Aradottir, A. L./ G. Oskarsdottir 2013: The use of native turf transplants for roadside: Revegetation in a subarctic area. - Icelandic Agricultural Sciences26(1): 59-67. [RLL List # 232 / Rec.# 34941] Keywords: Biodiversity/ Ecological restoration/ Heathland/ Iceland/ Vegetation dynamics
Abstract: Most road construction projects involve roadside revegetation to control soil erosion and improve road aesthetics. Using native species for roadside revegetation may reduce biodiversity losses and maintenance costs compared to traditional seeding of fast-growing species. We assessed the transplantation of large (> 50 cm diameter), fresh turfs for the revegetation of road verges at a high-elevation subarctic site in SW Iceland by comparing their vegetation composition to adjacent heathland. The road verges had 65% of the vegetation cover of adjacent heathland after two years and 93% after five years. Vascular heathland species had 85% transplant success after five years, but grasses were more abundant in the road verges than the heathland. The most common moss and lichen species survived the transplantation, but with reduced cover compared to the heathland. Thus, transplantation of fresh turfs can quickly establish vegetation cover and diverse plant communities, although the relative abundance of some species may diverge from the donor sites.