Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes

Abstract Past forest use often has a long‐term negative impact on the recovery of the original plant composition of semi‐natural grasslands, which is known as a legacy effect. This study investigates the impact of seed dispersal limitations on the restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slop...

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Main Authors: Yuki A. Yaida, Taiki Inoue, Tanaka Kenta, Atushi Ushimaru
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11654
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author Yuki A. Yaida
Taiki Inoue
Tanaka Kenta
Atushi Ushimaru
author_facet Yuki A. Yaida
Taiki Inoue
Tanaka Kenta
Atushi Ushimaru
author_sort Yuki A. Yaida
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Past forest use often has a long‐term negative impact on the recovery of the original plant composition of semi‐natural grasslands, which is known as a legacy effect. This study investigates the impact of seed dispersal limitations on the restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes with past forest use, highlighting the negative legacy effect on biodiversity recovery. Focusing on ski areas, our research contrasts the vegetation on ski slopes originally created on semi‐natural grasslands such as pasture (pasture slopes) and constructed by clearing secondary forests or conifer plantations (forest slopes). We examined species richness and diversity, considering seed dispersal modes, grassland management history, and seed source proximity. We reveal that the proximity to species‐rich grassland sources is pivotal for the restoration of native grassland vegetation. Particularly, wind‐dispersed species show significant recovery on slopes with sustained management for more than 70 years and those with neighboring species‐rich grasslands, suggesting that both the duration of management and the proximity to seed sources are critical for overcoming the legacy effects of past forest use. Meanwhile, gravity‐dispersed species failed to recover their richness and diversity regardless of both the duration of management and the proximity to seed source grasslands, which their diversity recovered where seed sources neighbored. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering seed dispersal limitation and management history in the restoration and conservation of grasslands and their biodiversity, particularly in landscapes experiencing past human intervention.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2045-7758
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publishDate 2024-07-01
publisher Wiley
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series Ecology and Evolution
spelling doaj-art-41b6464bf9e749a0be8c42e6f57ff37a2025-08-20T03:30:55ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-07-01147n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11654Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopesYuki A. Yaida0Taiki Inoue1Tanaka Kenta2Atushi Ushimaru3Graduate School of Human Development and Environment Kobe University Kobe JapanSugadaira Montane Research Centre University of Tsukuba Ueda JapanSugadaira Montane Research Centre University of Tsukuba Ueda JapanGraduate School of Human Development and Environment Kobe University Kobe JapanAbstract Past forest use often has a long‐term negative impact on the recovery of the original plant composition of semi‐natural grasslands, which is known as a legacy effect. This study investigates the impact of seed dispersal limitations on the restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes with past forest use, highlighting the negative legacy effect on biodiversity recovery. Focusing on ski areas, our research contrasts the vegetation on ski slopes originally created on semi‐natural grasslands such as pasture (pasture slopes) and constructed by clearing secondary forests or conifer plantations (forest slopes). We examined species richness and diversity, considering seed dispersal modes, grassland management history, and seed source proximity. We reveal that the proximity to species‐rich grassland sources is pivotal for the restoration of native grassland vegetation. Particularly, wind‐dispersed species show significant recovery on slopes with sustained management for more than 70 years and those with neighboring species‐rich grasslands, suggesting that both the duration of management and the proximity to seed sources are critical for overcoming the legacy effects of past forest use. Meanwhile, gravity‐dispersed species failed to recover their richness and diversity regardless of both the duration of management and the proximity to seed source grasslands, which their diversity recovered where seed sources neighbored. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering seed dispersal limitation and management history in the restoration and conservation of grasslands and their biodiversity, particularly in landscapes experiencing past human intervention.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11654afforestationanemochorybarochoryland‐use changemowing managementnative grassland species
spellingShingle Yuki A. Yaida
Taiki Inoue
Tanaka Kenta
Atushi Ushimaru
Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
Ecology and Evolution
afforestation
anemochory
barochory
land‐use change
mowing management
native grassland species
title Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
title_full Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
title_fullStr Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
title_full_unstemmed Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
title_short Seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
title_sort seed dispersal limitation causes negative legacy effect on restoration of grassland plant diversity on ski slopes
topic afforestation
anemochory
barochory
land‐use change
mowing management
native grassland species
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11654
work_keys_str_mv AT yukiayaida seeddispersallimitationcausesnegativelegacyeffectonrestorationofgrasslandplantdiversityonskislopes
AT taikiinoue seeddispersallimitationcausesnegativelegacyeffectonrestorationofgrasslandplantdiversityonskislopes
AT tanakakenta seeddispersallimitationcausesnegativelegacyeffectonrestorationofgrasslandplantdiversityonskislopes
AT atushiushimaru seeddispersallimitationcausesnegativelegacyeffectonrestorationofgrasslandplantdiversityonskislopes