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Thicket Formation in Abandoned Fruit Orchards processes and implications for the conservation of semi-dry grasslands in Central Germany
By: Milton, Suzanne J.
Contributor(s): Dean, W Richard J | Klotz, Stefan.
Subject(s): Biodiversity | Conservation | Ornithochory | Fleshy Fruit | Succession | Species Losses | Cultural Biotype | Fruit Orchards | Conservation-Semi-Dry Grasslands-Central Germany | Biodiversity Conservation In: Biodiversity and Conservation 6(2)Summary: Abandonment of traditional agricultural practices in fruit orchards on hillsides in Central Germany results in successive changes in vegetation. We examined three hypotheses relating to these changes : 1) thickets of fleshy-fruited plants develop around planted trees as a result of ornithochory and local soil and site amelioration, 2) woody plants have long term effects on soil fertility, and 3) thicket development reduces the plant-species diversity of semi-dry grassland between the trees. Field observations and nursery experiments supported the first and second hypotheses. The third hypothese was rejected because no decrease in species richness or diveristy occurred during the initial stage of thicket formation. Nevertheless, herbaceous plant species characterstic of the Festuco-Brometea community were abscent from the vegetation and seed bank of shaded, nutrient-enriched sites. Conservation of semi-dry grasslands following orchard abandonment will therefore require active control of woody plants.| Item type | Current location | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal | Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya | Available |
Abandonment of traditional agricultural practices in fruit orchards on hillsides in Central Germany results in successive changes in vegetation. We examined three hypotheses relating to these changes : 1) thickets of fleshy-fruited plants develop around planted trees as a result of ornithochory and local soil and site amelioration, 2) woody plants have long term effects on soil fertility, and 3) thicket development reduces the plant-species diversity of semi-dry grassland between the trees. Field observations and nursery experiments supported the first and second hypotheses. The third hypothese was rejected because no decrease in species richness or diveristy occurred during the initial stage of thicket formation. Nevertheless, herbaceous plant species characterstic of the Festuco-Brometea community were abscent from the vegetation and seed bank of shaded, nutrient-enriched sites. Conservation of semi-dry grasslands following orchard abandonment will therefore require active control of woody plants.