Effect of winter cutting on the passerine breeding assemblage in French Mediterranean reedbeds

Published source details Poulin B. & Lefebvre G. (2002) Effect of winter cutting on the passerine breeding assemblage in French Mediterranean reedbeds. Biodiversity and Conservation, 11, 1567-1581.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Cut/mow herbaceous plants to maintain or restore disturbance: brackish/salt marshes Action Link

Cut/mow herbaceous plants to maintain or restore disturbance: brackish/salt marshes

A replicated, site comparison study in 1998–1999 of 13 brackish reedbeds in southern France (Poulin & Lefebvre 2002) found that cut reedbeds contained a similar number of plant species and a similar live reed structure to uncut reedbeds, but a lower density of dead reeds. Plant species richness did not significantly differ between cut and uncut reedbeds. This was analyzed separately for emergent species (cut: 0.3; uncut: 0.6 species/quadrat) and terrestrial species (cut: 0.2; uncut: 0.5 species/quadrat). The structure of live (green) common reed Phragmites australis also did not significantly differ between cut and uncut reedbeds. This was true for density (cut: 203; uncut: 164 stems/m²), stem diameter (cut: 4.6; uncut: 4.1 mm), height (cut: 146; uncut: 137 cm) and above-ground biomass (cut: 1,853; uncut: 1,291 g/m²). However, cut reedbeds contained a lower density of dead reeds (11 stems/m²) than uncut reedbeds (311 stems/m²). Other structural metrics were not reported for dead reeds. Methods: In May–June 1998 or 1999, vegetation was surveyed in five cut reedbeds (commercially harvested each winter) and eight uncut reedbeds (never harvested, or not harvested for at least eight years). The average salinity was 2–3 ppt. In each reedbed, vegetation was surveyed in 25 quadrats (25 x 25 cm) along each of two transects (250 m long). All standing reed stems were counted. One random living reed stem was measured in each quadrat. Biomass was calculated from density, diameter and height measurements.

(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)