Effects of removing the litter and humic layers on heathland establishment following plantation removal

We investigated ways of optimising the establishment of Calluna vulgaris-dominated heathland vegetation following removal of pines from afforested heathland using a randomised block experiment. Removal of the litter layer, or both the litter and humic layers, resulted in a higher initial establishment rate of C. vulgaris compared to in the control plots. The effect of adding heathland clippings suggested that the rate of establishment of C. vulgaris was limited by seed availability in plots from which both the litter and humic layers had been removed, but not in those from which just the litter layer had been removed. Removal of both the litter and humic layers did, though, result in a long-term reduction in the depth of the humic layer, a lower loss-on-ignition and lower level of nitrate and total nitrogen compared to in the control plots. The optimal method for establishing heathland vegetation at a site will depend on: (1) whether there is a viable seedbank of C. vulgaris and other desirable heathland species present; (2) the importance of quickly establishing a high cover of desirable heathland species; (3) the likely long-term effects of soil nitrogen levels on the maintenance of C. vulgaris dominance; (4) the practicality of removing and disposing of the litter and humus layers.     

Evaluating barriers to native seedling establishment in an invaded Hawaiian lowland wet forest

Many tropical island forest ecosystems are dominated by non-native plant species and lack native species regeneration in the understorey. Comparison of replicated control and removal plots offers an opportunity to examine not only invasive species impacts but also the restoration potential of native species. In lowland Hawaiian wet forests little is known about native species seed dynamics, recruitment requirements, or the effects of management. In a heavily invaded lowland wet forest, we examined the relationship between seed presence and seedling establishment in control and removal plots. Non-native species were competitively superior because they had higher germination percentages and dominated the seed bank; only seven out of 33,375 seedlings were native. In contrast, the seed rain contained native seed, but native seedling recruitment was almost exclusively limited to removal plots, suggesting that optimum establishment conditions are not met in the presence of a dense mid-storey of non-native species. Non-native species dominance was altered and biomass significantly decreased over time resulting in a reduced weeding effort (12.38-0.77 g day⁻¹). We suggest that with opening of the canopy through non-native species removal and subsequent weeding, it may be possible to reduce the seed bank enough to skew the regeneration potential towards native species. Our results suggest that germination success and lack of a seed bank are the main bottlenecks for native species. We conclude that without invasive species control, future regeneration of Hawaiian lowland wet forests is likely to be almost entirely non-native.     

Successful use of topsoil removal and soil amelioration to create heathland vegetation

We compared the effectiveness of topsoil removal and deep ploughing of an agriculturally improved grass field at creating suitable soil conditions for establishment of heathland vegetation. We then carried out a randomised replicated experiment involving combinations of topsoil removal, addition of heathland clippings and addition of Pteridium aquilinum litter and Pinus mulch to determine their effects on soil conditions and heathland establishment. The topsoil treatment had significantly lower concentrations of extractable P in its upper soil compared to the control plots. Both the topsoil removal and deep ploughing treatments had significantly higher pH in their upper soil compared to the control plots. Heathland vegetation established on all plots involving topsoil removal and addition of heathland clippings (with or without addition of P. aquilinum or Pinus mulch), despite soil pH in these plots being higher (5.9-6.8) than that generally recognised as being necessary for establishment of heathland vegetation.     

The feasibility of using soil seed bank for natural regeneration of degraded sandy grasslands

Desertification in degraded grasslands is manifested through the development of bare sandy patches, which eventually lead to habitat fragmentation. The ability of these bare sandy patches to regenerate naturally through in-situ soil seed banks is not well understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we randomly selected 24 bare sandy patches with areas ranging from 19 to 898 m² in a desertified grassland of the Horqin sandy land, Northern China to determine whether soil seed bank can be used for natural regeneration of bare sandy patches. Species composition and density of soil seed bank as well as aboveground vegetation composition, abundance and coverage were investigated. We then determined their relationships with in-situ habitat characteristics. Our observations showed that the studied area had low soil seed bank density and species richness, as well as depauperate soil seed bank communities. Consequently, local soil seed bank was not able to provide sufficient seed source for natural regeneration. This was indicated by the relationships between aboveground vegetation, soil seed bank and the in-situ habitat characteristics. For bare patches with an area between 300 m² and 900 m², increase the soil seed bank density and species richness should be the main restoration measures. For bare patches with a small area of less than 50 m², restoration of vegetation density should be the main measure. Our data highlighted that different extents of desertification, indicated by different bare patches, are requiring distinct restoration measures.     

Soil seed banks in the Arasbaran Protected Area of Iran and their significance for conservation management

The Arasbaran Protected Area is an important but little studied nature reserve in NW Iran. In the past habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity have been threatened by over-exploitation; in the future depopulation may lead to partial abandonment. The soil seed bank was examined to see whether there are sufficient species represented as persistent seeds to reconstitute the vegetation in the event of habitat deterioration. There were differences between seed banks from different soils and vegetation types but essentially all soil seed banks contained few species and low densities of seed. Moreover, the species in the seed bank were unrepresentative of the vegetation. During future periods of changing land use it will be important to maintain the existing vegetation. There are however indications of successful recent conservation management. Annuals are abundant in the woodland seed bank but absent from the vegetation. The forest is recovering from the disturbance of collecting fire-wood.     

The evaluation of key sites for breeding waders in lowland Scotland

This study considers the selection of sites based on the densities of breeding waders that would be considered to be distributed widely across common habitats in Scotland: so-called ‘wider countryside’ species. Five methods to provide a hierarchical classification of sites are assessed. Fifty percent of the populations of redshank (Tringa totanus) and snipe (Gallinago gallinago) occur on just 2 and 4.5% of Scottish lowlands, respectively, yet neither are suitably protected by conservation measures and both would benefit from a carefully targeted approach to their conservation. Three species, lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), curlew (Numenius arquata) and oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) are more appropriately considered to be dispersed species. We propose that, if the density of a breeding wader on a site exceeds the threshold level predicted for the top 1% of Scottish lowland for that species, and if the area of the site exceeds 1 km² then that site be considered to be a key site for farmland waders. The minimum density (in pairs km⁻²) must exceed 16.8 for lapwing, 10.1 for oystercatcher, 6.1 for snipe, 7.5 for curlew or 3.6 for redshank.     

Fate, tree growth effect and potential impact on soil microbial communities of mycorrhizal and bacterial inoculation in a forest plantation

The knowledge of the survival of inoculated beneficial fungal and bacterial strains in the field and the effects of their release on the indigenous microbial communities has been of great interest since the practical use of selected natural or genetically modified microorganisms has been developing. The aim of this study was to monitor, 4 years after plantation into the field site, the effects of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) co-inoculation with the mycorrhiza helper bacterial strain Pseudomonas fluorescens BBc6R8 and/or the fungal strain Laccaria bicolor S238N on seedling growth and on the indigenous bacterial and ectomycorrhizal communities using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The field persistence of the inoculated strains was also monitored. The seedling shoot volume estimate was statistically significantly higher in the fungal inoculated plots in comparison to the non-inoculated plots but no treatment-related changes in the quantitave or qualitative microbial measurements were observed and the inoculated strains could not be detected after 4 years.     

Non-symbiotic bacterial diazotrophs in crop-farming systems: can their potential for plant growth promotion be better exploited?

Biological N₂ fixation (BNF) by associative diazotrophic bacteria is a spontaneous process where soil N is limited and adequate C sources are available. Yet the ability of these bacteria to contribute to yields in crops is only partly a result of BNF. A range of diazotrophic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria participate in interactions with C₃ and C₄ crop plants (e.g. rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane and cotton), significantly increasing their vegetative growth and grain yield. We review the potential of these bacteria to contribute to yield increases in a range of field crops and outline possible strategies to obtain such yield increases more reliably. The mechanisms involved have a significant plant growth-promoting potential, retaining more soil organic-N and other nutrients in the plant-soil system, thus reducing the need for fertiliser N and P. Economic and environmental benefits can include increased income from high yields, reduced fertiliser costs and reduced emission of the greenhouse gas, N₂O (with more than 300 times the global warming effect of CO₂), as well as reduced leaching of NO₃⁻-N to ground water. Obtaining maximum benefits on farms from diazotrophic, plant growth promoting biofertilisers will require a systematic strategy designed to fully utilise all these beneficial factors, allowing crop yields to be maintained or even increased while fertiliser applications are reduced.     

Effects of nitrogen deposition on growth and survival of montane Racomitrium lanuginosum heath

Montane heaths dominated by the moss Racomitrium lanuginosum are in decline, for which increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition may be partially responsible. To test this, field plots in northeast Scotland were treated with either low or high (10 or 40 kg N ha⁻¹year⁻¹) doses of nitrogen (as NO₃⁻ or NH₄⁺) for 2 years. Although Racomitrium tissue N increased after treatment, with greater response for low than high N application, activity of the enzyme nitrate reductase and Racomitrium growth were severely inhibited by increasing N addition. Racomitrium cover declined following N addition and graminoid cover increased, also with greatest effect at high doses. Of all measurements, only nitrate reductase showed a distinction between NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ application. The results demonstrate the detrimental effects of even low increases in nitrogen deposition on the moss heath, suggesting that loss of Racomitrium and its replacement by graminoids is strongly linked to increased levels of anthropogenic N pollution.     

Surface water and ground-water thresholds for maintaining Populus-Salix forests, San Pedro River, Arizona

Ground-water and surface flow depletions are altering riparian ecosystems throughout the southwestern United States, and have contributed to the decline of forests of the pioneer trees Populus fremontii (Fremont cottonwood) and Salix gooddingii (Goodding willow). On some rivers, these forests have been replaced by shrublands of Tamarix ramosissima (tamarisk), a drought-tolerant species from Eurasia. The physiological response of these three riparian plant species to decreases in water availability is well studied, but little attention has been given to shifts in community and population structure in response to declines in surface flow and ground-water levels. Based on study of 17 sites spanning a hydrologic gradient, this research identified hydrologic thresholds above which P. fremontii-S. gooddingii maintain tall dense stands with diverse age classes, and above which they are more abundant than T. ramosissima stands along the San Pedro River in Arizona. Surface flow permanence was the hydrologic variable that explained most of the variance in species abundance and relative importance, with inter-annual ground-water fluctuation and depth to ground water also contributing. P. fremontii and S. gooddingii were dominant over T. ramosissima at sites where surface flow was present more than 76% of the time, inter-annual ground-water fluctuation was less than 0.5 m, and average maximum depth to ground water was less than 2.6 m, during a two-year period of data collection. Because T. ramosissima is a shrub species with smaller leaves and lower canopy heights than P. fremontii and S. gooddingii, these shifts in species composition corresponded to decreases in maximum canopy height and upper stratum (above 8 m) vegetation volume as site water availability declined. As well, sites with deeper water tables and more intermittent flows had greater areal coverage of shrublands and less of woodlands. The altered vegetation structure along dewatered rivers may lower wildlife habitat quality. This study provides river managers with quantitative hydrologic guidelines for conserving tall dense P. fremontii-S. gooddingii stands and emphasizes the importance of maintaining long-term hydrologic conditions that are favorable to these species. The study also has implications for riparian restoration and invasive species management by suggesting that desired outcomes may be achieved through restoration of physical processes.     

Barn owl release in lowland southern England—a twenty-one year study

Twenty-one years of carefully documented barn owl (Tyto alba) study and release in England by the South Midlands Barn Owl Conservation Group (SMBOCG) have necessitated a re-examination of some of the premises on which such release schemes are judged. Fifteen years after the first releases, the number of independently breeding owls (i.e. breeding ‘wild’ or ‘as though wild’) in a 1200 km² study area is still increasing sharply and now far exceeds the number released in any one year, with the rate of increase outstripping the cumulative number of release events. Ringing returns indicate that fledged young dispersed further than adults, and that released adults which immediately deserted their release sites were less likely to survive their first 30 days than those staying in the vicinity of their release, where they could take advantage of supplementary feeding. Artificial feeding at release sites led to pellets containing lower liveweight equivalent of wild-caught prey but higher numbers of fledged young. Otherwise, and importantly, no significant difference in survival, mortality, dispersal, foraging success or breeding success was found between wild/independent owls and various categories of released bird. Availability of field vole habitat was not as important for barn owl breeding success as was found in previous studies, with owls able to replace this species in their diet with the less habitat-specific wood mouse. Evidence is provided that starvation was not as important a cause of mortality as has been proved elsewhere. Although barn owl nests often occurred in extreme close proximity, breeding density had no effect on either foraging or breeding success. The possible genetic consequences of barn owl release in Britain are briefly discussed. Very few barn owl release schemes have attempted to prove that their work is worthwhile, so long-term, well-documented studies such as that presented here are vital in establishing some of the principles involved in releasing barn owls into the wild.     

Effects of habitat management on heathland response to atmospheric nitrogen deposition

A field experiment was carried out to investigate the impact of four different management treatments on the response of Calluna-dominated heathland to nitrogen additions of 0 or 30 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ at a lowland heath in Surrey, England. Post-management Calluna regeneration, growth and canopy development were significantly affected by both the form of management and by nitrogen addition. The effect of nitrogen on shoot growth was lower, in absolute terms, in those plots which had undergone more intensive management treatments. Seedling establishment was higher in plots which received a simulated accidental burn treatment, reflecting the greater proportion of bare ground and the high degree of physical disturbance associated with this treatment. Invasion by Deschampsia seedlings was increased by nitrogen addition, particularly in simulated accidental burn plots. In the long term, the need to maintain a low nutrient environment to favour Calluna dominance, particularly in the face of elevated nitrogen deposition, favours the use of managements which result in the export of a significant proportion of the organic nitrogen stores. However, further study is required to ensure that initial enhancement of seedling invasion by grass and other species, associated with these more intense managements, does not outweigh the long term benefits of associated nutrient removal.     

Artificial dispersal of endangered epiphytic lichens: a tool for conservation in boreal forest landscapes

Due to increasing fragmentation of the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, a number of epiphytic lichens are now becoming threatened. Since these species typically are limited by a poor ability of dispersal, one possible but largely unexplored strategy for conservation is to disperse lichen material artificially into suitable habitats. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate survival and vitality in lichen fragments from Evernia divaricata (L.) Ach. and Ramalina dilacerata (Hoffm.) Hoffm. after transplantation into three different stand types situated in northern Sweden, using different fragment sizes and modes of transplantation. After one year, survival ranged between 85% and 97.5%, and new growth occurred at all transplantation sites. The study has shown that transplantations of small fragments might constitute a resource-efficient option for establishment of new populations of endangered lichen species, or for enlarging their populations at the present sites of occurrence. In addition, the mode of transplantation was of importance for fragment vitality.     

Bird species richness in a Bornean exotic tree plantation: A long-term perspective

To provide sustainable income from forestlands, large areas in the tropics are planted with “agricultural” trees, such as oil palm and rubber, and “industrial” trees, such as Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea. To examine how native forest birds use such plantations, we surveyed in 2005 the avifauna at Sabah Softwoods, a plantation in southeastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We focused on A. mangium, Albizia (Paraserianthes falcataria), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), and logged native forest, and compared our results to those of a study conducted at the same plantation in 1982. The number of forest species in the industrial groves did not change dramatically between 1982 and 2005, even though the trees had been cropped several times and the plantation was, by 2005, completely surrounded by cleared land and far removed from primary forest. However, as is common in logged or isolated forests throughout the world, certain primary forest groups (e.g., muscicapine flycatchers) have been extirpated from the entire plantation area. The industrial groves also lacked some larger species of kingfisher, woodpeckers, and canopy frugivores. Nevertheless, numerous primary forest taxa (ca. 50% of species) were found in mature industrial tree groves. Albizia attracted the most species of birds, followed closely by Acacia. Both tree types underpinned relatively complex secondary forests that attracted forest birds. In contrast, younger groves of Acacia and Albizia held mainly open country and scrub species. Oil palm, as a remarkably simple and unusual habitat, attracted few bird species. Sustained occurrence of forest birds in all groves of exotic trees at Sabah Softwoods was substantially enhanced by the relatively rich avifauna of the logged native forest remaining in substantial stands throughout the plantation.     

Recent, substantial, and unexplained declines of the common toad Bufo bufo in lowland England

A decline in numbers of a large common toad (Bufo bufo) population in south-east England during the 1990s, together with anecdotal reports of similar trends in other toad populations, prompted a nation-wide survey of this species. The survey also included the common frog (Rana temporaria) as a control for which there was no comparable evidence of recent decline. A questionnaire requesting information on the fate of toad and frog populations in the last 15 years of the 20th century was distributed to professional and amateur herpetologists during autumn 2001. Ninety-five respondents provided data on a total of 277 sites, including 232 frog and 202 toad populations in England, Scotland and Wales. More than 80% of the reported sites were rural for both species. Rural frog populations were generally doing well in most parts of Britain, with almost as many increasing as decreasing populations and a high proportion of stable populations. Rural toads also showed no overall trend across the country as a whole. However, regional analysis indicated that although toads were faring at least as well as frogs in the north and west of Britain, they were declining seriously in central and eastern/south-eastern areas. In these regions 50% or more of toad populations have experienced recent declines, whereas frogs have fared as well as they have elsewhere. Toads breeding alone have fared significantly worse than toads breeding at sites where frogs were also present. Reasons for apparently toad-specific declines in lowland England remain unknown.     

The effect of tea plantation age on soil water-stable aggregates and aggregate-associated carbohydrate in southwestern China

Soil carbohydrates constitute an important component of soil organic matter (SOM), and substantially contribute to the stabilization of soil aggregates. Here, we aimed to investigate the distribution of water-stable aggregates and carbohydrates within water-stable aggregates of soil in tea plantations located in Zhongfeng Township of Mingshan County, Sichuan, which is in southwest China. Samples were collected from tea plantations of different ages (18, 25, 33, and 55 years old) and an area of abandoned land was used as a control(CK). We also examined correlations between soil carbohydrates fractions and aggregate stability. The results showed that the mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates in the tea plantations was significantly higher than that the control. Furthermore, the soil aggregate stability was significantly enhanced in tea plantations, with the 25-year-old plantation showing the most pronounced effect. Soils in the plantations were also characterized by higher concentrated acid-extracted carbohydrate content, and carbohydrate content in both surface and sub-surface layers were higher in the 25-year-old plantation. We also detected a significant positive correlation between the carbohydrate content of soil and MWD after tea plantation (P < 0.01). Notably, the association between dilute-acid extracted carbohydrate and the aggregate stability showed the highest correlation, indicating this carbohydrate fraction could be used as an index to reflect changes in soil quality during tea plantation development. We should develop a potential fertilisation programme to maintain SOM- Carbohydrates within aggregates and the appropriate pH for preventing soil structure degradation after 25 years of tea planting.     

Temperature sensitivity of respiration differs among forest floor layers in a Pinus resinosa plantation

Decomposer microorganisms contribute to carbon loss from the forest floor as they metabolize organic substances and respire CO₂. In temperate and boreal forest ecosystems, the temperature of the forest floor can fluctuate significantly on a day-to-night or day-to-day basis. In order to estimate total respiratory CO₂ loss over even relatively short durations, therefore, we need to know the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of microbial respiration. Temperature sensitivity has been calculated for microbes in different soil horizons, soil fractions, and at different depths, but we would suggest that for some forests, other ecologically relative soil portions should be considered to accurately predict the contribution of soil to respiration under warming. The floor of many forests is heterogeneous, consisting of an organic horizon comprising a few more-or-less distinct layers varying in decomposition status. We therefore determined at various measurement temperatures the respiration rates of litter, F-layer, and H-layer collected from a Pinus resinosa plantation, and calculated Q₁₀ values for each layer. Q₁₀ depended on measurement temperature, and was significantly greater in H-layer than in litter or F-layer between 5 and 17 °C. Our results indicate, therefore, that as the temperature of the forest floor rises, the increase in respiration by the H-layer will be disproportionate to the increase by other layers. However, change in respiration by the H-layer associated with change in temperature may contribute minimally or significantly to changes of total forest floor respiration in response to changes in temperature depending on the depth and thickness of the layer in different forest ecosystems.     

Assessing the potential of ammonia oxidizing bacteria to produce nitrous oxide in soils of a high arctic lowland ecosystem on Devon Island, Canada

The contribution of nitrifiers (ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)) and denitrifiers to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission from arctic soils remains inconclusive. Based on preliminary experiments, we hypothesized that AOB are the primary producers of N₂O in a high arctic lowland ecosystem on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. In part 1 of the study, flux chambers were installed in a catena to determine in situ fluxes of gases (N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂)) from 16 June to 13 July 2004. Although fluxes were low, N₂O production occurred in the wettest area of the landscape when ammonium levels were high. As ammonium, but not nitrate, levels declined in the wet sedge meadow, N₂O emissions correspondingly decreased. In part 2, the contribution of nitrification and denitrification to N₂O production was assessed by Acetylene Inhibition Assay and ¹⁵N isotopically enriched incubations. Ammonium fertilization stimulated N₂O emissions to a greater extent than nitrate, and acetylene had a greater impact on N₂O emissions in ammonium-fertilized soils than in nitrate-amended soils. Stable isotope analysis indicated that at 50-55% water filled pore space, nitrification was the dominant (>80%) N₂O emitting process. In part 3, molecular analyses of the two N₂O producing groups indicated the both nitrifiers and denitrifiers did not differ between landforms. Our results suggest nitrifier denitrification is the dominant process occurring in these arctic soils and that the role of denitrifiers in N₂O release from arctic soils needs to be re-evaluated.     

Impacts of grazing on montane heath vegetation in Wales and implications for the restoration of montane areas

The impact of long-term heavy grazing pressure on montane vegetation and soils was investigated on the Carneddau plateau in North Wales. At this site, historical information suggests that formerly extensive Racomitrium- and Vaccinium-dominated heaths have become degraded and reduced in extent over the last 40-50 years. This coincides with a period when both sheep numbers and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen have greatly increased. Vegetation composition, plant tissue chemistry, soil chemistry and sheep presence were compared between areas of ‘good’ condition Racomitrium and Vaccinium heath and degraded areas. Comparison of species composition data with sheep presence and environmental data showed no significant link between current grazing distribution and species composition in the areas investigated, with all habitats having sheep presence above the recommended maximum for this habitat. Soil chemistry showed several differences between degraded and ‘good’ condition habitats, suggesting that degraded areas had experienced loss of soil organic matter and upper organic horizons. Comparison of soil and vegetation nitrogen content with data from other UK sites suggests a build up of nitrogen has occurred in Carneddau vegetation and soils, possibly related to high levels of nitrogen deposition. It is concluded that restoration of severely degraded areas of montane vegetation may be retarded by deleterious changes in soil properties which could slow recolonisation by montane species. Reductions in stocking density aiming to restore montane communities might have more immediate impact on less degraded areas.     

Patterns and causes of non-natural mortality in the Iberian lynx during a 40-year period of range contraction

We analyse the spatial and temporal variation in non-natural mortality during a 40-year period of strong contraction of the geographic range of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), which shrank from 40,600 to 22,300 km². We recorded 1258 lynx deaths, an average of 31.5 losses per year over the study period. Given the reduced lynx population size, especially later in the period (around 1100 individuals), this level of non-natural mortality may have contributed significantly to the quick decline of the Iberian lynx. Non-natural mortality was not spatially correlated with, and probably did not shape the pattern of, relative abundance of lynx across its core range, but may have reduced its absolute density. Lynx losses were caused mainly by traps set not only for predator control but also for rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the lynx's staple food. We did not find evidence that non-natural mortality was higher in small lynx populations through edge effects. The highest mortality levels were recorded in regions where small game was a valuable economic resource compared with other activities. Mortality decreased throughout the period because of changes in the prevailing game regimes rather than because of legal protection. The Iberian lynx is now critically endangered and effective protection should be urgently enforced, especially in small game estates, which are environmentally favourable for rabbits but risky for lynx due to predator control. Lynx reintroductions would be better attempted in traditional rabbit hunting areas. Some big game estates where small game is not exploited and predators are not controlled may be good candidates for lynx reintroduction too, provided that habitat is managed towards a suitable interspersion of woody cover and grassland.