Abandoned Railways Support Greater Functional and Phylogenetic Plant Diversity Than Adjacent Grassy Meadows in Agricultural Landscape

Abstract

Linear structures such as woodlots and hedgerows offer many benefits to ecosystems, including enhancing biodiversity, increasing the abundance of plants and animals, and providing a wide range of ecosystem services. However, agriculture expansion has deteriorated and destroyed these elements in the farmland landscape. Human‐made structures like road verges, electricity pylons, or railways may enhance biodiversity in intensive farmland, replacing natural woody elements. We aimed to explore whether abandoned railway lines in agriculture‐dominated landscapes can serve as alternative habitats for plant species. We evaluated the taxonomical, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, along with the community composition of plants, in 25 sites along abandoned railway lines and 25 reference sites in adjacent semi‐natural grasslands. We found no significant difference in species richness and Shannon diversity between grasslands and abandoned railway vegetation, but we observed distinct differences in functional and phylogenetic diversity. Moreover, the vegetation along abandoned railways is not a variant of surrounding semi‐natural grasslands but comprises a novel vegetation type composed of species associated mainly with crops, ruderal, and forest habitats. Abandoned railway lines are characterized by specific abiotic conditions providing a set of opportunities for shaping distinct plant communities in an intensively managed agricultural landscape, fulfilling the concept of a novel ecosystem. Abandoned railways offer a unique opportunity for conservation and can serve as valuable dispersal corridors and habitats for plants, increasing functional and phylogenetic diversity in agricultural landscapes. Combining ecological restoration techniques and sustainable land management practices can help support plant diversity on abandoned railways.