Ecologists know that plants can travel along with human transport, but what happens to the plants left behind? Łukasz Dylewski and colleagues examined the plant life along former railway lines in Poland to see if they could support plant diversity in farming areas. The team compared 25 abandoned railway sites with 25 nearby meadows. They found that far from being scars on the landscape, railways support unique plant communities that could help promote biodiversity.
The research team studied plant communities in a farming region near Leszno, Poland, where remains of railways cross through a landscape of fields, meadows and small forests. The railway sites they chose had been unused for different lengths of time – some for just 6 years, others for up to 68 years. Unlike the nearby meadows, which farmers regularly mowed and fertilised, these railway sites had been left to grow wild, allowing nature to take its course. At each site they carefully recorded every plant species they found.
The abandoned railways turned out to be unexpected havens for plant diversity. While both railway sites and meadows had similar numbers of plant species, the railway plants were remarkably different in their characteristics and evolutionary history. Common meadow grasses like tall oat-grass grew alongside plants typically found at forest edges, such as dewberries and nettles. The researchers also found plants that thrive in disturbed ground, including evening primrose and wild mignonette.
Unlike the uniform meadows, which were dominated by grass species due to regular mowing, the railway sites provided varied growing conditions. Some areas were sunny and dry, while others were shaded by small trees and shrubs. This variety of conditions allowed many different types of plants to find their perfect growing spot. Sites left to decay can be, for the plants that occupy the site, a shelter against humanity.
The findings challenge assumptions the public and politicians make about ‘brownfield’ sites. Rather than seeing unused railways as wasteland, we could view them as accidental nature reserves, providing safe spaces where different types of plants can thrive. They might even help connect isolated patches of wildlife habitat across intensively farmed landscapes, creating green corridors for nature.
Dylewski, Ł., Maćkowiak, Ł., & Dyderski, M. K. 2024. Abandoned Railways Support Greater Functional and Phylogenetic Plant Diversity Than Adjacent Grassy Meadows in Agricultural Landscape. Land Degradation & Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5383 ($)
