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Diversity
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Ecology and Restoration of Grassland
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Ecology and Restoration of Grassland

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 7022

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiaowei Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Region, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
Interests: grassland degradation; hydrologic process; water cycle; water conservation function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Grasslands cover around 40% of the Earth’s surface, serve as an important global reservoir of biodiversity, and provide a series of ecosystem services, such as food production, carbon storage, and climate mitigation. However, the degradation of grasslands has increased dramatically in recent decades, which has indisputably led to severe consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Therefore, the restoration of degraded grassland is essential, not only in biodiversity and services improvement, but also for carbon sequestration and global warming mitigation. Currently, numerous recovery practices have been successfully implemented to alleviate degradation and increase vegetation cover in degraded grasslands, while most research on grassland restoration has focused on restoration practices rather than the underlying theoretical basis. Moreover, restoration goals have focused on aboveground restoration, while belowground is always ignored. Thus, systematic restoration considering multifunctions and multitrophic levels is strongly needed in future studies.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a research platform to combine and synthesize recent research on degraded grassland restoration and management, as well as the development and utilization of ecological restoration theories. We kindly invite you to submit manuscripts with a focus on these related topics.

Dr. Xiaowei Guo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • ecological restoration
  • active restoration
  • biodiversity
  • community assembly theory
  • species composition
  • grassland degradation
  • grassland management
  • soil carbon sequestration
  • seed addition
  • plant–soil feedback

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 11494 KiB  
Article
Plant Trait Composition in Lowland Calcareous and Acidic Semi-Dry Grasslands
by Sonja Škornik
Diversity 2025, 17(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17010022 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1050
Abstract
European semi-dry grasslands are habitats of high conservation value. Therefore, research into the mechanisms of community assembly is important for their effective management. Using data from 76 vegetation plots of calcareous and acidic semi-dry grasslands in continental Slovenia, the author analysed the composition [...] Read more.
European semi-dry grasslands are habitats of high conservation value. Therefore, research into the mechanisms of community assembly is important for their effective management. Using data from 76 vegetation plots of calcareous and acidic semi-dry grasslands in continental Slovenia, the author analysed the composition of plant traits, focusing on less studied belowground traits. Community-weighted means were calculated for nine plant functional traits: life form, growth form, clonal growth organ (CGO) type, persistence of connection in CGO, number of clonal offspring shoots, lateral spreading distance, role of CGO, bud bank, CSR strategy. The results showed that both grassland communities were characterized by high local persistence (perennial plants with long-lived connections between ramets). Acidic grasslands had more species with rosettes, rhizomes and stress-tolerators, indicating more stressful conditions, probably due to low pH. Mesic grassland species with numerous stolons and longer lateral spread were also characteristic of acidic grasslands. Calcareous grasslands hosted more competitors, plants with leafy stems and plants with perennial main roots. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of grassland processes and provides a basis for future investigations of belowground plant traits and their function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Restoration of Grassland)
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15 pages, 2123 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Goat Grazing on the Biodiversity of Pannonian Dry Grassland
by Karoly Penksza, Ferenc Pajor, Andrea Kevi, Zsombor Wagenhoffer, Laszló Sipos, Eszter Salata-Falusi, Peter Penksza, Peter Poti, Jozsef Berke, Denes Salata, Marta Bajnok and Szilard Szentes
Diversity 2025, 17(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17010013 - 26 Dec 2024
Viewed by 943
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the phytosociological data from four sample sites located in the Pannonian region. The study areas, ranging from 2.4 to 2.5 hectares, have been subjected to goat grazing and mowing for 24 years. N1: Nagyréde, an overgrazed pasture with [...] Read more.
In this study, we analyzed the phytosociological data from four sample sites located in the Pannonian region. The study areas, ranging from 2.4 to 2.5 hectares, have been subjected to goat grazing and mowing for 24 years. N1: Nagyréde, an overgrazed pasture with 24 goats; N2: Nagyréde, a mown field; C1: Csokvaomány, a lightly grazed pasture with 12 goats; and meadow C2: Csokvaomány, a site that is both mown and grazed. Six phytosociological surveys were conducted randomly in each area. We also considered the conservation value, biomass production, and forage values. Phytosociological data were processed using hierarchical cluster analysis and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test. The overgrazed pasture (N1) exhibited the most degraded vegetation community, dominated by weeds and disturbance-tolerant species. The overgrazed (N1) pasture had a low forage value because of the different timing of treatments. Even in the lightly grazed pasture (C1), the proportion of species indicative of degradation was significant. The species composition of the areas indicated that the mown and subsequently grazed area (C2) had outstanding values. The species richness of C2 was twice that of the mown field (N2). Based on the present study, a combination of light grazing pressure and mowing is the most suitable approach for managing and economically utilizing these grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Restoration of Grassland)
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22 pages, 5984 KiB  
Article
Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration
by Sándor Bartha, Judit Házi, Dragica Purger, Zita Zimmermann, Gábor Szabó, Zsófia Eszter Guller, András István Csathó and Sándor Csete
Diversity 2024, 16(12), 769; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120769 - 18 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 838
Abstract
Quantifying within-community variability and understanding the related assembly rules are important in developing and assessing grassland restoration. Beta diversity has great potential, revealing mechanisms behind community-level changes in succession. Here, we introduce two simple beta diversity indices: Microhabitat Diversity is the Shannon diversity [...] Read more.
Quantifying within-community variability and understanding the related assembly rules are important in developing and assessing grassland restoration. Beta diversity has great potential, revealing mechanisms behind community-level changes in succession. Here, we introduce two simple beta diversity indices: Microhabitat Diversity is the Shannon diversity of patches formed by the locally dominant species, and Multiplet Diversity is the Shannon diversity of subordinate species richness categories detected at a fine scale. Using null models, we tested the biotic filtering effects of dominants on the distribution of subordinates. Based on long-term vegetation monitoring data, we tested the utility of these models in grassland restoration. Sites sown with seed mixture and developing spontaneously were compared and used as test data for exploring the proposed indices. Microhabitat Diversity was larger at spontaneously developing sites, and its local maxima reflected reorganization in the mosaic structure of the community. Species richness categories with zero or one subordinate species were typical in sown grassland, while small 5 cm × 5 cm microsites where 2, 3, or 4 subordinate species co-occured were more frequent in spontaneous succession. Contrary to expectation, a slight convergence of beta diversity measures was revealed after 15 years of succession between passive and active restorations. Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity are simple indices that complement existing methods and provide new insights into grassland restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Restoration of Grassland)
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12 pages, 1131 KiB  
Article
Effects of Hemiparasites in Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal
by Anna Scheidel and Victoria Borowicz
Diversity 2024, 16(2), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020102 - 3 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if [...] Read more.
Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations under, 25 cm from, and 50 cm from hemiparasites, and in the center of hemiparasite-free plots. On the C. sessiliflora site, plots with the hemiparasites had higher species richness due to more forbs and higher floristic quality, consistent with the keystone species hypothesis. Soil phosphate levels were also greater in plots with C. sessiliflora present, consistent with the hypothesis of ecosystem engineering by this hemiparasite. In contrast, plots with/without P. canadensis showed no associations of any community metrics with the hemiparasite, and no correspondence between the presence of hemiparasites and soil nutrients. Although hemiparasites can increase grassland community heterogeneity, the effect is not universal, and the direction and strength of effects likely depends on local conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Restoration of Grassland)
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Review

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22 pages, 1838 KiB  
Review
The Importance of Soil Seed Bank Function in Studies of Grassland Degradation
by Chao Chen, Wei He, John Scullion and Mike Wilkinson
Diversity 2025, 17(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17010042 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1133
Abstract
The world’s grasslands are under increasing threat of degradation. Given the potential for multiple drivers of decline, precise diagnosis of degradation is best achieved by comparison with a local, sustainable grassland community. Comparisons of this kind are becoming increasingly common for regional grassland [...] Read more.
The world’s grasslands are under increasing threat of degradation. Given the potential for multiple drivers of decline, precise diagnosis of degradation is best achieved by comparison with a local, sustainable grassland community. Comparisons of this kind are becoming increasingly common for regional grassland plant communities, but these studies largely overlook interactions between soil responses to system degradation and the effective functioning of the soil seed bank. Surveys of grassland degradation studies have revealed that only around 5% include information on soil seed bank composition and no one aspect of community structure features across all studies. Furthermore, the majority of studies provide information only on ground coverage, sward biomass or species diversity in the plant subcommunity, with very few including information on the health of the soil seed bank or how changes in the soil environment could drive further deterioration in the plant community size, structure or effective functioning of the soil seed bank. We consider that soil responses to sward degradation are likely to exacerbate rather than mitigate impacts on soil seed bank function, leading to a spiral of system degradation in the absence of timely and targeted intervention. We propose improvements for future studies seeking to diagnose and quantify grassland degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Restoration of Grassland)
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