Cut/mow, rotovate and sow seeds to control grass

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

12%
Harms

1%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

One controlled study in the UK found that mowing followed by rotovating, and spreading clippings of heathland plants increased the number of heathland species. The same study found an increase in abundance of a minority of heathland and non-heathland species.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled trial in 1983–1989 in two former heathlands converted to grasslands in Dorset, UK (Smith et al. 1991) found that mowing followed by rotovating and the spreading of clippings of heathland plants, increased the number of heathland plant species in two of two cases, and increased the presence of heathland plant species in three of 16 comparisons, but increased the presence of non-heathland plant species for two of 22 comparisons. After six years and in two of two cases, areas that had been mown, rotovated and spread with heathland clippings had a higher number of heathland plant species (4–7 species) than areas that had not been mown, rotovated, and spread with clippings (1–5 species). Presence of heathland plant species was higher in plots that were mown, rotovated and spread with heathland clippings (1–16%) than in plots that were not mown, rotovated, and spread with clippings in three of 16 comparisons (0%). Presence of non-heathland plant species was also higher in plots that were mown, rotovated and spread with heathland clippings (12%) than in plots that were not mown, rotovated, and spread with clippings in one of 22 comparisons (4%). In 1983 five 25 m² plots were mown and rotovated and subsequently spread with clippings harvested from a nearby mature heathland and five plots were left unmown and unrotovated, and were not spread with clippings. In 1989 four 1 m² quadrats divided into twenty-five 20 cm x 20 cm squares were placed in each plot and the presence of plant species in each square recorded.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Smith R.E.N., Webb N.R. & Clarke R.T. (1991) The establishment of heathland on old fields in Dorset, England. Biological Conservation, 57, 221-234.

Please cite as:

Martin, P.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Shrubland and Heathland Conservation. Pages 483-525 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Shrubland and Heathland Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Add mulch to control grass Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Cut/mow to control grass and sow seed of shrubland plants Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	3	Synopsis Link
Cut/mow and rotovate to control grass Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link