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Long-term changes in vegetation and soil chemistry in a calcareous and sandy semi-natural grassland

Bahr, Adam LU ; Ellström, Magnus LU ; Schnoor, Tim Krone LU ; Pahlsson, Lars and Olsson, Pål Axel LU (2012) In Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 207(5). p.379-387
Abstract
Calcicole plant species are vulnerable to acidification and fertilization, caused by deposition and changes in land use, since they are adapted to nutrient-poor calcareous conditions. In this study we used vegetation data (vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens) from 1964 and 1985 and stored soil samples from 1966 to investigate long-term soil chemistry and vegetation changes in a semi-natural, sandy calcareous grassland in southern Sweden. In the re-investigation in 2008 we found that increased decalcification due to acidification could not be verified. The plant community had changed from stress-tolerant calcareous grassland towards a community promoted by higher nutrient availability. Furthermore, the cover of species indicating... (More)
Calcicole plant species are vulnerable to acidification and fertilization, caused by deposition and changes in land use, since they are adapted to nutrient-poor calcareous conditions. In this study we used vegetation data (vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens) from 1964 and 1985 and stored soil samples from 1966 to investigate long-term soil chemistry and vegetation changes in a semi-natural, sandy calcareous grassland in southern Sweden. In the re-investigation in 2008 we found that increased decalcification due to acidification could not be verified. The plant community had changed from stress-tolerant calcareous grassland towards a community promoted by higher nutrient availability. Furthermore, the cover of species indicating calcareous conditions had decreased. A decline in the cover of species adapted to alkaline, phosphorus-poor conditions may be due to increased nutrient availability, but there were also indications that the vegetation had changed due to overgrowth by woody plants. This long-term impoverishment of the plant community highlights the need for appropriate management of calcareous grasslands, in order to limit the nutrients available in the soil and prevent overgrowth by shrubs and trees. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier GmbH. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Acidification, Calcareous grassland, Conservation, Decalcification, Eutrophication, Vegetation
in
Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants
volume
207
issue
5
pages
379 - 387
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000305878200008
  • scopus:84861183888
ISSN
0367-2530
DOI
10.1016/j.flora.2012.03.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
520cc39a-92f5-4ce2-9937-c597ad41ad29 (old id 3008040)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:57:15
date last changed
2022-01-27 08:29:21
@article{520cc39a-92f5-4ce2-9937-c597ad41ad29,
  abstract     = {{Calcicole plant species are vulnerable to acidification and fertilization, caused by deposition and changes in land use, since they are adapted to nutrient-poor calcareous conditions. In this study we used vegetation data (vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens) from 1964 and 1985 and stored soil samples from 1966 to investigate long-term soil chemistry and vegetation changes in a semi-natural, sandy calcareous grassland in southern Sweden. In the re-investigation in 2008 we found that increased decalcification due to acidification could not be verified. The plant community had changed from stress-tolerant calcareous grassland towards a community promoted by higher nutrient availability. Furthermore, the cover of species indicating calcareous conditions had decreased. A decline in the cover of species adapted to alkaline, phosphorus-poor conditions may be due to increased nutrient availability, but there were also indications that the vegetation had changed due to overgrowth by woody plants. This long-term impoverishment of the plant community highlights the need for appropriate management of calcareous grasslands, in order to limit the nutrients available in the soil and prevent overgrowth by shrubs and trees. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier GmbH.}},
  author       = {{Bahr, Adam and Ellström, Magnus and Schnoor, Tim Krone and Pahlsson, Lars and Olsson, Pål Axel}},
  issn         = {{0367-2530}},
  keywords     = {{Acidification; Calcareous grassland; Conservation; Decalcification; Eutrophication; Vegetation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{379--387}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants}},
  title        = {{Long-term changes in vegetation and soil chemistry in a calcareous and sandy semi-natural grassland}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2012.03.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.flora.2012.03.003}},
  volume       = {{207}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}