Study

Plant species response to land use change - Campanula rotundifolia, Primula veris and Rhinanthus minor

  • Published source details Lindborg R., Cousins S.A.O. & Eriksson O. (2005) Plant species response to land use change - Campanula rotundifolia, Primula veris and Rhinanthus minor. Ecography, 28, 29-36.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Restore/create species-rich, semi-natural grassland

Action Link
Farmland Conservation
  1. Restore/create species-rich, semi-natural grassland

    A replicated, controlled study of semi-natural grasslands at two sites in southeast Sweden (Lindborg et al. 2005) found that the frequency of harebell Campanula rotundifolia, cowslip Primula veris and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor was lower in restored than traditionally managed, continuously grazed (from 1945 to 1998) grasslands and in one case lower than abandoned grasslands. Cowslip had significantly lower frequency in restored (6% plots contained cowslip) than continuously grazed (22%) and abandoned grasslands (20%) at one site. At the other site cowslip frequency did not differ significantly (restored 24%, grazed 38%, abandoned 16%). Yellow rattle was absent or less frequent in restored (0-6%) than continuously grazed grasslands (6-27%) and was absent from abandoned grasslands. Harebell had a lower frequency in restored (28-54%) and abandoned grasslands (28-62%) than continuously grazed sites (42-80%). There was no significant difference in seedling emergence for cowslip (0.2-2.0/plot) or harebell (5-8/plot) within continuously grazed grasslands or those restored three or 40 years ago or abandoned, however harebell did not emerge in abandoned grasslands. At each site, 100 randomly distributed 1 m² plots were sampled for presence/absence of the three species within each grassland type. At one site, 50 seeds of each species (collected in the area in autumn 2002) were sown (within two weeks) in each of eight randomly distributed 1 dm² plots in each grassland. Emergence was recorded in 2003.

     

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