Development and Future of Grassland
Ecosystems: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift?
Carsten Hobohm, Monika Janišová, and Hans-Christoph Vahle
Abstract Grassland is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth. It provides important
goods and services such as animal fodder (e.g. hay), animal products (e.g. meat, milk
and leather), but also ecosystem services such as the contribution to climate regulation, and landscape aesthetics. Last but not least it harbours a rich biodiversity.
Grassland ecosystems are declining in quantity and diversity due to expansion of
cropland, urban areas, tree plantations, use of mineral fertilisers and pesticides,
suppression of natural fires, overgrazing, undergrazing, intensification of use and
cessation of use. Decisions made at regional scales are frequently not strong enough
to promote sustainable grassland utilisation and protection of habitats and biodiversity, neither at regional nor at continental to global scales.
We focus on examples from different regions on Earth, the Brazilian Cerrado,
Kazakh steppe, and semi-natural grasslands in Europe, and assess environmental
conditions including human influences resulting in efficient nature conservation
measures. We selected these examples because of their different geographical
position and history of use. The examples face very different environmental conditions and evolutionary histories. However, they have in common that the biomass
regularly is reduced by grazing, mowing, drought or fire. Without reduction of
biomass the biodiversity of many grassland habitats is decreasing and the habitat
is replaced by the growth of woody plants and forest.
With this contribution we want to advocate the discussion about a paradigm shift.
For many ecosystems the classic assumption of optimal nature protection is to
promote wilderness and natural processes, and human influence should be reduced
or totally excluded. However, meanwhile many examples show that human
C. Hobohm (*)
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
M. Janišová
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
H.-C. Vahle
Academy of Applied Vegetation Science, Witten, Germany
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_14
329
Ecosystems: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift?
Carsten Hobohm, Monika Janišová, and Hans-Christoph Vahle
Abstract Grassland is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth. It provides important
goods and services such as animal fodder (e.g. hay), animal products (e.g. meat, milk
and leather), but also ecosystem services such as the contribution to climate regulation, and landscape aesthetics. Last but not least it harbours a rich biodiversity.
Grassland ecosystems are declining in quantity and diversity due to expansion of
cropland, urban areas, tree plantations, use of mineral fertilisers and pesticides,
suppression of natural fires, overgrazing, undergrazing, intensification of use and
cessation of use. Decisions made at regional scales are frequently not strong enough
to promote sustainable grassland utilisation and protection of habitats and biodiversity, neither at regional nor at continental to global scales.
We focus on examples from different regions on Earth, the Brazilian Cerrado,
Kazakh steppe, and semi-natural grasslands in Europe, and assess environmental
conditions including human influences resulting in efficient nature conservation
measures. We selected these examples because of their different geographical
position and history of use. The examples face very different environmental conditions and evolutionary histories. However, they have in common that the biomass
regularly is reduced by grazing, mowing, drought or fire. Without reduction of
biomass the biodiversity of many grassland habitats is decreasing and the habitat
is replaced by the growth of woody plants and forest.
With this contribution we want to advocate the discussion about a paradigm shift.
For many ecosystems the classic assumption of optimal nature protection is to
promote wilderness and natural processes, and human influence should be reduced
or totally excluded. However, meanwhile many examples show that human
C. Hobohm (*)
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
M. Janišová
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
H.-C. Vahle
Academy of Applied Vegetation Science, Witten, Germany
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_14
329