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Mowing and disturbance increase survival rates of three rare moss species of fen meadows

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Abstract

Fen meadow habitats host many rare bryophytes. Lack of management has resulted in eliminations of specialized fen bryophytes by competitively stronger vascular plants or common bryophytes. We studied the effects of management (mowing only or in combination with disturbance and litter removal) on three fen moss species, Breidleria pratensis, Sphagnum warnstorfii and Tomentypnum nitens. Experimental plots were established at sixteen sites in Czechia and were sampled before and after three years of management application. Evaluation of management effects on species cover revealed significant support for both types of management of habitats with the occurrence of Breidleria pratensis and Tomentypnum nitens whereas the effect on Sphagnum warnstorfii cover was not significant. The effects of management on population size were evaluated as two aspects of spatial dynamics, namely the persistence of species in already occupied places and their expansion to new ones. Both management types increased the expansion of all three species, but their persistence was generally supported only by mowing. The combination of mowing and disturbance increased the survival rate only for Tomentypnum nitens and Breidleria pratensis. Overall, our results show that diverse management (mowing, optionally with the creation of gaps and litter removal), applied with reasonable intensity, is essential for maintaining a vital and diverse bryophyte layer in fen meadows.

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Acknowledgements

We would especially like to thank Alžběta Manukjanová (Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia) for her priceless technical help in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czechia

    Tereza Záleská, Eva Holá, Jan Kučera & Táňa Štechová

  2. Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czechia

    Stanislav Grill & Petr Šmilauer

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  1. Tereza Záleská
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  2. Eva Holá
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  3. Jan Kučera
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  4. Stanislav Grill
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  6. Táňa Štechová
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Correspondence to Eva Holá.

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Záleská, T., Holá, E., Kučera, J. et al. Mowing and disturbance increase survival rates of three rare moss species of fen meadows. Folia Geobot 56, 167–177 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-021-09398-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-021-09398-4

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