Study

The ecological changes of Breckland grass heaths and the consequences of management

  • Published source details Dolman P.M. & Sutherland W.J. (1992) The ecological changes of Breckland grass heaths and the consequences of management. Journal of Applied Ecology, 29, 402-413.

Summary

The Brecklands of East Anglia are characterised by sandy soils and a semi-continental climate. In addition to heather Calluna vulgaris-dominated heaths, there are areas unusual amongst British lowland heaths, dominated by calcareous and acidic grass heath communities. A number of plots within grass heaths have been rotovated in the past in order to benefit characteristic plant communities of these heathland habitats. In particular management is aimed at perpetuating disturbed conditions in light of reduced sheep and rabbit grazing at many sites which formerly fulfilled this role. This management is aimed in particular at benefiting less competitive, often early successional plant species.

The study summarized here examined the effects on plant communites of two management plots last rotovated 3 years previously.

Study site: The study was undertaken in 1989 at Eriswell Low Warren (National Grid ref: TL 753798), in Suffolk, eastern England. Two c. 0.002 ha plots had been rotovated once in 1986, 3 years prior to this survey. The average soil pH was 6.0 in plot 1 and 7.0 in plot 2 (at 0-4.8 cm depth).

Grazing history: The site had been rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus grazed until c. 1985.

Vegetation sampling: Vegetation in each plot was recorded within 4 paired, 0.25 m² quadrats (20 quadrats in total) laid in a stratified random manner, with10 quadrats in and 10 (adjacent to these) out side, the plot boundary. In each quadrat the percentage cover of each species was estimated visually. Species recorded were placed in the appropriate Raunkiaer plant group (see Table 1, attached). Sward height was measured in March and May by random stratified sampling (within each plot and along a single transect parallel to the perimeter 5 m outside the plot) using a sward stick (disc diameter 90 mm, weight 250 g, rod diameter 17 mm). Vegetation assessment was undertaken by the same observer.

Rabbit faecal pellet production: Rabbit faecal pellet production (as a measure of rabbit abundance) was determined by pellet counts within 1 m² quadrats placed at sward measurement points. The number of pellets estimated by eye to be less than 8 days old or less (by comparison with a reference collection of known age) were counted. Pellet production rate was undertaken by the same observer.

Soil analysis: Ten pairs of soil samples were taken (15 cm diameter, 10 cm deep cores). Samples were air dried, passed through a 2 mm sieve and stored at 4ºC until analysed. Ph (two subsamples from each sample) and percentage loss-on-ignition (375 ºC for 16 h) was recorded in and outside the plot.

The results are summarised in Table 1. The rabbit index (pellets/m²/day) was slightly lower in the rotovated plots (0.05) compared to the control, i.e. outside the rotovated area (0.34). Despite this, grass length was shorter (2.9 cm) and bare ground more extensive (2.5%) on the rotovated plots compared to on the unrotovated heath (5.1 cm and 0.3%). One of the plots had significantly less organic matter than the control (3.2 vs.4.4 % loss on ignition).

Conclusions: Compared with controls, the rotovated plots had shorter grass, more bare ground, and slightly higher abundances of lichens, cushion-forming mosses and hemicryptophyte herbs, and less organic matter. Thus after 3 years, minor beneficial effects of this management were evident. Some slow growing but important component taxa, e.g. lichens and mosses, may not have had sufficient time to colonise and develop over the 3 years since the rotovation management. The authors consider that encouraging rabbits and disturbing the soil are essential to maintain these heathlands plant communities.


Note: If using or referring to this published study, please read and quote the original paper, this can be viewed at:

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8901%281992%2929%3A2%3C402%3ATECOBG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6

 

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