We have found an increased moss cover in blown (leaf blower) compared with traditonally raked meadow plots (type mesobrometum) and I would like to discuss possible effects on nature conservation values of vascular plants and the productivity of the meadow.
Up to now I have found only few paper adressing at least partly this question (Löbel et al. 2006, Losvik 2006, Gornall 2011)
As an aproach to disturbance-nonvascular-vascular organisms, you can explore "Soil crusts and disturbance benefit plant germination, establishment and growth on nutrient deficient sand" . Beyschlag, et. al 2007.
hi Carla
Thank you very much for the link. It is a very intersting paper. Even if a soil crust habitat on sand is not the same like a semi dry meadow, the following findings of Beyschlag et al. - "Undisturbed crusts had a low stimulating effect on seed germination. In contrast and independent of the presence or absence of crusts mechanical soil disturbance led to significantly higher seed germination rates. It is concluded that the occurrence of small-scale disturbance events of moderate intensity at an intermediate frequency, which is the typical disturbance regime in many natural soil crust habitats, seems to be necessary for the successful coexistence of crust organisms and higher plants in nutrient poor environments."- will give an added value to the discussion raked vs. blown because blowing leads to much less mechanical disturbance.
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