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Possibilities of restoration of natural or seminatural grasslands: Papers of the „Challenges and Aspects in Grassland Management” conference held on 22-23 May 2008.
19-27Views:97The number of natural grassland restoration projects increased in the last decade in Hungary, and probably the area of restored grasslands will be significantly extended in the next years due to New National Rural Development Program. To contribute to the success of this activity, in this paper we review the most important theoretical and practical aspects of natural grassland restoration methods. In the course of grassland restoration, habitats dominated by grasses and/or sedges have been restored in place of arable lands. In order to perform “natural” restoration, we should consider the ecological conditions of the landscape, and reconstruct natural or seminatural grasslands including of native plant species. Essentially, rehabilitation of natural landscape is supported also by creating new seminatural grassland patches. The basic principles of the natural grassland restoration are:
1. When a spontaneous secondary succession starts to proceed on an abandoned field without invasion of any alien plant species, the re-ploughing of the abandoned field has to be ignored.
2. Generally, the old fields surrounded by species-rich natural or seminatural grassland pathes can succesfully be restorated. Then, as a consequence of newly restored vegetation patches the recovery of the whole landscape can be accelerated. Furthermore, by restoring isolated grassland patches surrounded by arable lands a more diverse landscape pattern could be developed.
3. Spontaneous secondary succession of grasslands should be assisted.
4. The development of typical species composition of a seminatural grassland can be promoted by methods of spreaded hay. For successful process the hay has to be cut in a habitat type similar to ones that will be restored.
5. Applying seed-mix for sowing can be useful to prevent spreading weeds drastically in the early stages of succession.
6. Ideally, the seed-mix is originated from own harvesting or gathering from similar (or the same) habitats. If it is not possible, commercially available seed-mix can be applied, in which the dominant species is the same as in the restored habitat, with similar proportion.
7. Seed-mix consists of alien species has to be avoided.
8. If the composition or structure of the restored grassland is not appropriate after some years, the renewal of the grassland could be necessary. During the improvement process the reploughing of the restored grassland is avoided, but spreading seeds or hay, and direct sowing can be applied.
9. The loading of nutrient is not necessary in any stages of grassland restoration.
10. Applying chemicals is avoided; any herbicides can be used only when extensive invasion of alien plant species occurs.
11. The mechanical intrusions on soil are also avoided.
12. The restored grasslands is required regular or continuous management, which could be a preserving mowing or moderate grazing. The aspects of nature conservation should be considered.
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Kaszálás felhagyásának kezdeti hatása nyugat-magyarországi üde gyepek fajkompozíciójáradhdhdh
13-20Views:100In our survey we collected data about the behaviour of dominant species on three wet meadows in the West part of Hungary. We focused on species composition, the stability and economic values of the grasslands affected by abandonment and mowing. The meadows are mowed twice a year since 2006. We established abandoned plots (50×50 m) within each meadows in 2012 to investigate how can the species composition shifts by abandonment comparing with the mowed plot. In this study we investigated the abundances of species in 2×2 m quadrates (10 per plot) in three times per a year (April, June, August) in 2012 and 2013. Total species lists are similar (55 ± 6% common species in paired comparison) on the three grasslands, however the reaction of dominant species on mowing and unmowing were different, probably due to also the significant differences in the abundance of dominant species between meadows. The abundance of Festuca arundinacea decreased on every abandoned plot from 2012 to 2013, while the effects of abandonment were different on the abundance of Poa angustifolia. The abundance of Cirsium canum was higher in every mowed and also in every unmowed plot in 2013 than a year before. Comparing the three grasslands the abundance of primary grasses, stinger plants and legumes species were significant different in both investigated years. The significant differences in the abundance of dominant species among grasslands were presumably not only caused by the differences in the applied treatments but also the effects of environmental factors.