Overgrown Meadows Research Articles

Long-term dynamics of landscapes of the North-Western Ladoga Region according to the stationary observations

The results of 25 years of observations (1992–2017) on 20 permanent key plots (PKP), founded near Priladozhskaya educational-scientific field station of St. Petersburg University (150 km North of St. Petersburg) are analyzed. The PKP are located in the landscape of North-Western Ladoga Region, in the most typical landscape sites: on the tops and slopes of selga (ridges composed of Archean and lower Proterozoic granitoids and treated by glacier), terraces on lacustrine clays and loam, peat bogs of various types, etc. When locating the PKP, typical plant communities were chosen (pine, spruce, mixed and small-leaved forests, pine woodlands, overgrown meadows) and the most characteristic impacts (forest fires, selective cuttings, windfalls, recent use in agriculture, drainage, and others). The most dynamic landscape in the North-Western Ladoga Region are terraces on lacustrine clay and loam, for a long time used in agriculture. Currently, processes of overgrowing realized at a 7 landscape-dynamic trajectories are taking place. In other landscape sites, changes of a long-term state are initiated mainly by fires and windfall, and subsequent processes of forest regeneration. In addition, the change of tree species in forests can occur when small-leaved trees reach their maximal biological age. The landscape sites of upper slopes of ridges and drained peat bogs with a predominance of pine forests in the absence of catastrophic impacts are the most stable.

Demographic Variability and Population Viability of an Endemic Variety of the Siberian Primrose

We used matrix population models to analyse spatial and temporal variation in the demography of the Siberian primrose (Primula nutans ssp. finmarchica var. jokelae), an early successional species of seashore meadows in the Gulf of Bothnia. We compared the dynamics of populations in habitats that were partially overgrown by woody shrubs with those in open ones. The major threat to the populations was the invasion of the habitat by woody plants, as population growth was very sensitive to a change in the transition from a sterile rosette to a flowering one and this transition occurred less frequently in overgrown meadows. This transition also had the greatest contribution to the differences in population growth rates between habitats. Although the invasion of shrubs negatively influenced population growth rate, most populations are still expected to persist and only two small populations out of eleven examined populations were expected to disappear within 50 years. However, with proper habitat management the problem of coarse-scale interactions, such as asymmetric competition for light with shrubs, can be substantially alleviated.

Soil erosion in Slovene Istria

From the end of nineties of the 20th century, intense hydrologic and geomorphologic research is taking place in the Slovene Istria. As a part of this research also studies on soil erosion were undertaken in the period from 2005 to 2008. The field measurements were undertaken on closed 1 m2 large erosion plots under three different land uses (on bare soils in an olive grove, on an overgrown meadow, in a forest), placed south of the Marezige village in the Rokava River basin. We show weekly measurements of surface erosion (interrill erosion) for the period of 13 months (the end of March 2005 - the end of April 2006), as well as monthly and seasonal averages together with selected linear statistical correlations between soil erosion and weather parameters. From May 2005 to April 2006 the interrill erosion on bare soils in an olive grove with an inclination of 5.5° amounted to 9013 g/m2 (90 t/ha) that corresponds to surface lowering rate of 8.5 mm/yr; on an overgrown meadow with an inclination of 9.4° it amounted to 168 g/m2 (1,68 t/ha) that corresponds to surface lowering rate of 0.16 mm/ /yr; and in a forest with an inclination of 7.8° it amounted to 391 g/m2 (3,91 t/ha) and in a forest with an inclination of 21.4° it amounted to 415 g/m2 (4,15 t/ha), respectively, that corresponds to surface lowering rate of 0.4 mm/yr.

Erosion processes in Slovene Istria – part 1: Soil erosion

In 2005 and 2006 intensive measurements were made of various erosion-denudation processes in the Dragonja River basin. The measurements included geomorphic processes in the badlands: the rockwall retreat of steep bare flysch slopes, movements of flysch debris along erosion gullies, and geomorphic processes on talus slopes. At the same time, measurements of soil erosion were made in three different land use areas: bare soil in an olive grove, an overgrown meadow, and a forest. The results are presented in two parts. Part One presents the measurements of soil erosion, and Part Two in the next issue of the journal (No. 49-2) will present geomorphic processes in the badlands.The measurements of soil erosion made on one-meter-square closed erosion plots south of the village of Marezige revealed that the greater part of the annual erosion was caused by only a few major erosion events. Between May 2005 and April 2006, interrill erosion amounted to 9,013 g/m2 (90 t/ha) on bare soil in an olive grove with an inclination of 5.5º and an average weekly proportion of specific runoff of 23%, 168 g/m2 (1.68 t/ha) on an overgrown meadow with an inclination of 9.4º and an average weekly proportion of specific runoff of 8%, and 391 g/m2 (3.91 t/ha) in a forest with an inclination of 7.8º and 415 g/m2 (4.15 t/ha) in a forest with an inclination of 21.4º with an average weekly proportion of specific runoff of 6% regardless of the inclination. The amount of precipitation during the reference year was slightly below the long-term average.

Interrill soil erosion on flysch soil under different types of land use in Slovenian Istria

In this paper the results of interrill soil erosion measurements from recent years in Slovenian Istria are presented. Eight l-m2 erosion plots were set up on locations with different land use types: on bare soil in a young olive grove (2), in an overgrown meadow (2) and in a forest (4). Surface runoff from each of the erosion plots was collected in reservoirs. As a rule, samples from the reservoirs were taken weekly. The samples were dried in the laboratory, where the concentration of undissolved particles was determined. A tipping bucket rain gauge was located next to the erosion plots for monitoring of precipitation and intensity of erosive events. The results show that only a few major erosive events are responsible for the greater part of the eroded soil. Interrill soil erosion in the first year (May 2005-April 2006) was estimated at 90.1 t/ha on bare soil with a slope of 5.5°, and 118.2 t/ha in the second year (August 2006-July 2007), despite the lower cumulative rainfall amount.

Restoration of wooded meadows — a comparative analysis along a chronosequence on Öland (Sweden)

Abstract Wooded meadows on the Baltic Island of Oland result from traditional agricultural management over centuries which has led to a species‐rich vegetation with high species diversity. Today, nearly all of these meadows have been abandoned and became rapidly overgrown by deciduous shrub and tree species forming a closed canopy which resulted in a rapid and strong decrease in species numbers of the herb layer. Recent efforts aim to restore overgrown wooded meadows by cutting single shrubs and trees to open the canopy. However, the effects of abandonment as well as of any restoration management in wooded meadows have rarely been documented until now. Mechanisms driving succession after restoration such as the dispersal potential of the respective species over time and space have not been analysed yet. Therefore, a chronosequence was studied which included a traditionally managed wooded meadow, an overgrown meadow which has been abandoned for more than 100 yr and a meadow which was restored 36 yr ago by ...