Re-creation of heathland on improved pasture using top soil removal and sulphur amendments: edaphic drivers and impacts on ericoid mycorrhizas

Published source details Diaz A., Green I. & Tibbett M. (2007) Re-creation of heathland on improved pasture using top soil removal and sulphur amendments: edaphic drivers and impacts on ericoid mycorrhizas. Biological Conservation, 141, 1628-1635.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Strip/disturb topsoil (alongside planting/seeding) Action Link
	Add sulphur to soil (alongside planting/seeding) Action Link

Strip/disturb topsoil (alongside planting/seeding)

A replicated, controlled study in 2001–2006 in ten improved grasslands in Dorset, UK (Diaz et al. 2007) found that stripping the surface layers of soil, followed by spreading of heather Calluna vulgaris clippings increased cover of heather and gorse Ulex europaeus, and decreased the cover of perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne. After five years, areas where the soil surface had been stripped and heather clippings spread had higher cover of both heather and gorse (heather: 6%; gorse: 21%) than areas where soil was not stripped and heather clippings were not spread (heather: 0%; gorse: 0%). Plots where the soil surface had been stripped and heather clippings spread also had lower cover of perennial rye-grass (1%) than areas where soil had not been stripped and heather clippings were not spread (24%). In April 2001 soil was stripped to a depth of 10 cm in ten 400 m² plots after which heather clippings were spread over the plots. Soil was not stripped and heather clippings were not spread in ten 2500 m² plots. In June 2006 plant cover was assessed using ten 4 m² quadrats randomly located in each plot.

(Summarised by: Phil Martin)
Add sulphur to soil (alongside planting/seeding)

A replicated, controlled study in 2000–2006 in ten improved grasslands in Dorset, UK (Diaz et al. 2007) found that application of sulphur, followed by spreading of heather Calluna vulgaris clippings increased cover of heather in one of two cases and decreased the cover of perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne in one of two cases, but increased the cover of common bent Agrostis capillaris in one of two cases. In one of two cases, after five years, areas where sulphur had been applied and heather clippings spread had a higher cover of heather (heather: 24%) than areas where sulphur was not applied and heather clippings were not spread (heather: 0%). In one of two cases plots where sulphur was applied and clippings spread had lower cover of perennial rye-grass (0%) than areas where sulphur had not been applied and heather clippings were not spread (24%). However, in one of two cases cover of common bent was higher in areas where sulphur had been applied and clippings spread (34%) than areas where sulphur had not been applied and heather clippings were not spread (24%). In May 2000 and March 2001 sulphur was applied in twenty 2500 m² plots. Heather clippings were spread on these plots in November 2001. Sulphur was not applied and heather clippings were not spread in ten 2500 m² plots. In June 2006 plant cover was assessed using ten 4 m² quadrats randomly located in each plot.

(Summarised by: Phil Martin)