Vegetation succession and lichen diversity on dry coastal calcium-poor dunes and the impact of management experiments |
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Authors: | Ketner-Oostra R and Sykora K V |
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Institution: | (1) Algemeer 42, 6721 GD Bennekom, The Netherlands;(2) Environmental Sciences, Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Bornsesteeg 69, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | The negative impact of grass and moss encroachment on the botanical diversity of West European coastal dunes attracted increasing
attention in the 1990s. This paper focuses on moss encroachment during primary succession in the xeroseries. Until the mid-1970s,
vegetation types rich in species of the lichen generaCladonia andCladina were found on the fixed,Corynephorus canescens-dominated, so-called grey dunes all over the island of Terschelling, The Netherlands. In addition, species ofHypogymnia, Parmelia andUsnea, which usually grow on trees, occurred here terrestrially on moss carpets or bare sand. These vegetation types are still
present on the Noordsvaarder, a nature reserve in the western part of the island. They occur on parts of seven dune ridges
parallel to the coast and form a chronosequence in which age increases with distance from the sea.
Our study found the highest lichen diversity on the second and third dune ridges in a stage of primary succession that can
be assigned to theViolo-Corynephoretum. The changes from lichen-rich to moss-dominated stadia were significantly related to soil development and acidification in
connection with the ageing of the dune soil.
The superficial cutting of sods in moss-encroached vegetation appeared to be unsuccessful as a management technique for restoring
the biodiversity of cryptogams. Our findings suggest that the best option for maintaining lichen vegetation in theViolo-Corynephoretum is the blow-in of sand with a subneutral or neutral pH from reactivated and natural blowouts or from foredunes, with increasing
lime content respectively. |
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Keywords: | Acidification Biodiversity Campylopus introflexus Corynephorus canescens Chronosequence Moss encroachment Lime content Sand drift Sod cutting |
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