This project aims at increasing and strengthening our knowledge on how to establish and maintain a species rich flora along Swedish roads. Our wish is to find cost efficient management methods for increasing the abundance of rare and threatened grassland plant species, allowing the methods we find to be used at a larger scale. Presently we are setting up a pilot experiment on the Baltic island of Gotland. Here, we combine traditional road management (road verge mowing and ditching with a) the placement of seed rich hay from a traditionally managed meadow, and b) the use of hemiparasitic plant species to reduce the dominance of competitive species. We hope this could be a way to increase road verge species richness and creating refuges for threatened species while not compromising road safety (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212343.
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