File(s) not publicly available
Science into practice – how can fundamental science contribute to better management of grasslands for invertebrates?
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 19:55 authored by Nick A Littlewood, Alan StewartAlan Stewart, Ben A Woodcock1. Grasslands are diverse and extensive but are declining in extent in some parts of the globe. Grassland invertebrates can be numerically abundant and are crucial to ecosystem functioning through their roles in herbivory, nutrient cycling and pollination. Most European grasslands are modified through agricultural practices. Indeed, semi-natural grasslands, which often host the most diverse invertebrate assemblages, have suffered catastrophic losses over the last century. 2. Much research exists on grassland management, mainly from Europe, ranging from identifying optimum management of high-quality grasslands through to assessing measures to enhance low-quality grasslands, though most such projects focus solely on the plant assemblage. Monitoring that has been carried out on invertebrates indicates a varied response with invertebrate assemblages often being limited by such factors as lack of habitat connectivity, inappropriate cutting regime and the particular plant species used in enhancement projects. 3. There is a need to promote grassland management that recognises and addresses these key factors whilst also carrying out research into how best to combine the multiple ecosystem services and human benefits that are associated with grasslands.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Insect Conservation and DiversityExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
5Page range
1-8Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2012-02-06Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC