Restoring heathland vegetation by turf-stripping wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa dominated grassland at The Lodge RSPB Reserve, Bedfordshire, England
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Published source details
Wilton-Jones G. & Ausden M. (2005) Restoring heathland vegetation by turf-stripping wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa dominated grassland at The Lodge RSPB Reserve, Bedfordshire, England. Conservation Evidence, 2, 66-67.
Published source details Wilton-Jones G. & Ausden M. (2005) Restoring heathland vegetation by turf-stripping wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa dominated grassland at The Lodge RSPB Reserve, Bedfordshire, England. Conservation Evidence, 2, 66-67.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Strip topsoil Action Link |
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Strip topsoil
A controlled study in 1995–2005 in a former heathland in central England, UK (Wilton-Jones & Ausden 2005) reported that turf removal promoted an increase in heather Calluna vulgaris and reduced the dominance of wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa. After 10 years, the percentage cover of heather was higher in the area where turf had been stripped (65%) than in the unstripped area (1%). Additionally, the percentage cover of wavy-hair grass was lower in the stripped (5%) than in the unstripped area (80%) whereas the percentage cover of bracken Pteridium aquilinum did not change between stripped and unstripped areas (5%) (results are not based on statistical tests). In October/November 1995 turf was removed to a depth of approximately 10 cm from an area of about 600 m² of wavy hair-grass-dominated acid grassland using a mini-digger with a dozer attachment. Vegetation cover was visually estimated in April 2005.
(Summarised by: Phil Martin)
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