Interactions between seedling herbivory and life history traits affecting restoration of species-rich grasslands (original) (raw)

Abstract

Background/Question/Methods Species rich upland hay meadows are of high biodiversity importance and are internationally rare. In recent decades there has been growing interest in restoring botanical diversity of agriculturally improved sites, but little is known about the effects of invertebrate herbivores. Previous research involving restoration of upland meadows has identified the optimum farm management regime, and the need to add seed of species absent from the seed bank of improved sites which are drivers of above- and below-ground community-level properties, including the hemi-parasite Rhinanthus minor and a variety of early-colonising fungal-facilitating species. In view of the possible selective pressure slugs exert on seedling recruitment in the field and the lack of knowledge in this context at grassland restoration sites, the acceptability of seedlings of meadow plants to the generalist slug, Deroceras reticulatum were determined in controlled microcosms. Slugs were offer...

Gordon Port hasn't uploaded this paper.

Let Gordon know you want this paper to be uploaded.

Ask for this paper to be uploaded.