Effect of hay transfer on long-term establishment of vegetation and grasshoppers on former arable fields

Published source details Kiehl K. & Wagner C. (2006) Effect of hay transfer on long-term establishment of vegetation and grasshoppers on former arable fields. Restoration Ecology, 14, 157-166.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Restore/create species-rich, semi-natural grassland Action Link

Restore/create species-rich, semi-natural grassland

A replicated controlled trial from 1992 to 2003 in southeast Germany (Kiehl & Wagner 2006) (same study as (Kiehl & Pfadenhauer 2007)) found that hay spreading enhanced plant species richness but not grasshopper (Orthoptera) species richness on hay meadows and that topsoil removal enhanced some grasshopper and plant species but not the total number of plant species. For example, in 2001 there were 20-25 plant species/plot with hay transfer and 10-20 species/plot without hay transfer. The number of plant species from the target plant community and the number of Red-listed plant species were also higher on sites with hay transfer. Hay transfer had no effect on the number of grasshopper species (5-6 species/100 m on all plots), or grasshopper species associated with dry grassland, or Red-listed grasshopper species. Topsoil removal enhanced the number of dry grassland grasshopper species, plant species from the target plant community, Red-listed species of plant and grasshopper, and the total number of grasshopper species, but not the total number of plant species. Four ex-arable fields were half spread with hay from a nearby nature reserve between July and September 1993. The other half had no hay added. One field had the topsoil removed (to 40 cm depth) in 1993. Plant species were monitored every year from 1993 to 2002 on thirty 4 m² plots/field. Grasshoppers were counted four times between July and September 2001 on 18 transects at the restoration experiment.