Vegetation changes in semi-natural meadows after abandonment in coastal northern Finland

A research project on traditional cultural landscapes in coastal northern Finland provided the opportunity to compare presently managed meadow sites to a series of corresponding abandoned sites. Twenty-two grassland habitats, either grazed or mown. were studied to analyze differences between species compositions The data were classified with TWINSPAN and ordinated with Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The multivariate analysis recognized successfully habitats that are either presently used or differ considerably from the others by their moisture gradient although a few very common generalist species were present in almost every seral stage studied. The studied deviant habitats resemble most of the previously described vegetation types in northern Finland. Results suggest that drought can delay the invasion of tall broad-leaved species. The results also support the idea that abandoned meadows of corresponding moisture gradients begin to resemble each other in later stages of succession. Multivariate methods can be used to determine the succession stages in grassland habitats and thus help to determine the urgency for restoration practices.