Functional community ecology meets restoration ecology: assessing the restoration success of alluvial floodplain meadows with functional traits

Published source details Engst K., Baasch A., Erfmeier A., Jandt U., May K., Schmiede R. & Bruelheide H. (2016) Functional community ecology meets restoration ecology: assessing the restoration success of alluvial floodplain meadows with functional traits. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53, 751-764.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Transfer plant material from intact grassland alongside seeding/planting Action Link
	Sow native grass and forbs Action Link

Transfer plant material from intact grassland alongside seeding/planting

A replicated, randomized, paired, controlled study in 2009–2014 in a species-poor grassland near Wittenberg, Germany (Engst et al. 2016) found that transferring hay alongside sowing seeds did not alter the richness or cover of target grass and forb species compared to sowing seeds without hay. After five years, there was no significant difference in the average number and cover of target forb and grass species between plots with hay added and seeds sown (forbs: 8 species, 6.7%; grasses: 1.3 species, 2.4%) and plots without hay added and seeds sown (forbs: 6.5 species, 3.2%; grasses: 1.2 species, 2.7%). In 2009, six blocks, each with two plots measuring 30 × 6 m, were established. In each block, hay and a regional seed mixture was added to one tilled and rolled plot. In the other plot, seeds (obtained from threshing and a regional seed mixture) were sown but no hay was added. In 2010–2014, the study site was repeatedly flooded and mown twice a year. Hay was obtained from two nearby sites, which were also regularly flooded and mown. Vegetation in each plot was recorded annually from 2010 to 2014 using 4 x 4 m quadrats.

(Summarised by: Philip Martin)
Sow native grass and forbs

A replicated, randomized, paired, controlled study in 2009–2014 in a species-poor grassland near Wittenberg, Germany (Engst et al. 2016) found that sowing grass and forb seeds increased the species richness of target forbs, but did not alter target forb species cover or the species richness of target grasses. After five years, plots sown with seeds had on average more target forb species (4.6–6.5 species/plot) than plots not sown with seeds (2.9 species/plot). However, there was no significant difference in average target forb species cover (seeds: <1–3%; no seeds: <1%), or the average number of target grass species (seeds: 1.2–1.4 species/plot; no seeds: 0.8 species/plot). In 2009, six blocks each with three plots measuring 30 × 6 m were established. In each block, two plots were tilled, rolled and sown with seeds (one plot with seeds obtained by threshing only, and the other with seeds obtained by threshing and combined with a regional seed mixture), while no seeds were added to the third plot. Between 2010 and 2014, the study site was repeatedly flooded and mown twice a year. On-site threshing was carried out at two nearby sites, which were also regularly flooded and mown. Vegetation in each plot was recorded annually from 2010 to 2014 using 4 x 4 m quadrats.

(Summarised by: Philip Martin)