Land-use history influence the vegetation in coniferous production forests in southern Sweden

During the last centuries, land use in Europe intensified, which has led to a drastic decrease in the cover of semi-natural grasslands. In Sweden, much of the lost grasslands was turned into forest. This study investigated if species typical of managed grasslands could be found in coniferous production forests more than 80 years after grassland management ceased. Species and trait composition for plants was investigated in two types of forest differing in land use history (meadow in the 1870s or continuous coniferous forest), and in reference grasslands. The average plant species richness as well as the richness of grassland indicator species were 30% higher in forests with a history as meadow compared to in forests with a history as forest, hence clear signs of historical grassland management in todays forests. Compared with forests with continuous coniferous history, vegetation in forests with a meadow history tended to be more similar to reference grassland regarding both plant species and especially plant trait composition. The study provides proof of remnant grassland populations in coniferous production as the source for the biodiversity of clearcuts, rather than seed dispersal or seed bank survival. The result highlights the importance of land use for biodiversity of clearcuts, and points to the potential value of forests with a history of meadow in grassland conservation and restoration.Funding Agencies|Swedish Forest Society