Topsoil removal improves various restoration treatments of a Mediterranean steppe (La Crau, southeast France)

Applied Vegetation Science

Volumn 17, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 236-245

  Jaunatre, Renaud ^a   Buisson, Elise ^a   Dutoit, Thierry ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF AVIGNON   (France)

Author keywords

Community composition; Grassland; Hay transfer; Nurse species seeding; Rehabilitation of former agricultural land; Restoration of grazing; Soil transfer; Species richness; Topsoil removal

Indexed keywords

AVES; OVIS ARIES;

EID: 84896057631     PISSN: 14022001     EISSN: 1654109X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12063     Document Type: Article

References (66)

1. Aerts, R., Huiszoon, A., Oostrum, J.H.A.V., van de Vijver, C.A.D.M. & Willems, J.H. 1995. The potential for heathland restoration on formerly arable land at a site in Drenthe, The Netherlands. Journal of Applied Ecology 32: 827-835.
2. Allison, M. & Ausden, M. 2004. Successful use of topsoil removal and soil amelioration to create heathland vegetation. Biological Conservation 120: 221-228.
3. Badan, O., Brun, J.-P. & Congès Gaetan, O. 1995. Les bergeries romaines de la Crau d'Arles. Les origines de la transhumance en Provence. Gallia 52: 263-310.
4. Baize, D. 2000. Guide Des Analyses En Pédologie, 2nd ed. INRA, Paris, FR.
5. Bakker, J.P. & Van Diggelen, R. 2006. Restoration of dry grasslands and heathlands. Van Andel, J. & Aronson, J. (eds.) Restoration ecology: the new frontier, pp. 95-110. Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
6. Bray, J.R. & Curtis, J.T. 1957. An ordination of the upland forest communities of Southern Wisconsin. Ecological Monographs 27: 326-349.
7. Buisson, E. & Dutoit, T. 2006. Creation of the natural reserve of La Crau: implications for the creation and management of protected areas. Journal of Environmental Management 80: 318-326.
8. Buisson, E., Dutoit, T., Torre, F., Römermann, C. & Poschlod, P. 2006a. The implications of seed rain and seed bank patterns for plant succession at the edges of abandoned fields in Mediterranean landscapes. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 115: 6-14.
9. Buisson, E., Holl, K.D., Anderson, S., Corcket, E., Hayes, G.F., Torre, F., Peteers, A. & Dutoit, T. 2006b. Effect of seed source, topsoil removal, and plant neighbor removal on restoring California coastal prairies. Restoration Ecology 14: 569-577.
10. Buisson, E., Anderson, S., Holl, K.D., Corcket, E., Hayes, G.F., Peeters, A. & Dutoit, T. 2008. Reintroduction of Nassella pulchra to California coastal grasslands: effects of topsoil removal, plant neighbour removal and grazing. Applied Vegetation Science 11: 195-204.
11. Cheylan, G., Bence, P., Boutin, J., Dhermain, F., Olioso, G. & Vidal, P. 1983. L'utilisation du milieu par les oiseaux de la Crau. Biologie-Ecologie Méditerranéenne 10: 83-106.
12. Coiffait-Gombault, C., Buisson, E. & Dutoit, T. 2012. Are old Mediterranean grasslands resilient to human disturbances? Acta Oecologica 43: 86-94.
13. Convention on Biological Diversity 2011. Ways and means to support ecosystem restoration. 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 7-11 November 2011.
14. Davy, A.J. 2002. Establishment and manipulation of plant populations and communities in terrestrial systems. Perrow, M.R. & Davy, A.J. (eds.) Handbook of ecological restoration. vol. 1: principles of restoration, pp. 223-241. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
15. Devaux, J.P., Archiloque, A., Borel, L., Bourrely, M. & Louis-Palluel, J. 1983. Notice de la carte phyto-écologique de la Crau (Bouches du Rhône). Biologie-Ecologie Méditerranéenne 10: 5-54.
16. Donath, T.W., Holzel, N. & Otte, A. 2003. The impact of site conditions and seed dispersal on restoration success in alluvial meadows. Applied Vegetation Science 6: 13-22.
17. Dupouey, J.L., Dambrine, E., Laffite, J.D. & Moares, C. 2002. Irreversible impact of past land use on forest soils and biodiversity. Ecology 83: 2978-2984.
18. Dutoit, T., Jaunatre, R. & Buisson, E. 2013. Virtual field trip 2. Mediterranean steppe restoration in France. Clewell, A.F. & Aronson, J. (eds.) Ecological restoration: principles, values, and structure of an emerging profession, pp. 60-64. Island Press, Washington, DC, US.
19. Dutoit, T., Buisson, E., Fadda, S., Henry, F., Coiffait-Gombault, C., Jaunatre, R., Alignan, J.F., Masson, S. & Bulot, A. in press. The pseudo-steppe of La Crau (South-Eastern France): origin, management and restoration of a Mediterranean rangeland. Traba, J. & Morales, M. (eds.) Steppe ecosystems: biological diversity, management and restoration. Nova Publishers, New York, NY, US.
20. Dybzinski, R. & Tilman, D. 2012. Seed and microsite limitation in a late-successional old field: the effects of water, adults, litter, and small mammals on seeds and seedlings. Plant Ecology 213: 1003-1013.
21. Falk, D.A., Palmer, M. & Zedler, J. 2006. Foundations of restoration ecology. The science and practice of ecological restoration, 1st ed. Island Press, Washington, DC, US.
22. Fattorinni, M. & Halle, S. 2004. The dynamic environmental filter model: how do filtering effects change in assembling communities after disturbance. Temperton, V.M., Hobbs, R.J., Nuttle, T. & Halle, S. (eds.) Assembly rules and restoration ecology: bridging the gap between theory and practice, pp. 96-114. Island Press, Washington, DC, US.
23. Graham, D.J. & Hutchings, M.J. 1988. Estimation of the seed bank of a chalk grassland ley established on former arable land. Journal of Applied Ecology 25: 241-252.
24. Grime, J.P. 1977. Evidence for the existence of three primary strategies in plants and its relevance to ecological and evolutionary theory. The American Naturalist 111: 1169-1194.
25. Hautier, Y., Niklaus, P.A. & Hector, A. 2009. Competition for light causes plant biodiversity loss after eutrophication. Science 324: 636-638.
26. Henry, M., Stevens, H., Bunker, D.E., Schnitzer, S.A. & Carson, W.P. 2004. Establishment limitation reduces species recruitment and species richness as soil resources rise. Journal of Ecology 92: 339-347.
27. Henry, F., Talon, B. & Dutoit, T. 2010. The age and history of the French Mediterranean steppe revisited by soil wood charcoal analysis. The Holocene 20: 25-34.
28. Hobbs, R.J. & Norton, D.A. 2004. Ecological filters, thresholds, and gradients in resistance to ecosystem reassembly. Temperton, V.M., Hobbs, R.J., Nuttle, T. & Halle, S. (eds.) Assembly rules and restoration ecology: bridging the gap between theory and practice, pp. 72-95. Island Press, Washington, DC, US.
29. Hölzel, N. & Otte, A. 2003. Restoration of a species-rich flood meadow by topsoil removal and diaspore transfer with plant material. Applied Vegetation Science 6: 131-140.
30. Hölzel, N., Buisson, E. & Dutoit, T. 2012. Species introduction - a major topic in vegetation restoration. Applied Vegetation Science 15: 161-165.
31. Huenneke, L.F., Hamburg, S.P., Koide, R., Mooney, H.A. & Vitousek, P.M. 1990. Effects of soil resources on plant invasion and community structure in Californian serpentine grassland. Ecology 71: 478-491.
32. Hutchings, M.J. & Booth, K.D. 1996. Studies on the feasibility of re-creating chalk grassland vegetation on ex-arable land. I. The potential roles of the seed bank and the seed rain. Journal of Applied Ecology 33: 1171-1181.
33. Jacquemyn, H., Brys, R. & Hermy, M. 2003. Short-term effects of different management regimes on the response of calcareous grassland vegetation to increased nitrogen. Biological Conservation 111: 137-147.
34. Jaunatre, R., Dolidon, B., Buisson, E. & Dutoit, T. 2011. Exemple de restauration de la plaine de la Crau: l'écologie de la restauration face à la restauration écologique. Sciences Eaux & Territoires 5: 36-39.
35. Jaunatre, R., Buisson, E. & Dutoit, T. 2012. First-year results of a multi-treatment steppe restoration experiment in La Crau (Provence, France). Plant Ecology and Evolution 145: 13-23.
36. Kardol, P., Souza, L. & Classen, A.T. 2013. Resource availability mediates the importance of priority effects in plant community assembly and ecosystem function. Oikos 122: 84-94.
37. Keddy, P.A. 1992. Assembly and response rules: two goals for predictive community ecology. Journal of Vegetation Science 3: 157-164.
38. Kiehl, K. & Pfadenhauer, J. 2006. Establishment and persistence of target species in newly created calcareous grasslands on former arable fields. Plant Ecology 189: 31-48.
39. Kiehl, K., Kirmer, A., Donath, T.W., Rasran, L. & Hölzel, N. 2010. Species introduction in restoration projects - Evaluation of different techniques for the establishment of semi-natural grasslands in Central and Northwestern Europe. Basic and Applied Ecology 11: 285-299.
40. Klimkowska, A., Dzierza, P., Brzezińska, K., Kotowski, W. & Medrzycki, P. 2010a. Can we balance the high costs of nature restoration with the method of topsoil removal? Case study from Poland. Journal for Nature Conservation 18: 202-205.
41. Klimkowska, A., Kotowski, W., Van Diggelen, R., Grootjans, A.P., Dzierza, P. & Brzezińska, K. 2010b. Vegetation re-development after fen meadow restoration by topsoil removal and hay transfer. Restoration Ecology 18: 924-933.
42. Královec, J., Pocová, L., Jonášová, M., Macek, P. & Prach, K. 2009. Spontaneous recovery of an intensively used grassland after cessation of fertilizing. Applied Vegetation Science 12: 391-397.
43. Le Houérou, H.N. 1995. Considérations biogéographiques sur les steppes arides du nord de l'Afrique. Sécheresse 6: 167-182.
44. Lortie, C.J., Brooker, R.W., Choler, P., Kikvidze, Z., Michalet, R., Pugnaire, F.I. & Callaway, R.M. 2004. Rethinking plant community theory. Oikos 107: 433-438.
45. Marrs, R.H. 2002. Manipulating the chemical environment of the soil. Perrow, M.R. & Davy, A.J. (eds.) Handbook of ecological restoration. vol. 1: principles of restoration, pp. 155-183. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
46. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005. Ecosystems and human well-being: biodiversity synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, US.
47. Minchin, P.R. 1987. An evaluation of the relative robustness of techniques for ecological ordination. Vegetatio 69: 89-107.
48. Molinier, R. & Tallon, G. 1950. La végétation de la Crau (Basse-Provence). Revue Générale De Botanique 56: 1-111.
49. Nellemann, C., Corcoran, E., Nellemann, C. & Corcoran, E. 2010. Dead planet, living planet: biodiversity and ecosystem restoration for sustainable development. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.
50. Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanabe, F.S. & Dean, L.A. 1954. Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, US.
51. Öster, M., Ask, K., Römermann, C., Tackenberg, O. & Eriksson, O. 2009. Plant colonization of ex-arable fields from adjacent species-rich grasslands: the importance of dispersal vs. recruitment ability. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 130: 93-99.
52. Patzelt, A., Wild, U. & Pfadenhauer, J. 2001. Restoration of wet fen meadows by topsoil removal: vegetation development and germination biology of fen species. Restoration Ecology 9: 127-136.
53. Römermann, C., Dutoit, T., Poschlod, P. & Buisson, E. 2005. Influence of former cultivation on the unique Mediterranean steppe of France and consequences for conservation management. Biological Conservation 121: 21-33.
54. Ross, M.A. & Harper, J.L. 1972. Occupation of biological space during seedling establishment. Journal of Ecology 60: 77-88.
55. Semelová, V., Hejcman, M., Pavlů, V., Vacek, S. & Podrázský, V. 2008. The grass garden in the giant Mts. (Czech Republic): residual effect of long-term fertilization after 62 years. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 123: 337-342.
56. Smits, N.A., Willems, J.H. & Bobbink, R. 2008. Long-term after-effects of fertilisation on the restoration of calcareous grasslands. Applied Vegetation Science 11: 279-286.
57. Society for Ecological Restoration International Science and Working Policy Group 2004. The SER international primer on ecological restoration. Society for Ecological Restoration International.
58. Standish, R.J., Cramer, V.A., Wild, S.L. & Hobbs, R.J. 2007. Seed dispersal and recruitment limitation are barriers to native recolonization of old-fields in western Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 44: 435-445.
59. Stroh, M., Storm, C., Zehm, A. & Schwabe, A. 2002. Restorative grazing as a tool for directed succession with diaspore inoculation: the model of sand ecosystems. Phytocoenologia 32: 595-625.
60. Ter Heerdt, G.N.J., Verweij, G.L., Bekker, R.M. & Bakker, J.P. 1996. An improved method for seed-bank analysis: seedling emergence after removing the soil by sieving. Functional Ecology 10: 144-151.
61. Thompson, K. & Grime, J.P. 1979. Seasonal variation in the seed banks of herbaceous species in ten contrasting habitats. Journal of Ecology 67: 893-921.
62. Verhagen, R., Klooker, J., Bakker, J.P. & van Diggelen, R. 2001. Restoration success of low-production plant communities on former agricultural soils after top-soil removal. Applied Vegetation Science 4: 75-82.
63. Vitousek, P.M., Mooney, H.A., Lubchenco, J. & Melillo, J.M. 1997. Human domination of earth's ecosystems. Science 277: 494-499.
64. Whisenant, S.G. 1999. Repairing damaged wildlands: a process-oriented, landscape-scale approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
65. Wolff, A., Fabre, P., Vincent-Martin, N., Paulus, G. & Becker, E. 2009. La réserve naturelle des Coussouls de la Crau, plan de gestion 2010-2014. Section A: diagnostiques et enjeux. CEN PACA, Saint Martin de Crau, FR.
66. Zobel, M. 1997. The relative of species pools in determining plant species richness: an alternative explanation of species coexistence? Trends in Ecology & Evolution 12: 266-269.