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Fluctuations in a coastal dune grassland due to fluctuations in rainfall: Experimental evidence

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Abstract

Experiments with rainfall on a dune grassland near Oostvoorne, the Netherlands with Festuco-Galietum as the main syntaxon are described. Both increase in rain through additional watering and decrease in rain through catchment are presented to plots belonging to the xerosere and the mesosere. Clear changes in the floristic composition are the result, even after only two years. Typical Festuco-Galietum species are promoted by high rainfall, species of open habitat such as Corynephorus canescens are promoted by drought. The results are discussed against the background of long term permanent plot observations in the area and a relation with rabbit grazing intensity is supposed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Institute of Ecological Botany, University of Uppsala, Box 559, S 751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

    E. van der Maarel

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  1. E. van der Maarel
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Additional information

Nomenclature of vascular plants follows Heukels-van Ooststroom (1975) Flora van Nederland 18 ed., Woiters-Noordhoff, Groningen; Nomenclature of syntaxa follows Westhoff & den Held (1969). Plantengemeenschappen in Nederland, Thieme, Zutphen.

Field work in 1978 was carried out with Frans Bongers and Marc de Lyon, in 1979 with Marc de Lyon, Picter Meeuwissen and Guiljo van Nuland, all then MSc. students at the Division of Geobotany. Their help and the advice of Dr. Peter van der Aart, Institute of Ecological Research, Oostvoorne, are acknowledged.

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van der Maarel, E. Fluctuations in a coastal dune grassland due to fluctuations in rainfall: Experimental evidence. Vegetatio 46, 259–265 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118403

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118403

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