Seeds harvested during mowing from semi-natural grasslands as an ad hoc but effective solution for grassland restoration.

ABSTRACT: Species-rich grasslands formed by local ecotypes of native species provide numerous ecosystem services both in rural areas as well as urban grasslands. Nonetheless, their area is still too small, making grasslands one of the most frequently restored habitats. Successful restoration requires high-quality seed material, which is expensive and often not easy to acquire. In this study, we tested the potential of seeds accidentally collected during the mowing of a semi-natural grassland for grassland restoration. We tested seed purity, species composition, and germination capability in both laboratory and field conditions. Ninety percent of the collected material consisted of pure seeds of numerous species. Their germination capability was relatively low but still sufficient for successful gras

SUBMITTER: Perera PCD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9288168 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature