Our new paper, with Zoltán Bátori,
Péter János Kiss and
András Kelemen as lead authors, has been published in River Research and Applications.
The citation of the paper (members of the Seed Ecology Group are underlined):
Bátori, Z., Kiss, P.J., Tölgyesi, C., Deák, B., Valkó, O., Török,
P., Erdős, L., Tóthmérész, B., Kelemen, A. (2020): River embankments
mitigate the loss of grassland biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. River Research and Applications [IF2018: 1.954]
To access the paper, please click here.
River embankments often harbour secondary habitats that can provide refuge for species characteristic of grasslands and wetlands. The landside slopes usually harbour secondary dry grasslands, while on the riverside slopes, secondary wetlands are typical. In our study we investigated the vegetation of the secondary grasslands and wetlands on the embankments of the Maros and Körös rivers (South-Hungary) and compared them to the vegetation of remnant semi-natural grasslands and wetlands of the region. We focused on three components of diversity, i.e. taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.
Interestingly, the taxonomic diversity was higher in the secondary habitats compared to their semi-natural analogues; however it was due to the higher number of generalist, weed and invasive species in the secondary habitats. Functional diversity was similar in the secondary and semi-natural habitats, however we detected some important differences in particular plant traits. Higher plant height and specific leaf area suggests an improved hay quality and quantity in the secondary grasslands; while elongated flowering period suggests that secondary habitats might provide proper habitats for pollinators for a longer time than semi-natural habitats. We found that the semi-natural habitats harboured the highest phylogenetic diversity. Our results suggest that secondary habitats can provide a relatively stable refuge for grassland and wetland species. As embankments are crucial for flood prevention, the maintenance of permanent grassland cover is ensured by mowing management.
Abstract
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.
River embankments often harbour secondary habitats that can provide refuge for species characteristic of grasslands and wetlands. The landside slopes usually harbour secondary dry grasslands, while on the riverside slopes, secondary wetlands are typical. In our study we investigated the vegetation of the secondary grasslands and wetlands on the embankments of the Maros and Körös rivers (South-Hungary) and compared them to the vegetation of remnant semi-natural grasslands and wetlands of the region. We focused on three components of diversity, i.e. taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.
Interestingly, the taxonomic diversity was higher in the secondary habitats compared to their semi-natural analogues; however it was due to the higher number of generalist, weed and invasive species in the secondary habitats. Functional diversity was similar in the secondary and semi-natural habitats, however we detected some important differences in particular plant traits. Higher plant height and specific leaf area suggests an improved hay quality and quantity in the secondary grasslands; while elongated flowering period suggests that secondary habitats might provide proper habitats for pollinators for a longer time than semi-natural habitats. We found that the semi-natural habitats harboured the highest phylogenetic diversity. Our results suggest that secondary habitats can provide a relatively stable refuge for grassland and wetland species. As embankments are crucial for flood prevention, the maintenance of permanent grassland cover is ensured by mowing management.
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| Cynoglottis barrelieri is a protected plant species, which typically occur in roadside verges in the southern part of the Great Hungarian Plain. |
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| Stipa capillata is a typical species of the Eurasian steppes, which also occurs in the semi-natural grasslands of our study region. |
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| Phlomis tuberosa, a protected species of semi-natural dry grasslands. |
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.
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