DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gmsbcc2q5
title: Evaluating the success of upland hay meadow restoration in the North Pennines, UK, using green hay transfer

description: 1. Traditionally managed mesotrophic species-rich upland hay meadows
 conforming to the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) MG3b, are one
 of the rarest grassland types in the UK, with substantial declines in
 botanical diversity over the last 50 years. Intensive spring grazing,
 earlier cut dates and increases in soil fertility causes a decline in
 characteristic positive indicator species in MG3b meadows, shifting
 communities from species-rich MG3b, to NVC MG6 meadows, and finally to
 species-poor NVC MG7 meadows.  2. The North Pennines Area of
 Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership’s Hay Time project aimed to
 improve the knowledge of upland hay meadows, and to investigate the
 success of seed addition of key positive indicator species. A
 landscape-scale restoration programme was undertaken between 2006 and
 2012, harvesting seed from 82 species-rich donor meadows and spreading
 seed onto 89 receptor meadows (2282ha). Seed was harvested as green hay,
 using two types of donors: an MG6 donor (classed as restoration, with
 species such as Rhinanthus minor), or using an MG3b donor (classed as
 enhancement, with species such as Geranium sylvaticum). All 89 meadows
 were monitored, with a baseline botanical survey, and a repeat survey
 three to five years after seed addition. In addition, 41 meadows that did
 not have seed addition were monitored (controls).  3.
 Species-richness, diversity and floristic composition improved in 77
 meadows three to five years after seed addition. Eighteen plant species
 had an increase in frequency in the receptor meadows but did not increase
 in frequency in the control meadows. The most successful were eight
 positive indicators which were annuals or fast-growing perennial plants
 (Anthoxanthum odoratum, Euphrasia spp., Myosotis discolor, Plantago
 lanceolata, Ranunculus acris, R. minor, Trifolium dubium and Trifolium
 pratense). However, rarer characteristic MG3b plants such as Alchemilla
 spp., G. sylvaticum, and Cirsium heterophyllum showed little signs of
 establishing. 4. Botanical evidence is demonstrating that seed addition
 using green hay is a successful way of restoring meadows to an MG6
 community. What is now needed is an effective method to establish
 characteristic MG3b plants. Hand-collecting seeds and establishing plug
 plants, alongside seed addition and maintaining traditional management
 practises is one possible way forward.
description: <em>Botanical surveys and
 monitoring</em> Botanical surveys consisted of a
 W-shaped walk-through the meadow, taking approximately one hour to
 complete. All vascular plants were recorded (nomenclature according to
 Stace, 2010) and allocated a DAFOR frequency score, between 1 to 5
 (1=rare, 2=occasional, 3=frequent, 4=abundant, 5=dominant) (O’Reilly/North
 Pennines AONB Partnership, 2006; Starr-Keddle, 2018). All 89 receptor
 meadows were surveyed just before seed addition, with a repeat monitoring
 survey undertaken three to five years later. Forty-one meadows that did
 not have seed addition were monitored (controls), with a baseline survey,
 and repeat monitoring survey undertaken three to five years later. The
 control meadows were often on the same farm as the receptor meadows.
 Monitoring surveys were undertaken from mid-June to mid-July, between the
 years 2009 – 2017. Monitoring surveys were undertaken close to the same
 day as the previous baseline survey.
description: <em>Calculating meadow
 variables</em> For each meadow, the botanical
 survey data was used to calculate the species richness (total number of
 species found) and Shannon Diversity Index (H’) (Shannon, 1948). At the
 beginning of the Hay Time project, grassland plant species recorded in the
 North Pennines were assigned an indicator score ranging from -2 through to
 +4. Positive indicator species are plants that are typical of upland hay
 meadows. Positive indicator species in MG3b meadows were given +3 scores,
 whereas MG6 plants were given +1 or +2 scores. Neutral indicator species
 are plants that are common to all grasslands, and these were given zero
 scores. Negative indicator species are plants that are competitive,
 injurious weeds or invasive, and these were given negative scores (Table
 1). Positive Indicator Species Scores and Negative Indicator Species
 Scores were calculated by multiplying the frequency on a 1 to 5 scale
 (DAFOR) with the species score and summing all species per meadow
 (O’Reilly/North Pennines AONB Partnership, 2006; Starr-Keddle, 2018).
 Ellenberg Fertility Index (N) was similarly calculated by multiplying the
 species frequency with the species fertility score and summing all species
 per meadow, then averaged (weighted means) (Hill <em>et
 al.,</em> 1999). TABLEFIT was used to calculate the goodness of fit
 to MG3b for each meadow survey (Hill <em>et al.,</em> 1996).
 This was calculated to see if the receptor meadows had improved in
 botanical composition similar to an MG3b meadow.