IMIS

Soil was collected from nineteen sites catagorized into four field types: characteristic sites with characteristic vegetation of matgrass sward (Gentiano pneumonanthes-Nardetum)(O+), characteristic sites that had lost characteristic species (O),sites where the characteristic species had returned following successful restoration activities (R+), and sites where restoration activities had failed and characteristic species did not return (R). Abiotic and biotic charracteristics of the soil were assessed. Sterilized or non-sterilized soil inoculum from each site was added to a common sterilized background soil. Plants were grown in three species mixtures and biomass determined at harvest.