Table 2. Vegetation composition at the Rinkaby experimental site in 2010 (the fourth season after treatment) with the 10 most frequent species listed.

	Controls	Rotavated	Ploughed	Target
Proportion target species (%)
Nationally Red-listed	-	1.2±0.93	-	18±5.2
Sand steppe specialists	4.2±0.84	22±2.1**	7.4±1.9	60±5.2
Number of hits per plot
Total hits	389±18	297±13**	187±6.6***	250±2.5
Lichens	30±4.2	8.3±1.9**	0.50±0.50**	20±3.5
Bryophytes other than Syntrichia	86±4.3	70±4.4*	12±5.8***	12±9.5
Syntrichia ruraliformis *	16±3.1	60±4.7***	13±3.0	62±2.5
Festuca brevipila	140±22	33±3.1*	23±3.6*	0.5±0.5
Thymus serpyllum	33±10	2.5±1.7	5.8±3.0	13±3.0
Galium verum	27±4.1	9.2±3.5*	15±2.7	4.5±0.5
Medicago sativa	27±3.6	16±2.1*	31±3.1	22±3.5
Plantago lanceolata	2.2±1.1	12±2.2*	4.5±0.29	-
Agrostis gigantea	3.7±2.2	41±6.7***	34±8.1*	-
Elymus repens	0.25±0.25	9.5±3.0	21±4.6*	0.5±0.5
Helictotrichon pubescens	11±5.1	0.75±0.48	3.8±2.2	3.0±3.0
Poa pratensis	2.5±1.9	7.2±3.1	11±4.0*	-

The percentages of specialist and red-listed species was calculated from the number of the hits of such species in relation to the total number of hits, including bryophytes and lichens. Values represent means ± standard error (n = 4 experimental plots, n = 2 for target plots). The sand steppe specialists found in the study were Alyssum alyssoides, Dianthus arenarius ssp arenarius, Festuca polesica, Koeleria glauca and Syntrichia ruraliformis. Asterisks indicate significant differences between treatment plots and control.

unpaired t-test,

* = p < 0.05;

** = p < 0.01;

*** = p < 0.001.