Combined burning and mowing for restoration of abandoned semi‐natural grasslands

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AbstractQuestionsDoes reintroducing grassland management aid in the recovery of vegetation with high grassland species diversity in abandoned semi‐natural grasslands? How do management tools and local topographic factors influence the magnitude of recovery? Do effective restoration tools and sites differ depending on measurement indices (community‐ and species‐level responses)?LocationSemi‐natural grasslands surrounding Mt. Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.MethodsWe conducted vegetation surveys in grassland sites with two land‐use forms (continuously managed/restored after abandonment) and two management types (burning only/burning and mowing). We assessed restoration success by examining plant species composition using the similarity index. We also examined the community‐level (i.e. species richness) and species‐level (i.e. species occurrence) responses to land‐use form, management type and local topographic factors (elevation and slope aspect).ResultsReintroduction of grassland management can recover the plant species composition of restored sites. Combined burning and mowing management was a principal determinant of the species richness and occurrence of most grassland species. A north‐facing slope was a clear topographic determinant of higher species richness. However, we also found that the presence of some of the grassland's endangered species (i.e. Achillea alpina subsp. subcartilaginea, Artemisia stolonifera and Viola orientalis) was limited in continuously managed sites and that the response to topographic factors was species‐specific.ConclusionsThe reintroduction of combined burning and mowing management in various topographic areas is essential for both plant diversity recovery and local endangered species conservation for the restoration of abandoned semi‐natural grasslands. Our results also suggest that selecting restoration sites on northern slopes can enhance the recovery of plant species diversity.