Vegetation Re‐development After Fen Meadow Restoration by Topsoil Removal and Hay Transfer |
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| Authors: | Agata Klimkowska Wiktor Kotowski Rudy Van Diggelen Ab P Grootjans Paulina Dzierża Kamila Brzezińska |
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| Institution: | 1. Community and Conservation Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands;2. Institute for Land Reclamation and Grassland Farming, Falenty, Al. Hrabska 3, 05‐090 Raszyn, Poland;3. Wetland Conservation Centre, Raszyńska 32/44 app. 140, 02‐262 Warsaw, Poland;4. Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Protection, Institute of Botany, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00‐478 Warszawa, Poland;5. Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen. PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands;6. Department of Biology, Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;7. Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the effects of different restoration treatments on the development of fen meadow communities: (1) depth of topsoil removal, with shallow (circa 20 cm) and deep (circa 40 cm) soil removal applied, (2) transfer of seed‐containing hay, and (3) access of large animals. We carried out a full factorial experiment with all combinations of these factors and monitored it for 4 years. We studied the effect of seed availability in the soil seed bank on species abundance in the vegetation and compared it to the effect of species introduction by hay. We observed large differences in species composition between different treatments after 4 years. The combination of hay transfer, deep soil removal, and exclusion of large animals resulted in a community with highest similarity to the target vegetation. We found that the transfer of seeds with hay had a larger effect on species abundance than the soil seed bank. Hay transfer appeared to have important consequences on vegetation development because it speeded up the establishment of the target vegetation. |
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| Keywords: | abiotic conditions divergent vegetation development large herbivores priority effects soil seed bank |
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