Abstract
Biological invasions degrade ecosystems, negatively affecting human well-being and biodiversity. Restoration of invaded agricultural ecosystems is among specific goals of European Union Biodiversity Strategy. Successful restoration of invaded lands is a long-term process that requires monitoring to assess the effects of interventions. Here, we present the results of a long-term experiment (8 years) on restoration of semi-natural grassland on abandoned arable field overgrown by invasive Solidago species (S. gigantea and S. canadensis). We examined effect of different invaders removal methods (rototilling, turf stripping, herbicide application) and seed application practices (commercial seed mixture, fresh hay) on changes in species composition and taxonomic diversity of restored vegetation. Our results showed a positive effect of grassland restoration on taxonomic diversity and species composition, manifested by a decrease in Solidago cover and an increase in cover and richness of target graminoids and forbs characteristic of grassland. The seed source had a longer lasting and still observable effect on the vegetation composition than the Solidago removal treatments, which ceased to differ significantly in their influence after the first few years. Applying fresh hay as a seed source increased the cover of grassland species such as Arrhenatherum elatius and Poa pratensis. For commercial seed mixture, we observed the high cover of Lolium perenne and Schedonorus pratensis (introduced with seed mixture) at the beginning and the slow decrease along the experiment course. The most striking effect was the fresh hay with herbicide application, which resulted in the lowest Solidago cover and the highest cover of target graminoids. Nonetheless, with years the non-chemical methods, including no treatment, gives comparable to herbicide effectiveness of restoration. Overall, during the experiment, alpha diversity increased, while beta and gamma diversity reached a species maximum in the third year, and then decreased. In conclusion, this study gives guidance to successful restoration of species-rich grasslands on sites invaded by Solidago. It should be emphasised that short-term effect differ considerably from long-term outputs, especially highlighting the importance of seed source, as well as effectiveness of environmentally friendly methods such as regular mowing to control the invader.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Grassland restoration reduced Solidago cover.
SolidagoNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“grassland restoration on taxonomic diversity and species composition, manifested by a decrease in Solidago cover”
Claim · model-written summary
Grassland restoration increased cover and richness of target graminoids and forbs.
- Taxon
- graminoids and forbse0
- Treatment
- grassland restorationt0
- Outcome
- cover and richnesse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“an increase in cover and richness of target graminoids and forbs characteristic of grassland”
t0“positive effect of grassland restoration”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed source effects on vegetation composition lasted longer than Solidago removal effects.
- Treatment
- seed sourcee0
- Outcome
- vegetation compositione0
- Direction
- longer lastinge0
- Comparator
- Solidago removal treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The seed source had a longer lasting and still observable effect on the vegetation composition than the Solidago removal treatments, which ceased to differ significantly in their influence after the first few years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Solidago removal treatments ceased to differ significantly after the first few years.
- Treatment
- Solidago removal treatmentse0
- Outcome
- influencee0
- Direction
- ceased to differe0
- Qualifier
- after the first few yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Solidago removal treatments, which ceased to differ significantly in their influence after the first few years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh hay increased cover of Arrhenatherum elatius.
- Taxon
- Arrhenatherum elatius
Arrhenatherum elatiuse0 - Treatment
- fresh haye0
- Outcome
- covere0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Applying fresh hay as a seed source increased the cover of grassland species such as Arrhenatherum elatius and Poa pratensis.”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh hay increased cover of Poa pratensis.
- Taxon
- Poa pratensis
.jpg?width=60)
Poa pratensise0 - Treatment
- fresh haye0
- Outcome
- covere0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Applying fresh hay as a seed source increased the cover of grassland species such as Arrhenatherum elatius and Poa pratensis.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial seed mixture initially produced high cover of Lolium perenne, followed by gradual decline.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenne
Lolium perennee0 - Treatment
- commercial seed mixturee0
- Outcome
- cover of Lolium perennee0
- Direction
- slow decreasee0
- Qualifier
- at the beginninge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For commercial seed mixture, we observed the high cover of Lolium perenne and Schedonorus pratensis (introduced with seed mixture) at the beginning and the slow decrease along the experiment course.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial seed mixture initially produced high cover of Schedonorus pratensis, followed by gradual decline.
- Taxon
- Schedonorus pratensis
Festuca pratensise0 - Treatment
- commercial seed mixturee0
- Outcome
- Schedonorus pratensise0
- Direction
- slow decreasee0
- Qualifier
- at the beginninge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For commercial seed mixture, we observed the high cover of Lolium perenne and Schedonorus pratensis (introduced with seed mixture) at the beginning and the slow decrease along the experiment course.”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh hay plus herbicide yielded the lowest Solidago cover.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fresh hay with herbicide application, which resulted in the lowest Solidago cover and the highest cover of target graminoids.”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh hay plus herbicide yielded the highest target graminoid cover.
- Taxon
- target graminoidse0
- Treatment
- fresh hay with herbicide applicatione0
- Outcome
- cover of target graminoidse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“fresh hay with herbicide application, which resulted in the lowest Solidago cover and the highest cover of target graminoids.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nonchemical methods became comparable to herbicide for restoration effectiveness over time.
- Treatment
- non-chemical methodse0
- Outcome
- effectiveness of restoratione0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Comparator
- herbicidee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“with years the non-chemical methods, including no treatment, gives comparable to herbicide effectiveness of restoration.”
t0“Solidago”
Claim · model-written summary
Alpha diversity increased across the experiment.
Verbatim
e0“during the experiment, alpha diversity increased”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Beta diversity peaked in the third year then decreased.
Verbatim
e0“beta and gamma diversity reached a species maximum in the third year, and then decreased.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Gamma diversity peaked in the third year then decreased.
Verbatim
e0“beta and gamma diversity reached a species maximum in the third year, and then decreased.”
t0“grassland”