Plant species composition along railway tracks of the "Deutsche Bahn AG" under special consideration of the application of herbicides

Summary

In the last twenty years, the vegetation of railway borders and along the straits became an augmented attention. The reason of it, is first, the discovery of the relevancy of railways as a part of landscape and habitat, secondly because of an increasing interest on ecological management instead of technocratic steerages of maintenance and management of landscapes. Furthermore, railways are playing a prominent role on the dispersion of spores and therewith the immigration of foreign plant species (HEGER 2004). The principal aim of vegetation management on railway straits is the guarantee of a secure railway environment as well as the diminution of the charges related to maintenance through an appropriate combination of vegetation. In addition, in the context of two surveys in 2003, an extensive collection of vegetation data was carried out. Aim of this surveys was to achieve, on a regional scale, plantsociological relevés on railtracks. The plant species have been identified, the abundance and the coverage of tree, shrub and ground vegetation has been recorded according to a standardised method (SCHRÖDER 2002). By means of the collected data, the needs on vegetation control has been evaluated, the effects of the used herbicides has been verified as well as the necessity to use further active agents. Furthermore, the possibilities of using mechanical measures to combate undesirable vegetation schould be quantified (SCHRÖDER 2002). A comparison between treated and non-treated areas has been done. With this objectives as background, the results should be discussed as well as recommendations for further evaluations and implementations. The development of this vegetation data is a groundwork for a future ecological and reasonnable vegetation management in the zone of the Deutsche Bahn Netz AG.