Search results for "traditional rural biotope"

Ectomycorrhizal fungi in wood-pastures : Communities are determined by trees and soil properties, not by grazing

2019

Traditional rural biotopes such as wood-pastures are species-rich environments that have been created by low-intensity agriculture. Their amount has decreased dramatically during the 20th century in whole Europe due to the intensification of agriculture. Wood-pastures host some fungal species that prefer warm areas and are adapted to semi-open conditions, but still very little is known about fungi in these habitats. We studied how management, historical land-use intensity, present grazing intensity, time since abandonment, and stand conditions affect the species richness and community composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi. We surveyed fruit bodies on three 10 m × 10 m study plots in 36 sites…

Grazing and soil pH are biodiversity drivers of vascular plants and bryophytes in boreal wood-pastures

2016

Abstract Wood-pastures have been formed by traditional low-intensity livestock grazing in wooded areas. They host high biodiversity values that are now threatened by both management abandonment (ceased grazing) and agricultural intensification, and therefore these habitats are of conservation interest in Europe. In order to explore the effects of grazing on the biodiversity of boreal wood-pastures, we studied the communities of vascular plants and bryophytes in 24 currently grazed and 24 abandoned sites. In addition to the current management situation, we studied the effects of soil pH and moisture, tree density, historical land-use intensity, time since abandonment (in abandoned sites) and…

Road verges provide alternative habitats for some, but not all, meadow plants

2021

Questions Agricultural intensification has led to the decline of biodiverse meadows and other semi-natural grasslands. Road verges offer potential alternative habitats for meadow species, but they may not be suitable for all meadow species due to different soil properties, frequent disturbances, pollution or suboptimal management. Are the communities of vascular plants and bryophytes similar or dissimilar to those in mown or grazed meadows? What kind of species are associated with road verges, mown meadows or grazed meadows? How do the habitat types differ in their soil conditions and disturbance intensity? Location The study was conducted on 36 sites in Central Finland. Methods We compared…

The effect of grazing history on fungal diversity in broadleaved wood pastures

2012

Traditional rural biotopes such as wood pastures are species rich habitats which have been created by extensive agriculture. In all European countries both the quality and quantity of traditional rural biotopes have drastically decreased during the past century because of increasing farming intensity. This decline is causing a threat to many species, but very little is known about the conservation ecology of fungi living in wood pastures. Considering vascular plants, it is known that sites with long management history have higher species richness compared to abandoned sites. It is also known that species richness is highest with intermediate grazing intensity. In this study I investigated i…

“Face the cow”: reconnecting to nature and increasing capacities for pro-environmental agency

2020

Arts-based practices can support sustainability, combined with research that points out needs for intervention. We practiced environmental sensitivity and dialogic art with fifth-grade school pupils as part of an International Socially Engaged Art Symposium (ISEAS2019). Using arts-based action research methodology, our case study focused on the opportunities of arts-based environmental education in advancing the management of meadows and wood-pastures. We explored nature connectedness and pro-environmental mindsets and behaviors among the pupils and artists/researchers. The artistic results encompassed the dialogic interactions of the intervention, exhibited artworks, and audiovisual docume…

Plant biodiversity in boreal wood-pastures : impacts of grazing and abandonment

2016

Bryophyte diversity in semi-natural grasslands : the effects of habitat quantity and quality

2015

Edeltäneiden vuosisatojen maatalouskäytännöt loivat elinympäristöjä, joihin tänä päivänä viitataan perinnebiotooppeina. Siirtymä moderniin maatalouteen on muiden maankäytön muutosten ohella vähentänyt näitä biologisesti, kulttuurisesti ja sosiaalisesti arvokkaita elinympäristöjä murto-osaan entisestä. Perinnebiotoopeille tyypillinen avoimuus, vähäravinteisuus ja säännölliset häiriöt tekevät niistä biologisesti monimuotoisia elinympäristöjä. Perinnebiotooppien pinta-alan pienenemisen ja pirstoutumisen seurauksena on ollut useiden lajien uhanalaistuminen. Jäljellä olevien perinnebiotooppien laatua uhkaa etenkin hoidon riittämättömyys. Sammalet ovat kooltaan pieniä ja ekologialtaan riippuvaisi…

The effects of grazing history, soil properties and stand structure on the communities of saprotrophic fungi in wood-pastures

2022

Wood-pastures are threatened anthropogenic biotopes that provide habitat for an extensive group of species. Here we studied the effect of management, grazing intensity, time since abandonment, historical land-use intensity, soil properties and stand conditions on communities of saprotrophic fungi in wood-pastures in Central Finland. We found that the proportion of broadleaved trees and soil pH are the major drivers in the communities of saprotrophic fungi in these boreal wood-pastures. In addition, tree species richness, soil moisture, historical land-use intensity and time since abandonment affected the communities of saprotrophic fungi. Current management or grazing intensity did not have…