Linking Restoration and Ecological Succession (Springer ... - Inecol

130 Karel Prach et al.
Figure 6.5 Spontaneous succession of woody species (predominantly Sambucus nigra)
into an abandoned bus. The establishment was enhanced by perching birds and decreased
competition from the herb layer inside the bus.
2001). Usually, manipulation of succession in abandoned fields can be viewed
as a part of the Secondary Management Phase, and used to accelerate succession
toward a target ecosystem, e.g., grass expansion for use as hay meadows or
pastures (WallisDeVries et al. 1998) or establishment of woody species to
create woodland (Olsson 1987; Fig. 6.5).
In order to promote grassland development, it is often sufficient to introduce
mowing or grazing (Bakker 1989, WallisDeVries et al. 1998; see Chapter 5)
because grasses usually establish spontaneously, in temperate zones mostly
within 15 years (but see Pywell et al. 2002a), although this can be enhanced by
seeding. We recommend that where seeding is to be implemented it is done in
the initial stages, just after abandonment, where the vegetation tends to consist
of annual species, and seedling establishment is easier in a less-competitive
environment. Later in the succession, competitive perennial forbs usually dom-