NDA@SZTAKI

Factors threatening grassland specialist plants - A multi-proxy study on the vegetation of isolated grasslands

Deák, Balázs

ValkĂł, Orsolya

Török, Péter

Tóthmérész, Béla

Elsevier

2016

QH540 Ecology / ökológia

QK Botany / növénytan

QK30 Plant ecology. Plant ethology / növényökológia

Land use changes have resulted in the loss and isolation of semi-natural habitats worldwide. In intensively used
agricultural landscapes the remnants of natural flora only persist in small habitat islands embedded in a hostile
matrix. In the steppe zone burial mounds, so-called kurgans, have the potential to preserve the natural flora and
act as local biodiversity hotspots. Exploration of the factors driving biodiversity in isolated habitat fragments is
crucial for understanding the ecological processes shaping their vegetation and for designing effective strategies
for their protection.We sampled the vegetation of 44 isolated kurgans in East-Hungary and studied the effects of
habitat area, slope, recent disturbance, past destruction and the level of woody encroachment on the species richness
and cover of grassland specialist and problemspecies (competitorweedy species).We usedmodel selection
techniques and linear models for testing relevant factors affecting specialist species in grassland fragments.We
found that the biodiversity conservation potential of kurgans is supported by their steep slopes, which provide
adequate habitat conditions and micro-climate for steppic specialist plant species. Specialist species are threatened
both by recent disturbances and encroachment of alien woody species, especially black locust. Factors
supporting specialist species suppressed problem species by providing unfavourable environmental conditions
and putting them at a competitive disadvantage. We identified that woody encroachment and current disturbances
affect the vast majority of kurgans, posing a serious threat to grassland specialist species. Thus, there is
an urgent need to integrate active conservation measures into the current passive protection of kurgans.

magyar

Article

PeerReviewed

info:eu-repo/semantics/article

text

http://real.mtak.hu/42665/1/Deak-et-al-Biolcons-2016.pdf

Deák, Balázs and Valkó, Orsolya and Török, Péter and Tóthmérész, Béla (2016) Factors threatening grassland specialist plants - A multi-proxy study on the vegetation of isolated grasslands. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION. pp. 1-8. ISSN 0006-3207 (In Press)

http://real.mtak.hu/42665/

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.10.023

10.1016/j.biocon.2016.10.023