How Do Nitrogen Deposition, Mowing, and Deer Grazing Drive Vegetation Changes on Dune Heaths?:Ecologies

Heathland vegetation has undergone significant changes in the past century, e.g., due to airborne pollutants and a lack of proper management. Understanding the interactions between these factors in combination is pivotal for heathland conservation. Here, we studied the vegetation changes at a dune h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecologies
Main Authors: Kaae, Mathias E., Hu, Fenjuan, Bak, Jesper L., Strandberg, Morten T., Damgaard, Christian F.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2024
Subjects:
bryophytes
dwarf shrubs
graminoid expansion
heathland conservation
management
manipulation experiment
Crowberry
Empetrum nigrum
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/3cbdf979-4bdb-45e0-b4dd-57f8b8df6ef2
https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5010008
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85188837752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
Description
Summary:Heathland vegetation has undergone significant changes in the past century, e.g., due to airborne pollutants and a lack of proper management. Understanding the interactions between these factors in combination is pivotal for heathland conservation. Here, we studied the vegetation changes at a dune heath in a four-year manipulation experiment analysing the combined effects of nitrogen deposition, mowing, and deer grazing. Our results showed no significant effect of nitrogen deposition and deer grazing on plant growth and cover of dwarf shrubs within the experimental plots. However, high loads of nitrogen decreased bryophyte cover and increased the growth and cover of sand sedge Carex arenaria L. Mowing adversely affected the dwarf shrub community, e.g., the dwarf shrub species crowberry Empetrum nigrum L., and facilitated increased cover and plant growth of graminoids. Plant growth and the cover of C. arenaria increased in plots without deer grazing, whereas bryophyte cover decreased significantly without grazing. We do not recommend intensive mowing of vegetation as a conservation method for dune heaths because it promotes graminoids. From a conservation aspect, it is essential to consider the effect of deer on heathlands because they both impede some species and benefit others and mitigate the adverse effects of nitrogen deposition on dune heaths.

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