The role of cattle in maintaining plant species diversity in wet dune valleys

• Published in: Biodiversity and conservation Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 1541 - 1550
• Main Authors: Aptroot, A, Dobben, H.F. van, Slim, P.A, Olff, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.05.2007
• Subjects: Alterra - Centrum Landschap; ALTERRA Wageningen UR; Biodiversity; Cattle; Cladina; Conservation biology; Dunes; Grazing; Landscape Centre; Leerstoelgroep Resource Ecology; Lichens; Mosses; PE&RC; Plant diversity; Plant ecology; Plant species; Resource Ecology; Species diversity; Vegetation; Wageningen Environmental Research

The succession of species-rich wetland vegetation in dune valleys into species-poor dwarf shrub vegetation was followed by means of permanent vegetation plots, in which the cover of vascular plant, moss and lichen species were recorded over a period of up to 33 years. Low density cattle grazing is a...