| Summary: | Agricultural land available for habitat creation and restoration is of higher soil nutrient status than semi-natural habitats. This causes problems by favouring the growth of competitive species which thrive at the expense of a more diverse plant community. The depleted seed bank of ex-arable land means that target species are unlikely to be present. Even when the site is adjacent to target habitat, natural colonisation will be slow, meaning target species will need to be introduced artificially. This thesis researches the use of topsoil inversion followed by sowing a simple seed mix, as a means of improving habitat creation in comparison to conventional techniques. This was achieved by establishing a main experimental site, and surveying fifteen existing topsoil inversion sites.
|
|---|
