Early sowing of multiple species supports the recovery potential of restored grasslands

Abstract Grasslands face severe degradation due to changing climate and management practices, resulting in loss of biodiversity and decline of ecosystem services. Consequently, grassland restoration has become increasingly important in tackling these degradation processes. However, even restored grasslands are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances such as ploughing due to changes in ownership, land use, utilization or agri‐environmental schemes. Our study aimed to understand the recovery of recently restored sown grasslands (2–5 years) after severe disturbance (ploughing), focusing on the recovery of target grassland species and weed encroachment. In a field mesocosm experiment (2014–2022) in eastern Hungary, we applied disturbance by ploughing to restored grassland plots. Restoration involved sowing either a combination of grass and forb species seeds or a forb‐only seed mixture. The restored plant communities developed for 2 to 5 years before ploughing. We monitored vegetation recovery for 3 years after disturbance, focusing on sown forbs and weeds. We compared the recovered vegetation to the pre‐disturbance stage to quantify resilience. Species composition recovered within 2 years. The target forbs recovered more successfully in older (4‐ to 5‐year‐old) restored plots. Ploughing alleviated the dominance of grass in younger plots, allowing the establishment of sown forbs. The weed cover was initially high, but decreased rapidly during recovery. Practical implications: Species richness of target grassland forb species can recover quickly following disturbance in young restored grasslands. However, they require at least 4 years of development before disturbance, which secures their post‐disturbance recovery. Moderate and controlled disturbance can reduce the dominance of competitive species, especially grasses, and enable the establishment of less competitive ones. However, disturbance should be applied cautiously, as sites dominated by few species may offer open space not only for target species, but also for weeds.