TY - JOUR
T1 - Beta diversity of restored river dike grasslands is strongly influenced by uncontrolled spatio-temporal variability
AU - Bauer, Markus
AU - Huber, Jakob K.
AU - Kollmann, Johannes
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Vegetation Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association for Vegetation Science.
PY - 2024/7/1
Y1 - 2024/7/1
N2 - Aims: Understanding the spatio-temporal patterns of restoration outcomes is crucial to improve predictability of restoration. High beta diversity of species-rich communities is sought because it increases overall biodiversity and improves ecosystem stability and multifunctionality. For predictive restoration, it is important to identify the significance of drivers like site characteristics but also uncontrolled factors such as spatial effects, historical factors, and year effects. Location: Dikes at river Danube, SE Germany. Methods: We studied dike grasslands 4–19 years after restoration over five years (2017–2021, 41 plots in 12 sites). We calculated beta diversity indices to describe spatial variation and temporal turnover, including their additive components ‘replacement’ and ‘nestedness’, or ‘gains’ and ‘losses’. We analysed the main drivers of beta diversity like local site characteristics, landscape, and historical factors. Results: Spatial variation of the restored dike grasslands was dominated by the replacement component and showed no homogenisation despite a significant temporal turnover. The replacement drivers changed over time, although replacement was mainly affected by slope aspect and landscape factors. Historical factors were inconsistent over time, and no statistically clear drivers of nestedness were found. The dike grasslands exhibited a year-to-year turnover in species composition of 37 ± 11%. Gains and losses were balanced over time, although the ratio changed and was most pronounced on south-facing slopes. Conclusions: The restored grasslands exhibited spatial variation by site characteristics but also by spatial factors which were not controlled by restorations. Moreover, high non-directional temporal turnover occurred, caused most likely by weather fluctuations, slightly varying management, and stochastic biotic dynamics. Thus, flexible targets are recommended for restoration monitoring, by defining a set of desired states within a certain range. Furthermore, the dominance of the replacement component of spatial variation should move the focus from defining one precise restoration approach to defining a set of possible methods which together would foster beta diversity.
AB - Aims: Understanding the spatio-temporal patterns of restoration outcomes is crucial to improve predictability of restoration. High beta diversity of species-rich communities is sought because it increases overall biodiversity and improves ecosystem stability and multifunctionality. For predictive restoration, it is important to identify the significance of drivers like site characteristics but also uncontrolled factors such as spatial effects, historical factors, and year effects. Location: Dikes at river Danube, SE Germany. Methods: We studied dike grasslands 4–19 years after restoration over five years (2017–2021, 41 plots in 12 sites). We calculated beta diversity indices to describe spatial variation and temporal turnover, including their additive components ‘replacement’ and ‘nestedness’, or ‘gains’ and ‘losses’. We analysed the main drivers of beta diversity like local site characteristics, landscape, and historical factors. Results: Spatial variation of the restored dike grasslands was dominated by the replacement component and showed no homogenisation despite a significant temporal turnover. The replacement drivers changed over time, although replacement was mainly affected by slope aspect and landscape factors. Historical factors were inconsistent over time, and no statistically clear drivers of nestedness were found. The dike grasslands exhibited a year-to-year turnover in species composition of 37 ± 11%. Gains and losses were balanced over time, although the ratio changed and was most pronounced on south-facing slopes. Conclusions: The restored grasslands exhibited spatial variation by site characteristics but also by spatial factors which were not controlled by restorations. Moreover, high non-directional temporal turnover occurred, caused most likely by weather fluctuations, slightly varying management, and stochastic biotic dynamics. Thus, flexible targets are recommended for restoration monitoring, by defining a set of desired states within a certain range. Furthermore, the dominance of the replacement component of spatial variation should move the focus from defining one precise restoration approach to defining a set of possible methods which together would foster beta diversity.
KW - community assembly
KW - embankment
KW - replacement
KW - spatial heterogeneity
KW - species composition
KW - temporal variability
KW - year effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200379427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jvs.13293
DO - 10.1111/jvs.13293
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85200379427
SN - 1100-9233
VL - 35
JO - Journal of Vegetation Science
JF - Journal of Vegetation Science
IS - 4
M1 - e13293
ER -