Title: Abandoned railways support greater plant diversity than adjacent grassy meadows in agricultural landscape

Summary: Linear structures such as woodlots and hedgerows offer many benefits to ecosystems, including enhancing biodiversity, increasing the abundance of plants and animals, and providing a wide range of ecosystem services. However, agriculture expansion has deteriorated and destroyed these elements in the farmland landscape. Human-made structures like road verges, electricity pylons, or railways may enhance biodiversity in intensive farmland, replacing natural woody elements.

This research aimed to explore whether abandoned railway lines in agriculture-dominated landscapes can serve as alternative habitats for plant species.

The author evaluated the taxonomical, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, along with the community composition of plants, in 25 sites along abandoned railway lines and 25 reference sites in adjacent semi-natural grasslands. They found no significant difference in species richness and Shannon diversity between grasslands and abandoned railway vegetation, but rather observed distinct differences in functional and phylogenetic diversity. Moreover, the vegetation along abandoned railways was not a variant of surrounding semi-natural grasslands but comprised a novel vegetation type composed of species associated mainly with crops, ruderal, and forest habitats.

Abandoned railway lines are characterised by specific abiotic conditions providing a set of opportunities for shaping distinct plant communities in an intensively managed agricultural landscape, fulfilling the concept of a novel ecosystem.

Abandoned railways offer a unique opportunity for conservation and can serve as valuable dispersal corridors and habitats for plants, increasing functional and phylogenetic diversity in agricultural landscapes. Combining ecological restoration techniques and sustainable land management practices can help support plant diversity on abandoned railways.

Dylewski, Ł., Maćkowiak, Ł. and Dyderski, M.K. (2025), Abandoned Railways Support Greater Functional and Phylogenetic Plant Diversity Than Adjacent Grassy Meadows in Agricultural Landscape. Land Degrad Dev, 36: 614-629. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5383

For more on this topic:

https://lepidopterra.com/railway-lines-a-way-to-restore-biodiversity/



Attachments:
railway novel ecosystem.jpg
Article: WeedsNews6741 (permalink)
Categories: :WeedsNews:research alert, :WeedsNews:reserves, :WeedsNews:railways, :WeedsNews:novel ecosystems, :WeedsNews:restoration, :WeedsNews:ruderal
Date: 24 February 2025; 5:51:29 PM AEDT

Author Name: David Low
Author ID: adminDavid