Effects of extensive grazing and mowing compared to abandonment on the biodiversity of European grasslands: A meta-analysis

IF 2 3区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ECOLOGY

Applied Vegetation Science Pub Date : 2024-11-15 DOI:10.1111/avsc.70003

Andrea R. Schneider, Daniel Hering

{"title":"Effects of extensive grazing and mowing compared to abandonment on the biodiversity of European grasslands: A meta-analysis","authors":"Andrea R. Schneider, Daniel Hering","doi":"10.1111/avsc.70003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background and Objective</h3>\n \n <p>Extensively managed grasslands play a crucial role in sustaining biodiversity by providing habitats for a wide range of plant and animal species. The most common management is either grazing or mowing, or grasslands are abandoned. The differential effects of these management or abandoning schemes on biodiversity patterns of extensively managed grasslands have not yet been systematically evaluated with a large number of available case studies. We aimed to identify by a meta-analysis the best option for biodiversity in extensively managed grassland in Europe.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched for publications that appeared before 31 January 2024 and that reported the effects of management schemes on biodiversity patterns of extensively managed grassland. Out of 971 original records, 54 full-text articles were included in the final analysis. We extracted values for mean, SD and sample size of species numbers and calculated Hedge's <i>g</i> to rate treatment effects.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Extensive management (grazing, mowing) increased species number compared to abandonment (effect size: Hedge's <i>g</i> = 1.30). For plant diversity, extensive management had a strong positive effect (<i>g</i> = 1.78), while the effect of grazing and mowing was minor for animal biodiversity (<i>g</i> = 0.03). The results were recognizably influenced by the investigated plot sizes. Small plots (<10 m<sup>2</sup>) showed a much stronger effect (<i>g</i> = 2.19) than larger plots (<i>g</i> = 0.56). The type of extensive management, grazing or mowing, had no influence on the results.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusion</h3>\n \n <p>In line with results on grasslands in general, our results underline that biodiversity of extensively managed grasslands benefits from extensive grazing or mowing. Although abandonment had a negligible effect on animal species richness, the effect on vegetation was strong. The low effect of abandonment on the fauna can be explained by the relatively short duration of the studies. The characteristics of grassland were still present, and it had not turned into forest. Extensive grazing or mowing are therefore the best options for grassland managed for conservation purposes.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avsc.70003","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Vegetation Science","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/avsc.70003","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and Objective

Extensively managed grasslands play a crucial role in sustaining biodiversity by providing habitats for a wide range of plant and animal species. The most common management is either grazing or mowing, or grasslands are abandoned. The differential effects of these management or abandoning schemes on biodiversity patterns of extensively managed grasslands have not yet been systematically evaluated with a large number of available case studies. We aimed to identify by a meta-analysis the best option for biodiversity in extensively managed grassland in Europe.

Materials and Methods

Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched for publications that appeared before 31 January 2024 and that reported the effects of management schemes on biodiversity patterns of extensively managed grassland. Out of 971 original records, 54 full-text articles were included in the final analysis. We extracted values for mean, SD and sample size of species numbers and calculated Hedge's g to rate treatment effects.

Results

Extensive management (grazing, mowing) increased species number compared to abandonment (effect size: Hedge's g = 1.30). For plant diversity, extensive management had a strong positive effect (g = 1.78), while the effect of grazing and mowing was minor for animal biodiversity (g = 0.03). The results were recognizably influenced by the investigated plot sizes. Small plots (<10 m²) showed a much stronger effect (g = 2.19) than larger plots (g = 0.56). The type of extensive management, grazing or mowing, had no influence on the results.

Conclusion

In line with results on grasslands in general, our results underline that biodiversity of extensively managed grasslands benefits from extensive grazing or mowing. Although abandonment had a negligible effect on animal species richness, the effect on vegetation was strong. The low effect of abandonment on the fauna can be explained by the relatively short duration of the studies. The characteristics of grassland were still present, and it had not turned into forest. Extensive grazing or mowing are therefore the best options for grassland managed for conservation purposes.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

大面积放牧和除草与荒芜相比对欧洲草地生物多样性的影响：荟萃分析

背景和目标经过广泛管理的草地为各种动植物物种提供了栖息地，在维持生物多样性方面发挥着至关重要的作用。最常见的管理方式要么是放牧或割草，要么是放弃草地。这些管理或废弃方案对广泛管理的草地生物多样性模式的不同影响尚未通过大量可用的案例研究进行系统评估。我们的目标是通过荟萃分析确定欧洲广泛管理草地生物多样性的最佳选择。材料与方法我们在 Scopus 和 Web of Science 上系统搜索了 2024 年 1 月 31 日之前发表的、报道管理方案对广泛管理草地生物多样性模式影响的出版物。在 971 条原始记录中，54 篇全文文章被纳入最终分析。我们提取了物种数量的平均值、标准差和样本量，并计算了赫氏 g，以评定处理效果。结果与荒芜相比，广泛管理（放牧、除草）增加了物种数量（效应大小：Hedge's g = 1.30）。在植物多样性方面，粗放管理具有很强的正效应（g = 1.78），而放牧和割草对动物生物多样性的影响较小（g = 0.03）。研究结果明显受到调查地块大小的影响。小地块（10 平方米）的影响（g = 2.19）比大地块（g = 0.56）大得多。放牧或除草等粗放管理方式对结果没有影响。结论与一般草地的研究结果一致，我们的研究结果表明，广泛管理的草地的生物多样性得益于广泛放牧或除草。虽然弃耕对动物物种丰富度的影响微乎其微，但对植被的影响却很大。弃耕对动物群影响较小的原因是研究时间相对较短。草地的特征仍然存在，没有变成森林。因此，大面积放牧或除草是出于保护目的而管理草地的最佳选择。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Applied Vegetation Science 环境科学-林学

CiteScore

6.00

自引率

10.70%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Applied Vegetation Science focuses on community-level topics relevant to human interaction with vegetation, including global change, nature conservation, nature management, restoration of plant communities and of natural habitats, and the planning of semi-natural and urban landscapes. Vegetation survey, modelling and remote-sensing applications are welcome. Papers on vegetation science which do not fit to this scope (do not have an applied aspect and are not vegetation survey) should be directed to our associate journal, the Journal of Vegetation Science. Both journals publish papers on the ecology of a single species only if it plays a key role in structuring plant communities.