Can the Natura 2000 pannonian open sand steppes be reborn? The results of 18 years of restoration work in the unique habitat of Hippophae rhamnoides L.

Résumé fourni par la source

In Budapest, despite the city's high population density, valuable plant communities persist in various isolated fragments. Since 2006, restoration work has been ongoing in the Újpest Sea buckthorn Nature Conservation Area to preserve the open sandy grassland ( Festucetum vaginatae ), which provides habitat for Hippophae rhamnoides. The aim of this study was to assess the changes of vegetation after shrub removal. The effects of these interventions were studied in seven sample sites, each subjected to shrub removal in different years, by examining coenological data from 10 permanent quadrats per site. Non-parametric statistical method was used for multiple pairwise comparisons to analyse the cover values of Festuca species, and the distribution dynamics of them was characterised with the type of trend line. While in the undisturbed control site, Festuca vaginata was the dominant, Festuca pseudovaginata and Festuca tomanii emerged as the dominant grass species in the early phase in the joining sites, where shrubs have been eradicated. Simultaneously, gradually disappearing weeds were detected. Typical species of sandy grasslands appeared in the treated areas as early as the first phase. Our results have confirmed that, in the presence of a close propagule source, Pannonian open sand steppe is capable of regeneration when invasive woody plants are removed, and ongoing maintenance is carried out. Along the restoration timeline, the abundance of three dominant Festuca species, characteristic species and weeds proved to be reliable indicators of restoration success.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.