Shrub removal to restore biodiverse open ecosystems

Shrub removal is a commonly applied method to restore and preserve biodiverse open ecosystems. In order to maintain the optimal conservation state after clearing, costly intensive post-treatments and repeated shrub removal are often employed. A team of ecologist researchers including Ákos Bede-Fazekas, assistant professor of our department, hypothesized that if the target vegetation is not self-sustainable, grassland restorations demand intensive post-treatments. In their study published in the D1-ranked journal "Restoration Ecology", they aimed at determining whether grassland and forest self-sustainability assessed using Multiple Potential Natural Vegetation (MPNV) models could help in predicting the post-treatment intensity required to maintain grasslands restored by shrub removal. Spoiler alert: yes. More can be found in the published paper first-authored by Márton Vörös, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research.