The Experts below are selected from a list of 151503 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Thomas Schmitt - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Missing the target? A critical view on butterfly conservation efforts on calcareous Grasslands in south-western Germany
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013Co-Authors: Katharina J. Filz, Jan O. Engler, Johannes Stoffels, Matthias Weitzel, Thomas SchmittAbstract:Butterflies are strongly declining on Grassland habitats of Central Europe. Therefore, the success of conservation measures on high quality Grassland habitats is controversially discussed. We compared the changes in butterfly diversity and community structure on six managed calcareous Grasslands with eight unmanaged vineyard fallows. We obtained strong losses of species diversity and remarkable shifts of community compositions on both habitat types. However, the changes on vineyard fallows were only slightly more severe but more stochastic than on the calcareous Grasslands. The shifts in community composition with respect to functional species traits were rather similar between the two different Grassland types so that complex butterfly communities evolved into generalist-dominated ones. Connectivity was higher among vineyard fallows than among calcareous Grasslands. Consequently, conservation measures on calcareous Grasslands only partly achieved their goal to maintain the high species diversity and functional complexity still observed in the 1970s. The negative impacts of eutrophication and monotonisation of the landscape as well as climate change are affecting all habitats, independently from management concepts. Therefore, management on conservation sites can buffer against these effects, but is not sufficient for a full compensation.
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Missing the target? A critical view on butterfly conservation efforts on calcareous Grasslands in south-western Germany
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2012Co-Authors: Katharina J. Filz, Jan O. Engler, Johannes Stoffels, Matthias Weitzel, Thomas SchmittAbstract:Butterflies are strongly declining on Grassland habitats of Central Europe. Therefore, the success of conservation measures on high quality Grassland habitats is controversially discussed. We compared the changes in butterfly diversity and community structure on six managed calcareous Grasslands with eight unmanaged vineyard fallows. We obtained strong losses of species diversity and remarkable shifts of community compositions on both habitat types. However, the changes on vineyard fallows were only slightly more severe but more stochastic than on the calcareous Grasslands. The shifts in community composition with respect to functional species traits were rather similar between the two different Grassland types so that complex butterfly communities evolved into generalist-dominated ones. Connectivity was higher among vineyard fallows than among calcareous Grasslands. Consequently, conservation measures on calcareous Grasslands only partly achieved their goal to maintain the high species diversity and functional complexity still observed in the 1970s. The negative impacts of eutrophication and monotonisation of the landscape as well as climate change are affecting all habitats, independently from management concepts. Therefore, management on conservation sites can buffer against these effects, but is not sufficient for a full compensation.
Katharina J. Filz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Missing the target? A critical view on butterfly conservation efforts on calcareous Grasslands in south-western Germany
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013Co-Authors: Katharina J. Filz, Jan O. Engler, Johannes Stoffels, Matthias Weitzel, Thomas SchmittAbstract:Butterflies are strongly declining on Grassland habitats of Central Europe. Therefore, the success of conservation measures on high quality Grassland habitats is controversially discussed. We compared the changes in butterfly diversity and community structure on six managed calcareous Grasslands with eight unmanaged vineyard fallows. We obtained strong losses of species diversity and remarkable shifts of community compositions on both habitat types. However, the changes on vineyard fallows were only slightly more severe but more stochastic than on the calcareous Grasslands. The shifts in community composition with respect to functional species traits were rather similar between the two different Grassland types so that complex butterfly communities evolved into generalist-dominated ones. Connectivity was higher among vineyard fallows than among calcareous Grasslands. Consequently, conservation measures on calcareous Grasslands only partly achieved their goal to maintain the high species diversity and functional complexity still observed in the 1970s. The negative impacts of eutrophication and monotonisation of the landscape as well as climate change are affecting all habitats, independently from management concepts. Therefore, management on conservation sites can buffer against these effects, but is not sufficient for a full compensation.
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Missing the target? A critical view on butterfly conservation efforts on calcareous Grasslands in south-western Germany
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2012Co-Authors: Katharina J. Filz, Jan O. Engler, Johannes Stoffels, Matthias Weitzel, Thomas SchmittAbstract:Butterflies are strongly declining on Grassland habitats of Central Europe. Therefore, the success of conservation measures on high quality Grassland habitats is controversially discussed. We compared the changes in butterfly diversity and community structure on six managed calcareous Grasslands with eight unmanaged vineyard fallows. We obtained strong losses of species diversity and remarkable shifts of community compositions on both habitat types. However, the changes on vineyard fallows were only slightly more severe but more stochastic than on the calcareous Grasslands. The shifts in community composition with respect to functional species traits were rather similar between the two different Grassland types so that complex butterfly communities evolved into generalist-dominated ones. Connectivity was higher among vineyard fallows than among calcareous Grasslands. Consequently, conservation measures on calcareous Grasslands only partly achieved their goal to maintain the high species diversity and functional complexity still observed in the 1970s. The negative impacts of eutrophication and monotonisation of the landscape as well as climate change are affecting all habitats, independently from management concepts. Therefore, management on conservation sites can buffer against these effects, but is not sufficient for a full compensation.
Julia-maria Hermann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical Grasslands savannas and grassy woodlands
Biological Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Elise Buisson, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Soizig Le Stradic, Fernando A O Silveira, Giselda Durigan, Alessandra Fidelis, Wilson G Fernandes, William J Bond, Julia-maria HermannAbstract:Despite growing recognition of the conservation values of grassy biomes, our understanding of how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical Grasslands (including savannas and open-canopy grassy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate Grasslands into large-scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge of tropical Grassland resilience and approaches to plant community restoration. Tropical Grassland plant communities are resilient to, and often dependent on, the endogenous disturbances with which they evolved - frequent fires and native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, tropical Grasslands are extremely vulnerable to human-caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils and destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); tropical Grassland restoration after severe soil disturbances is expensive and rarely achieves management targets. Where Grasslands have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes (e.g. fire exclusion), exotic plant invasions, or afforestation, restoration efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density and herbaceous ground cover), but species-diverse plant communities, including endemic species, are slow to recover. Complicating plant-community restoration efforts, many tropical Grassland species, particularly those that invest in underground storage organs, are difficult to propagate and re-establish. To guide restoration decisions, we draw on the old-growth Grassland concept, the novel ecosystem concept, and theory regarding tree cover along resource gradients in savannas to propose a conceptual framework that classifies tropical Grasslands into three broad ecosystem states. These states are: (1) old-growth Grasslands (i.e. ancient, biodiverse grassy ecosystems), where management should focus on the maintenance of disturbance regimes; (2) hybrid Grasslands, where restoration should emphasise a return towards the old-growth state; and (3) novel ecosystems, where the magnitude of environmental change (i.e. a shift to an alternative ecosystem state) or the socioecological context preclude a return to historical conditions.
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Management intensity and temporary conversion to other land‐use types affect plant diversity and species composition of subtropical Grasslands in southern Brazil
Applied Vegetation Science, 2016Co-Authors: Christiane Koch, Timo Conradi, Martin M. Gossner, Julia-maria Hermann, Jan Leidinger, Sebastian T. Meyer, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Johannes KollmannAbstract:Questions We investigated the effects of Grassland management intensity and temporary conversion to other land uses on abiotic and biotic properties of subtropical Grasslands. We used species-rich permanent Grasslands of medium management intensity (PG-M) as a reference, and asked the following questions: (1) do permanent Grasslands with low and high management intensities (PG-L and PG-H, respectively) have different plant diversity and species composition than reference Grasslands; and (2) do secondary Grasslands recovering from conversion to arable fields (SG-A) or pine plantations (SG-P) differ from permanent Grasslands in their plant species composition and abiotic conditions? Location Highland Grasslands, Campos de Cima da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Methods We analysed variation in plant species composition and diversity among 80 Grassland sites, including three types of permanent Grassland and two types of secondary Grassland. An indicator species analysis was used to identify characteristic species for the different land-use types. We used a linear discriminant analysis to investigate differences in soil conditions among land-use types. Results Both PG-L and PG-H differed from PG-M regarding plant species composition. Although PG-L shared many typical Grassland species with PG-M, their communities were generally less diverse. PG-H, on the other hand, not only had fewer species but also deviated from PG-M in species composition. Secondary Grasslands on former arable fields and plantations differed from PG-M in species composition and showed lower diversity. Soil conditions of SG-P were similar to those of PG-L and PG-M, but they were distinct from those of PG-H and SG-A. Conclusions All land-use types showed deviations from reference Grasslands (PG-M). The decrease in the number of species in PG-L may be reversed if traditional management intensity is re-introduced, whereas strong compositional changes in SG-P may require the re-introduction of Grassland species. This is also true for PG-H and SG-A: both showed marked deviations from reference Grasslands in biotic and abiotic components. Overall, restoration of altered land-use types to near-natural subtropical Grassland seems feasible, but suitable techniques have to be developed.
Johannes Kollmann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Management intensity and temporary conversion to other land‐use types affect plant diversity and species composition of subtropical Grasslands in southern Brazil
Applied Vegetation Science, 2016Co-Authors: Christiane Koch, Timo Conradi, Martin M. Gossner, Julia-maria Hermann, Jan Leidinger, Sebastian T. Meyer, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Johannes KollmannAbstract:Questions We investigated the effects of Grassland management intensity and temporary conversion to other land uses on abiotic and biotic properties of subtropical Grasslands. We used species-rich permanent Grasslands of medium management intensity (PG-M) as a reference, and asked the following questions: (1) do permanent Grasslands with low and high management intensities (PG-L and PG-H, respectively) have different plant diversity and species composition than reference Grasslands; and (2) do secondary Grasslands recovering from conversion to arable fields (SG-A) or pine plantations (SG-P) differ from permanent Grasslands in their plant species composition and abiotic conditions? Location Highland Grasslands, Campos de Cima da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Methods We analysed variation in plant species composition and diversity among 80 Grassland sites, including three types of permanent Grassland and two types of secondary Grassland. An indicator species analysis was used to identify characteristic species for the different land-use types. We used a linear discriminant analysis to investigate differences in soil conditions among land-use types. Results Both PG-L and PG-H differed from PG-M regarding plant species composition. Although PG-L shared many typical Grassland species with PG-M, their communities were generally less diverse. PG-H, on the other hand, not only had fewer species but also deviated from PG-M in species composition. Secondary Grasslands on former arable fields and plantations differed from PG-M in species composition and showed lower diversity. Soil conditions of SG-P were similar to those of PG-L and PG-M, but they were distinct from those of PG-H and SG-A. Conclusions All land-use types showed deviations from reference Grasslands (PG-M). The decrease in the number of species in PG-L may be reversed if traditional management intensity is re-introduced, whereas strong compositional changes in SG-P may require the re-introduction of Grassland species. This is also true for PG-H and SG-A: both showed marked deviations from reference Grasslands in biotic and abiotic components. Overall, restoration of altered land-use types to near-natural subtropical Grassland seems feasible, but suitable techniques have to be developed.
Gerhard E. Overbeck - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical Grasslands savannas and grassy woodlands
Biological Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Elise Buisson, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Soizig Le Stradic, Fernando A O Silveira, Giselda Durigan, Alessandra Fidelis, Wilson G Fernandes, William J Bond, Julia-maria HermannAbstract:Despite growing recognition of the conservation values of grassy biomes, our understanding of how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical Grasslands (including savannas and open-canopy grassy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate Grasslands into large-scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge of tropical Grassland resilience and approaches to plant community restoration. Tropical Grassland plant communities are resilient to, and often dependent on, the endogenous disturbances with which they evolved - frequent fires and native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, tropical Grasslands are extremely vulnerable to human-caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils and destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); tropical Grassland restoration after severe soil disturbances is expensive and rarely achieves management targets. Where Grasslands have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes (e.g. fire exclusion), exotic plant invasions, or afforestation, restoration efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density and herbaceous ground cover), but species-diverse plant communities, including endemic species, are slow to recover. Complicating plant-community restoration efforts, many tropical Grassland species, particularly those that invest in underground storage organs, are difficult to propagate and re-establish. To guide restoration decisions, we draw on the old-growth Grassland concept, the novel ecosystem concept, and theory regarding tree cover along resource gradients in savannas to propose a conceptual framework that classifies tropical Grasslands into three broad ecosystem states. These states are: (1) old-growth Grasslands (i.e. ancient, biodiverse grassy ecosystems), where management should focus on the maintenance of disturbance regimes; (2) hybrid Grasslands, where restoration should emphasise a return towards the old-growth state; and (3) novel ecosystems, where the magnitude of environmental change (i.e. a shift to an alternative ecosystem state) or the socioecological context preclude a return to historical conditions.
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Management intensity and temporary conversion to other land‐use types affect plant diversity and species composition of subtropical Grasslands in southern Brazil
Applied Vegetation Science, 2016Co-Authors: Christiane Koch, Timo Conradi, Martin M. Gossner, Julia-maria Hermann, Jan Leidinger, Sebastian T. Meyer, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Johannes KollmannAbstract:Questions We investigated the effects of Grassland management intensity and temporary conversion to other land uses on abiotic and biotic properties of subtropical Grasslands. We used species-rich permanent Grasslands of medium management intensity (PG-M) as a reference, and asked the following questions: (1) do permanent Grasslands with low and high management intensities (PG-L and PG-H, respectively) have different plant diversity and species composition than reference Grasslands; and (2) do secondary Grasslands recovering from conversion to arable fields (SG-A) or pine plantations (SG-P) differ from permanent Grasslands in their plant species composition and abiotic conditions? Location Highland Grasslands, Campos de Cima da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Methods We analysed variation in plant species composition and diversity among 80 Grassland sites, including three types of permanent Grassland and two types of secondary Grassland. An indicator species analysis was used to identify characteristic species for the different land-use types. We used a linear discriminant analysis to investigate differences in soil conditions among land-use types. Results Both PG-L and PG-H differed from PG-M regarding plant species composition. Although PG-L shared many typical Grassland species with PG-M, their communities were generally less diverse. PG-H, on the other hand, not only had fewer species but also deviated from PG-M in species composition. Secondary Grasslands on former arable fields and plantations differed from PG-M in species composition and showed lower diversity. Soil conditions of SG-P were similar to those of PG-L and PG-M, but they were distinct from those of PG-H and SG-A. Conclusions All land-use types showed deviations from reference Grasslands (PG-M). The decrease in the number of species in PG-L may be reversed if traditional management intensity is re-introduced, whereas strong compositional changes in SG-P may require the re-introduction of Grassland species. This is also true for PG-H and SG-A: both showed marked deviations from reference Grasslands in biotic and abiotic components. Overall, restoration of altered land-use types to near-natural subtropical Grassland seems feasible, but suitable techniques have to be developed.
