Regional seed mixtures for the re-creation of species-rich meadows in the White Carpathian Mountains: results of a 10-yr experiment.

Questions How does sowing a regional seed mix compare with a commercial grass mix and natural regeneration for re-creating species-rich hay meadow vegetation? What is the trajectory of vegetation change of these treatments over 10 yr compared with ancient meadow vegetation on a nearby nature reserve? What factors indicate successful restoration on ex-arable land? Location White Carpathian (Bílé Karpaty) Mountains, Czech Republic. Methods In 1999 an experiment was set up to investigate methods of re-establishing species-rich meadow vegetation on ex-arable land. Large plots sown with a regional seed mixture (RSM) were compared with three other ‘lower cost’ treatments – sowing narrow 2.5-m wide strips of the RSM into a matrix of commercial grasses (RCG), sowing strips of RSM into a matrix of natural regeneration (RNR) and natural regeneration alone (NR). Results are presented for years 2000, 2004 and 2009. Results Regional grass species established and persisted in cover and species number, regional herb species established and persisted in number but declined in cover. Perennial weeds increased in years 2000–2004 but had declined by 2009. The vegetation showed a gradual convergence in the direction of the ancient meadow vegetation and the vegetation was species-rich but a long way from the ancient meadow composition. Conclusions The experiment demonstrated lasting benefits of regional seed mixtures, including rapid establishment of meadow species with no perennial weed stage, producing vegetation suitable for haymaking. However, sowing regional seed mixtures is the most expensive method and colonization of these plots by unsown target species was slow. Satisfactory results were achieved by the cheaper method of sowing strips of regional seed mixture in a matrix of natural regeneration or natural regeneration alone, and colonization by unsown target species was the more successful here, although some of this was due to colonization (cross-contamination) from adjacent plots. The poorest results were in the commercial grass treatments due to strong competition from sown commercial grasses. Overall, to achieve biodiversity goals in grassland restoration it is essential to use seeds of regional provenance

Response of two hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae species to mowing dates: implications for grassland conservation and restoration practice

Background and aims – Rhinanthus major (= R. angustifolius ) and Melampyrum nemorosum are very sensitive to mowing date. As they are annuals without a long-term persistent seed bank and with a poor long-distance dispersal ability, seed loss caused by an unsuitable mowing date could lead to rapid population decline. Since their populations have disappeared from productive grasslands, they have become a focus of conservational management. Rhinanthus is also used in restoration projects as a treatment for reducing biomass, where its permanent populations are desired. We aimed to determine the earliest suitable mowing date for these species in White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area to support its administration to plan the management.Methods – We conducted a mowing experiment with plots mown on 7 and 18 June and 5 July 2012. The number of parasites was counted in central plots before mowing and in the following growing season. The phenology of hemiparasites and co-occurring species was recorded to better understand the effects of mowing date.Key results – Melampyrum showed a significant population decrease after mowing on 7 and 18 June, while the 5 July mowing did not inflict any significant change. The effect on Rhinanthus was not significant, as it was probably obscured by seed dispersal from the close surroundings.Conclusions – Mowing in July is suitable for both species, while June mowing leads to population declines. Mosaic mowing (which includes early mowing in some parts of a site), could therefore gradually eradicate Melampyrum. Rhinanthus metapopulation could compensate for the seed loss by seed dispersal from neighbouring parts, but careful monitoring is necessary. When using Rhinanthus in restoration experiments, postponed mowing is essential to keep its population permanent. Our conclusions are widely applicable, but the particular mowing date must be determined separately for each region, species and ecotype

Response of two hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae species to mowing dates: implications for grassland conservation and restoration practice

Background and aims – Rhinanthus major (= R. angustifolius ) and Melampyrum nemorosum are very sensitive to mowing date. As they are annuals without a long-term persistent seed bank and with a poor long-distance dispersal ability, seed loss caused by an unsuitable mowing date could lead to rapid population decline. Since their populations have disappeared from productive grasslands, they have become a focus of conservational management. Rhinanthus is also used in restoration projects as a treatment for reducing biomass, where its permanent populations are desired. We aimed to determine the earliest suitable mowing date for these species in White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area to support its administration to plan the management.Methods – We conducted a mowing experiment with plots mown on 7 and 18 June and 5 July 2012. The number of parasites was counted in central plots before mowing and in the following growing season. The phenology of hemiparasites and co-occurring species was recorded to better understand the effects of mowing date.Key results – Melampyrum showed a significant population decrease after mowing on 7 and 18 June, while the 5 July mowing did not inflict any significant change. The effect on Rhinanthus was not significant, as it was probably obscured by seed dispersal from the close surroundings.Conclusions – Mowing in July is suitable for both species, while June mowing leads to population declines. Mosaic mowing (which includes early mowing in some parts of a site), could therefore gradually eradicate Melampyrum. Rhinanthus metapopulation could compensate for the seed loss by seed dispersal from neighbouring parts, but careful monitoring is necessary. When using Rhinanthus in restoration experiments, postponed mowing is essential to keep its population permanent. Our conclusions are widely applicable, but the particular mowing date must be determined separately for each region, species and ecotype

Flying Laboratory of Imaging Systems: Fusion of Airborne Hyperspectral and Laser Scanning for Ecosystem Research

Synergies of optical, thermal and laser scanning remotely sensed data provide valuable information to study the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the few fully operational airborne multi-sensor platforms for ecosystem research in Europe is the Flying Laboratory of Imaging Systems (FLIS), operated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The system consists of three commercial imaging spectroradiometers. One spectroradiometer covers the visible and near-infrared, and the other covers the shortwave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. These two provide full spectral data between 380–2450 nm, mainly for the assessment of biochemical properties of vegetation, soil and water. The third spectroradiometer covers the thermal long-wave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum and allows for mapping of surface emissivity and temperature properties. The fourth instrument onboard is the full waveform laser scanning system, which provides data on landscape orography and 3D structure. Here, we describe the FLIS design, data acquisition plan and primary data pre-processing. The synchronous acquisition of multiple data sources provides a complex analytical and data framework for the assessment of vegetation ecosystems (such as plant species composition, plant functional traits, biomass and carbon stocks), as well as for studying the role of greenery or blue-green infrastructure on the thermal behaviour of urban systems. In addition, the FLIS airborne infrastructure supports calibration and validation activities for existing and upcoming satellite missions (e.g., FLEX, PRISMA)

Analýza biodiverzity v CHKO Bílé Karpaty jako podklad pro stanovení nové zonace a vhodného managementu cenných území

Cílem projektu je zpracovat návrh nové zonace CHKO Bílé Karpaty včetně optimální péče o nejcennější území na základě síťového mapování cévnatých rostlin a vybraných zoologických taxonů. Výsledkem projektu bude i databáze nálezů s grafickými výstupy, mapa kvality vodotečí a vědecké publikace. Zpráva popisuje práce vykonané v roce 2003: Charakteristika CHKO a BR Bílé Karpaty, síťové mapování cévnatých rostlin, ornitologický průzkum, ichtyologický a hydrobiologický průzkum, lepidopterologický průzkum, carabidologický průzkum