restoration was compared to (1) the vegetation present during the previous 5‐yr fallow stage and (2) target flood‐plain meadows. Before restoration, the above‐ground fallow vegetation was dominated by ruderal and annual species, while only very few meadow species were present. Sowing led to tall, dense vegetation, mainly dominated by the sown species. Ruderal and annual species had decreased 3 yr after restoration, but target species were still poorly represented. Species richness was significantly lower in the sown site than in the semi‐natural target meadows and the vegetation had a different composition. Analysis of the soil seed bank of the restored meadow showed that only a few meadow species were present and that it was dominated by a few ruderal species. Three years after sowing, the vegetation of our experimental site is moving slowly towards the target communities but impoverished seed sources seem to limit the success of this restoration operation and will lead to under‐saturated communities.     

Does understory vegetation reflect the history of fluvial disturbance in a riparian forest?

We have examined the relationship between the history of fluvial disturbance and understory vegetation in a riparian forest. The study site was divided into three sites, by use of aerial photographs and topographical maps, with different histories of fluvial disturbance: (1) Fagus-type on land that has not been flooded for the last 39 years, at least; (2) Populus-type on land that has not been flooded since debris flow occurred 34 years ago; and (3) Salix-type on land that has been flooded periodically from an abandoned channel since debris flow occurred 34 years ago. Species richness in the Salix-type was significantly higher than in the other types. Detrended correspondence analysis revealed obvious floristic differences among the three canopy types. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that herbaceous species were mainly found on lower plots with high moss cover, implying that moss layers may capture seeds transported by the stream. Tall herbs occurred in less shaded plots and on higher plots, suggesting that their rapid growth prevented the occurrence of other species. Fagus-type was dominated by species with ingested fruits which depended on animals for their dispersal. Populus and Salix-types were dominated by species with wind dispersal or no dispersal mechanism, which depended on physical phenomena for dispersal. Attributes of current understory vegetation were connected with historical events, suggesting that riparian vegetation reflects the history of fluvial disturbance.     

Abandoned corrals: colonization and vegetation recovery of ephemeral habitats in silvo-pastoral systems

半干旱地中海地区人工林和天然林的林牧业系统管理经常使用季节性的夜间畜栏来保护动物。这种管理制度改变了动物排泄物的空间分布，导致土壤矿产资源的净转移和在畜栏内的积累。畜栏被遗弃后，荒地植物代替了畜栏，成为它们在森林中传播的集中来源。我们的目 的是在更好地了解废弃畜栏后植被生长过程的基础上，对季节性畜栏进行合理管理，以减轻其对森林的负面影响。本论文研究了以色列内盖夫(Negev)西北半干旱地区的人工桉树林(Eucalyptus)在废弃畜栏后的时间序列上，植被、土壤种子库和土壤养分水平的时间变化关系，并与附近的对照样地进行比较。该地区为双季节地中海型气候，放牧区内一年生物种占据优势。研究结果表明，废弃的羊畜栏被原产于旧的废弃畜栏的荒草种子定殖。在废弃畜栏土壤资源耗竭的驱动下，随后的演变速度缓慢，在畜栏废弃后20年仍在继续。荒草首先是被较高的草，然后是矮草所取代，但大多数为非禾草的杂类草植物，特别是在这一时期没有恢复的地下芽植物。畜栏内原有草本植被的恢复是通过种子从周围 植被中扩散，而不是从废弃后留在畜栏内的原始土壤种子库中恢复。在人工林放牧区中的荒草物种可视为具有斑块性的集合种群。它们的持久性依赖于不断创造新的畜栏来补偿旧的废弃畜栏中逐渐减少的种群，以及依赖于传播路径的有效性。     

河岸带农田不同恢复年限对土壤碳氮磷生态化学计量特征的影响——以温榆河为例

弃耕地撂荒是土壤与植被向自然方向进行的次生演替,研究河岸带土壤撂荒后碳氮磷生态化学计量特征,是恢复和重建由农田干扰导致的退化河岸带生态系统的重要科学基础之一。以河岸带农地为对照,不同撂荒年限(撂荒2年、撂荒8年、撂荒10年)的土壤为研究对象,探索不同撂荒年限对土壤碳、氮、磷含量及相互关系的影响。结果表明:(1)土壤有机碳、氮的含量均呈现撂荒10年撂荒8年农田撂荒2年;土壤中磷含量呈现撂荒10年撂荒8年撂荒2年农田;农田和各撂荒年限的土壤碳、氮、磷含量,均随着土层深度的增加而呈降低的规律,但土壤碳和氮差异的显著性比磷明显。(2)河岸带土壤中C/N、C/P的均值均呈现:撂荒10年农田撂荒8年撂荒2年趋势。N/P的均值呈现:撂荒10年(0.78)农田(0.77)撂荒8年(0.77)撂荒2年(0.67),表明N是本研究区河岸带植被恢复的限制性营养元素。(3)河岸带农田和不同撂荒年限土壤碳、氮含量均存在极显著的耦合线性关系,而碳与磷、氮与磷之间的线性拟合程度相对较低。(4)在农田撂荒演替的初期阶段(2年),土壤的容重没有显著的变化,而随着撂荒时间的增加(8年和10年),土壤容重均有显著的降低,土壤结构得到改善。     

Effects of creation of open vegetation in abandoned terraced paddy fields on carabid beetle assemblages in temperate Japan

Many paddy fields in the mountainous rural areas of Japan have been abandoned since the 1960s, and forests have regenerated on these sites. In a mountainous area on Sado Island, a large number of abandoned paddies were converted into wetlands and open terrestrial vegetation. In this study, we used pitfall traps to examine the effects of the creation of open vegetation on carabid beetle assemblages by investigating 14 sites spanning five vegetation types: six sites in secondary forests (three coppice forests and three 40‐year‐old regenerating forests on abandoned paddies), three each in clear‐cuts and paddy levees, and two in grasslands. The 14 study sites were clearly separated into two groups different in the species composition of carabid beetles: secondary forest and grassland‐levee groups. The species composition of two clear‐cut sites was similar to that of secondary forests, whereas that of the remaining one clear‐cut site was similar to that of grasslands. Analyses of species responses showed various habitat preferences, e.g., for only coppice forests, for two types of secondary forests, for secondary forests and clear‐cuts, for clear‐cuts and grasslands, and for grasslands or levees, or no clear preference. There were no characteristic species in the regenerating forests. These results suggest that the 40‐year‐old regenerating forests may sustain only a limited subset of the carabid fauna found in coppice forests and that the creation of open vegetation in the abandoned paddies enhances carabid diversity at the landscape level by raising β diversity among the different vegetation types.     

Response of native and non-native ruderals to natural and human disturbance

The ruderal strategy is widely shared among non-native plants, providing a general explanation for the commonly observed positive effects of disturbance on invasions. How native ruderals respond to disturbance and how their abundance compares to that of non-native ruderals remains, however, poorly understood. Similarly, little is known about the role that disturbance type plays in the coexistence between native and non-native ruderals. We proposed that natural disturbance favors native over non-native ruderals, whereas novel anthropogenic disturbance favors non-natives over natives. To assess our general hypothesis, we conducted extensive field samplings in which we measured relative abundance, richness, and diversity of native and non-native ruderals in sites with natural and anthropogenic disturbance in central Argentina, a system where the ruderal strategy is common to a large number of native and non-native species. We found that natives dominated ruderal communities growing in recently burned grasslands, whereas non-natives dominated in roadsides. Additionally, the richness and diversity of native ruderal species were much greater than those of non-natives in sites with fire and in sites with grazing, but species richness and diversity did not differ between groups in roadsides. Because vegetation evolved with fire in our system and, in contrast, the construction and maintenance of roads is recent in it, these results support our hypothesis. Our work indicates that the ruderal strategy does not seem to suffice to explain why disturbance facilitates invasions. According to our data, species origin interacts with disturbance type to determine dominance in communities with coexisting native and non-native ruderals.     

Harvesting surface vegetation does not impede self‐recovery of Sphagnum peatlands

Ecosystem restoration frequently involves the reintroduction of plant material in the degraded ecosystem. When there are no plant nurseries or seeds available on the market, the plant material has to be harvested in the wild, in a “donor ecosystem.” A comprehensive assessment of donor ecosystem recovery is lacking, especially for Sphagnum‐dominated donor peatlands, where all top vegetation is harvested mechanically with different practices. We aimed to evaluate (1) the regeneration of vegetation, especially of Sphagnum mosses, to determine which harvesting practices are best to enhance recovery and (2) the influence of the site hydrological conditions and meteorological variables of the first complete growing season postharvesting on peat moss regeneration. Twenty‐five donor sites covering a 17‐year chronosequence (harvested 1–17 years ago) were inventoried along with 15 associated natural reference sites located in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Alberta, Canada. All donor sites aged 10 years or more were dominated by Sphagnum mosses, though plant composition varied between donor and their associated reference sites because of the wetter conditions at harvested donor sites. Harvesting practices strongly influenced donor site recovery, showing that the skills of the practitioner are an essential ingredient. Harvesting practices minimizing donor site disturbances are recommended, such as the choice of the adequate donor site (localization, hydrologic conditions, vegetation), the use of less disruptive methods, and harvesting when the soil is deeply frozen. This study demonstrated that harvesting surface plant material for peatland restoration is not detrimental towards the recovery of near‐natural peatland ecosystems.