TY - JOUR

T1 - Developing a new protocol for monitoring vegetation in limestone pavement

AU - Stevens, Carly

PY - 2025/7/1

Y1 - 2025/7/1

N2 - Limestone pavements are a rocky habitat formed of slabs of rock with crevices (grikes) between them where a rich community of plants can grow. The habitat is important for conservation but there is currently a lack of evidence to support their management and conservation. Putting monitoring in place when management changes are made will help to build an evidence base to support decision making in conservation but it can be challenging to monitor vegetation in limestone pavements. Here I present a monitoring protocol suitable for use by conservation practitioners and others working in limestone pavements. Following discussion with practitioners, 24 pavements were selected to represent the variety of pavements in Great Britain. Transect surveys were conducted to identify the optimal length of grike for survey. Based on existing practice in other habitats, a suitable approach to when management changes are being made would be to use a before-after-control-impact design. Within each 2500 m2 plot twenty 10 m transects, randomly placed in grikes, should provide sufficient coverage for repeat monitoring. Species should be identified to a species level wherever possible and cover estimated. The results of the analysis support the view that the new method is a reliable approach.

AB - Limestone pavements are a rocky habitat formed of slabs of rock with crevices (grikes) between them where a rich community of plants can grow. The habitat is important for conservation but there is currently a lack of evidence to support their management and conservation. Putting monitoring in place when management changes are made will help to build an evidence base to support decision making in conservation but it can be challenging to monitor vegetation in limestone pavements. Here I present a monitoring protocol suitable for use by conservation practitioners and others working in limestone pavements. Following discussion with practitioners, 24 pavements were selected to represent the variety of pavements in Great Britain. Transect surveys were conducted to identify the optimal length of grike for survey. Based on existing practice in other habitats, a suitable approach to when management changes are being made would be to use a before-after-control-impact design. Within each 2500 m2 plot twenty 10 m transects, randomly placed in grikes, should provide sufficient coverage for repeat monitoring. Species should be identified to a species level wherever possible and cover estimated. The results of the analysis support the view that the new method is a reliable approach.

KW - Lapaiz

KW - Monitoring

KW - Karst

KW - Alvar

KW - Karren

KW - Habitat management

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-025-05931-z

DO - 10.1038/s41598-025-05931-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 40594687

VL - 15

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

SN - 2045-2322

IS - 1

M1 - 22425

ER -