| 1. |
- Eckstein, Rolf Lutz, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Biological flora of Central Europe– Lupinus polyphyllus Lindley
- 2023
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Ingår i: Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics. - : Elsevier. - 1433-8319 .- 1618-0437. ; 58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The invasive herb Lupinus polyphyllus has been focus of a number of fact sheets worldwide but a comprehensive summary of the species’ taxonomy and morphology, distribution, habitat requirements, and biology has been lacking. This paper gives a thorough account of the species’ systematic position and taxonomy, highlighting the difficulties to delimit taxa, which is related to interbreeding among members of this genus. However, L. polyphyllus var. polyphyllus is apparently the taxon that has naturalized and is regionally invasive in temperate-humid climates worldwide. We also present an updated distribution map of L. polyphyllus in the native and invaded ranges, which highlights seven regions in the world where the species has been established. We show that the climatic niche of L. polyphyllus in the invaded range shifts towards higher summer precipitation and lower isothermality, probably because the invaded range includes subcontinental regions of eastern Europe and western Siberia. The habitats of L. polyphyllus range from rather dry to wet, have moderately acidic to strongly acidic soils, and the species’ indicator values across Europe suggest that it occurs along a gradient from very nutrient poor sites to intermediate to rich sites from northern to southern Europe. The species shows high resistance to both drought and frost. In Central Europe, the species has a stronghold in alpic mountain hay meadows, abandoned meadows and pastures, low and medium altitude hay meadows, anthropogenic herb stands and temperate thickets and scrubs. In northern Europe, the species occurs in anthropogenic herb stands along roads and railroads as well as in abandoned pastures and fields. We also found some doubtful information about L. polyphyllus in the literature. This refers to its description as “rhizomatous perennial” although it lacks rhizomes; an apparently very high longevity of its seeds, which may only be true under artificial conditions in an ex situ seed repository; and a very deep rooting depth, which may not represent the average rooting depth but rather an extreme value. Knowledge about the interrelationships between the species’ future population dynamics and spread and ongoing climate warming is lacking. Finally, our review points out that there is currently no evidence-based strategy for a cost-efficient management of L. polyphyllus although it is among the most problematic non-native plant species in Europe due to its environmental and socio-economic impacts.
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| 4. |
- Helldin, Jan Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Abundance of red-listed species in infrastructure habitats - "responsibility species" as a priority-setting tool for transportation agencies' conservation action
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nature Conservation. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 1314-6947 .- 1314-3301. ; , s. 143-158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Road and railroad verges may contribute to nature conservation by providing habitat for many species, but due to limited resources, there is a need to select the most important road and railroad stretches for adapted management. We explore the responsibility species concept as a tool for the Swedish Transport Administration to make this selection. We propose lists of candidate responsibility species based on relative abundance of conservation priority species in the vicinity of roads and railroads, respectively. Abundance data were derived from crowd-sourced species observations. Species with >= 20% of observations in infrastructure habitats were included as candidate responsibility species. For roads 32 species were included in the list, for railroads seven species, with an overlap of three species between the lists. We analyzed habitat and management requirements of the listed species to try identifying functional groups. Most of the species require open or semi-open habitats, mainly dry grassland or heathland on sandy or limy soil, un-sprayed crop fields, or solitary trees. Host plants or substrates include broom (genus Genista), patches of bare soil, and sun exposed wood. Conservation actions prescribed for the species include, e.g., late or irregular mowing, removal of the field layer, planting of host species, protecting and providing particular substrates, and special protection of certain sites. We argue that road and railroad managers are particularly well suited to conduct most of these actions. We consider the responsibility species concept to be a useful tool for transportation agencies to set priorities for adapted verge management, and the current method to be effective in identifying a first list of candidate species. We discuss the possibility of also identifying responsibility habitats or general management measures based on the results.
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| 5. |
- Helldin, Jan Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Biodiversitet i jernbanehabitater – biologisk kulturarv og grøn infrastruktur
- 2019
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Ingår i: Jernbanehistorie. - 2245-9499 .- 2446-323X. ; 7, s. 7-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The railway network with associated train traffic has a number of well described negative effects on biodiversity, for example loss of natural habitat, barrier and mortality effects, noise disturbance, changes in hydrology, and an increasing fragmentation. However, railway areas such as rail yards, embankments and verges may also provide habitat for many plant and animal species, some of which are rare and endangered while others are invasive aliens. The importance of railway habitats for plant and animal conservation has been acknowledged rather recently, and there are yet much to learn about the ecology of these areas, including their history, ecological functions, and the threats to, prospects for, and management of species of particular importance. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the diversity of species and habitats in Swedish railway areas, suggest a conceptual theory of how these species link to the pre-industrial landscape, describe current goals for and management of railway habitats, and point out the need for future research in the field.Many railway areas in Sweden are characterized by a small-scale habitat mosaic, including micro niches, where species of plants, insects and other invertebrates thrive. Sandy soils and regular vegetation management create dry and sun-exposed “mini steppes” favoring low-growth plants and specialized insects that otherwise have problems surviving in the modern landscape. Frequent disturbances to the ground and soil, caused by a range of human activities, result in ruderal habitats, not least in stations and rail yards where vegetation can be found in various early successional stages. Stands of flowering plants such as blueweed, bluebells, legumes and hawkweeds constitute nectar and pollen resources and host plants for a range of beetles, bees, bugs and butterflies. Patches of bare soil create habitat for nest digging bees and groundliving carabid beetles. Objects such as solitary trees or rose shrubs, stone walls, older wood constructions and wood piles provide substrate for many lichen and insect species and may therefore also be of conservation value. Seeds and invertebrates dispersing along railway verges and hitch-hiking with vehicles further contribute to the variety of species.During assessments of species (selected taxa) and habitats in 747 Swedish rail yards and stations in 2008-2018, a total of ca 2,700 species were recorded, of which 123 species are red-listed. Some 40% of the recorded species could be labelled railway associated, meaning that they significantly benefit from and contribute to the railway habitats, but are also found in similar habitats elsewhere in the landscape. Some 3% of the species are railway bound, meaning that they depend on railway habitats and are largely lacking in other areas. A total of 237 of the rail yards and stations were classified as species rich, i.e. with records of species of particular importance or with the right conditions for such species. This classification can serve to point out railway areas for special conservation action.Species favored by dry and warm conditions (referred to as xerotermophilic) can be assumed to have evolved in natural steppe or ruderal grassland. Such species found new niches and spread to new areas in the historical agricultural landscape. In Sweden before industrialization, the agricultural landscape was dominated by grasslands required to feed large stocks of domestic animals, many forests were sparse and semi-open, soils were emaciated, and frequent human and livestock activities in the landscape such as trampling, digging, cutting etc. mimicked natural disturbance regimes. With the industrialization, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the landscape started undergoing large changes and the conditions diminished for the many species linked to open, dry grasslands. However, in the same period the national railway network was established, and many of the species found recourse in railway areas, which again provided conditions resembling natural habitats and ecological processes. The railway network reached through a landscape of grasslands, villages and farms, and species could easily spread into their new habitats. While sparse and sometimes declining, the xerothermophilic species and the sandy, ruderal grasslands found in railway areas could be considered a biological heritage from the pre-industrial landscape. Still today the railway verges may serve as ecological corridors that functionally connect remnant habitats. Railway areas provide a combination of ancient and new conditions for biodiversity and may form an ecological bridge in both time and space -- thereby being part of the landscape´s green infrastructure.The Swedish Transport Administration, the authority in charge of the management of railway areas, currently acknowledges the significance of species conservation in railway habitats, and state in their regulatory documents that species rich railway habitats should be maintained and if possible created, in order to strengthen the green infrastructure and to avoid habitat loss. Efforts are made to adapt the current railway maintenance, to build knowledge, and enable research and experimental management, to reach this goal.Possible adaptations of regular vegetation maintenance in railway areas may include i) postponed vegetation cutting, ii) cutting targeted to certain areas, iii) control of alien invasive species, iv) removal of cutting mulch, v) controlled burning and iv) livestock grazing. Other examples of management actions to benefit species conservation in railway areas are i) ground scarification, ii) providing open sand, iii) uprooting of woody shrub, iv) seeding with desired species such as host plants or nectar and pollen plants for insects. Also regional railway managers, as well as nature conservation authorities and NGOs, should take part in this endeavor, to help prioritizing the efforts and set them in relation to conservation efforts in the surrounding landscape.The toolbox for railway habitat management needs development. Any adapted management measures should be carefully monitored, in order to build knowledge about their conservation potential and their cost-effectiveness. We also need a better general understanding of the ecology of railway habitats and of the threats to their conservation. However, already the current level of knowledge vouch for immediate action, at selected sites in the existing railway network and in all railway (re-)construction projects.
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| 6. |
- Helldin, Jan Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Så har blomsterlupin spridit sig i Mellansverige
- 2022
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Ingår i: Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift. - 0039-646X. ; 116, s. 112-119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Garden lupin Lupinus polyphyllus is one of the most problematic invasive alien plant species in Sweden. It is particularly common in road verges where they may threaten biodiversity. We present the results from a study of the distribution of garden lupins in the road network in a 130 km2 area in south central Sweden, following a new census method intended to function as a standard for the Swedish Transport Administration. The complete road network in the area was censused (192 km), from highway to minor forest roads. Lupin stands were found in ~4 percent of major roads and ~2 percent of minor, private roads; yet most lupin stands were found in the minor roads because minor roads are more abundant. A majority of lupin stands (76%) were concentrated around houses with gardens, indicating gardens as the primary source for lupins in the area. The authors propose a strategy for lupin control depending on density: large, dense stands are contained, small stands are eradicated, only lupin free soil is used in road management and local actors are informed in order to prevent further spread.
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| 8. |
- Lennartsson, Tommy, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of timing of grassland management on plant reproduction
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Ecology. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-9708 .- 1687-9716. ; 2012, s. 18-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seminatural grasslands are maintained by regular anthropogenic disturbance, usually grazing or mowing. Management action late in the growing season was historically more common than today. Two experimental grazing regimes, continuous stocking from May to September and late-onset grazing from mid-July, were compared in two Swedish grasslands. Effects on flowering and fruit production were studied and related to plant functional traits. Change in vegetation composition over six years was analysed in one grassland. Delayed onset of grazing enhanced fruit production up to four times. Phenology of reproduction was the most important plant trait explaining differences in reproduction among species. Diversity of vascular plant species was higher after six years of late-onset grazing. No differences in vegetation height or proportion of grazed shoots were found by the end of the season. The results suggest that early reproduction may function as an escape from damage and that late onset of grazing may be used as a substitute for labour-intense traditional mowing.
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| 10. |
- Lennartsson, Tommy, et al.
(författare)
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Träd vid vägen : vägträds och alléers natur- och kulturmiljövärden
- 2024
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Gamla träd kan ha en rik biologisk mångfald, ofta med många rödlistade arter. Träden kan också ha höga kulturmiljövärden, om de ingår i en allé eller annan anläggning, eller om träden själva kan bidra till att berätta människans historia, t.ex. genom fysiska spår av hamling och beskärning, eller om träden är förknippade med tradition. Många av dessa värdefulla träd växer i vägmiljö. Trädens biologiska värden är alltid mer eller mindre kopplade till det omgivande landskapet. Vägträden och träden i landskapet bidrar tillsammans med den totala mängden livsmiljöer för arter, och kan tillsammans skapa en kontinuitet av värdefulla träd i tiden. Även kulturmiljövärden styrs i hög grad av om träden ingår i större kulturhistoriskt intressanta anläggningar.Detta projekt har syftat till att utveckla en kunskapsbas och en GIS-baserad metod för inventering och värdering av alléträd och andra vägnära träd i landskapet. Det har gjorts genom att sammanställa befintlig kunskap om värden och förutsättningar för värden, som underlag för att värdera alléer och vägträd i ett natur- och kulturmiljövårdsperspektiv. Vidare att utveckla en inventeringsmetod för vägträdens natur- och kulturmiljövärden som kombinerar befintliga inventeringsdata, nya fältdata, eventuellt nya flygbildsdata, och kulturhistoriskt kontext. Slutligen att utveckla ett förslag till värdering av naturvärde respektive kulturmiljövärde, av såväl alléers och träds egenvärde som av deras värde i ett landskapsperspektiv.
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