TY - JOUR

T1 - Impact of sod-cutting and choppering on nutrient budgets of dry heathlands

AU - Niemeyer, Marion

AU - Niemeyer, Thomas

AU - Fottner, Silke

AU - Haerdtle, Werner

AU - Mohamed, Abdelmenam

N1 - Funding Information: This research project was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Project No. 01LN0006. We acknowledge both the support of the Alfred Toepfer Academy (NNA) for the field experiments and the project coordination. G. von Oheimb is thanked for his critical reading of the manuscript.

PY - 2007/1/1

Y1 - 2007/1/1

N2 - Heathlands are endangered by both atmospheric nutrient deposition and natural succession. High-intensity management measures are considered necessary, as low-intensity measures (e.g. mowing, prescribed burning) are not able to compensate for atmospheric nutrient loads. Choppering (i.e. the near-complete removal of the O-layer) has several advantages over sod-cutting, including less waste material, faster vegetation recovery and lower costs. This raises the question addressed in this study as to the extent to which choppering and sod-cutting affect nutrient budgets in dry heathlands. We compared the quantities of N, Ca, K, Mg, and P removed by choppering and sod-cutting in the Lueneburg Heath (NW Germany). Nutrient balances were calculated by analysing atmospheric inputs, elevated leaching rates following management, and output due to the removal of above-ground biomass and humus horizons. Nutrient loss was particularly high after removal of O- and A-horizons. In contrast, increased leaching after management was of minor importance for nutrient budgets. Although considerably more nutrients were removed by sod-cutting than by choppering (e.g. N: 1712/1008 kg ha -1), nutrient output by choppering was still sufficient to compensate for 60.7 years of net N-input. Choppering was able to remove more N per volume unit than sod-cutting due to higher N-contents in the organic layer than in the A-horizon. For this reason, choppering is more economical than sod-cutting and, thus, should be considered the preferable method at sites not dominated by Molinia caerulea. A combination of high-intensity measures with prescribed burning would appear to be suitable as this would ensure more selective removal of N.

AB - Heathlands are endangered by both atmospheric nutrient deposition and natural succession. High-intensity management measures are considered necessary, as low-intensity measures (e.g. mowing, prescribed burning) are not able to compensate for atmospheric nutrient loads. Choppering (i.e. the near-complete removal of the O-layer) has several advantages over sod-cutting, including less waste material, faster vegetation recovery and lower costs. This raises the question addressed in this study as to the extent to which choppering and sod-cutting affect nutrient budgets in dry heathlands. We compared the quantities of N, Ca, K, Mg, and P removed by choppering and sod-cutting in the Lueneburg Heath (NW Germany). Nutrient balances were calculated by analysing atmospheric inputs, elevated leaching rates following management, and output due to the removal of above-ground biomass and humus horizons. Nutrient loss was particularly high after removal of O- and A-horizons. In contrast, increased leaching after management was of minor importance for nutrient budgets. Although considerably more nutrients were removed by sod-cutting than by choppering (e.g. N: 1712/1008 kg ha -1), nutrient output by choppering was still sufficient to compensate for 60.7 years of net N-input. Choppering was able to remove more N per volume unit than sod-cutting due to higher N-contents in the organic layer than in the A-horizon. For this reason, choppering is more economical than sod-cutting and, thus, should be considered the preferable method at sites not dominated by Molinia caerulea. A combination of high-intensity measures with prescribed burning would appear to be suitable as this would ensure more selective removal of N.

KW - Biology

KW - Atmospheric nutrient deposition

KW - Calluna vulgaris

KW - Deschampsia flexuosa

KW - Leaching

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Nutrient removal

KW - Atmospheric nutrient deposition

KW - Calluna vulgaris

KW - Deschampsia flexuosa

KW - Leaching

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Nutrient removal

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547124948&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/38ffbc4e-6c12-3a8d-96c1-b20be08e1854/

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.07.013

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.07.013

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 134

SP - 344

EP - 353

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

SN - 0006-3207

IS - 3

ER -