Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities

Soil organisms can strongly affect competitive interactions and successional replacements of grassland plant species. However, introduction of whole soil communities as management strategy in grassland restoration has received little experimental testing. In a 5-year field experiment at a topsoil-removed ex-arable site (receptor site), we tested effects of (1) spreading hay and soil, independently or combined, and (2) transplanting intact turfs on plant and soil nematode community development. Material for the treatments was obtained from later successional, species-rich grassland (donor site). Spreading hay affected plant community composition, whereas spreading soil did not have additional effects. Plant species composition of transplanted turfs became less similar to that in the donor site. Moreover, most plants did not expand into the receiving plots. Soil spreading and turf transplantation did not affect soil nematode community composition. Unfavorable soil conditions (e.g., low organic matter content and seasonal fluctuations in water level) at the receptor site may have limited plant and nematode survival in the turfs and may have precluded successful establishment outside the turfs. We conclude that introduction of later successional soil organisms into a topsoil-removed soil did not facilitate the establishment of later successional plants, probably because of the "mismatch" in abiotic soil conditions between the donor and the receptor site. Further research should focus on the required conditions for establishment of soil organisms at restoration sites in order to make use of their contribution to grassland restoration. We propose that introduction of organisms from "intermediate" stages will be more effective as management strategy than introduction of organisms from "target" stages

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Main Authors: Kardol, P., Bezemer, T.M., van der Putten, W.H.
Format: Article/Letter to editor biblioteca
Language:English
Subjects:arable land, chronosequence, constraints, decomposition, diversity, nature conservation, nematode, succession, translocation, vegetation,
Online Access:https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/soil-organism-and-plant-introductions-in-restoration-of-species-r
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spelling dig-wur-nl-wurpubs-3606402024-12-04 Kardol, P. Bezemer, T.M. van der Putten, W.H. Article/Letter to editor Restoration Ecology 17 (2009) 2 ISSN: 1061-2971 Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities 2009 Soil organisms can strongly affect competitive interactions and successional replacements of grassland plant species. However, introduction of whole soil communities as management strategy in grassland restoration has received little experimental testing. In a 5-year field experiment at a topsoil-removed ex-arable site (receptor site), we tested effects of (1) spreading hay and soil, independently or combined, and (2) transplanting intact turfs on plant and soil nematode community development. Material for the treatments was obtained from later successional, species-rich grassland (donor site). Spreading hay affected plant community composition, whereas spreading soil did not have additional effects. Plant species composition of transplanted turfs became less similar to that in the donor site. Moreover, most plants did not expand into the receiving plots. Soil spreading and turf transplantation did not affect soil nematode community composition. Unfavorable soil conditions (e.g., low organic matter content and seasonal fluctuations in water level) at the receptor site may have limited plant and nematode survival in the turfs and may have precluded successful establishment outside the turfs. We conclude that introduction of later successional soil organisms into a topsoil-removed soil did not facilitate the establishment of later successional plants, probably because of the "mismatch" in abiotic soil conditions between the donor and the receptor site. Further research should focus on the required conditions for establishment of soil organisms at restoration sites in order to make use of their contribution to grassland restoration. We propose that introduction of organisms from "intermediate" stages will be more effective as management strategy than introduction of organisms from "target" stages en application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/soil-organism-and-plant-introductions-in-restoration-of-species-r 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2007.00351.x https://edepot.wur.nl/28755 arable land chronosequence constraints decomposition diversity nature conservation nematode succession translocation vegetation Wageningen University & Research
institution WUR NL
collection DSpace
country Países bajos
countrycode NL
component Bibliográfico
access En linea
databasecode dig-wur-nl
tag biblioteca
region Europa del Oeste
libraryname WUR Library Netherlands
language English
topic arable land
chronosequence
constraints
decomposition
diversity
nature conservation
nematode
succession
translocation
vegetation
arable land
chronosequence
constraints
decomposition
diversity
nature conservation
nematode
succession
translocation
vegetation
spellingShingle arable land
chronosequence
constraints
decomposition
diversity
nature conservation
nematode
succession
translocation
vegetation
arable land
chronosequence
constraints
decomposition
diversity
nature conservation
nematode
succession
translocation
vegetation
Kardol, P.
Bezemer, T.M.
van der Putten, W.H.
Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
description Soil organisms can strongly affect competitive interactions and successional replacements of grassland plant species. However, introduction of whole soil communities as management strategy in grassland restoration has received little experimental testing. In a 5-year field experiment at a topsoil-removed ex-arable site (receptor site), we tested effects of (1) spreading hay and soil, independently or combined, and (2) transplanting intact turfs on plant and soil nematode community development. Material for the treatments was obtained from later successional, species-rich grassland (donor site). Spreading hay affected plant community composition, whereas spreading soil did not have additional effects. Plant species composition of transplanted turfs became less similar to that in the donor site. Moreover, most plants did not expand into the receiving plots. Soil spreading and turf transplantation did not affect soil nematode community composition. Unfavorable soil conditions (e.g., low organic matter content and seasonal fluctuations in water level) at the receptor site may have limited plant and nematode survival in the turfs and may have precluded successful establishment outside the turfs. We conclude that introduction of later successional soil organisms into a topsoil-removed soil did not facilitate the establishment of later successional plants, probably because of the "mismatch" in abiotic soil conditions between the donor and the receptor site. Further research should focus on the required conditions for establishment of soil organisms at restoration sites in order to make use of their contribution to grassland restoration. We propose that introduction of organisms from "intermediate" stages will be more effective as management strategy than introduction of organisms from "target" stages
format Article/Letter to editor
topic_facet arable land
chronosequence
constraints
decomposition
diversity
nature conservation
nematode
succession
translocation
vegetation
author Kardol, P.
Bezemer, T.M.
van der Putten, W.H.
author_facet Kardol, P.
Bezemer, T.M.
van der Putten, W.H.
author_sort Kardol, P.
title Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
title_short Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
title_full Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
title_fullStr Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
title_full_unstemmed Soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
title_sort soil organism and plant introductions in restoration of species-rich grassland communities
url https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/soil-organism-and-plant-introductions-in-restoration-of-species-r
work_keys_str_mv AT kardolp soilorganismandplantintroductionsinrestorationofspeciesrichgrasslandcommunities
AT bezemertm soilorganismandplantintroductionsinrestorationofspeciesrichgrasslandcommunities
AT vanderputtenwh soilorganismandplantintroductionsinrestorationofspeciesrichgrasslandcommunities
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