Long Term Positive Effect of Grassland Restoration on Plant Diversity - Success or Not?

ABSTRACT: Restoration is important for biodiversity conservation worldwide, but surprisingly little is known about its efficiency in a long-term perspective. In this study, we re-examined Swedish semi-natural grasslands 12-20 years after the restoration, by comparing field inventories of vascular plant species diversity made in 2001 with follow-up inventories in 2012. We also analysed restoration effect in relation to six environmental factors and used continuously managed semi-natural grasslands as references of desired state after restoration. We found that total species richness increased over time but not to reference levels, while there were no significant changes in species density or number of grassland specialists. However, the overall species composition in the restored sites, as well as gr

SUBMITTER: Walden E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4873139 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature