Restorative mowing on an abandoned semi‐natural meadow: short‐term and predicted long‐term effects

Abstract. When management, in the form of cattle grazing and mowing, ceases the abundance of competitively superior plant species tends to increase in abandoned semi‐natural meadows. Litter accumulation elevates the soil nutrient levels and hinders seedling recruitment. We surveyed changes in plant cover and species composition of a formerly grazed meadow in permanent plots for six years. Some plots were unmown, while others were mown and raked annually in August. The cover of grasses decreased and herb cover remained unchanged regardless of the treatment. Mowing and raking significantly reduced litter accumulation and increased the number of ground layer species. The expected long‐term effects of abandonment and restorative mowing were studied by calculating the transition probabilities for unmown and mown plots and simulating the course of succession as projected by the transition matrices. During a simulation period of 30 yr, abandonment led to (1) a decrease in the cover of small herbs, (2) a slight increase in the cover of tall herbs and (3) a slight decrease in the cover of grasses. In contrast, the cover of small herbs on the mown plots remained unchanged or slightly increased during the course of simulation. These results suggest that mowing late in the season is primarily a management tool for the maintenance of the existing species diversity and composition. However, it may not be an effective restorative tool to induce overall changes in the resident vegetation of abandoned grass‐dominated meadows. Grazing or mowing early in the season may be more effective in this respect. Consequently, mowing early or, alternatively, late in the season may provide management strategies for the maintenance and restoration of species diversity, respectively.     

Behaviour of male and female parasitoids in the field: influence of patch size,host density,and habitat complexity

1. Two field experiments were carried out to examine the role of patch size, host density, and complexity of the surrounding habitat, on the foraging behaviour of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia glomerata in the field. 2. First, released parasitoids were recaptured on patches of one or four Brassica nigra plants, each containing 10 hosts that were placed in a mown grassland area. Recaptures of females were higher than males, and males and females aggregated at patches with four plants. 3. In experiment 2, plants containing 0, 5 or 10 hosts were placed in unmown grassland plots that differed in plant species composition, on bare soil, and on mown grassland. Very low numbers of parasitoids were recaptured in the vegetated plots, while high numbers of parasitoids were recaptured on plants placed on bare soil or in mown grassland. Recaptures were higher on plants on bare soil than on mown grassland, and highest on plants containing 10 hosts. The host density effect was significantly more apparent in mown grassland than on bare soil. 4. Cotesia glomerata responds in an aggregative way to host density in the field. However, host location success is determined mostly by habitat characteristics, and stronger host or host‐plant cues are required when habitat complexity increases.     

Competitive effects of herbaceous vegetation on tree seedling emergence,growth and survival: Does gap size matter?

Question: What is the effect of gap size on the seedling emergence, growth and survival of four common tree species in wooded pastures? Location: A pasture in the Jura mountains, Switzerland. Methods: Seeds were sown in a complete three‐way factorial design with eight blocks in May 2003. Each block consisted of a competition treatment (four gap sizes including zero) and a mowing treatment (mown and unmown). Emergence, survival and total biomass of tree seedlings of three species (Picea abies, Acer pseudoplatanus and Fagus sylvatica) were measured. A fourth species (Abies alba) failed to germinate. Results: Gaps had a positive influence on the early stages of tree development for all species. Larger gaps favoured growth and survival more than small gaps. Seedling growth was higher when vegetation around the openings was mown. Mowing the vegetation at gap size zero enhanced both growth and survival compared to unmown vegetation. Mown gaps larger than zero had increased seedling desiccation but decreased seedling predation. Species showed similar trends in their emergence and growth responses to gap size and mowing treatments but for Picea emergence rate was higher and survivorship was lower than for Acer and Fagus. Conclusions: Gap size does matter for tree seedling success but even in more favourable large gaps only a small percentage of seedlings emerged and survived. The effects of gaps on tree seedling establishment are complex as a result of interactions between biotic and abiotic changes caused by gaps.     

Restoration of a Landfill Site in Berlin, Germany by Spontaneous and Directed Succession

We report on spontaneous and directed succession on a dry sandy landfill site of low fertility at Berlin‐Malchow, Germany. Changes in species composition and cover were followed on unmown and mown permanent plots of 2 × 2 m size through 5 years of vegetation development. Species richness on unmown plots was relatively constant during the time of observation, with 20 to 25 species per 4 m². Total cover of unmown plots continuously increased from approximately 10% in the first year to 80% in the fifth year. There are no clearly discernible sequential successional stages until present. The species composition includes species of all life forms, which colonized the site immediately after the initiation of the succession process representing the initial floristic composition type of vegetation development. However, perennial grasses and herbs gradually increased in cover up to approximately 40%. Woody plants were also present from the first year of succession and increased up to more than 20% cover in the fifth year, forming a shrub layer (>0.5 m) after the second year. Mowing significantly increased species richness, which was evident from the third year onward. This effect was mainly due to the reduction of the tall perennial grass Calamagrostis epigejos. Solidago canadensis and woody species were also significantly affected (lower cover and height), whereas short perennial herbs like Plantago lanceolata and Trifolium repens benefited from mowing.     

Sustaining recovered grasslands is not likely without proper management: vegetation changes after cessation of mowing

Grasslands recovered by sowing low diversity seed mixtures of local provenance are usually managed by mowing. Besides restoration success only a few studies have focused on the direct effects of post-restoration mowing on recovered grassland vegetation. In this study we followed vegetation changes in 13 successfully recovered grasslands in 5 × 5-m-sized sites with continuous and ceased mowing at Hortobágy National Park, East-Hungary. We asked the following questions: (i) What are the effects of cessation of mowing on the vegetation structure and diversity of recovered grasslands? (ii) What are the effects of cessation of mowing on the abundance of sown grasses, target and undesirable species? (iii) Is yearly mowing an appropriate management tool for the maintenance of recovered grasslands? Our results showed that the cessation of mowing caused litter accumulation, while diversity, total vegetation cover and the cover of sown grasses decreased compared to the mown sites. The cover of undesirable perennial species was significantly higher in unmown sites than in mown ones. The species composition of mown sites remained more similar to near-natural grasslands than the unmown ones. Our results suggest that without regular post-restoration mowing the favourable status of recovered grasslands can rapidly decline due to litter accumulation and by the expansion of undesirable species, even in the short-run. We also stress that while yearly mowing is enough to maintain grasslands recovered by low-diversity seed sowing, it cannot be considered to be enough to recover target vegetation composition.     

Dynamics of common reed (Phragmites australisTrin.) in Swiss fens with different management

Dynamics of common reed (Phragmites australisTrin.) in Central Europe have so far mostly beeninvestigated in connection with studies on reed`die-back' along lake shores. However, there hasrecently been increasing concern about reed expansionat terrestrial sites, such as fens and wet grasslands.In this paper we report on the results of fourseparate studies which monitored reed dynamics inSwiss fens with various mowing regimes over a periodof 4 to 15 years. The first study compared unmownplots with plots mown in winter in a triennialrotation; the second one included unmown plots, plotsmown in summer, and plots mown in winter; the thirdone compared plots mown in June and September withplots only mown in September; the fourth studyinvestigated only plots mown in September. Shootnumber and shoot size were recorded in permanentquadrats. In all studies the performance of P.australisfluctuated without trend or tended todecrease during the period investigated. Thedecreasing tendency concerned shoot size rather thanshoot number, and within a given study it was strongerfor plots with initially taller shoots. The variousmowing regimes did hardly influence these changes.Mowing in winter every three years reduced shoot sizein the year after mowing, but not on the long term.Mowing every year in late summer reduced the shootsize compared with unmown plots on the short term, butthis effect almost disappeared on the long term, aftermowing had become biennial. Mowing in June (inaddition to in September) caused no noticeableeffects. We conclude that other factors (e.g. weatherconditions, competition, or population processes) aremore important than management in determining theabundance of P. australisin the fen communitiesinvestigated here, although long-term effects ofmowing in summer still need more investigation. As apractical consequence it is suggested that at siteswhich are not strongly dominated by P.australis, as most of those investigated here,reducing the performance of this species should notconstitute a major target of nature conservationmanagement, nor can its dynamics be used as anindicator for management success before underlyingcauses are better understood.     

Changing grass height alters foraging site selection by wintering farmland birds

Grassland is a valuable habitat for many farmland bird species, some of which have declined in Europe. Successful management of this habitat is important to benefit these species. Recent studies have suggested little correlation between food abundance and bird use in grassland; instead providing access to food may be crucial. We tested the importance of manipulating sward height (via mowing) on the distribution of wintering birds in agriculturally managed grass fields using two within-field experimental designs. In experiment 1, we investigated the effect of two treatments (mown once and control). In experiment 2, we investigated the effects of four treatments (mown once early, mown once late, mown early and late, and control).Mown plots supported higher abundances of foraging kestrels, thrushes and starlings. In contrast meadow pipits and grey herons preferred unmown plots with longer grass. These differences are probably explained by differing anti-predation strategies, increased food abundance for species that prefer above-ground invertebrates (e.g. more food for meadow pipits on longer swards) and increased food accessibility on short grass swards (e.g. for starling, thrush spp.). There were limited effects of multiple mowing events on plot use suggesting one early winter mowing treatment may suffice to create favourable conditions for species that prefer shorter swards.Providing grassland heterogeneity should benefit a range of wintering farmland birds. Although we use mowing to change grass sward height, our findings may also apply at other times of year when livestock grazing may be a more practical solution.     

Rotational fallows as overwintering habitat for grassland arthropods: the case of spiders in fen meadows

Regular mowing of grassland is often necessary for plant conservation, but uncut vegetation is needed by many arthropods for overwintering. This may lead to conflicting management strategies for plant and arthropod conservation. Rotational fallows are a possible solution. They provide a spatio-temporal mosaic of mown and unmown areas that may combine benefits to both plants and arthropods. We tested if rotational fallows enhance spider overwintering in fen meadows. Rotational fallows consisted of three adjoining strips 10 m wide and 35–50 m long. Each year, one of these strips was left unmown (fallow) in an alternating manner so that each strip was mown two out of three years. Spiders were sampled during spring with emergence traps in nine pairs of currently unmown fallow strips and completely mown reference plots. Fallows significantly enhanced orb-weavers (Araneidae), sac spiders (Clubionidae) and ground spiders (Gnaphosidae). However, only 4.7% of the total variation in community composition was attributable to fallows. Community variation was larger between landscapes (34.5%) and sites (38.2%). Also β diversity was much higher between landscapes (45 species) and sites (22 species) than between fallows and mown reference plots (10 species). We conclude that the first priority for spider conservation is to preserve as many fen meadows in different landscapes as possible. Locally, rotational fallows enhance overwintering of the above-mentioned spider families, which are sensitive to mowing in other grassland types as well. Thus, rotational fallows would probably foster spider conservation in a wide range of situations. However, stronger effects can be expected from larger and/or older fallow areas.     

Recovery of plant species composition and ecosystem function after cessation of grazing in a Mediterranean grassland

Short- and long-term changes in species composition, plant biomass production, and litter decomposition after cessation of grazing were examined in a Mediterranean grassland with high dominance of annual species and strong seasonality in biomass production. Short-term changes were assessed during three consecutive years in plots previously exposed to different grazing pressures and compared to plots in long-term (30–40 years) exclosures. Short-term cessation of grazing led in the short-term to an increase in relative biomass of annual crucifers and tall annual and perennial grasses, while biomass of annual legumes, annual thistles and short annual grasses decreased. Consequently, similarity increased between vegetation recently excluded from grazing and vegetation in long-term protected plots. Our research showed that in systems with high dominance of grasses and annual species, the rapid changes in plant species composition that occur after grazing cessation were associated with a fast recovery of the potential for biomass production to levels found in long-term protected plots, while litter decomposition rate did not change even after long-term cessation of grazing. Moreover, previous history of grazing did not affect plant litter decomposition, despite higher litter quality in grazed treatments. This study provides new insights about the processes involved in the diverse responses of ecosystem functions resulting from shifts in species composition associated with grazing cessation and land use change in Mediterranean grasslands.     

How is Regeneration of Plants after Mowing Affected by Shoot Size in Two Species-Rich Meadows with Different Water Supply?

Mowing a meadow is an example of an equalizing process that reduces differences among species by removing aboveground biomass approximately 5 cm above ground. This regular disturbance that affects all plants prevents competitive exclusion of small species and thus allows coexistence of numerous species differing in shoot size. In this paper we search for the mechanism behind this by comparing the shoot biomass of 41 common species in dry and wet species-rich meadows in mown and recently abandoned plots in June (before mowing) and in October. We asked the following questions: i) Do the plants differ in proportion of biomass lost by mowing? ii) Are the mown plants able to compensate for biomass lost by mowing? iii) Is the compensatory ability of mown plants related to their size? iv) Is the compensatory ability of plants related to severity of disturbance (removed biomass)? v) Does water availability in meadows affect these features? Our results revealed that the earlier explanation of equalization of meadow plants after mowing due to the proportionally larger biomass loss in larger plants than small plants does not represent the entire mechanism. Even when larger plants in the wet meadow lost more biomass, the proportion of lost biomass was not dependent on plant size, and compensation ability (growth of mown in comparison with unmown plants) was not related to the lost biomass in this meadow type. On the contrary, the observed pattern could be explained by different compensation abilities of small versus tall plants. In addition, according to our expectations, the compensation for lost biomass in the wet meadow was higher than in the dry one.     

Moths and management of a grassland reserve: regular mowing and temporary abandonment support different species

Although reserves of temperate seminatural grassland require management interventions to prevent succesional change, each intervention affects the populations of sensitive organisms, including insects. Therefore, it appears as a wise bet-hedging strategy to manage reserves in diverse and patchy manners. Using portable light traps, we surveyed the effects of two contrasting management options, mowing and temporary abandonment, applied in a humid grassland reserve in a submountain area of the Czech Republic. Besides of Macrolepidoptera, we also surveyed Microlepidoptera, small moths rarely considered in community studies. Numbers of individiuals and species were similar in the two treatments, but ordionation analyses showed that catches originating from these two treatments differed in species composition, management alone explaining ca 30 per cent of variation both for all moths and if split to Marcolepidoptera and Microlepidoptera. Whereas a majority of macrolepidopteran humid grassland specialists preferred unmown sections or displayed no association with management, microlepidopteran humid grassland specialists contained equal representation of species inclining towards mown and unmown sections. We thus revealed that even mown section may host valuable species; an observation which would not have been detected had we considered Macrolepidoptera only. Our results highlight the necessity of diversified management, including temporary abandonment, to conserve the biodiversity of grassland reserves and grasslands in general.     

Langfristige Auswirkungen ehemaliger Bewirtschaftungsvarianten auf die Diversit?t von Blütenpflanzen, Moosen und Flechten eines Kalkmagerrasens

Jeschke M., Kiehl K., Pfadenhauer J. and Gigon A. 2008. Long-term effects of former management on the diversity of vascular plants, mosses and lichens in a calcareous grassland. Bot. Helv. 118: 95 – 109. Long-term effects of grassland management on the species richness of vascular plants, mosses and lichens were studied in a calcareous grassland near Schaffhausen (Switzerland). Experimental plots were treated for 22 years (1977 – 1999) with different mowing regimes, annual burning in late winter, or abandonment. From 2000 onwards, all plots were mown annually in autumn. Five years later (2004), we studied the after-effects of the previous treatments by recording the cover of vascular plants, mosses and lichens in nested plots with sizes from 0.01 m² to 16 m². Vascular plant species richness as well as the number of species characteristic for calcareous grasslands were significantly lower in formerly abandoned or burnt plots than in regularly mown plots, with larger differences on small subplots. There was no significant effect of the previous mowing time (July vs. October) or mowing frequency (annual or every two years) on vascular plants. Mosses and lichens had been eliminated by annual burning between 1977 and 1999, and only few moss species re-colonized the formerly burnt plots until 2004. The species richness of mosses did not differ between formerly abandoned and mown plots, but there were more mesophytic and fewer xerophytic species in the formerly abandoned plots. Mesophytic mosses were also more abundant in plots that used to be mown every second year than in those mown annually. Our data indicate that even after five years of similar management, i.e. annual mowing in autumn, the previous long-term management had strong after-effects on species richness and species composition of calcareous grasslands. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Eingereicht am 19. M?rz 2008, Angenommen am 30. August 2008, Redaktion: Sabine Güsewell     

Seasonal dynamics of biomass and nitrogen in canopies of Solidago altissima and effects of a yearly mowing treatment

Seasonal dynamics of biomass and nitrogen allocation in ramets of the clonal perennial Solidago altissima in response to yearly mowing were assessed in a field experiment. Final biomass of all component organs of the ramets was lower in mown than in unmown plots. Except for a negative effect on rhizome nitrogen concentration, mowing did not influence tissue nitrogen concentrations but, as a consequence of the reduced biomass accumulation, pools of standing-crop nitrogen were reduced in all organs. At all times during the annual stand development, the nitrogen concentration in the leaf canopies declined exponentially from the top downwards. The gradient of this decline was most marked at the beginning of the season and then became less apparent. In the mature stands, the area-based nitrogen contents of `upper-canopy' leaves (receiving > 50 % of incoming light), for a given light availability, on average were greater in mown than in unmown plots. About half of the nitrogen still remaining in pre-senescent leaves sampled in July was re-absorbed before leaf death. Nevertheless, the decreases in the absolute leaf- and stem-nitrogen pools per ramet during reproductive growth were much lower than the concomitant nitrogen gains of the developing inflorescences, implying that more than half of the nitrogen allocated to reproductive structures was taken up from the soil. On the other hand, there was evidence for nitrogen re-allocation from old to new leaves during vegetative growth which apparently enabled individual ramets to maintain an exponential nitrogen profile even during the phase of rapid leaf production in spring, thus using nitrogen efficiently.     

Frequent mowing is better than grazing for the conservation value of lowland tussock grasssland at Pontville,Tasmania

Abstract The effects of an unusual high frequency mowing regime, which involved the removal of slash, were compared to moderate grazing through the method of paired quadrats across a fenceline, which was orthogonal to a weak environmental gradient. The mown plots proved superior in their conservation characteristics to the moderately grazed plots. The mowing regime produced greater cover of rare or threatened species, greater native cover and lesser exotic grass cover. It thus presents an opportunity for maintaining or improving the condition of previously grazed remnants in reserves without resorting to the use of stock or fire for biomass reduction.     

Community structure and diversity of bryophytes and vascular plants in abandoned fen meadows

We examined effects of abandonment on species diversity and species composition by comparing 21 calcareous fen meadows in the pre-alpine zone of central and northeastern Switzerland. Meadows were divided into three classes of successional stages (mown: annually mown in late summer, young fallow: 4–15 years, and old fallow: >15 years of abandonment). In each fen, we measured litter mass in four 20 cm×20 cm plots, as well as (aboveground) biomass and species density (number of species per unit area) of bryophytes and vascular plants. Bryophyte biomass was reduced in abandoned fens, whereas litter mass and aboveground biomass of vascular plants increased. Species density of both taxonomic groups was lower in abandoned than in mown fens. Young and old successional stages were not different except for bryophytes, for which old successional stages had higher species density than young stages. We used litter mass and aboveground biomass of vascular plants as covariables in analyses of variance to reveal their effects on species density of both taxonomic groups. For bryophytes, litter mass was more important than vascular plant biomass in explaining variance of species density. This indicates severe effects of burying by litter on bryophyte species density. For species density of vascular plants, both vascular plant biomass and litter mass were of similar importance in explaining the decreased species density. Canonical correspondence analyses showed that abandonment also had an effect on species composition of both bryophytes and vascular plants. However, young and old successional stages were not different indicating fast initial changes after abandonment, but slow secondary succession afterwards. Furthermore, indicator species analysis showed that there was no establishment of new species after abandonment that might dramatically alter fen communities. Re-introduction of mowing as a nature conservation strategy may thus be very promising – even for old fallows.     

Effects of artificial plant cover on plant colonization of a bare peat surface

Abstract. This paper describes the effect of artificial plant cover on plant colonization of a bare peat surface, resulting from peat harvesting. Plant species colonization was compared on plots supplied with plastic models simulating Vaccinium vitis-idaea plants and plots without this artificial cover. After two growing seasons, species composition and total biomass of the established plant cover were similar in the two plot types. However, the number of established seedlings in the plots with artificial cover was significantly higher than that in the plots without cover. Out of 13 species observed four differed significantly in their performance on the two plot types. Betula spec. had both higher seedling numbers and higher biomass on the test plots; Deschampsia cespitosa had a higher biomass, whereas the seedlings were too numerous to be counted; Salix phylicifolia had higher seedling numbers. On the contrary, the number of seedlings of Epilobium angustifoliwn was lower on plots with artificial cover. It is suggested that colonization by Betula, D. cespitosa and S. phylicifolia was facilitated mainly by the improved microclimatic and soil moisture conditions under the artificial plant cover. On the other hand, germination of E. angustifolium may be negatively influenced by the increased shade on the test plots.     

Effects of winter mowing on vegetation succession in a lakeshore fen

Abstract. To assess whether winter mowing in wetlands fulfils the aim of preventing succession towards drier communities, 34 permanent quadrats (15 m²) were surveyed annually from 1984–1985 to 2000 within large mown and unmown (control) areas (several ha) in a calcareous lake shore fen (W Switzerland). Three trends were noticed: decrease of aquatic species, spread of Cladium mariscus and establishment of woody species (especially Alnus glutinosa and Frangula alnus). None of these trends was prevented by mowing, but mowing did prevent the accumulation of C. mariscus litter and kept woody saplings small. Succession was generally slow and often occurred in the form of sudden, discrete changes. Plant species richness increased with mowing and remained constant without mowing. Soil disturbance by the mowing machine contributed more to the effects of management on species composition than the periodic removal of biomass. It is concluded that mowing every three years in winter is insufficient to preserve semi‐aquatic communities against succession but sufficient to maintain the plant species richness of a low productive, regularly flooded fen.     

Plant responses to rising water tables and nutrient management in calcareous dune slacks

Plant species of oligotrophic wet dune slacks have dramatically decreased as a result of desiccation and eutrophication. The aim of this study was to test in a field experiment the effects of restoration management in oligotrophic, wet dune slacks (groundwater level rise in combination with topsoil removal or mowing) on abiotic variables and on survival and biomass of four plant species. The effect of groundwater level rise on abiotic variables strongly differed between mown sampling locations and those with topsoil removal. At locations with a mowing treatment, a large rise in water tables led to increased N availability and higher reduced iron concentrations than at other locations. Such effects were absent at locations with recent topsoil removal. No effect of groundwater level rise on P-availability was found. Topsoil removal on average lowered N availability by 13%, P availability by 65% and Fe²⁺ by 56%. All phytometer species survived better in mown dune slacks than in dune slacks that had received topsoil removal. Survival of all species was negatively related to groundwater level rise. On the short term local extinction risks of small populations may be enhanced by rewetting and topsoil removal. On the long-term, however, such measures are crucial to maintain vegetation of oligotrophic wet dune slacks in a degraded dune landscape.     

Management of modern agricultural landscapes increases nest predation rates in Black‐tailed Godwits Limosa limosa

Effective conservation of endangered species requires a solid understanding of the demographic causes of population change. Bird populations breeding on agricultural grasslands have declined because their preferred habitat of herb‐rich meadows has been replaced by grassland monocultures. The timing of agricultural activities in these monocultural grasslands is critical, as they often coincide with the nesting phase of breeding birds. Here, we aim to identify the effect of habitat management and targeted nest protection on nest survival of Black‐tailed Godwits Limosa limosa in the Netherlands, a population that has shown a 70% reduction in breeding population size since the 1970s. To protect nests in monocultures from destruction, farmers are paid to either delay mowing or leave a patch of unmown grass around the nest, a patch which in practice varied in size. In herb‐rich meadows, which are typically managed for bird conservation purposes, mowing occurs after hatching. Nest survival declined as the season advanced, more steeply on monocultures than on meadows. Targeted nest protection was only partially successful, as nest predation was considerably higher on mown grassland monocultures with small unmown patches around the nest than in mown monocultures with large unmown patches and in unmown fields. Increased predator densities over the years have been suggested as an important cause of the trend towards lower nest survival, but here we show that nest survival was higher on herb‐rich meadows than on monocultures, and similar to the 1980s. It thus seems that increased predator densities are an increased threat during the egg stage only if habitat quality is low. High‐quality habitat in the form of herb‐rich meadows therefore provides a degree of protection against predators.     

Effects of Sward Height, Gap Size, and Slug Grazing on Emergence and Establishment of Trollius europaeus (Globeflower)

Abstract To determine the effects of sward height and gap size on the emergence and subsequent development of Trollius europaeus, seeds were introduced into artificially created gaps in mown and unmown wet meadow grassland in Ayr, Scotland. Emergence and establishment of nondormant seed (previously leached in running tap water and soaked in gibberellic acid) placed in a range of circular gaps (25 mm, 50 mm with and without root barrier, 100 and 200 mm diameter) were monitored over 305 days. Trollius demonstrated high field emergence (mean, 46% of viable seed sown) in this experiment. Emergence was not significantly affected by either sward height or gap size, although emergence was greater in mown swards. The critical factor determining subsequent survival of seedlings was slug predation rather than sward height or gap size. However, losses due to slug predation were significantly greater in unmown swards, resulting in more seedlings in mown swards. One hundred eleven days after sowing (September) seedling numbers had declined substantially in both unmown and mown swards, and by day 305 (April) seedlings were extinct in both sward types. The implications of the research for the restoration and management of T. europaeus are discussed.