Is livestock grazing a key factor for changing vegetation patterns in lime rich coastal dunes in the Netherlands?

Autor: Dan Assendorp, Karlè V. Sýkora, Harrie G. J. M. van der Hagen, Wim Calame, Frank van der Meulen, Joop H.J. Schaminée
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
0106 biological sciences
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Aerial photographs
Livestock grazing
Bos- en Landschapsecologie
ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species
Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation
Duinen
Oceanography
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Shrub
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Grassland
Shrubland
Geologie
Grazing
Forest and Landscape Ecology
Vegetatie
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Nature and Landscape Conservation
Blowout
geography
Vegetation
geography.geographical_feature_category
Ecology
biology
business.industry
ved/biology
Plant Ecology
Hippophae rhamnoides
biology.organism_classification
PE&RC
Habitat
Agronomy
Environmental science
Plantenecologie en Natuurbeheer
Livestock
Vegetatie
Bos- en Landschapsecologie

Vegetation
Forest and Landscape Ecology

Begrazing
business
Coastal dunes
Zdroj: Journal of Coastal Conservation, 24(2)
Journal of Coastal Conservation, 24, 2
Journal of Coastal Conservation, 24(2). [S.l.]: Springer
Journal of Coastal Conservation 24 (2020) 2
Journal of Coastal Conservation, 24
ISSN: 1400-0350
Popis: In 1990, livestock grazing was introduced in Meijendel, a 1800 ha lime-rich coastal dune area, at a density of 0.06–0.07 LLU.ha-1.year−1 (1:12–18 ha) to counteract encroachment of tall grasses and shrubland on dune grassland and increase the bare sand area. Monitoring was based on four digital orthophotos (1975–1990–2001-2009) with a high spatial resolution (pixel size 25 × 25 cm). The changes were tested using Generalized Estimating Equations. Habitat changes occurred, but contradicting our hypothesis, there was no significant impact from the grazing on bare sand, grassland or shrubland within 11 and 19 years post livestock introduction. (1) After several decennia of decreasing bare sand, there was a significant increase between 2001 and 2009, irrespective of livestock presence. (2) The changes in grasslands and shrublands are independent of the livestock, but dependent on distance to the coast. (3) Bare sand and shrub cover determine the space left for the dune grasslands. It appears other factors than livestock grazing must have induced the changes. Changes in climate conditions and nitrogen load might have stimulated bare sand. An interaction with the end of Marram planting in 1990 cannot be concluded from available data. The disease-led reduction of rabbit grazing from the mid-1950s led to an expansion of the dominant shrub Hippophae rhamnoides. However, Hippophae shrubland typically regresses to grasslands on its collapse after 25–40 years. Tree species like Crataegus, Betula and Quercus will gradually dominate the landscape for far longer. Active removal of these indigenous species is necessary to prevent future loss of dune grasslands.
Databáze: OpenAIRE