Search

In the Eurasian steppes, ancient burial mounds called 'kurgans' are among the most widespread manmade structures. These sacred sites hold cultural values and often provide safe havens for grassland-related plant species. We established links between kurgans' cultural and natural values through a comprehensive multi-layered evaluation of human and landscape history, cultural attributes, and botanical composition on selected mounds in Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. We evaluated factors that can support or endanger the grasslands on kurgans and assessed whether there are synergies or trade-offs between the presence of cultural and natural values. We found that kurgans act as cultural hotspots in transformed landscapes, and we found the following evidence for the synergies between cultural and natural values: i) Extensive land use and management connected to the cultural functions could considerably contribute to the preservation of grassland specialist plants on the mounds. ii) Over the past three centuries, most grasslands we studied were converted to cropland, but the cultural importance of the kurgans could hinder their destruction through ploughing or construction works. However, we also found that built cultural objects decreased the grassland cover area and supported the establishment and spread of several weedy and invasive species. Consequently, to preserve the valuable biocultural systems, it is essential to focus efforts on the maintenance of the already existing traditional cultural functions and not the establishment of new objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research is conducted to model the effect of climate change and land use change (LUC) on the geographical distribution of Quercus brantii Lindl. (QB) forests across their historical range. Forecasting was done based on six general circulation models under RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 future climate change scenarios for the future years 2050 and 2070. In order to model the species distribution, different modeling methods were used. The results indicated that, in general, climatic variables had a higher influence on the distribution of QB than land use–related attributes. The mean diurnal range (bio2), the precipitation seasonality (bio15), and the mean temperature of the driest quarter (bio9) were the main predictors in the distribution of QB forests, while land use variables were less important in oak species distribution. The GBM, MaxEnt, and RF had higher accuracy and performance in modeling species distribution. The outputs also showed that in the current climate circumstances, 97,608.81 km2 of the studied area has high desirability for the presence of QB, and by 2070, under the pessimistic scenario, 96.29% of these habitats will be lost under the concomitant effect of LUC and climate change. By using the results of this research, it is possible to predict and identify the effective factors in changing the habitat of this oak species with more certainty. Based on the insights obtained from the results of such studies, the protection and restoration planning of the habitat of this key species, which supports diverse species, will be provided more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical invasion ecology is laden with high context dependency. If general mechanisms underlying invasion success exist, they should be detectable in species that share biological and ecological characteristics. We carried out a growth experiment with Agropyron cristatum, Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis (subsp. angustifolia), to better understand the mechanisms underlying the invasion success of cool‐season grasses in northern prairie grasslands of North America. By using a home–away approach, we tested whether 1) non‐native plants have a higher performance than native plants, and whether invasiveness is 2) mediated by interactions with soils, such as a release from pathogens or enhanced mutualism, or 3) an adaptation to local soils. We compared seed size and weight of populations in Canada (non‐native range) and Eurasia (native range) and carried out an experiment, in which seeds from the non‐native and native ranges were planted into sterilized soil (control) and soil from a population in Canada or Eurasia, or local soils, respectively. We found inconsistent effects across species and response variables. Seed size and weight were not significantly different between native and non‐native populations. The experiment showed a seed origin effect in A. cristatum (root and total biomass) and B. inermis (root biomass), with non‐native populations outperforming native ones. Soil‐mediated effects were supported in A. cristatum (root biomass) and local adaptation in B. inermis (root and total biomass). Germination across all species and biomass in P. pratensis did not respond to treatments. Despite the high similarity of our study group, our results indicate that invasiveness might be driven by idiosyncratic causes at the species level. Mechanisms not considered in our study, such as high propagule pressure and preadaptation could also potentially explain the invasion success across species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restoration of invasion-resistant plant communities is an important strategy to combat the negative impacts of alien invasions. Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of seed-based ecological restoration experiments, here we demonstrate the potential of functional similarity, seeding density and priority effect in increasing invasion resistance. Our results indicate that native priority is the most promising mechanism to control invasion that can reduce the performance of invasive alien species by more than 50%. High-density seeding is effective in controlling invasive species, but threshold seeding rates may exist. Overall seeding functionally similar species do not have a significant effect. Generally, the impacts are more pronounced on perennial and grassy invaders and on the short-term. Our results suggest that biotic resistance can be best enhanced by the early introduction of native plant species during restoration. Seeding of a single species with high functional similarity to invasive alien species is unpromising, and instead, preference should be given to high-density multifunctional seed mixtures, possibly including native species favored by the priority effect. We highlight the need to integrate research across geographical regions, global invasive species and potential resistance mechanisms. A systematic review and meta-analyses of seed-based ecological restoration experiments identify native priority as a promising mechanism for controlling invasion of alien plant species, which can reduce the performance of invasive species by more than 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the reproduction-related traits of Vicia biennis L., an endangered and poorly known wetland species in its western marginal populations (in Hungary), and discuss the conservational and ecological implications. We measured the mass, viability, and physical dormancy of half-year-old seeds in five in-situ collected seed lots, while potential seed longevity (i.e., seed bank type) was estimated from repeatedly germinating subsamples from four ex-situ collected seed lots for 3–8 years. Plant survival, flowering, and seed production were studied in different light-, irrigation-, and competition conditions in a botanical garden experiment. We found that 1) half-year-old seeds have a high germination capacity (78–100%), 2) and high level of physical dormancy (72–100%) in all examined Hungarian populations, and 3) the seeds can preserve their germination capacity for more than five years, although their viability sharply decreases, probably falling below 10% within ten years, when they are stored at room temperature. The results of the botanical garden experiment suggested that 1) the species is annual, not biennial; 2) it shows strong sensitivity to precipitation and low competitiveness for water; and 3) it can produce hundreds of seeds even in suboptimal (dry or shady) conditions. Although the species was found to be well-adapted to a temporally heterogeneous environment, its future vulnerability can increase depending on the duration of dry seasons. Further investigation of genetic diversity and soil seed bank is needed to estimate the actual vulnerability of the species while strengthening the populations through seed sowing, and additional vegetation control in the habitats is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasion of alien species is one of the main drivers of land degradation threatening both natural and managed ecosystems. Ecological restoration is crucial in controlling invasion to improve biotic resistance and avoid further land degradation. We investigated the possibility of controlling the establishment of invasive alien species (IAS) by native seed addition. We tested if trait similarity or increased propagule pressure of native species results in the suppression of IAS at the early stage of development. We set up a sowing experiment with three widespread IAS in Hungary of different life forms and functional groups (Asclepias syriaca, Conyza canadensis, Tragus racemosus) and four Pannonic sand grassland species (Festuca vaginata, Galium verum, Gypsophila paniculata, Saponaria officinalis). We found no significant differences in germination ability and seedling emergence between native species and IAS, despite the differences in thousand‐seed weight. Using univariate general linear models, we found that the seedling establishment of IAS can be reduced by adding native species at high densities but also depending on the species identity. Instead of species of similar traits, the seeding of a competitor perennial grass of sand grasslands (F. vaginata) reduced the seedling emergence of all studied IAS the most. Our results confirm that IAS can be effectively controlled by native seed addition in the early establishment stage, especially applying higher densities and competitive species. We conclude that invasion‐resistant restoration can be achieved by the combination of several factors, including high‐density sowing of native species that match IAS in the early stage of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place names are an important but vanishing part of cultural diversity, and their relevance for environmental sciences is increasingly acknowledged. Still little is known about whether the diversity of toponyms affects human–nature relationships and the decisions of humans on how to use certain parts of the landscape.To investigate this question, we combined approaches from social sciences and ecology in a comprehensive multidisciplinary survey of 1521 cultural landscape features in Hungary. The landscape features studied were ancient millennia‐old burial earthen mounds built by nomadic steppic tribes, that often hold the last remnants of grassland vegetation and provide safe havens for grassland specialist plant and animal species in the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Eurasia. In our research, we (i) compiled a comprehensive database of the mounds in the 5150 km2‐sized study region, (ii) collected all toponyms of the mounds recorded since the 18th century, (iii) derived the height and distance from settlements for each mound and (iv) visited all the mounds in a field survey, and evaluated their vegetation naturalness.We found that despite the intensive landscape transformation in the region, and independently of topographical factors, a higher number of toponyms was associated with a higher degree of naturalness of the vegetation on the landscape features. Independently of the protective effect of the height of the mound against ploughing, and the distance from settlements that reflects to decreasing land use intensity, we found that the vegetation on the mounds with more names had a higher degree of naturalness.Synthesis and applications. Cultural recognition of these places has eroded considerably in the past centuries, but its effect is still noticeable, suggesting an extinction delay of culture‐driven biodiversity patterns. Our results suggest that reestablishment of the lost cultural connections between people and nature can contribute to reversing the deterioration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sowing is widely used for the restoration of species-rich grasslands but still there are knowledge gaps regarding the most suitable application of different seed mixtures. We tested the effect of seed mixtures application timing on the establishment of sown forbs and weed control. 36 experimental plots with nine sowing treatments were established in an abandoned cropland in Hungary. Grass-seeds, diverse forb seed mixture and the combination of the two were applied: diverse forb mixture was sown simultaneously or 1, 2 or 3 years after grass sowing, in plots sown previously with grass or in empty plots (fallows). All sowing treatments supported the rapid establishment of the sown species in large cover and hampered weed encroachment. Forbs performed better when sown into fallows than in grass-matrix and forbs establishment was worse in older fallows than in younger ones. Grasses expressed a strong priority effect, especially when forbs were sown at least two years later than grasses. We also investigated the relation between seed germinability, weather parameters and establishment success. Germination rate in the greenhouse could not predict the establishment success of forbs in the field and showed great differences between years, hence we recommend sowing target forbs in multiple years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burrowing mammals are important ecosystem engineers, especially in open ecosystems where they create patches that differ from the surrounding matrix in their structure or ecosystem functions. Methods: We evaluated the fine-scale effects of a subterranean ecosystem engineer, the Lesser blind mole rat on the vegetation composition of sandy dry grasslands in Hungary. In this model system we tested whether the characteristics of the patch (mound size) and the matrix (total vegetation cover in the undisturbed grassland) influence the structural and functional contrasts between the mounds and the undisturbed grasslands. We sampled the vegetation of 80 mounds and 80 undisturbed grassland plots in four sites, where we recorded the total vegetation cover, and the occurrence and cover of each vascular plant species. We used two proxies to characterise the patches (mounds) and the matrix (undisturbed grassland): we measured the perimeter of the mounds and estimated the total vegetation cover of the undisturbed grasslands. First, we compared the vegetation characteristics of the mounds and the surrounding grasslands with general linear models. Second, we characterised the contrasts between the mounds and the undisturbed grassland by relative response indices (RRIs) of the vegetation characteristics studied in the first step. Results: Species composition of the vegetation of the mounds and undisturbed grasslands was well separated in three out of the four study sites. Mounds were characterised by lower vegetation cover, lower cover of perennial graminoids, and higher diversity, and evenness compared to undisturbed grasslands. The contrast in vegetation cover between mounds and undisturbed grasslands increased with decreasing patch size. Increasing vegetation cover in the matrix grasslands increased the contrasts between the mounds and undisturbed grasslands in terms of total cover, perennial graminoid cover, diversity, and evenness. Our results suggest that mole rat mounds provide improved establishment conditions for subordinate species, because they are larger than other types of natural gaps and are characterised by less intense belowground competition. The ecosystem engineering effect, i.e., the contrast between the patches and the matrix was the largest in the more closed grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large bird species, such as cranes are involved in human‐wildlife conflicts as they often forage in croplands. The Eurasian crane (Grus grus) is a large bird species, protected across Europe, which, thanks to conservation programmes and its ability to utilise croplands for foraging, shows a strongly increasing population trend. This exaggerates the existing conflicts between crop farmers and cranes and is spilling over to natural habitats, where foraging by large flocks can lead to land degradation. No studies have evaluated the effects of foraging cranes on grasslands, despite the fact that these habitats provide important feeding grounds for cranes across their whole range. To fill this knowledge gap, we evaluated the ecosystem engineering effect of foraging Eurasian cranes on the vegetation of dry grasslands in Hungary. We used indicators of vegetation naturalness, forage quality, and floral resource provision to evaluate the ecosystem state from multiple aspects. We sampled 100 quadrats in disturbed patches and 100 in undisturbed grasslands in two seasons and 2 years (800 observations). Cranes created distinct vegetation patches with different species composition from undisturbed areas. We identified important trade‐offs between the positive and negative effects of the foraging activity of cranes on different structural and functional components of the ecosystems. The crane‐disturbed early‐successional patches increased plant diversity and floral resources but decreased the area of undisturbed grasslands. Although crane‐disturbed patches could provide forage for livestock early in the season, the forage quality became poor later in the year. We highlight the importance of monitoring the landscape‐level extent of the disturbed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soil seed banks play a central role in vegetation dynamics and may be an important source of ecological restoration. However, the vast majority of seed bank studies examined only the uppermost soil layers (0-10 cm); hence, our knowledge on the depth distribution of seed bank and the ecological significance of deeply buried seeds is limited. The aim of our study was to examine the fine-scale vertical distribution of soil seed bank to a depth of 80 cm, which is one of the largest studied depth gradients so far. Our model systems were alkaline grasslands in EastHungary, characterised by harsh environmental conditions, due to Solonetz soil reference group with Vertic horizon. We asked the following questions: (1) How do the seedling density and species richness of soil seed bank change along a vertical gradient and to what depth can germinable seeds be detected? (2) What is the relationship between the depth distribution of the germinable seeds and the species traits? Methods: In each of the five study sites, four soil cores (4 cm diameter) of 80 cm depth were collected with an auger for soil seed bank analysis. Each sample was divided into sixteen 5-cm segments by depth (320 segments in total). Samples were concentrated by washing over sieves and then germinated in an unheated greenhouse. Soil penetration resistance was measured in situ next to each core location (0-80 cm depth, 1-cm resolution). We tested the number and species richness of seedlings observed in the soil segments (N = 320), using negative binomial generalized linear regression models, in which sampling layer and penetration resistance were the predictor variables. We ran the models for morphological groups (graminoids/forbs), ecological groups (grassland species/weeds) and life-form categories (short-lived/perennial). We also tested whether seed shape index, seed mass, water requirement or salt tolerance of the species influence the vertical distribution of their seed bank. Results: Germinable seed density and species richness in the seed bank decreased with increasing soil depth and penetration resistance. However, we detected nine germinable seeds of six species even in the deepest soil layer. Forbs, grassland species and short-lived species occurred in large abundance in deep layers, from where graminoids, weeds and perennial species were missing. Round-shaped seeds were more abundant in deeper soil layers compared to elongated ones, but seed mass and ecological indicator values did not influence the vertical seed bank distribution. Our research draws attention to the potential ecological importance of the deeply buried seeds that may be a source of recovery after severe disturbance. As Vertisols cover 335 million hectares worldwide, these findings can be relevant for many regions and ecosystems globally. We highlight the need for similar studies in other soil and habitat types to test whether the presence of deep buried seeds is specific to soils with Vertic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragmented natural habitats within human-transformed landscapes play a key role in preserving biodiversity. Ants as keystone species are essential elements of terrestrial ecosystems; thus, it is important to understand the factors influencing their presence. In a large-scale multi-site study, we surveyed ant assemblages using sweep netting and D-vac sampling on 158 ancient burial mounds preserving grassland habitats in agricultural landscapes in East-Hungary. We asked the following questions: (1) How do habitat factors and landscape composition affect species richness and functional diversity of ants? (2) Which ant traits are affected by habitat factors and landscape composition? Despite their small sizes, mounds as permanent and relatively undisturbed landscape elements could provide safe havens for diverse ant assemblages even in transformed agricultural landscapes. The complex habitat structure of wooded mounds supported high species and functional diversity of ant assemblages. Ant species on wooded mounds had small or medium-sized colonies, enabling the co-existence of more species. The effect of landscape composition on ant assemblages was mediated by habitat factors: steep slopes buffered the negative effect of the cropland matrix and enabled higher ant diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overgrazing causes serious problems for rangeland ecosystems and human livelihoods globally. Sheep grazing paddocks with fixed fences have become increasingly widespread in Europe; however, their effects on biodiversity have rarely been discussed. Our aim was to measure the degradation of grassland vegetation in an experimental sheep paddock in Central-Hungary, and evaluate recovery of alkali grasslands after the exclusion of grazing. We compared the vegetation of heavily overgrazed parcels to parcels excluded from overgrazing, treated with three doses of manure (0, 20 and 40t/ha), in the first three years of grassland recovery. The overgrazed parcels were dominated by nutrient-demanding ruderal plant species and the cover of target grassland species was only 19.8% in the third year. After grazing exclusion, the cover of target grassland species increased to 81.0% for Year 3. The dominant grass Festuca pseudovina became more abundant in the excluded parcels (51.1%) than in the overgrazed ones (8.9%). At the end of the experiment, the rate of degradation (0.2 vs. 3.7) and the cover-weighted ecological indicator values for nutrients (3.8 vs. 5.1) were significantly lower in the exclosures than in the overgrazed parcels. Manuring did not have a significant effect on grassland recovery; thus, it is not necessary in the studied ecosystem. We recommend avoiding grazing paddocks with fixed fence especially in areas harboring habitats of high conservation value. Besides resulting in the degradation of grasslands, grazing paddocks also act as landscape scars and propagule sources of problem species that might negatively affect the surrounding landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We tested the establishment success of grassland species in the presence or absence of zoochory by livestock and identified the traits associated with successful establishment. Location: Hortobágy National Park, Hungary. Methods: In six restored species-poor grasslands we established two species-rich 4 m × 4 m source plots per site in 2013. One source plot was managed by extensive cattle grazing (“zoochory on”), the other one was fenced and protected from grazers (“zoochory off”). We monitored the vegetation development in the source plots (2014–2018), and the establishment success of sown species (2016–2018) in adjacent dispersal plots in four, 20-m-long strips per source plot in a total of 960 dispersal plots. We calculated community-weighted means of thirteen plant traits related to regeneration and competitive ability. The effect of grazing, year, distance from source plots, grazing–year and grazing–distance interactions on population and trait dynamics in the source and dispersal plots were analysed with generalized linear mixed-effect models. Results: Although grazing reduced the cover and flowering success of sown species in the source plots, the number of successful establishment events was higher in dispersal plots next to grazed source plots. The sown species were the most abundant in plots adjacent to source plots, but occurred at all monitored distances. Zoochory favoured perennial plants with high specific leaf area (SLA), low leaf dry matter content (LDMC), short stature, light seeds, early flowering period, high clonal index and anemochory index. Conclusions: We showed that species that can colonize the matrix with and without zoochory have contrasting trait syndromes. In grazing-adapted ecosystems, fencing source populations of target species does not always seem to be a good option. It was a good tool for increasing the cover and flowering success of the sown species in the short run, but it significantly decreased their chance to colonize the surrounding area in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue is a collection of articles about the conservation, restoration and biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group at the 15th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC), held at Graz, Austria in 2019. The papers in this special issue cover a range of grassland habitats from montane dry grasslands to lowland sandy grasslands, feathergrass steppes and meadow steppes, and focus on the biodiversity values, conservation issues and restoration prospects of Palaearctic grasslands. We hope that the articles in this special issue will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sowing grasses supports the rapid development of a closed perennial vegetation, which makes the method universally suitable for fast and effective landscape‐scale restoration of grasslands. However, to increase their diversity and to create a natural‐like species‐rich grassland is a challenging task. Understanding the role of seed bank compositional changes and vegetation dynamics can help to design management regimes that support the establishment of target species and suppress unwanted weeds. Our aim was to reveal the effect of post‐restoration management on the vegetation and seed bank dynamics in grasslands restored in one of the largest European landscape‐scale restoration projects. Eight years after restoration, we sampled the vegetation and the seed bank in 96 quadrats located in 12 restored grasslands in the Great Hungarian Plain. In each grassland stand, we studied and compared a mown (mown from Year 1 to Year 8) and an abandoned plot (mown from Year 1 to Year 3 then abandoned from Year 4 to Year 8). Mown and abandoned plots showed divergent vegetation and seed bank development. Abandonment led to the decline of sown grasses and higher cover of weeds, especially in the alkaline grasslands. Our study underlined that the developing seed bank had a limited contribution to the maintenance of biodiversity in both grassland types. We found that 5 years of abandonment had a larger effect on the seed bank than on the vegetation. We stress that long‐term management is crucial for controlling the emergence of the weeds from their dense seed bank in restored grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sowing of grass seed mixtures is a feasible and cost‐effective method for landscape‐scale grassland restoration. However, sowing only grasses usually leads to species‐poor and dense swards, where the establishment of target forbs is hampered by microsite and propagule limitation. To overcome these limitations and increase the diversity of species‐poor sown grasslands, we developed a novel method by creating "establishment gaps.". We used tillage to open gaps of 1‐, 4‐, and 16‐m2 size in the dense grass sward of six species‐poor restored grasslands in the Great Hungarian Plain. We sowed high‐diversity seed mixtures of 35 native species into all gaps. We analyzed vegetation development during the first 5 years after setting up the trial. We also studied the colonization dynamics of the sown species along four 20‐m transects around each gap, resulting in a total of 1440 plots of 1‐m2 size that were studied. Our results indicated that most of the sown species were able to establish permanently in the gaps. The total cover and the cover of perennial sown species increased and the cover of short‐lived sown species decreased independent of gap size. There was only a moderate level of weed abundance in the gaps, and weed cover decreased over the years. The sown target species started to colonize the species‐poor grasslands surrounding the gaps within 5 years. The highest number of species and individuals dispersed from the 4‐m2 gaps, as they had a more stable development than smaller gaps and were exposed to lower grazing pressure than large ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In intensively used landscapes biodiversity is often restricted to fragmented habitats. Exploring the biodiversity potential of habitat fragments is essential in order to reveal their complementary role in maintaining landscape-scale biodiversity. We investigated the conservation potential of dry grassland fragments in the Great Hungarian Plain, i.e. patch-like habitats on ancient burial mounds and linear-shaped habitats in verges, and compared them to continuous grasslands. We focused on plant taxonomic diversity, species richness of specialists, generalists and weeds, and the phylogenetic diversity conserved in the habitats. Verges meshing the landscape are characterised by a small core area and high level of disturbance. Their species pool was more similar to grasslands than mounds due to the lack of dispersal limitations. They held high species richness of weeds and generalists and only few specialists. Verges preserved only a small proportion of the evolutionary history of specialists, which were evenly distributed between the clades. Isolated mounds are characterised by a small area, a high level of environmental heterogeneity, and a low level of disturbance. Steep slopes of species accumulation curves suggest that high environmental heterogeneity likely contributes to the high species richness of specialists on mounds. Mounds preserved the same amount of phylogenetic diversity represented by the branch-lengths as grasslands. Abundance-weighted evolutionary distinctiveness of specialists was more clustered in these habitats due to the special habitat conditions. For the protection of specialists in transformed landscapes it is essential to focus efforts on preserving both patch-like and linear grassland fragments containing additional components of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary approaches that provide holistic views are essential to properly understand soil processes and the importance of soil to society and will be crucial in the future to integrate distinct disciplines into soil studies. A myriad of challenges faces soil science at the beginning of the 2020s. The main aim of this overview is to assess past achievements and current challenges regarding soil threats such as erosion and soil contamination related to different United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) including (1) sustainable food production, (2) ensure healthy lives and reduce environmental risks (SDG3), (3) ensure water availability (SDG6), and (4) enhanced soil carbon sequestration because of climate change (SDG13). Twenty experts from different disciplines related to soil sciences offer perspectives on important research directions. Special attention must be paid to some concerns such as (1) effective soil conservation strategies; (2) new computational technologies, models, and in situ measurements that will bring new insights to in-soil process at spatiotemporal scales, their relationships, dynamics, and thresholds; (3) impacts of human activities, wildfires, and climate change on soil microorganisms and thereby on biogeochemical cycles and water relationships; (4) microplastics as a new potential pollutant; (5) the development of green technologies for soil rehabilitation; and (6) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by simultaneous soil carbon sequestration and reduction in nitrous oxide emission. Manuscripts on topics such as these are particularly welcomed in Air, Soil and Water Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Plant invasions are considered among the biggest threats to biodiversity worldwide. In a full‐factorial greenhouse experiment we analysed the effect of soil burial depth and litter cover on the germination of invasive plants. We hypothesised that: (a) burial depth and litter cover affect the germination of the studied species; (b) the effects of burial and litter cover interact with each other, and (c) the effects are species‐specific, but dependent on seed size. Methods: We tested the germination and seedling growth of 11 herbaceous invasive species in a full‐factorial experiment using four levels of seed burial depths and litter cover. We analysed the effect of burial, litter cover, and their interactions on germination, seedling length and biomass across species and at the species level. Results: Soil burial depth and litter cover had a significant effect on the germination of the studied species, but there were considerable differences between species. We observed a general trend of species with bigger seeds being not or less seriously affected by soil burial and litter cover than smaller‐seeded species. Correlations between seed weight and effect sizes mostly confirmed this general trend, but not in the case of soil burial. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed that seed size is a major driver of species' response to litter cover and to the combined effects of litter cover and soil burial, but there is no general trend regarding the response to soil burial depth. Despite its very small seeds, the germination of Cynodon dactylon was not affected by soil burial. The germination of Ambrosia artemisiifolia was hampered by both soil burial and litter cover despite its relatively large seeds. Thus, specific information on species' response to burial depth and litter accumulation is crucial when planning management or restoration in areas threatened by plant invasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increased human mobility, cloth-dispersed propagules can be transported over long distances, which would not have been bridged otherwise. We studied a potentially important component of human- mediated seed dispersal by assessing the effects of laundry washing on the dispersed propagules. We studied the germination of 18 species, which have morphological adaptations for epizoochory and are commonly dispersed by people. We tested six treatments (washing with water, soap nut or detergent, at 30 °C or 60 °C) compared to an untreated control. Washing intensity was the most significant factor affecting germination. Washing at 30 °C was neutral for 14 species, suppressed one species and supported three species. Washing at 60 °C decreased seedling numbers of half of the studied species. The intensive washing treatments at 60 °C significantly decreased the synchrony of germination. We showed that people are not purely transporting propagules from one location to another, but via the laundry cycle, we can also influence the fate of the transported propagules by affecting germination potential, seedling fitness and germination dynamics. These results have new implications for understanding the early stages of biological invasions and call for improved biosecurity measures in nature reserves subjected to a growing pressure of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification has resulted in severe declines in the extent and diversity of seminatural habitats in Europe, whereas the extent of secondary habitats has increased considerably. River embankments have become one of the most extensive and widespread secondary habitats in former floodplains. We compared the diversity patterns of secondary dry and wet grasslands on river embankments with those of seminatural dry and wet grasslands in a Hungarian agricultural landscape using the following community descriptors: (a) species diversity, (b) phylogenetic diversity and (c) functional diversity. We also performed trait‐based analyses to evaluate the ecosystem services provided by these secondary grasslands. Both grassland types of the embankments showed significantly higher Shannon diversity compared with their seminatural counterparts. The cover of generalist species (i.e., cosmopolitan species, weeds and nonindigenous plant species) was high in the secondary grasslands. We found significant differences in phylogenetic diversity between the secondary and seminatural grasslands: secondary grasslands showed significantly lower mean nearest taxon distances than the seminatural grasslands. Functional diversity did not differ between the secondary and seminatural grasslands according to the Rao's quadratic entropy. However, we found higher community‐weighted means of specific leaf area, plant height and flowering period in the secondary grasslands, which are related to important ecosystem services (via biomass production and pollination). Well‐planned management actions and restoration activities could help further improve the ecological function and conservation value of secondary grasslands on river embankments, contributing to the maintenance of species diversity and sustaining the functionality of ecosystems in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, database data are a good substitution for time- and resource-consuming trait measurements; however, there is low spatial coverage for a large number of taxa (Kattge et al. [12]), and there is a severe lack of data for endemic, locally rare or red-listed species. In this paper we provide original leaf trait data of vascular plant species from the Pannonian ecoregion. Our data are well compatible with other local trait datasets (Török et al. [44], [45]; Lhotsky et al. [24]) and herbaria (Molnár et al. [31]; Takács et al. [41]; E-Vojtkó et al. [5]; Takács et al. [42]; Nótári et al. [33]) from the Pannonian ecoregion and can be amalgamated in a large plant trait and life history database in the future. [Extracted from the article]

Woody plants in water‐limited ecosystems affect their environment on multiple scales: locally, natural stands can create islands of fertility for herb layer communities compared to open habitats, but afforestation has been shown to negatively affect regional water balance and productivity. Despite these contrasting observations, no coherent multiscale framework has been developed for the environmental effects of woody plants in water‐limited ecosystems. To link local and regional effects of woody species in a spatially explicit model, we simultaneously measured site conditions (microclimate, nutrient availability and topsoil moisture) and conditions of regional relevance (deeper soil moisture), in forests with different canopy types (long, intermediate and short annual lifetime) and adjacent grasslands in sandy drylands. All types of forests ameliorated site conditions compared to adjacent grasslands, although natural stands did so more effectively than managed ones. At the same time, all forests desiccated deeper soil layers during the vegetation period, and the longer the canopy lifetime, the more severe the desiccation in summer and more delayed the recharge after the active period of the canopy. We conclude that the site‐scale environmental amelioration brought about by woody species is bound to co‐occur with the desiccation of deeper soil layers, leading to deficient ground water recharge. This means that the cost of creating islands of fertility for sensitive herb layer organisms is an inevitable negative impact on regional water balance. The canopy type or management intensity of the forests affects the magnitude but not the direction of these effects. The outlined framework of the effects of woody species should be considered for the conservation, restoration or profit‐oriented use of forests as well as in forest‐based carbon sequestration and soil erosion control projects in water‐limited ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Sustainable rangeland utilization considering traditions and economic reasons is compulsory for harmonising the needs of the agricultural and nature conservation sectors. For proper rangeland management it is crucial to compare the grazing effects of traditional breeds and crossbred animals of the same species that might have different effects on the rangelands. To fill this knowledge gap, in a grazing experiment, we investigated the effect of cattle breeds on the vegetation to test the effects on nature conservation value and agricultural production value. We hypothesized that the effects of cattle grazing on habitat conservation values and forage quality depend on the grazing breed, because breeds differ in selectivity, body size and trampling effect. Location: Marshes and alkaline wet grasslands in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary. Methods: We recorded the percentage cover of vascular plants in three consecutive years in a total of 60 plots in 12 areas grazed by traditional (0.61 AU/ha) and large‐sized crossbred beef cattle (0.68 AU/ha). Results: We found that the effect of cattle breed on the habitat conservation values and forage quality is dependent on the habitat type. The traditional breed maintained a significantly higher species number and Shannon diversity in marshes than the crossbred beef cattle. Grazing of crossbred cattle led to decreasing moisture indicator values in marsh habitats. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that traditional breeds should be prioritized in the management of wet alkaline grasslands and marshes. Crossbred beef cattle might be a substitute but only in case traditional breeds are not available for the management of alkaline wet grasslands. In marshes, however, we recommend prioritizing the traditional breeds as they maintain higher diversity compared to crossbred beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary approaches that provide holistic views are essential to properly understand soil processes and the importance of soil to society and will be crucial in the future to integrate distinct disciplines into soil studies. A myriad of challenges faces soil science at the beginning of the 2020s. The main aim of this overview is to assess past achievements and current challenges regarding soil threats such as erosion and soil contamination related to different United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) including (1) sustainable food production, (2) ensure healthy lives and reduce environmental risks (SDG3), (3) ensure water availability (SDG6), and (4) enhanced soil carbon sequestration because of climate change (SDG13). Twenty experts from different disciplines related to soil sciences offer perspectives on important research directions. Special attention must be paid to some concerns such as (1) effective soil conservation strategies; (2) new computational technologies, models, and in situ measurements that will bring new insights to in-soil process at spatiotemporal scales, their relationships, dynamics, and thresholds; (3) impacts of human activities, wildfires, and climate change on soil microorganisms and thereby on biogeochemical cycles and water relationships; (4) microplastics as a new potential pollutant; (5) the development of green technologies for soil rehabilitation; and (6) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by simultaneous soil carbon sequestration and reduction in nitrous oxide emission. Manuscripts on topics such as these are particularly welcomed in Air, Soil and Water Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaearctic grasslands are diverse and dynamic ecosystems that are in the focus of ecology, conservation biology and agronomy. This special issue is dedicated to the biodiversity and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group members attending the 14th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC) at Sulmona, Italy in 2018. The papers in this special issue cover a wide range of grassland ecosystems from mountain dry grasslands to lowland loess grasslands, feathergrass steppes and wet grasslands, and focus on the biodiversity values and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands. We believe that this compilation will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prehistoric mounds of the Great Hungarian Plain often function as refuges for relic loess steppe vegetation and their associated fauna. The Zsolca mounds are a typical example of kurgans acting as refuges, and even though they are surrounded by agricultural land, they harbour a species rich loess grassland with an area of 0.8 ha. With a detailed field survey of their geomorphology, soil, flora and fauna, we describe the most relevant attributes of the mounds regarding their maintenance as valuable grassland habitats. We recorded 104 vascular plant species, including seven species that are protected in Hungary and two species (Echium russicum and Pulsatilla grandis) listed in the IUCN Red List and the Habitats Directive. The negative effect of the surrounding cropland was detectable in a three-metre wide zone next to the mound edge, where the naturalness of the vegetation was lower, and the frequency of weeds, ruderal species and crop plants was higher than in the central zone. The ancient man-made mounds harboured dry and warm habitats on the southern slope, while the northern slopes had higher biodiversity, due to the balanced water supplies. Both microhabitats had different assemblages of ground-dwelling invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species performance in rangelands highly depends on the effect of grazing and also on the occurrence of unpalatable benefactor species that can act as biotic refuges protecting neighboring plants from herbivores. The balance between facilitation and competition may changes with the benefactor density. Despite the high number of studies on the role of biotic refuges, the density dependent effects of unpalatable herbaceous plants on the performance of other species, and on the habitat heterogeneity of rangelands are still unclear. Therefore, we performed a study to test the following hypotheses: (i) Performances of understory species follow a humped-back relationship along the density gradient of the unpalatable benefactor species. (ii) Small-scale heterogeneity of the vegetation decreases with increasing benefactor density. We studied meadow steppes with medium intensity cattle grazing in Hungary. We surveyed understory species' performance (number of flowering shoots and cover scores) along the density gradient of a common, native unpalatable species (Althaea officinalis). Our findings supported both hypotheses. We found unimodal relationship between the benefactor cover and both the flowering success and richness of understory species. Moreover, small-scale heterogeneity declined with increasing benefactor cover. In this study we detected a humped-back pattern of facilitation along the density gradient of an herbaceous benefactor in pastures. Indeed, this pattern was predictable based on such conceptual models like "consumer pressure-abiotic stress model," "humped-back model," "intermediate disturbance hypothesis," and "disturbance heterogeneity model"; but until now the validity of these relationships has not been demonstrated for herbaceous species. By the demonstration of this effect between herbaceous species we can better forecast the responses of grasslands to changes in management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Spontaneous succession is the most natural and cost‐effective solution for grassland restoration. However, little is known about the time required for the recovery of grassland functionality, i.e., for the recovery of reproductive and vegetative processes typical of pristine grasslands. Since these processes operate at different scales, we addressed the question: do reproductive and vegetative processes require different recovery times during spontaneous succession? Location: Kiskunság sand region (Central Hungary). Methods: As combinations of plant traits can be used to highlight general patterns in ecological processes, we compared reproductive (pollination‐ and dispersal‐related) and vegetative (growth form) traits between recovered grasslands of different age (<10 years old; 10–20 years old; 20–40 years old) and pristine grasslands. Results: During spontaneous succession, the reproductive trait spectra became similar to those of pristine grasslands earlier than the vegetative ones. In arable land abandoned for 10 years, pollination‐ and dispersal‐related trait spectra did not show significant difference to those of pristine grasslands; anemophily and anemochory were the prevailing strategies. Contrarily, significant differences in the growth form spectrum could be observed even after 40 years of abandonment; in recovered grasslands erect leafy species prevailed, while the fraction of dwarf shrubs and tussock‐forming species was significantly lower than in pristine grasslands. Conclusions: The recovery of the ecological processes of pristine grasslands might require different amounts of time, depending on the spatial scale at which they operate. The reproductive trait spectra recovered earlier than the vegetative one, since reproductive attributes first determine plant species sorting at the regional level towards their respective habitats. The recovery of the vegetative trait spectrum needs more time as vegetative‐based interactions operate on a smaller spatial scale. Thus, vegetative traits might be more effective in the long‐term assessment of restoration success than the reproductive ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Spontaneous succession is the most natural and cost‐effective solution for grassland restoration. However, little is known about the time required for the recovery of grassland functionality, i.e., for the recovery of reproductive and vegetative processes typical of pristine grasslands. Since these processes operate at different scales, we addressed the question: do reproductive and vegetative processes require different recovery times during spontaneous succession? Location: Kiskunság sand region (Central Hungary). Methods: As combinations of plant traits can be used to highlight general patterns in ecological processes, we compared reproductive (pollination‐ and dispersal‐related) and vegetative (growth form) traits between recovered grasslands of different age (<10 years old; 10–20 years old; 20–40 years old) and pristine grasslands. Results: During spontaneous succession, the reproductive trait spectra became similar to those of pristine grasslands earlier than the vegetative ones. In arable land abandoned for 10 years, pollination‐ and dispersal‐related trait spectra did not show significant difference to those of pristine grasslands; anemophily and anemochory were the prevailing strategies. Contrarily, significant differences in the growth form spectrum could be observed even after 40 years of abandonment; in recovered grasslands erect leafy species prevailed, while the fraction of dwarf shrubs and tussock‐forming species was significantly lower than in pristine grasslands. Conclusions: The recovery of the ecological processes of pristine grasslands might require different amounts of time, depending on the spatial scale at which they operate. The reproductive trait spectra recovered earlier than the vegetative one, since reproductive attributes first determine plant species sorting at the regional level towards their respective habitats. The recovery of the vegetative trait spectrum needs more time as vegetative‐based interactions operate on a smaller spatial scale. Thus, vegetative traits might be more effective in the long‐term assessment of restoration success than the reproductive ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Botanikai Közlemények is the property of Magyar Biologiai Tarsasag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Both agricultural intensification and abandonment have led to the loss of European semi-natural grasslands. Nature conservation management measures like mowing are essential for preserving the biodiversity of remaining grasslands. However, there are no conclusive results from studies examining effects of different mowing frequencies across Europe. To fill this gap, we evaluated data from European studies comparing mowing frequencies to determine which are the most beneficial from a nature conservation viewpoint. We searched literature for short- and long-term studies comparing the effects of different mowing frequencies on outcome measures relevant for biodiversity conservation. We found 29 relevant studies where mowing once per year was compared to higher or lower mowing frequencies. The studies covered various grassland types and organisms. The effects were analysed using response ratios, where mowing once per year, i.e. the traditional mowing frequency in semi-natural grasslands, was compared to mowing every fifth, third or second year and mowing two, three or four times a year. Overall, we found similar effects of the different mowing frequencies on the biodiversity of flora and fauna. More frequent mowing generally had a more positive effect, but differences between frequencies were small. Effects were habitat-specific, differing between site and study conditions. For example, a higher mowing frequency was more beneficial in more productive grasslands. These results suggest that in most European semi-natural grasslands, mowing less frequently is a way of using the limited funds available for management more efficiently while still maintaining grassland conservation values, but e.g. site productivity must be considered when determining a suitable mowing frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of trees on understorey communities is a major driver of vegetation composition. However, we have little understanding on how isolated forest patches of the forest-steppe transition affect their herb layer as compared to adjacent grasslands. Aims: Our aim was to test whether trees had a protective effect on understorey herbaceous communities in the most arid regions of the forest-steppe transition, where the stress gradient hypothesis predicts positive net effects. Methods: We surveyed herbaceous cover and species composition in 135 forest-steppe sites and recorded soil moisture, microclimate and canopy cover in northern Kazakhstan. Results: Total cover and species richness were lower in the herb layer of groves than in the steppe stands and the soil of the groves was not moister than that of the steppes. Groves were dominated by grassland specialist plants, while forest specialist species remained scarce. However, these grassland species were different from the ones inhabiting the steppes, leading to little nestedness between groves and steppes. Conclusions: Although the presence of groves greatly increase the landscape level diversity of Middle-Asian forest-steppes, trees in the southern edge of the zone seem to have net negative effect on the understorey vegetation, seemingly contradicting the stress gradient hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In intensively used landscapes, remnant grassland fragments are often restricted to places unsuitable for agricultural cultivation. Such refuges are the ancient burial mounds called “kurgans,” which are typical landscape elements of the Eurasian steppe and forest steppe zone. Due to their hill‐like shape, loose soil structure and undisturbed status kurgans provide proper habitats for burrowing mammals. Accordingly, grassland vegetation on kurgans is often exposed to bioturbation, which can influence the habitat structure and plant species pool. In our study, we explored the effect of fox burrows and landscape context on the habitat properties and vegetation composition of small landscape elements, using kurgans as model habitats. We surveyed the vegetation of fox burrows and that of the surrounding grassland on five kurgans situated in cleared landscapes surrounded by arable lands and five kurgans in complex landscapes surrounded by grazed grasslands. We recorded the percentage cover of vascular plants, the amount of litter, and soil moisture content in twelve 0.5 m × 0.5 m plots per kurgan, in a total of 120 plots. We found that foxes considerably transformed habitat conditions and created microhabitats by changing the soil nutrient availability and reducing total vegetation cover and litter. Several grassland specialist species, mostly grasses (Agropyron cristatum, Elymus hispidus, and Stipa capillata) established in the newly created microhabitats, although the cover of noxious species was also considerable. We found that landscape context influenced the sort of species which could establish on kurgans by affecting the available species pool and soil moisture. Our results revealed that foxes act as ecosystem engineers on kurgans by transforming abiotic and biotic conditions by burrowing. Their engineering activity maintains disturbance‐dependent components of dry grasslands and increases local environmental heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Landscape and habitat filters are major drivers of biodiversity of small habitat islands by influencing dispersal and extinction events in plant metapopulations.Objectives: We assessed the effects of landscape and habitat filters on the species richness, abundance and trait composition of grassland specialist and generalist plants in small habitat islands. We studied traits related to functional spatial connectivity (dispersal ability by wind and animals) and temporal connectivity (clonality and seed bank persistence) using model selection.Methods: We sampled herbaceous plants, landscape (local and regional isolation) and habitat filters (inclination, woody encroachment and disturbance) in 82 grassland islands in Hungary.Results: Isolation decreased the abundance of good disperser specialist plants due to the lack of directional vectors transferring seeds between suitable habitat patches. Clonality was an effective strategy, but persistent seed bank did not support the survival of specialist plants in isolated habitats. Generalist plants were unaffected by landscape filters due to their wide habitat breadth and high propagule availability. Clonal specialist plants could cope with increasing woody encroachment due to their high resistance against environmental changes; however, they could not cope with intensive disturbance. Steep slopes providing environmental heterogeneity had an overall positive effect on species richness.Conclusions: Specialist plants were influenced by the interplay of landscape filters influencing their abundance and habitat filters affecting species richness. Landscape filtering by isolation influenced the abundance of specialist plants by regulating seed dispersal. Habitat filters sorted species that could establish and persist at a site by influencing microsite availability and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species dispersal, establishment, and assembly are crucial stages of the life history of plants, and clear understanding of the governing forces and rules that shape species composition in a particular community is vital for successful ecological restoration. In this article, we focus on five aspects of seed dispersal and plant establishment, which should be considered during habitat restoration actions. In the first two sections, we discuss the success of spontaneous dispersal and establishment on restoration based on either spatial dispersal or local seed banks. In the third section, we assess the possibilities of species introduction and assisted dispersal. In the fourth section, we introduce some possibilities for the improvement of establishment success of spontaneously dispersed or introduced species. Finally, we highlight issues influencing long‐term persistence and sustainability of restored habitats, related to the alteration of management type and intensity, climate change, and spread of non‐native species. With the present article, we introduce the special issue entitled “Seed dispersal and soil seed banks – promising sources for ecological restoration” containing 15 papers by 62 authors from 10 countries arranged in the abovementioned five topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant dispersal and persistence strategies play an increasingly important role in the face of changing climate. Evaluating the restoration potential of soil seed banks as an important component of community resilience is crucial for developing effective grassland conservation and restoration strategies under climate change. Soil seed banks can act as a source for vegetation recovery by preserving species and supporting their establishment by assisting persistence and recolonization. In a systematic review of field and experimental seed bank studies, we evaluated the potential of seed banks in buffering climatic extremities and fluctuations. We found 42 papers testing the first‐order (temperature and precipitation changes) and second‐order effects of climate change (flooding and fire) on the seed bank in grasslands. We showed that persistent seed banks can support passive restoration especially in wetlands and habitats where unpredictable and frequent disturbance was typical in the historical timescale. We found that active restoration by seed addition will be most important in less disturbance‐adapted habitats characterized by species with transient seed banks. In such cases, the introduction of native matrix species that can tolerate the predicted climatic change should be prioritized at degraded sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous succession is increasingly involved in grassland restoration, because it offers a cost‐effective solution compared to technical reclamation methods. This topic is especially important nowadays, as large areas of marginal croplands are being abandoned on poor soils of Central and Eastern Europe, which offers a possibility for the spontaneous recovery of typical target grasslands. Studying the vegetation composition, aboveground biomass, and seed bank in old fields of different age and target calcareous sand grasslands using the chronosequence method, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Which species contribute to the seed banks of old fields and reference grasslands? (2) Does the direction of vegetation and seed bank succession trend toward the reference grasslands? (3) How are the vegetation changes in spontaneous succession reflected by the soil seed banks of old fields? In reference grasslands on the dune tops only sporadic seed banks were detected, while several hygrophytes had dense seed banks in reference grasslands in dune slacks. Similarity between the species composition of vegetation and seed banks was low. The development of vegetation and seed banks in old fields progressed toward that of target grasslands and the proportion of weedy species (e.g. indigenous weeds and invasive species) also decreased with time. The cryptogam biomass correlated significantly negatively, while the soil phosphorus significantly positively with the weedy species seed bank density. Our results indicated that the role of persistent seed banks in the regeneration of calcareous sand grasslands from old fields is rather limited and promising vegetation changes are mostly driven by spatial dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hacquetia is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Palearctic forest-steppe biome is a narrow vegetation zone between the temperate forest and steppe biomes, which provides important habitats for many endangered species and represents an important hotspot of biodiversity. Although the number of studies on forest–grassland mosaics is increasing, information currently available about the general compositional and structural patterns of Eurasian forest-steppes is scarce. Our study aimed to compare the habitat structure, species composition and diversity patterns of two distant sandy forest-steppes of Eurasia. We compared 72 relevés made in the main habitat components (forest, forest edge and grassland) of sandy forest-steppes in three Hungarian and three Kazakh sites. The size of the plots was 25 m2. Species number, Shannon diversity and species evenness values were calculated for each plot. Fidelity calculations and linear mixed effects models were used for the analyses. We found that the vegetation and diversity patterns of the two forest-steppes are similar and their components play important roles in maintaining landscape-scale diversity. Despite the higher species richness in Hungary, Shannon diversity was higher in Kazakhstan. The deciduous forest edges of both areas had significantly higher species richness than the neighbouring habitats (forests and grasslands); therefore they can be considered local biodiversity hotspots. Due to the special characteristics of this vegetation complex, we emphasize the high conservation value of all landscape components as a coherent system throughout the entire range of the Eurasian forest-steppe biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In biodiversity conservation of agriculture‐driven landscapes, grasslands have an outstanding importance; their conservation became a top priority both in research and practice. In many regions, sheep or cattle grazing are the best options for biodiversity conservation. In our study, we compared the effects of cattle and sheep grazing on short‐grass steppe vegetation under various grazing intensities. We tested the following study hypotheses: (i) sheep grazing maintains a lower taxonomic and functional diversity, lower amount of forbs compared with cattle grazing; and (ii) the effects of grazing are highly intensity dependent: the differences detected between cattle and sheep grazing are more pronounced at low grazing intensities than at high ones, because the selectivity of grazing decreases at higher intensities. We found lower taxonomic and functional diversity, and lower cover of forbs in sheep‐grazed steppes compared with cattle‐grazed ones. Grazing intensity had a significant effect only on species richness, while on Shannon diversity and evenness, only livestock type had a significant effect. While most single trait indices were affected by the type of the grazer, significant effect of intensity was detected only in few cases. These findings indicated that the selection of the livestock type is the most crucial in conservation; however, for proper ecosystem functioning and high trait variability, the suitable grazing intensity should also be carefully adjusted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linking the conservation of cultural heritage and natural values provides a unique opportunity for preserving traditional landscapes and receives an increased awareness from stakeholders and society. Ancient burial mounds are proper objects of such projects as they are iconic landscape elements of the Eurasian steppes and often act as refugia for grassland specialist species. The aim of this project was to reintroduce grassland plant species to burial mounds for representing them as cultural monuments with the associated biodiversity for the public. The effectiveness of seed sowing, transplanting greenhouse-grown plants and individuals from threatened populations on burial mounds in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary was tested. The following questions were answered: (1) which method is the most effective for species introduction? (2) which species can establish most successfully? (3) how does management affect the species establishment rates? It was found advisable to use a combination of seed sowing and transplanting greenhouse-grown plants. Sowing was found as a cost-effective method for introducing large-seeded species, whilst introduction of greenhouse-grown transplants warranted higher establishment rates for a larger set of species. Transplanting adult individuals was more reliable regardless of management regimes, however this method is labour-intensive and expensive. Intensive management, like mowing with heavy machinery and intensive grazing, should be avoided in the first few years after introduction. The authors highlighted the fact that introducing characteristic grassland species on cultural monuments offers a great opportunity to link issues of landscape and biodiversity conservation. This project demonstrated that, by the revitalisation of cultural monuments, cultural ecosystem services can also be restored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to introduce and test the 'seed mass-distribution range trade-off' hypothesis, that is, that range size is negatively related to seed mass due to the generally better dispersal ability of smaller seeds. Studying the effects of environmental factors on the seed mass and range size of species, we also aimed to identify habitats where species may be at risk and need extra conservation effort to avoid local extinctions. We collected data for seed mass, global range size, and indicators for environmental factors of the habitat for 1,600 species of the Pannonian Ecoregion (Central Europe) from the literature. We tested the relationship between species' seed mass, range size, and indicator values for soil moisture, light intensity, and nutrient supply. We found that seed mass is negatively correlated with range size; thus, a seed mass-distribution range trade-off was validated based on the studied large species pool. We found increasing seed mass with decreasing light intensity and increasing nutrient availability, but decreasing seed mass with increasing soil moisture. Range size increased with increasing soil moisture and nutrient supply, but decreased with increasing light intensity. Our results supported the hypothesis that there is a trade-off between seed mass and distribution range. We found that species of habitats characterized by low soil moisture and nutrient values but high light intensity values have small range size. This emphasizes that species of dry, infertile habitats, such as dry grasslands, could be more vulnerable to habitat fragmentation or degradation than species of wet and fertile habitats. The remarkably high number of species and the use of global distribution range in our study support our understanding of global biogeographic processes and patterns that are essential in defining conservation priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burial mounds (kurgans) of Eurasian steppes are man-made habitat islands that have the potential to harbour rich plant diversity due to micro-habitats associated with their topography. Aims: We assessed whether kurgan micro-habitats harboured different species pools and functional groups from those found on the surrounding steppes. In addition, we asked if these mounds were affected by different grazing intensities from those on the surrounding vegetation. Methods: We surveyed kurgan micro-habitats (northern and southern slopes, surrounding ditch) and adjacent steppe plains in non-grazed, moderately grazed and heavily grazed sites in northern Kazakhstan. We analysed differences in species composition of four habitats under three grazing regimes using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, PCA ordination and indicator species analysis. Results: Kurgan micro-habitats had diverse vegetation and supported the co-existence of plant species with different environmental needs. We identified 16 steppe specialists confined to kurgan micro-habitats. Steppe vegetation was well-adapted to extensive grazing, although heavy grazing supported ruderals and a decline in steppe specialists. There was a significant interaction between grazing intensity and habitat type: heavy grazing supported ruderals and suppressed steppe specialists especially on the slopes. Conclusions: We highlighted that kurgans play an important role as maintaining high plant diversity locally in extensive steppe plains in Central-Asia by increasing environmental heterogeneity and supporting specialist species confined to these micro-habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal waters, characterised by high water temperatures throughout the year, harbour a special flora atypical of temperate climatic conditions that are adapted to the combination of high water temperatures and low oxygen and carbonate contents. However, these ecosystems are susceptible to the invasion of tropical macrophytes because conditions in thermal waters are similar to those of in warmer latitudes., We studied the vegetation and viable seed bank in an alien-dominated upstream section of a thermal river in Hungary, and a native-dominated downstream section of the same river where temperature was cooler and less stable. Our hypotheses were as follows: (1) alien and native plant species are clearly separated along the river, and this separation is driven by environmental factors (water temperature, conductivity and sediment characteristics); and (2) the species composition of seed banks reflects that of the established macrophytes, and thus, the seed-bank composition would differ in the up- and downstream reaches., We defined 20 sampling units in two sections of the Hévíz River in West Hungary. The vegetation was surveyed in every sampling unit, and environmental variables (sediment and water) were recorded. Five sediment cores were taken from each sampling unit and incubated in a greenhouse under waterlogged conditions., The mean seed-bank density was lower than any of the previously published values for aquatic plant communities. In total, fewer species germinated from the seed bank than the number of species observed in the vegetation. Moreover, the Sørensen similarity index, comparing the vegetation and seed-bank species composition, was extremely low. The lowest seed-bank density and diversity were detected in the alien-dominated upstream river section, where significantly fewer native species were present in the seed bank., Despite favourable conditions for alien macrophytes to establish in this thermal river, they did not build up considerable persistent seed banks. We conclude that the dominance of aliens modified the species composition of both the vegetation and the seed bank, mainly by depleting the seed bank of native species. Therefore, future efforts to restore native vegetation from the seed bank may require a number of different strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]