Methods of limiting willow shrub re-growth after initial removal on fen meadows

SummaryShrub removal is commonly used for management and restoration of species-rich fen meadows. A common problem after initial shrub cutting of willow is a vigorous re-sprouting and quick re-growth. In this paper we test experimentally what is an effective management option, limiting the re-growth of willow after cutting, on peat soils. In this experiment (split-plot set-up) we tested mowing of different intensity, removal of young shoots by hand and herbicide application, to find out which of them effectively limits willow re-growth. All applied treatments limited re-sprouting, but to different extents. We found that mowing had a strong, negative effect on increase in height of the shoots and on increase of the number of leaves, while an application of Roundup strongly limited the number of new shoots, in comparison with control. When all measured characteristics were accounted for, the combination of Roundup use and annual mowing was most effective. If the use of herbicide is to be avoided, intensive mowing in the first years (×2 or ×3) should be applied, followed by annual mowing. We concluded that removal of young shoots by hand did not have a stronger effect in weakening the willow re-growth than mowing. The treatment with herbicide application alone was not effective.