Extensive grazing - basic tool for restoration of dry in PLA České středohoří: the role of LIFE projects and AEM

Roman Hamerský

Eger, Bükki NP, 03.10.´17 České středohoří - tertiary volcanic region, islands of extrazonal steppe

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Extrazonal steppe region: - rain shadow: Ore mountains CZ/DE - 470 mm/yr - sharp slopes - blocked succession stages - south slopes: dry grasslands - north slopes: bushes, forest SCI Oblík-Srdov-Brník Natura 2000 habitat 6210 Festuco-Brometalia

80 rare origin: - pannonic - pontic - continental

Brometalia erecti: mesozoic marlite / marl soils - meadows, pastures (cows, sheep), orchards, alter. fields

Stipo-Festucetalia: basalt diatrema / ranker soils - pastures (sheep, goats) Grazing: 1930s: overgrazing, 1980s: undergrazing, 1991: no grazing

1930´s: overpastured steppes „common land“ but also afforestation of „barren areas“ (non-native species Pinus nigra, Robinia pseudacacia) 1950´s: total law pasture ban - state nature reserves 1970´s: declining pasture intensity 1991: undergrazing - sheep/goat breeding collapse, abandoned land 1995: exponencially grown shrub cover, Arrhenatherum elatius aggression (NOx deposition - industrial region), moisture and old grass concentration 1997: first restoration attempts (shrub removal, first reintroduced sheep pasture ,

SCI Oblík-Srdov-Brník land use change 1950 and 2012

structured „agrarian stone heaps, walls“ 72 km length

Result: rare species dominance loss, habitat quantity and quality loss Since 1997 management attempts LIFE: complex restoration solution

LIFE16 NAT/CZ/000639 LIFE09 NAT/CZ/000363 LIFE09 NAT/CZ/000363 „Lounské Středohoří Steppe“ - Active protection of the SCIs with thermophilous habitat types and species in Lounské Středohoří hills

Accomplished: Managements realised: 320 ha (planed 250 ha) Bush/trees removal (1 - 6x): 225 ha Grazing -sheep/goats (1 - 6x): 220 ha Old fruit varieties orchards reconstruction: 23 ha Invasive trees removal (2 - 6x): 14 ha Onobrychis field (butterfly protection): 2 ha Land purchase (beneficiary - NCA CZ): 13 ha Robinia, Fraxinus, Populus, Cornus, Crataegus, Prunus reduction / elimination

Děkuji vám za pozornost Sheep / goats pasture re-introduction, resp. mowing / grazing / mowing where possible (stops mosses)

RESULT: shift in distribution „high“ and „small“ grasses influeuenced by pasture pressure erectus vs. agressive Arrhenatherum elatius RESULT: Ex.: fastest habitat restoration in 6 years (after shrub removal, sheep/goats pasture)

Shrub„zástavou removal sukcese (3 x) + pasture nastane (4 x) regrese: druhu při snížení tlaku pastvy.. ? 2011: 90% cover Rosa canina + Prunus spinosa 2013: 30% Bromus erectus, Stipa tirsa + Vincet. hirundin. 2016: mainly Stipa tirsa + Vincetoxicum hirundinaria cccccccccccccccccc Increased/decreased - diversed pasture regime, reversible changes if „smaller areas overstocked“ (more K, P in the soil)

Trends in case of increased intensity of shrub removal and pasture:

A) shrub removal - strong shrub retreat ! (but: Prunus spinosa, Cratagus sp., Cornus sanguinea - 1 m long branches growth/year - after first removal…), decrease of Arrhenatherum succession of Bromion with danicus, Salvia spp.; B) if pasture intensity increases - spread of Thymus pannonicus, Linum tenuifolium, Nonea pulla, Verbascum phoeniceum, Rapistrum perenne.... ap., species rich, Bromion – Festucion valesiacae; C) further increase of pasture intensity - progression of Sclerochloa dura, Hyoscyamus niger; Glaucium corniculatum, Erysimum repandum; D) overstocking / overpastured places - S. dura, Urtica; E) pasture timing - better for rare autumn, but low quality food for stock. Influence of pasture / shrub removal to Stipa grasslands:

1. 50 years abandoned arable/fallow land after shrub cut: Stipa spp. appears already 2nd - 3rd year (Raná, Oblík, Srdov hills, in case of thousands bunches in close surrounding even faster), +/- direct proportion to a distance

2. Intensiv Stipa grazing: plants/bunches lower, weaker, ammounts lowers, lower fertility (ex. S. pulcherrima, S. dasyphylla), smaller changes were visible at S. pennata and S. capillata populations;

3. Old grass decay is not too faster by trampling (partal slow decay), role of fire is inconsiderable), - space for efemera and rare species;

4. After intensive pasture of Stipa spp. (př. Raná): spread of valesiaca, Artemisia pontica, Thymus pannonicus to the „free space“;

- ☺ Thirsty sheep prefere fortunately Rosa spp. and Crataegus spp. before Stipa spp., choosy goats prefere pears and apples; all prefere C3 Rosa elliptica before R. canina cover…..

- Sheep graze Stipa spp.: 3rd - 4th sheep generation accustomed - spread of Stipa, seeds often drills to skin caus. injuries, ex. S. tirsa - new locality at Číčov hill; SCI Raná-Hrádek Ground Squirrel colonies enlargement:

2004 (cca 100 animals) 2016 (500 animals) polygons: colonies; points: holes

1945/1952: in 6 local communities 5 083 animals/year caught Monitoring of restoration changes (methodology for managemet programms NCA CZ)

NO TRANSECTS: due to managements mix

A) Fixed sites (phytosociological releves): B) „visible changes“ - shifts of abundance: 5 x 5 m, min. 1 releve/site with management 30 „red book“ species, area 100 x 100 pressure, max, ! average changes, at m, qualified guess selected sites more (4) Ex.: phytosociology, SCI Raná (with management)

20112011 20122012 20132013 20142014 20152015 20162016 Species Remark % % % % % % Festuca rupicola 4,5 3,4 3 3 2 1 Agrimonia eupatoria 2 1,9 0,5 1,3 0,5 0,5 Inclination (stup.): 3 Festuca valesiaca 0 0 0 1,5 1,5 0,7 Achillea collina 0,3 0,25 0,1 0 0 0 Orientation: SW

Filipendula vulgaris 0 0 0 0,1 0,1 0,05 Management: with Achillea pannonica 1,5 1,25 1 0,3 0,5 0,5 mangementem Fragaria vesca 0,8 0,5 0,5 0 0 0 ArtemisiaFragaria viridis pontica 0,10 0 0 1,80,9 1,21,3 1,31 AstragalusHelictotrichon austriacus 0,8 0 0 6 6 7 desertorum 1,7 2,6 2,2 8 4 7 Astragalus excapus 0,9 1,3 0,7 0,9 1 1,5 Holosteum umbellatum 0 0 0 0 0,01 0,02 BotriochloaLinum tenuifolium ischaemum 1,60 1,50 0,90 0 0,250 0,250 BrachypodiumLotus corniculatus pinnatum 0,11,5 1,20 02 0,052 0,051,2 0,50 BromusOnonis spinosa erectus 0,71 0,320 0,50 0,20 0,50,9 0,50,6 BulpleurumOriganum vulgare falcatum 0,10,2 0,150 0,10 0,20 0,50 0,30 Potentilla Carextabernaemontanii humilis 0,11 3,41 13 0 0,10 0,10 CarexReseda praecox lutea 0,50,1 0 0 0,21,5 0,30 0,20 CentaureaReseda luteola stoebe 0,11,5 1,10 01 0 0,040 0 CirsiumRosa canina acaule 1,66 1,32 0,90 0 0 0 CirsiumSalvia pratensis oleraceum 1,51 0,80,9 1 0,90 0,30 0,20 Sanguisorba minor 0 0 0 0,3 0,2 0,2 Convolvulus arvensis 0,6 0,3 0,5 0 0 0 Crataegus monogyna 7 2,5 0 0 0 0,01 Scabiosa ochroleuca 1,5 1,3 1,5 0,2 0,2 0,2 EchinopsSesleria caerulea 0 0 0 0,6 0,8 0,8 sphaerocephallus 0,1 0 0 0,1 0,05 0 Stipa capillata 1 1,4 1 0,5 0,3 0,6 EchiumStipa pennata vulgare 0,50 0,110 0,10 50 0,13 4,50 EryngiumStipa pulcherrima campestre 1,81 2,11 2,51 52 1,53 1,24 ErysimumTeucrium chamaedrys crepidifolium 2,50,9 2,30,7 0,52 20 2,50,1 0,052,5 EuphorbyaThymus praecoxcyparissias 0,9 0,80,7 0,91 0,22 1,40,2 1,50,1 Coverage 49,9 38,08 30,4 46,75 35,6 38,88 Statistics: SCI Křížové vršky, site 4D, without management, PCA

PCA analysis (principal component analysis), low data dispersion result: less xerothermic species, spread of bushes - Prunus, Rosa + Echium vulgare Statistics: ex. Oblík hill, site 1, with management, PCA

Nová tabulka Odkřovinění,

Organisation

PCA analysis Oblík (2011 - 2016), shifts of species representation. Bushes, mesophilic and synantropic species (ex. Cornus sanguinea, Prunus spinosa, Crataegus laevigata, Fragaria viridis, Echinops sphaerocephalus, Cirsium eriophorum) in 2011/2013 are after extensive sheep pasture gradually replaced by charakteristic xerothermic/steppe target species (ex. Adonis vernalis, Astragalus austriacus, Linum austriacum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Thymus pannonicus) Overall / rare species dominance (cover) site Raná

Raná, dominance/cover of selected RB species year year year year site with management 2012 2013 2014 2015 Helictorichon desertorum 2,6 2,2 8 4 Astragalus austriacus 0 0 6 6 Astragalus exscapus 1,3 0,7 0,9 1 Stipa capillata 1,4 1 0,5 0,3 Stipa pennata 0 0 5 3 Stipa pulcherrima 2,1 2,5 5 3 Dominace/Cover of E1 etage 38,08 30,4 46,75 35,6 Dominance/Cover of RB species etage 7,4 6,4 25,4 17,3

50 46.75 Changing higher / lower pasture 45 pressure: 38.08 40 35.6 better ratio of overall x target 35 30.4 30 25.4 species cover (first years) 25 20 17.3 15 10 7.4 6.4 5 0 2012 Cover of E12013 etage Cover of2014 RB species etage 2015 Helictotrichon desertorum - westernmost distribution border vegetation cover / number of individuals

Helictotrichon desertorum

number of individuals total coverage 60 49.9 46.75 50 38.08 35.6 38.88 40 30.4 30 35 35 36 20 10 15 15 0 10 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Raná, comparison of abundance of Helictotrichon desertorum with overall dominance in phytosociological releve with management (sheep pasture). High abundance is reached by overall dominance of cca 40%

HD found 1902 at Raná, western distribution border of the species, EU localities: CZ (6): 5 (ČS), + 1 (Pálava); AT (1) Hundsheimer Berg (Hainburg/Donau), LIFE project inspiration SCI Raná-Hrádek „after - Life sustanability“ - CAP / agro-envi „dry drasslands“

CAP: suitable for 20 years sustaiability, bushes removal will have to continue above that (to keep land blocks suitable) Communication farmers NC Feeling be involved in, not outsider Papíry !!!

Free pasture dogs, negative fencing (what not to graze or limits No CAP: most sensitive, special parts (butterflies plants), where straight control of NC is needed (actions paid by NCA CZ) Changes, challenges:

Changes in 6 years (regional, national): * much higher demand for „soil“ (barren land, old pastures with bushes) * quite low interest to eat „mutton meat“ * higher interest in farming * number of sheep/goats relatively stabilised to +/- 2 000 pc. in the area * mostly free pasture with dogs (fenced areas with NC interests) * still troubles with grasslands/pastures which are declared „forests“ (transferred in 1960s during pasture decline) - pasture ban

Challenge for LIFE team: ++ communication Farmers and NC - especially for detailed changes intensities needs time and individual approach Thank you for your attention !

Köszönöm a figyelmet !

Erysimum