Complementary effects of soil organism and plant propagule introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities.

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Restoration Ecology

OSTI ID:941055

Kardol, Paul ^[1]; Bezemer, T Martijn ^[2]; van der Putten, Wim H. ^[2]

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1. ORNL
2. Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)

A common practice in biodiversity conservation is restoration of former species-rich grassland on ex-arable land. Major constraints for grassland restoration are high soil fertility and limited dispersal ability of plant species to target sites. Usually, studies focus on soil fertility or on methods to introduce plant seeds. However, the question is whether soil fertility reduction is always necessary for getting plant species established on target sites. In a three-year field experiment with ex-arable soil with intensive farming history, we tested single and combined effects of soil fertility reduction and sowing mid-successional plant species on plant community development and soil biological properties. A controlled microcosm study was performed to test short-term effects of soil fertility reduction measures on biomass production of mid-successional species. Soil fertility was manipulated by adding carbon (wood or straw) to incorporate plant-available nutrients into organic matter, or by removing nutrients through top soil removal (TSR). The sown species established successfully and their establishment was independent of carbon amendments. TSR reduced plant biomass, and effectively suppressed arable weeds, however, created a desert-like environment, inhibiting the effectiveness of sowing mid-successional plant species. Adding straw or wood resulted in short-term reduction of plant biomass, suggesting a temporal decrease in plant-available nutrients by microbial immobilisation. Straw and wood addition had little effects on soil biological properties, whereas TSR profoundly reduced numbers of bacteria, fungal biomass and nematode abundance. In conclusion, in ex-arable soils, on a short term sowing is more effective for grassland restoration than strategies aiming at soil fertility reduction.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: ORNL other overhead
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 941055
• Journal Information: Restoration Ecology, Journal Name: Restoration Ecology Journal Issue: 000 Vol. 000; ISSN REECFA; ISSN 1061-2971
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
BACTERIA
BIOMASS
CARBON
COMMUNITIES
FERTILITY
MICROCOSMS
NEMATODES
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC MATTER
RANGELANDS
REMOVAL
SEEDS
SOILS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STRAW
TARGETS
WEEDS
WOOD