6 Threats
Grassland is endangered by direct conversion to other habitat types such as cropland,
tree plantation and urban habitat, by intensification of use or abandonment. These are
the most important threats to grassland all over the world. Temperate grasslands
have experienced heavy conversion to agriculture, more than tropical and subtropical grasslands (White et al. 2000).
The quality and diversity of grasslands is endangered by intensification, fertilization, the use of pesticides which enable a higher stocking rate or mowing frequency. In many grassland regions an increasing stocking rate leads to overgrazing
and desertification as a result of trampling and foraging. Also in meadows intensification of hay production leads to declining biodiversity. Grasslands that are
fertilized and several times per year mowed often look like a golf course.
However, in many regions grasslands also disappear because of abandonment.
The relinquishment of pasturing or hay production in the case of diverse seminatural grasslands leads to a succession where grassland becomes replaced by scrub
and forest growth.
The decreasing grazing pressure or absence of domestic animals in the landscape
in combination with a reduction of hay production is one of the most serious
problems for the survival of grassland in Europe today (Janssen et al. 2016).
Worldwide nature reserves and national parks are one of the most important legal
instruments in conservation politics and management. Several international nature
conservation organisations claimed a legal protection of 10% per biome or habitat
type as minimum (Henwood 2010). Table 2 shows that grasslands in many regions
on Earth are far away from reaching this goal.
However, also nature reserves cannot guarantee the survival of high-nature-value
grassland in every case. For example, round about 21% of Western and Central
Europe (i.e. EEA member countries and cooperating countries, cf. European Environment Agency 2012) belong to the Natura 2000 network including many directly
protected National Parks or other types of nature reserves. A lot of these areas
contain high-nature-value (HNV) grassland and most of the HNV-grassland types
are protected under European law (Habitat Directive).
However, also in these regions the survival of many grassland types and their
biodiversity is not guaranteed. In Europe, mires and grasslands belong to the most
threatened habitat types (Janssen et al. 2016). To date, the prominent idea of
National Parks is wildlife and thus, zero human influence. In regions without wild
herbivors or fire like in many parts of temperate Europe species-rich grasslands in
National Parks would disappear because of succession if human influence
relinquishes.
We here want to discuss if we need a changing paradigm focusing on the main
goal of the CBD, i.e. survival of all biota, preventing the loss of biodiversity. And if
human activities support this goal anthropo-zoogenic influence may be wellcome. In
many regions and habitat types, however, also wilderness might by a reasonable way
to reach this goal.
338
C. Hobohm et al.
Grassland is endangered by direct conversion to other habitat types such as cropland,
tree plantation and urban habitat, by intensification of use or abandonment. These are
the most important threats to grassland all over the world. Temperate grasslands
have experienced heavy conversion to agriculture, more than tropical and subtropical grasslands (White et al. 2000).
The quality and diversity of grasslands is endangered by intensification, fertilization, the use of pesticides which enable a higher stocking rate or mowing frequency. In many grassland regions an increasing stocking rate leads to overgrazing
and desertification as a result of trampling and foraging. Also in meadows intensification of hay production leads to declining biodiversity. Grasslands that are
fertilized and several times per year mowed often look like a golf course.
However, in many regions grasslands also disappear because of abandonment.
The relinquishment of pasturing or hay production in the case of diverse seminatural grasslands leads to a succession where grassland becomes replaced by scrub
and forest growth.
The decreasing grazing pressure or absence of domestic animals in the landscape
in combination with a reduction of hay production is one of the most serious
problems for the survival of grassland in Europe today (Janssen et al. 2016).
Worldwide nature reserves and national parks are one of the most important legal
instruments in conservation politics and management. Several international nature
conservation organisations claimed a legal protection of 10% per biome or habitat
type as minimum (Henwood 2010). Table 2 shows that grasslands in many regions
on Earth are far away from reaching this goal.
However, also nature reserves cannot guarantee the survival of high-nature-value
grassland in every case. For example, round about 21% of Western and Central
Europe (i.e. EEA member countries and cooperating countries, cf. European Environment Agency 2012) belong to the Natura 2000 network including many directly
protected National Parks or other types of nature reserves. A lot of these areas
contain high-nature-value (HNV) grassland and most of the HNV-grassland types
are protected under European law (Habitat Directive).
However, also in these regions the survival of many grassland types and their
biodiversity is not guaranteed. In Europe, mires and grasslands belong to the most
threatened habitat types (Janssen et al. 2016). To date, the prominent idea of
National Parks is wildlife and thus, zero human influence. In regions without wild
herbivors or fire like in many parts of temperate Europe species-rich grasslands in
National Parks would disappear because of succession if human influence
relinquishes.
We here want to discuss if we need a changing paradigm focusing on the main
goal of the CBD, i.e. survival of all biota, preventing the loss of biodiversity. And if
human activities support this goal anthropo-zoogenic influence may be wellcome. In
many regions and habitat types, however, also wilderness might by a reasonable way
to reach this goal.
338
C. Hobohm et al.