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In Central Europe, Taraxacum officinale Weber ex Wiggers (dandelion) is an economically important admixture in grasslands. Its spread is supported by its ability to germinate in gaps in grass stands. In a 5‐year experiment, we examined the effect of gap size on the germination rate and percentage of dandelion achenes. Each year, achenes were sown in late spring and mid‐summer in 90 square plots of six sizes, ranging from 2.5 × 2.5 cm to 80 × 80 cm. The plots were placed on a 2 × 6 m experimental area covered with low‐cut lawn. The course of germination varied among individual replicates depending on the weather. In each replicate, however, the rate of germination increased, and the percentage of germinated achenes decreased with increasing gap size. Differences in germination paralleled differences in the microclimate on the soil surface of plots where humidity decreased and temperature increased with plot size. The ultimate cause of this difference was the variance among gaps of different sizes in proportion to which the total area of the gap surface is insolated during the day. The colonization of lawns by dandelion is supported by the formation of small gaps in grass stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands host a significant share of Europe's species diversity but are among the most threatened vegetation types of the continent. Resurvey studies can help to understand patterns and drivers of changes in grassland diversity and species composition. However, most resurveys are based on local or regional data, and hardly reach back more than eight decades. Here, we publish and describe the Historic Square Foot Dataset, comprising 580 0.09‐m2 and 43 1‐m2 vegetation plots carefully sampled between 1884 and 1931, covering a wide range of grassland types across Switzerland. We provide the plots as an open‐access data set with coordinates, relocation accuracy and fractional aboveground biomass per vascular plant species. We assigned EUNIS habitat types to most plots. Mean vascular plant species richness in 0.09 m2 was 19.7, with a maximum of 47. This is considerably more than the present‐day world record of 43 species for this plot size. Historically, species richness did not vary with elevation, differing from the unimodal relationship found today. The data set provides unique insight into how grasslands in Central Europe looked more than 100 years ago, thus offering manifold options for studies on the development of grassland biodiversity and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics is one of the key technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving climate neutrality for Europe by 2050, which has led to the promotion of solar parks. These parks can span up to several hundred hectares, and grassland vegetation is usually created between and under the panels. Establishing species-rich grasslands using native seed mixtures can enhance a variety of ecosystem services, including pollination. We present an overall concept for designing native seed mixtures to promote pollinators, especially wild bees, in solar parks. It takes into account the specific site conditions, the small-scale modified conditions caused by the solar panels, and the requirement to avoid panel shading. We highlight the challenges and constraints resulting from the availability of species on the seed market. Furthermore, we provide an easy-to-use index for determining the value of native seed mixtures for wild bee enhancement and apply it as an example to several mixtures specifically designed for solar parks. The increased availability of regional seed would allow a more thorough consideration of pollinator-relevant traits when composing native seed mixtures, thereby enhancing ecosystem services associated with pollinators such as wild bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only targeted and sustainable management will preserve extensively managed grasslands, one of Europe's most species-rich habitats. Traditionally, largely abandoned irrigation might prove a sustainable management strategy, but the understanding of the interactions among irrigation, soil properties and plant species are low for a generally humid ecoregion. We aimed at advancing our understanding of plant ecology by disentangling plant community responses to traditional lowland meadow irrigation from traditionally low fertilization rates. We studied plant composition and diversity jointly with the underlying links to soil properties (Corg, total N, water holding capacity and mesofaunal activity) and soil nutrients (Nmin, P, K, Mg and B). In a field study, we compared 13 long-term traditionally irrigated and 13 non-irrigated (17 fertilized and 9 non-fertilized) meadows. We surveyed plant diversity, composition and soil nutrients as well as soil properties for 1 year assuming low annual variation. Irrigation and fertilization led to differences in soil properties and soil nutrients without impact on sheer plant species diversity but on plant species composition. Finer grain sizes due to siltation increased water holding capacity and nutrient storage. Hence, resource-acquisitive graminoid species had advantages in irrigated meadows. Thus, irrigation is not only a mean to preserve biodiversity of extensively used meadows of Central Europe but may prove a tool to differentiate between plant functional traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Species of Peltigera (lichen-forming Ascomycota) establish obligate symbioses with several monophyletic groups (phylogroups) of Nostoc cyanobacteria. Some of these fungi are strict specialists and only associate with one Nostoc phylogroup throughout their range, while others are generalists and associate with many different Nostoc phylogroups. We sampled 20 Peltigera taxa, mostly representing the Peltigera section Peltigera, from grassland and forest habitats across Europe. Mycobionts' identities were confirmed using fungal ITS sequences. The Nostoc cyanobionts were identified and grouped based on single nucleotide differences in the trnL region and on the phylogenetic analysis of the rbcLX region. Our data confirmed that some Peltigera species clearly prefer open habitats, while others are largely confined to shady forest habitats. The two habitat preferences are consistently paired with association with different Nostoc groups. As a specific example, two ecologically versatile species, Peltigera canina and P. didactyla, both growing in open and shady habitats, consistently associated with different groups of Nostoc when growing in different habitats. As associations between specific mycobionts and cyanobionts are influenced by habitat conditions, the diversity of both taxon groups should be considered in the context of habitat management and conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline of biodiversity in general and of insect diversity in particular has been recognized as a major environmental problem in recent years. In this study, we analyze the distribution and the decline of populations of forester moths of the genus Jordanita in Central Europe since 1950 as a type example of the loss of grassland biodiversity, and discuss potential drivers causing this decline. Based on the extensive work in museums and private collections, a literature review and own observations, and including data as far back as 1834, this genus helps to understand the deeper reasons of insect population and biodiversity decline, as the well investigated six Central European species cover a broad range of extensive grassland habitats (fens to low‐production grassland and xerothermic steppes) from low altitudes to high alpine meadows. Therefore, they monitor processes relevant also to other, less investigated grassland species. Although there are differences in research intensity over time and in different natural areas, we show that in the whole of Central Europe, the populations of all six investigated Jordanita species broke down massively in the past decades, both in terms of number of populated habitats (about 400 recorded localities after the year 2000 compared with a total number of about 1600 at all times, cumulated for all six species) and in terms of number of individuals. On the other hand, some natural areas on a regional scale have more or less maintained their Jordanita populations, due to conservative land use and due to the early implementation of conservation and protection management plans. The reasons of decline are manifold and monitored in detail by the different species with their different habitat requirements. They comprise (1) loss of habitats due to land use changes (both intensification and abandonment), (2) loss of habitats due to urbanization and construction work, (3) loss of habitat networks to cope with small‐scale extinction events, (4) more intensive growth of grass at the expense of other plants in otherwise undisturbed habitats due to fertilization through the air (increased nitrogen levels due to human activities) and (5) use of pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic management of lignocellulosic biomass from semi-natural grasslands is now a challenge across Europe. The abandonment of mowing these grasslands leads to the gradual degradation of these ecosystems. This study investigates how chemical and biological factors affect the suitability of biomass from abandoned grasslands for biogas production. We sampled 30 mown and 30 abandoned grassland sites in the Sudetes Mountains (Poland and Czechia). The cover contribution of short herbs was found to be significantly higher in mown grasslands (p < 0.001), while that of tall herbs was more prevalent in abandoned grasslands (p < 0.01). The specific biogas yield (SBY, NL kg -1 volatile solids) is negatively affected by an increased percentage of herbs in the biomass of mown and abandoned grasslands. This is due to the inhibitory effect of herbs on biodegradation, the increase in lignin content and the decrease in cellulose. This study highlights the importance of individual plant species in assessing grassland biomass for area biogas yield (ABY, m 3 ha -1 ) and provides new insights into a field that has not yet been extensively investigated. In mown grasslands, ABY was most positively correlated with grass species (Arrhenatherum elatius, Trisetum flavescens and Festuca pratensis). In abandoned grasslands, the ABY was most correlated with herbaceous species (Galium aparine, Urtica dioica and Chaerophyllum aromaticum) and grasses (A. elatius and Elymus repens). Mown grasslands had significantly higher species richness (p < 0.001) compared to abandoned grasslands, but the number of species sampled did not correlate with SBY and ABY. This study contributes to the development of a sustainable bio-economy by highlighting the need for efficient use of grassland biomass. This approach helps protect semi-natural ecosystems and facilitates sustainable management of renewable resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Europe's semi-natural grasslands support notably high levels of temperate biodiversity across multiple taxonomic groups. However, these ecosystems face unique conservation challenges. Contemporary agricultural practices have replaced historical traditional low-intensity agriculture in many regions, resulting in a spectrum of management intensities within these ecosystems, ranging from highly intensive methods to complete abandonment. Paradoxically, both extremes along this spectrum of management intensity can be detrimental to biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands. Moreover, while anthropogenic climate change is an overarching threat to these ecosystems, rapid changes in land use and its intensity often present more immediate pressures. Often occurring at a faster rate than climate change itself, these land-use changes have the potential to rapidly impact the biodiversity of these grasslands. Here, we divide the ecological processes, threats, and developments to semi-natural grasslands into three sections. First, we examine the different impacts of agricultural intensification and abandonment on these ecosystems, considering their different consequences for biodiversity. Second, we review seminal works on various evidence-based management practices and offer a concise summary that provides support for various conservation and management strategies. However, the socio-economic factors that drive both abandonment and intensification in semi-natural grasslands can also be used to develop solutions through strategic governmental and non-governmental interventions. Accordingly, we conclude with a way forward by providing several key policy recommendations. By synthesizing existing knowledge and identifying research gaps, this essay aims to provide valuable insights for advancing the sustainable management of semi-natural grasslands., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Due to various human activities, including intensive agriculture, traffic, and the burning of fossil fuels, in many parts of the world, current levels of reactive nitrogen emissions strongly exceed pre-industrial levels. Previous studies have shown that the atmospheric deposition of these excess nitrogen compounds onto semi-natural terrestrial environments has negative consequences for plant diversity. However, these previous studies mostly investigated biodiversity loss at local spatial scales, that is, at the scales of plots of typically a few square meters. Whether increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition also affects plant diversity at larger spatial scales remains unknown. Here, using grassland plant community data collected in 765 plots, across 153 different sites and 9 countries in northwestern Europe, we investigate whether relationships between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and plant biodiversity are scale-dependent. We found that high levels of atmospheric nitrogen deposition were associated with low levels of plant species richness at the plot scale but also at the scale of sites and regions. The presence of 39% of plant species was negatively associated with increasing levels of nitrogen deposition at large (site) scales, while only 1.5% of the species became more common with increasing nitrogen deposition, indicating that large-scale biodiversity changes were mostly driven by "loser" species, while "winner" species profiting from high N deposition were rare. Some of the "loser" species whose site presence was negatively associated with atmospheric nitrogen deposition are listed as "threatened" in at least some EU member states, suggesting that nitrogen deposition may be a key contributor to their threat status. Hence, reductions in reactive nitrogen emissions will likely benefit plant diversity not only at local but also at larger spatial scales., (Global Change Biology© 2024 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Soil microbial biomass and activity strongly depend on land use, vegetation cover, climate, and soil physicochemical properties. In most cases, this dependence was assessed by one-to-one correlations while by employing network analysis, information about network robustness and the balance between stochasticity and determinism controlling connectivity, was revealed. In this study, we further elaborated on the hypothesis of Smith et al. (2021) that cropland soils depended more on climate variables and therefore are more vulnerable to climate change. We used the same dataset with that of Smith et al. (2021) that contains seasonal microbial, climate and soil variables collected from 881 soil points representing the main land uses in Europe: forests, grassland, cropland. We examined complete (both direct and indirect relationships) and incomplete networks (only direct relationships) and recorded higher robustness in the former. Partial Least Square results showed that on average more than 45% of microbial attributes' variability was predicted by climate and habitat drivers denoting medium to strong effect of habitat filtering. Network architecture slightly affected by season or land use type; it followed the core/periphery structure with positive and negative interactions and no hub nodes. Microbial attributes (biomass, activity and their ratio) mostly belong to core block together with Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), while climate and soil variables to periphery block with the exception of cropland networks, denoting the higher dependence between microbial and climate variables in these latter. All complete networks appeared robust except for cropland and forest in summer, a finding that disagrees with our initial hypothesis about cropland. Networks' connectivity was controlled stronger by stochasticity in forest than in croplands. The lack of human interventions in forest soils increase habitat homogeneity enhancing the influence of stochastic agents such as microbial unlimited dispersal and/or stochastic extinction. The increased stochasticity implies the necessity for proactive management actions. • Complete networks exhibited higher robustness than incomplete ones. • Cropland in summer and forest in autumn and summer exhibited the lowest robustness. • Connectivity of complete networks was controlled mostly by stochasticity than determinism. • Stochasticity was higher in forest (natural soil) than cropland (man-affected soils). • Stochasticity implies the necessity for more proactive management practices and less remedial actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species turnover is ubiquitous. However, it remains unknown whether certain types of species are consistently gained or lost across different habitats. Here, we analysed the trajectories of 1827 plant species over time intervals of up to 78 years at 141 sites across mountain summits, forests, and lowland grasslands in Europe. We found, albeit with relatively small effect sizes, displacements of smaller‐ by larger‐ranged species across habitats. Communities shifted in parallel towards more nutrient‐demanding species, with species from nutrient‐rich habitats having larger ranges. Because these species are typically strong competitors, declines of smaller‐ranged species could reflect not only abiotic drivers of global change, but also biotic pressure from increased competition. The ubiquitous component of turnover based on species range size we found here may partially reconcile findings of no net loss in local diversity with global species loss, and link community‐scale turnover to macroecological processes such as biotic homogenisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on small spatial scales. However, human-induced activities like land use and climate change pose significant threats to this diversity. To explore how climate and land cover change will affect biodiversity and community composition in grassland ecosystems, we conducted joint species distribution models (SDMs) on the extensive vegetation-plot database sPlotOpen to project distributions of 1178 grassland species across Europe under current conditions and three future scenarios. We further compared model accuracy and computational efficiency between joint SDMs (JSDMs) and stacked SDMs, especially for rare species. Our results show that: (i) grassland communities in the mountain ranges are expected to suffer high rates of species loss, while those in western, northern and eastern Europe will experience substantial turnover; (ii) scaling anomalies were observed in the predicted species richness, reflecting regional differences in the dominant drivers of assembly processes; (iii) JSDMs did not outperform stacked SDMs in predictive power but demonstrated superior efficiency in model fitting and predicting; and (iv) incorporating co-occurrence datasets improved the model performance in predicting the distribution of rare species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.

The ability of our ancestors to switch food sources and to migrate to more favourable environments enabled the rapid global expansion of anatomically modern humans beyond Africa as early as 120,000 years ago. Whether this versatility was largely the result of environmentally determined processes or was instead dominated by cultural drivers, social structures, and interactions among different groups, is unclear. We develop a statistical approach that combines both archaeological and genetic data to infer the more-likely initial expansion routes in northern Eurasia and the Americas. We then quantify the main differences in past environmental conditions between the more-likely routes and other potential (less-likely) routes of expansion. We establish that, even though cultural drivers remain plausible at finer scales, the emergent migration corridors were predominantly constrained by a combination of regional environmental conditions, including the presence of a forest-grassland ecotone, changes in temperature and precipitation, and proximity to rivers., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

From AD 567-568, at the onset of the Avar period, populations from the Eurasian Steppe settled in the Carpathian Basin for approximately 250 years 1 . Extensive sampling for archaeogenomics (424 individuals) and isotopes, combined with archaeological, anthropological and historical contextualization of four Avar-period cemeteries, allowed for a detailed description of the genomic structure of these communities and their kinship and social practices. We present a set of large pedigrees, reconstructed using ancient DNA, spanning nine generations and comprising around 300 individuals. We uncover a strict patrilineal kinship system, in which patrilocality and female exogamy were the norm and multiple reproductive partnering and levirate unions were common. The absence of consanguinity indicates that this society maintained a detailed memory of ancestry over generations. These kinship practices correspond with previous evidence from historical sources and anthropological research on Eurasian Steppe societies 2 . Network analyses of identity-by-descent DNA connections suggest that social cohesion between communities was maintained via female exogamy. Finally, despite the absence of major ancestry shifts, the level of resolution of our analyses allowed us to detect genetic discontinuity caused by the replacement of a community at one of the sites. This was paralleled with changes in the archaeological record and was probably a result of local political realignment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims The persistence of a plant population under a specific local climatic regime requires phenotypic adaptation with underlying particular combinations of alleles at adaptive loci. The level of allele diversity at adaptive loci within a natural plant population conditions its potential to evolve, notably towards adaptation to a change in climate. Investigating the environmental factors that contribute to the maintenance of adaptive diversity in populations is thus worthwhile. Within-population allele diversity at adaptive loci can be partly driven by the mean climate at the population site but also by its temporal variability. Methods The effects of climate temporal mean and variability on within-population allele diversity at putatively adaptive quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were evaluated using 385 natural populations of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) collected right across Europe. For seven adaptive traits related to reproductive phenology and vegetative potential growth seasonality, the average within-population allele diversity at major QTLs (HeA) was computed. Key Results Significant relationships were found between HeA of these traits and the temporal mean and variability of the local climate. These relationships were consistent with functional ecology theory. Conclusions Results indicated that temporal variability of local climate has likely led to fluctuating directional selection, which has contributed to the maintenance of allele diversity at adaptive loci and thus potential for further adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing societal demands for food security and environmental sustainability on land, the question arises: to what extent do synergies and trade‐offs exist between soil functions and how can they be measured across Europe? To address this challenge, we followed the functional land management approach and assessed five soil functions: primary productivity, water regulation and purification, climate regulation, soil biodiversity and nutrient cycling. Soil, management and climate data were collected from 94 sites covering 13 countries, five climatic zones and two land‐use types (arable and grassland). This dataset was analysed using the Soil Navigator, a multicriteria decision support system developed to assess the supply of the five soil functions simultaneously. Most sites scored high for two to three soil functions, demonstrating that managing for multifunctionality in soil is possible but that local constraints and trade‐offs do exist. Nutrient cycling, biodiversity and climate regulation were less frequently delivered at high capacity than the other two soil functions. Using correlation and co‐occurrence analyses, we also found that synergies and trade‐offs between soil functions vary among climatic zones and land‐use types. This study provides a new framework for monitoring soil quality at the European scale where both the supply of soil functions and their interactions are considered. Highlights: Managing and monitoring soil multifunctionality across Europe is possible.Synergies and trade‐offs between soil functions exist, making it difficult to maximize the supply of all five soil functions simultaneously.Synergies and trade‐offs between soil functions vary by climatic zone and land‐use type.Climate regulation, biodiversity and nutrient cycling are less frequently delivered at high capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts can strongly affect grassland productivity and biodiversity, but responses differ widely. Nutrient availability may be a critical factor explaining this variation, but is often ignored in analyses of drought responses. Here, we used a standardized nutrient addition experiment covering 10 European grasslands to test if full‐factorial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium addition affected plant community responses to inter‐annual variation in drought stress and to the extreme summer drought of 2018 in Europe. We found that nutrient addition amplified detrimental drought effects on community aboveground biomass production. Drought effects also differed between functional groups, with a negative effect on graminoid but not forb biomass production. Our results imply that eutrophication in grasslands, which promotes dominance of drought‐sensitive graminoids over forbs, amplifies detrimental drought effects. In terms of climate change adaptation, agricultural management would benefit from taking into account differential drought impacts on fertilized versus unfertilized grasslands, which differ in ecosystem services they provide to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More severe seasonal stresses resulting from climate change affect the survival of perennial plant species. The growth–survival trade‐off exemplified in dormant species is a key issue to understand adaptation. As the validity of this trade‐off has yet to be tested in non‐dormant species, it was assessed by exploring the intraspecific variability of strategies to face drought and frost within perennial ryegrass.Three common gardens compared 385 European perennial ryegrass populations along a latitudinal environmental gradient over 3‐years. Persistence, productivity and physiological traits were recorded under contrasting seasonal environments.Decoupling plant responses, that is, growth under favourable summers/winters and plant survival under harsh summers/winters, showed a general trade‐off between growth potential and dehydration survival. Three groups of perennial ryegrass populations were identified according to their contrasting strategies: (a) year‐round productive but stress sensitive populations from wet areas; (b) drought‐tolerant populations with low summer growth potential from drought‐prone areas and (c) frost‐tolerant populations with low winter growth potential from frost‐prone areas. Overall, the populations surviving drought best were more resource conservative, whereas populations of the other groups were more resource acquisitive. However, such overall functional patterns were less meaningful than seasonal variations of resource acquisition potentials. The predicted potential biogeographical distribution of these groups suggests shifts of areas of suitability under climate change over the next decades in Europe. Dehydration escape and dehydration tolerance through reduction of growth potential in summer may become the strategies best adapted to an increasingly large area of Europe.The large intraspecific variability of phenological adaptations within perennial ryegrass reveals that the seasonal modulation of growth potential is crucial to plant adaptation under severe chronic abiotic stresses. The global plant economics spectrum cannot account for contrasting seasonal trade‐offs, which points out the importance of integrating phenological traits as key components of plant strategies. The identification of the trade‐off between growth potential and frost or drought stress survival in this non‐dormant species provides key knowledge to understand the future regional distribution of this major species for grassland ecosystem services. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Climate and land use are key determinants of biodiversity, with past and ongoing changes posing serious threats to global ecosystems. Unlike most other organism groups, plant species can possess dormant life‐history stages such as soil seed banks, which may help plant communities to resist or at least postpone the detrimental impact of global changes. This study investigates the potential for soil seed banks to achieve this. Location: Europe. Time period: 1978–2014. Major taxa studied: Flowering plants. Methods: Using a space‐for‐time/warming approach, we study plant species richness and composition in the herb layer and the soil seed bank in 2,796 community plots from 54 datasets in managed grasslands, forests and intermediate, successional habitats across a climate gradient. Results: Soil seed banks held more species than the herb layer, being compositionally similar across habitats. Species richness was lower in forests and successional habitats compared to grasslands, with annual temperature range more important than mean annual temperature for determining richness. Climate and land‐use effects were generally less pronounced when plant community richness included seed bank species richness, while there was no clear effect of land use and climate on compositional similarity between the seed bank and the herb layer. Main conclusions: High seed bank diversity and compositional similarity between the herb layer and seed bank plant communities may provide a potentially important functional buffer against the impact of ongoing environmental changes on plant communities. This capacity could, however, be threatened by climate warming. Dormant life‐history stages can therefore be important sources of diversity in changing environments, potentially underpinning already observed time‐lags in plant community responses to global change. However, as soil seed banks themselves appear, albeit less, vulnerable to the same changes, their potential to buffer change can only be temporary, and major community shifts may still be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing agriculture and pesticide use have led to declines in insect populations and biodiversity worldwide. In addition to insect diversity, it is also important to consider insect abundance, due to the importance of insects as food for species at higher trophic levels such as bats. We monitored spatiotemporal variation in abundance of nocturnal flying insects over meadows, a common open landscape structure in central Europe, and correlated it with bat feeding activity. Our most important result was that insect abundance was almost always extremely low. This was true regardless of management intensity of the different meadows monitored. We also found no correlation of insect abundance or the presence of insect swarms with bat feeding activity. This suggests that insect abundance over meadows was too low and insect swarms too rare for bats to risk expending energy to search for them. Meadows appeared to be poor habitat for nocturnal flying insects, and of low value as a foraging habitat for bats. Our study highlights the importance of long-term monitoring of insect abundance, especially at high temporal scales to identify and protect foraging habitats. This will become increasingly important given the rapid decline of insects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuro-inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease that is most prevalent in Northern Europe. Although it is known that inherited risk for MS is located within or in close proximity to immune-related genes, it is unknown when, where and how this genetic risk originated 1 . Here, by using a large ancient genome dataset from the Mesolithic period to the Bronze Age 2 , along with new Medieval and post-Medieval genomes, we show that the genetic risk for MS rose among pastoralists from the Pontic steppe and was brought into Europe by the Yamnaya-related migration approximately 5,000 years ago. We further show that these MS-associated immunogenetic variants underwent positive selection both within the steppe population and later in Europe, probably driven by pathogenic challenges coinciding with changes in diet, lifestyle and population density. This study highlights the critical importance of the Neolithic period and Bronze Age as determinants of modern immune responses and their subsequent effect on the risk of developing MS in a changing environment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation‐plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation‐plot database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location: Europe. Methods: We developed the classification expert system EUNIS‐ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set‐theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species‐to‐habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results: Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man‐made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions: EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS‐ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding ground food availability is critical to the survival and productivity of adult birds. The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus is a brood‐parasitic Afro‐Palearctic migrant bird exhibiting long‐term (breeding) population declines in many European countries. Variation in population trend between regions and habitats suggests breeding ground drivers such as adult food supply. However, cuckoo diet has not been studied in detail since before the most significant population declines in Europe began in the mid‐1980s. 20th century studies of cuckoo diet largely comprised field observations likely to carry bias towards larger prey taxa. Here we demonstrate the potential value of 1) using high‐throughput DNA sequencing of invertebrate prey in faeces to determine cuckoo diet with minimal bias towards large prey taxa, and 2) using crowd‐sourced digital photographs from across Britain to identify lepidopteran cuckoo prey taxa during recent years post‐decline (2005–2016). DNA analysis found a high frequency of Lepidoptera, including moths of family Lasiocampidae, prominent within the past literature, but also grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and flies (Diptera) that may be overlooked by field observation methodologies. The range of larval lepidopteran prey identified from photographs largely agreed with those previously documented, with potential signs of reduced diversity, and identities of key adult prey taxa were supported by molecular results. Notably, many identified cuckoo prey taxa have shown severe declines due to agricultural intensification, suggesting this has driven spatial patterns of cuckoo loss. Landscape‐scale, lowland rewilding interventions provide opportunities to understand the scale of reversal of previous agricultural intensification that may be necessary to restore prey populations sufficiently to permit recolonization by cuckoos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phengaris alcon is an endangered butterfly that is subject to several conservation programs in Europe. Our study aims at evaluating how grazing pressure by domestic animals affects the maintenance of Gentiana pneumonanthe stems, larval plant host of Phengaris alcon and the survival of Phengaris alcon's eggs. We selected 304 stems of G. pneumonanthe (including 125 with P. alcon eggs) that were distributed over 4 ungrazed plots and 18 plots grazed by cattle or horses, for which we collected a grazing pressure index (Livestock Units days grazed ha−1). We monitored each stem over seven sampling sessions at 10 days intervals during the summer (from 02 July to 12 September 2018). We demonstrated that the G. pneumonanthe stems browsing probability was two times higher in the grazed plots than in the ungrazed plots. The number of eggs sharply decreased in the grazed plots, whereas it remained constant in the ungrazed plots during successive sampling sessions. Grazing, even at low intensity (10 LU days grazed ha−1), induced defoliation of G. pneumonanthe stems. The probability of the maintenance of G. pneumonanthe stems and the probability of survival of P. alcon eggs is close to zero above 20 LU days grazed ha−1. In order to protect the P. alcon population, we recommend extensive and early grazing (before mid-July) before the growth of G. pneumonanthe stems, or late grazing (after early September) avoiding the development period of G. pneumonanthe, the oviposition period and the early caterpillar development of P. alcon. Alternatively, we suggest the establishment of temporary exclosures on high densities areas of G. pneumonanthe between mid-July to early September. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil type, topography and the legacy of land use are closely linked with OC stocks. • Topsoil OC stocks are strongly controlled by land use history. • Climatic factors were of minor importance for regional OC stocks. • Highest subsoil OC stocks in alluvial, colluvial and groundwater affected soils. • Legacy of human activities strongly influences whole soil profile OC storage. Agricultural soils are highly important organic carbon (OC) reservoirs in Central Europe. Their OC stocks are crucial for a wide range of ecosystem services such as food security or climate regulation through atmospheric CO 2 storage. There is increasing evidence that the controlling factors of OC stocks may differ between topsoil and subsoil, but distinct knowledge about the factors at a regional scale for temperate soils is scarce. In order to identify the controlling factors of OC storage in agricultural soils we implemented a random forest model on a data set of 692 soil profiles located in Bavaria, Southeast Germany. We differentiated between topsoil (0–30 cm profile depth) and subsoil (30–100 cm) and predicted OC stocks (kg OC m−2) using 13 predictor variables including soil type, topographical factors, climatic factors and information on land use. The explained variance of the topsoil random forest was higher than that of the subsoil (51 and 23%, respectively). The fact that major proportions of the variance in the modelling of subsoil OC remained unexplained, revealed high uncertainties that persist about subsoil OC storage. OC storage of both, topsoils and subsoils, was to a large extend determined by four factors: land use history, soil type, major landform and topographic wetness index (TWI). Climatic factors as well as clay content had surprisingly low impact on the model. Topsoil OC was mainly controlled by the legacy of the land use resulting in highest stocks under permanent grassland use. In contrast, soil type and topographical factors, i.e. major landform and TWI, largely determined subsoil OC stocks. The topography indicates the lateral transport of OC due to soil erosion and its subsequent deposition in low lying landform positions. There, high soil moisture as indicated by the TWI, hampers the decomposition of the OC. Human activities such as tillage amplify the lateral OC transport and therefore the amount of buried OC. As a result of these processes, highest subsoil stocks were found in alluvial, colluvial and groundwater affected soils. The findings demonstrate the close link between the generic soil type, topography, land use and OC stocks. We further conclude that the legacy of human activities affect both, topsoil and subsoil OC storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: The hydrophilous tall herb community is an important refuge for grazing‐sensitive broad‐leaved flowering plants. It is distributed throughout upland Europe but overgrazing has contributed to an unfavourable conservation status. To guide tall herb restoration, we asked: (a) Does using grazing exclusion where the tall herb habitat is confined to cliff ledge patches promote an expansion into the grassland below? (b) Does this management negatively affect vascular plant diversity? Location: Ben Lawers NNR, Scotland. Methods: Large herbivores have been excluded from a 180‐ha area containing patches of outcrops rich in tall herb habitat. Using 1999 and 2017 surveys of permanent plot transects located in the grassland below (Before–After design), we quantify impacts on community composition and tall herb abundance. Results: Species diversity remained constant although total species richness declined slightly and tall herb species richness increased significantly. There was a large expansion in tall herb cover (+29.67%) and a corresponding decrease in grass cover (−26.16%), as well as smaller increases in bryophytes and small herbs and a reduction in bare ground. Community composition shifted significantly from species typical of upland calcareous grassland towards those found in tall herb habitats. Seven tall herb species were amongst those showing the greatest increase in cover, along with taller grasses and understory herbs. Grazing tolerant grasses and low‐growing, prostrate and annual herbs decreased. Competition for light, rather than resilience to herbivory, now has a major influence on the vegetation. Conclusions: Using grazing exclusion where the tall herb habitat is largely confined to patches on cliff ledges facilitates an expansion into the upland grassland below. Although this management favours species tolerant of shadier conditions, there is no evidence of a negative impact on vascular plant community composition. It is therefore an effective strategy for promoting the restoration and favourable condition of this grazing‐sensitive habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeogenetic studies have described two main genetic turnover events in prehistoric western Eurasia: one associated with the spread of farming and a sedentary lifestyle starting around 7000-6000 BC (refs. 1-3 ) and a second with the expansion of pastoralist groups from the Eurasian steppes starting around 3300 BC (refs. 4,5 ). The period between these events saw new economies emerging on the basis of key innovations, including metallurgy, wheel and wagon and horse domestication 6-9 . However, what happened between the demise of the Copper Age settlements around 4250 BC and the expansion of pastoralists remains poorly understood. To address this question, we analysed genome-wide data from 135 ancient individuals from the contact zone between southeastern Europe and the northwestern Black Sea region spanning this critical time period. While we observe genetic continuity between Neolithic and Copper Age groups from major sites in the same region, from around 4500 BC on, groups from the northwestern Black Sea region carried varying amounts of mixed ancestries derived from Copper Age groups and those from the forest/steppe zones, indicating genetic and cultural contact over a period of around 1,000 years earlier than anticipated. We propose that the transfer of critical innovations between farmers and transitional foragers/herders from different ecogeographic zones during this early contact was integral to the formation, rise and expansion of pastoralist groups around 3300 BC., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Over the last decade, the conversion of annual-rotation based crops or grassland areas into non-food perennial crops has been increasingly prevalent in European farming systems. This shift is associated with major changes in management practices and has created new environmental conditions and resources for wildlife. Impacts on birds have been examined for bioenergy agricultural systems, such as miscanthus plantations and short-rotation willow coppice. However, they remain largely unknown for Christmas tree plantations (CTPs) that have recently increased considerably in some European countries. We examined the extent to which CTPs alter bird species assemblages in the farmland areas of southern Belgium, where they mainly replace intensive grassland. The abundance of birds was recorded during the breeding season in randomly selected sites located in grassland and in CTP. Results show that introduction of CTP into landscapes dominated by grassland with low hedge densities locally increases bird species richness and abundance without leading to biotic homogenization. Differences in species richness and abundance between grassland and CTP decrease with increasing hedge densities. A community analysis indicates that the plantation of Christmas trees enriches the bird assemblage of intensive grassland areas. In intensive grassland with few hedges, small-size CTPs could constitute an option to increase structural heterogeneity and provide new potential breeding conditions for some farmland birds. However, questions remain about the genuine quality of the resources available in CTP and further research is needed to examine the breeding success and survival of birds that settle in this type of habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the impact of an EU-wide policy to expand grassland areas and promote carbon sequestration in soils. We use the economic Common Agricultural Policy Regionalized Impact (CAPRI) model, which represents EU agriculture using 2450 mathematical programming farm-type models in combination with the biogeochemistry CENTURY model, which provides carbon sequestration rates at a high resolution level. Both models are linked at the NUTS3 level using location information from the Farm Accounting Data Network. We simulated a flexible grassland premium such that farmers voluntary and cost efficiently increase grassland area by 5%. We find that the GHG mitigation potential and the costs depend on carbon sequestration rates, land markets and induced land use changes, and regional agricultural production structures. In Europe, the calculated net effect of converting 2.9 Mha into grassland is a reduction of 4.3 Mt CO2e (equivalents). The premium amounts to an average of EUR 238/ha, with a total cost of EUR 417 million for the whole EU. The net abatement costs are based on the premium payments, and account on average EUR 97/t CO2e. However, substantial carbon sequestration (28% of total sequestration) can be achieved at a rate of EUR 50/t CO2e. Carbon sequestration would be most effective in regions of France and Italy and in Spain, the Netherlands and Germany. Larger farms and farm-types specialized in ‘cereals and protein crops’, ‘mixed field cropping’ and ‘mixed crop-livestock’ farming systems have the highest mitigation potential at relatively low costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carabid beetles of conservation concern benefit from meadow irrigation. • Meadow irrigation shapes carabid beetle species-habitat-networks. • Trait composition of carabid beetles is influenced by meadow irrigation. • Meadow irrigation can be important for biodiversity conservation. Locally adapted and evidence-based management strategies are needed to counteract the current insect declines. In Central Europe, semi-natural grasslands are biodiversity hotspots having a high conservation value, but are threatened by both abandonment and agricultural intensification. We investigated the potential of traditional lowland meadow irrigation as a biodiversity-friendly grassland management strategy using carabid beetles as indicator organisms. We analysed carabid beetle species richness, the occurrence of species of conservation concern, and trait composition in relation to meadow irrigation and fertilization. Moreover, we conducted bipartite network analysis in order to reveal species-habitat networks. The key finding is that the species richness of carabid beetles in irrigated and non-irrigated meadows was similar, but irrigation positively influenced species and individual numbers of carabids of conservation concern. Meadow irrigation, but also fertilization, further shaped carabid beetle species-habitat-networks indicating species-specific preferences for differently managed meadows. Finally, the trait composition was affected: carabid beetles in irrigated meadows were on average larger, more predacious and less mobile than in non-irrigated meadows. We therefore recommend the preservation and restoration of this traditional grassland management practice for biodiversity conservation in suitable regions, but also call for future studies to further increase conservation evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity loss in Europe is caused to a large extent by agricultural intensification. To halt this loss, agri-environment schemes have been introduced to compensate farmers for (costly) biodiversity conservation measures. Current agri-environment schemes often consider only a few conservation measures which is insufficient to conserve all endangered biodiversity in an agricultural region. This problem is particularly pertinent in grasslands where many different mowing and grazing dates are required to protect the variety of species breeding in the grassland at different times. A key requirement to design agri-environment schemes for grassland conservation is therefore to offer specific compensation for more measures based on a systematic approach that calculates farmers' opportunity costs in relation to the timing of grassland use which is still lacking. This will at best attract more farmers and offer compensation calculated in line with EU requirements for co-financed measures through the Rural Development Programme. We fill this gap by developing a systematic approach to assess the costs of different mowing and grazing dates. Our approach is general enough to be applicable on a large spatial scale but can still sensitively differentiate among different timings. Moreover it is straightforward and time-saving enough to be suitable for implementation in regional scale optimisation procedures. We demonstrate this by applying the systematic cost assessment in the decision support software DSS-Ecopay using the example of grassland biodiversity conservation measures in the German federal state of Saxony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permanent grasslands cover 34% of the European Union's agricultural area and are vital for a wide variety of ecosystem services essential for our society. Over recent decades, the permanent grassland area has declined and land use change continues to threaten its extent. Simultaneously, the management intensity of permanent grasslands increased. We performed a systematic literature review on the multifunctionality of permanent grasslands in Europe, examining the effects of land use and management on 19 grassland ecosystem service indicators. Based on the evidence in 696 out of 70,456 screened papers, published since 1980, we found that both land use change and intensification of management decreased multifunctionality. In particular, preventing conversion of permanent grasslands to croplands secured the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. A lower management intensity was associated with benefits for biodiversity, climate regulation and water purification, but impacted the provision of high-quality animal feed. Increasing the number of species in the sward enhanced multifunctionality of permanent grassland without significant trade-offs such as losses in production. Our review covered many aspects of land use, management and ecosystem services, but we also identified areas with no or only few studies. The most prominent gaps were related to comparisons between permanent and temporary grasslands, and effects of management practices on the provision of cultural values, and on erosion and flood control. We suggest that, despite apparent changes in human dietary preferences, the protection of permanent grasslands in Europe must be prioritised. At the same time, considering the need to reduce ruminant livestock's contribution to climate change, the time seems ripe to increase support for low-intensity grassland management to optimise the provision of essential ecosystem services from Europe's permanent grasslands. • In recent decades, Europe's permanent grassland area has declined and land use change continues to be a threat. • We performed a systematic literature review on ecosystem services delivery from permanent grasslands. • Our findings are based on evidence in 696 out of 70,456 screened papers on 19 ecosystem service indicators. • Land use change and intensification decrease the multifunctionality of permanent grasslands. • Despite calls to reduce meat and dairy consumption, the protection of permanent grasslands has to be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For many years, we have seen an increasing specialization of agricultural systems and territories, with a clear separation between territories with very high animal densities and those devoted to the growing of annual crops. This development is explained by market and sector economic logic and has been reinforced by the availability of low-cost inputs and animal housing systems based on direct grazing not requiring straw. It has, however, also involved negative environmental impacts and, in some cases, the impoverishment of soil fertility, a loss of biodiversity, and excesses of N and P, leading to eutrophication and hot spots of ammonia emission in livestock-breeding territories. Having recapped the mechanisms behind the specialization of systems and territories, we examined the extent to which the development of innovative mixed-farming systems that reconnect livestock and crop production on various territorial scales (farm, district, region) can reduce the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment, produce valuable ecosystem services and achieve acceptable economic efficiency for farming enterprises. Examples from temperate regions will be used to show that mixed-farming systems increase the possibilities of better recycling of nutrients within systems, limiting recourse to the purchase of increasingly expensive inputs and safeguarding the biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Danube Clouded Yellow ( Colias myrmidone) is one of the most endangered butterflies in Europe. Its distribution range shrank dramatically in the last few decades due to the extinction of populations in Western and Central Europe. Ecological studies were commenced when populations were already at the verge of extinction, thus our knowledge on the population ecology and habitat use of this butterfly is very limited. Here we report the results of a study on habitat preferences, egg distribution and demography of C. myrmidone in Romania, perhaps the last remaining stronghold of the species in Central Europe. We found that Danube Clouded Yellow adults occurred mainly in mesophilous grasslands created by forest clearing and then maintained by low intensity grazing allowing bushes and forest-edge vegetation to develop and host Chamaecytisus species to grow. Butterflies highly preferred lightly grazed pastures over hay meadows and abandoned grasslands, their density was positively related to host plant density. Egg-laying females preferred habitat patches with relatively high cover of the host plant and tall vegetation. Both apparent survival rate and encounter probability were lower for females than males, and parameter estimations also had much higher errors for females. These indicate that much higher sampling effort is needed to estimate and monitor population parameters for females than for males. Our results provide guidelines for the habitat management and population monitoring of Colias myrmidone, thus may significantly contribute to its successful conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable intensification has recently been developed to raise productivity (as distinct from increasing volume of production) while reducing environmental impacts. This means increasing yields per unit of inputs (including nutrients, water, energy capital and land) as well as per unit of undesirable outputs (such as greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution or loss of biodiversity). It is thus helpful to understand 'intensification' as referring to 'environmental factor productivity' or 'eco-efficiency'. Worldwide, grassland is the most important agroecosystem delivering ecosystem services ranging from feed supply for ruminants and soil carbon storage to habitats of biodiversity. However, worldwide, grassland is under threat due to intensified land use and land-use changes from grass to arable. In this article, we (i) highlight ecosystem services of selected grassland biomes abroad of Europe, (ii) show evidence of sustainable as well as non-sustainable intensification options in these grassland biomes linked to European agriculture by exports of agricultural commodities (e.g. soy) and (iii) derive research strategies for north-west European grassland research and management to match sustainable intensification strategies for the grassland-based dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biomass from high nature value grasslands is a potential resource for renewable energy production, since its use as forage is declining due to decreasing livestock levels in many European regions. This study investigated silages and the derived press cakes after hydrothermal conditioning and mechanical dewatering from 18 European grassland sites on fuel relevant parameters. Through silage treatment high reductions of the concentration in the fuel of more than 73% of Cl, K and Na were obtained. Experimental investigation of the ash melting behaviour showed an increase of the ash softening temperature (AST) from approximately 1000°C for the ash from the silage to 1050°C for the press cake ashes. At the spherical, hemisphere and flow temperature differences between silage and press cake ashes were even bigger and ranged from 63 to 67K. Linear regression models, which were based on the fuel content of K, Ca, Si, Al and Na, were able to predict the AST with high accuracy (R2 =0.88–0.89). Models showed that an increasing content of K led to decreasing AST. By contrast, AST was positively influenced by increasing contents of Ca. The effect of Si depended on the content of alkalis and earth alkalis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Grasslands represent a land-use which is effective and has great economical importance in the European agriculture. Grasslands represent an important and effective source of energy and proteins to ruminants, and combine high yield stability and draught resistance with low tillage operations and pesticide use and thus leading to good environmental conditions. Furthermore, good management practice in grasslands provides high potential of carbon sequestration in soils, resulting in climate change mitigation. The field experiment were carried out on a field study was conducted in the central part of Kosovo, respectively Lipjani location 15 km near the capitol city of Prishtina. The plot sizes were 81. 5x 8m per plot or 12 m². The fertilization also was used in quantity 80 kg N ha -1. In experiment was including four treatments: C- Control (normal cutting without harrowing); Cutting regime include; A-One week early without harrowing, B- One week later without harrowing and H-With harrowing. The samples were decomposed with concentrated HNO3 at 250°C in Ultra-Clave from Milestone (Milestone microwave Ultra clave III). The samples were diluted to 10 % concentrated HNO3 before analysis. The results were obtained in our study demonstrated that substantial differences in mineral composition exist in grasslands. The four treatments had considerable variation in mineral composition. The Aluminum (Al) and Calcium (Ca) content ranged from 0. 36 to 0. 19 and 5. 07 to 7. 31 g kg-1 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we compared measured and simulated Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) values from three wide spread ecosystems in the southeast of Ireland (forest, arable and grassland), and investigated the suitability of the DNDC (the DeNitrification–DeComposition) model to estimate present and future NEE. Although, the field-DNDC version overestimated NEE at temperatures >5°C, forest-DNDC under-estimated NEE at temperatures >5°C. The results suggest that the field/forest DNDC models can successfully estimate changes in seasonal and annual NEE from these ecosystems. Differences in NEE were found to be primarily land cover specific. The annual NEE was similar for the grassland and arable sites, but due to the contribution of exported carbon, the soil carbon increased at the grassland site and decreased at the arable site. The NEE of the forest site was an order of magnitude larger than that of the grassland or arable ecosystems, with large amounts of carbon stored in woody biomass and the soil. The average annual NEE, GPP and Reco values over the measurement period were −904, 2379 and 1475gCm−2 (forest plantations), −189, 906 and 715gCm−2 (arable systems) and −212, 1653 and 1444gCm−2 (grasslands), respectively. The average RMSE values were 3.8gCm−2 (forest plantations), 0.12gCm−2 (arable systems) and 0.21gCm−2 (grasslands). When these models were run with climate change scenarios to 2060, predictions show that all three ecosystems will continue to operate as carbon sinks. Further, climate change may decrease the carbon sink strength in the forest plantations by up to 50%. This study supports the use of the DNDC model as a valid tool to predict the consequences of climate change on NEE from different ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Measures within the European Union Nitrates Directive National Action Programmes in many member states aim to reduce soil phosphorus ( P) levels from excessive to agronomically optimum. This is to reduce the risk of diffuse P losses to water and ultimately help achieve the Water Framework Directive targets of good water quality status. In this study, a 'Soil P Decline' model was used to evaluate this expectation for soils in four intensive agricultural catchments. Realistic annual P-balance scenario deficits (−30, −15, −7 kg P/ha) were used to estimate the average time required for soils to decline to optimum levels in two predominantly arable and two grassland catchments with excessive soil test P ( STP). Depending on the STP concentration and total P reserves, for the smallest field P deficit scenario (−7 kg P/ha), the model predictions were for an average of between 5 and 20 yr for agronomically optimum levels to be reached. Under the largest P deficit scenario (−30 kg P/ha), it was forecast to take between 2 and 10 yr. These predictions highlight the likely time lag that exists between implementation of soil P mitigation regulations and the desired outcome of few or no fields with excessive soil P. Expectations for water quality improvement through diffuse P source mitigation must also factor in additional time for P decline model uncertainty, land management variability and time for P sources to transfer to and within river networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The livestock sector contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas emissions ( GHG). Here, for the year 2007 we examined GHG emissions in the EU27 livestock sector and estimated GHG emissions from production and consumption of livestock products; including imports, exports and wastage. We also reviewed available mitigation options and estimated their potential. The focus of this review is on the beef and dairy sector since these contribute 60% of all livestock production emissions. Particular attention is paid to the role of land use and land use change ( LULUC) and carbon sequestration in grasslands. GHG emissions of all livestock products amount to between 630 and 863 Mt CO2e, or 12-17% of total EU27 GHG emissions in 2007. The highest emissions aside from production, originate from LULUC, followed by emissions from wasted food. The total GHG mitigation potential from the livestock sector in Europe is between 101 and 377 Mt CO2e equivalent to between 12 and 61% of total EU27 livestock sector emissions in 2007. A reduction in food waste and consumption of livestock products linked with reduced production, are the most effective mitigation options, and if encouraged, would also deliver environmental and human health benefits. Production of beef and dairy on grassland, as opposed to intensive grain fed production, can be associated with a reduction in GHG emissions depending on actual LULUC emissions. This could be promoted on rough grazing land where appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the impact of the abandonment of traditional farming practices on butterflies and their habitats in traditional, often montane, pastoral systems. We link these declines to socioeconomic factors: illustrating how the failure of the CAP to support traditional farming leads to structural changes in farming enterprises-features which may be obscured by crude statistics on stock. We then call for the scheduled CAP reforms in 2013 to be radically realigned to support rather than destroy biodiversity so that any new EU agri-biodiversity commitments have an effective funding stream to support them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The studies on anthropogenic climate change performed in the last decade over Europe show consistent projections of increases in temperature and different patterns of precipitation with widespread increases in northern Europe and decreases over parts of southern and eastern Europe. In many countries and in recent years there is a tendency towards cereal grain yield stagnation and increased yield variability. Some of these trends may have been influenced by the recent climatic changes over Europe. A set of qualitative and quantitative questionnaires on perceived risks and foreseen impacts of climate and climate change on agriculture in Europe was distributed to agro-climatic and agronomy experts in 26 countries. Europe was divided into 13 Environmental Zones (EZ). In total, we had 50 individual responses for specific EZ. The questionnaires provided both country and EZ specific information on the: (1) main vulnerabilities of crops and cropping systems under present climate; (2) estimates of climate change impacts on the production of nine selected crops; (3) possible adaptation options as well as (4) adaptation observed so far. In addition we focused on the overall awareness and presence of warning and decision support systems with relevance for adaptation to climate change. The results show that farmers across Europe are currently adapting to climate change, in particular in terms of changing timing of cultivation and selecting other crop species and cultivars. The responses in the questionnaires show a surprisingly high proportion of negative expectations concerning the impacts of climate change on crops and crop production throughout Europe, even in the cool temperate northern European countries. The expected impacts, both positive and negative, are just as large in northern Europe as in the Mediterranean countries, and this is largely linked with the possibilities for effective adaptation to maintain current yields. The most negative effects were found for the continental climate in the Pannonian zone, which includes Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. This region will suffer from increased incidents of heat waves and droughts without possibilities for effectively shifting crop cultivation to other parts of the years. A wide range of adaptation options exists in most European regions to mitigate many of the negative impacts of climate change on crop production in Europe. However, considering all effects of climate change and possibilties for adaptation, impacts are still mostly negative in wide regions across Europe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impacts of agricultural land use are far-reaching and extend to areas outside production. This paper provides an overview of the ecological status of agricultural systems across the European Union in the light of recent policy changes. It builds on the previous review of 2001 devoted to the impacts of agricultural intensification in Western Europe. The focus countries are the UK, The Netherlands, Boreal and Baltic countries, Portugal, Hungary and Romania, representing a geographical spread across Europe, but additional reference is made to other countries. Despite many adjustments to agricultural policy, intensification of production in some regions and concurrent abandonment in others remain the major threat to the ecology of agro-ecosystems impairing the state of soil, water and air and reducing biological diversity in agricultural landscapes. The impacts also extend to surrounding terrestrial and aquatic systems through water and aerial contamination and development of agricultural infrastructures (e.g. dams and irrigation channels). Improvements are also documented regionally, such as successful support of farmland species, and improved condition of watercourses and landscapes. This was attributed to agricultural policy targeted at the environment, improved environmental legislation, and new market opportunities. Research into ecosystem services associated with agriculture may provide further pressure to develop policy that is targeted at their continuous provisioning, fostering motivation of land managers to continue to protect and enhance them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Application of slurry in spring to grassland in north-west Europe increases the efficiency of nitrogen recovery compared with the application in summer. In Ireland, however, more than 0·50 of slurry is applied in the summer. The splash-plate method of application, most commonly used in Ireland, can make application in spring difficult because of the risk of contamination of grass with slurry, affecting subsequent silage quality and grazing preferences. This study evaluated the potential of low-emission spreading methods to increase the opportunity for spring application of slurry using an agro-meteorological modelling approach. Weather data from two weather stations were combined with data on grass growth from two nearby sites. Using three soil-drainage classes (well, moderate and poor), each with a typical regime of grassland management, a database of soil moisture deficits, drainage, patterns of grazing and cover of grass herbage was developed for three hypothetical management systems, one for each soil drainage class, at each site. Simulations of four slurry application methods [splash-plate (SP), band-spreader (BS), trailing-shoe (TS) and shallow-injection (SI)], subject to a series of constraints, were compared over an 8-year period (1998–2005) in order to determine the number of days during the period from 1 January to approximately 10 May of each year, when it was considered that grassland was suitable for application of slurry. These constraints were: (i) restrictions on spreading imposed by current legislation in Ireland; (ii) the period before occurrence of drainage or overland flow; (iii) soil trafficability; (iv) the time-lag before a subsequent grazing or harvest event; and (v) herbage mass of the pasture. On well and moderately drained soils, the model predicted that the highest number of days available for slurry spreading was found for the TS method followed by the BS, SI and SP methods. There was no difference between application methods in the number of available days on poorly drained soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Grasslands are an important land use in Europe with essential functions for feed and ecosystem service supply. Impact assessment modelling of European agriculture and the environment needs to consider grasslands and requires spatially explicit information on grassland distribution and productivity, which is not available. This paper presents and analyses spatially explicit data of grassland productivity and land use across regions in Europe. Data are extracted from various regional, national and international census statistics for Europe, extending eastwards to the Ural Mountains. Regional differences in grassland productivity are analysed considering selected climatic and agronomic parameters and are compared with the remotely sensed normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and simulations from two impact assessment models. Temporal productivity changes are investigated for selected regions. As grassland is mainly used for animal feed stuff, the spatial distribution of milk productivity is also analyzed. Results show large regional differences in grassland productivity and land use in Europe. Grassland productivity is highly correlated with annual precipitation and less with annual temperature sum and growing season length. The correlation with NDVI is low. Comparison with large-scale simulations from two different models reveal that simulated spatial patterns of grassland productivity differ from the data obtained in this study, which may be attributable to the under-representation of management effects in these models. Grassland productivity has increased in recent decades, but the average annual genetic gain is different between temporary (0.5%) and permanent grassland (0.25%). The spatial pattern of milk productivity across Europe is similar to the productivity of grassland, suggesting that grassland productivity plays a major role in the distribution of milk productivity. The dataset described in this paper extends the present understanding of the spatial distribution and temporal changes in grassland productivity and land use in Europe. The dataset forms a suitable basis for evaluating large-scale (grassland) productivity models, for which observed data are scarce. However, the definition of grasslands and the collection of data across European countries need to be more consistent and standardised to improve the quality of European grassland productivity and land use data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Unimproved neutral grasslands have declined in extent throughout Europe, especially in Britain. Some of the surviving fragments are managed as pasture but the grazing regime required to maintain their relict flora is unproven. We conducted a systematic review and analysed available data to ascertain the impact of grazing on species richness and the abundance of important plant species. We found the evidence base to be poor but with some potential for meaningful integration of existing datasets. Analyses of complementary datasets from Welsh mesotrophic grassland demonstrates that livestock type and vegetation height significantly impact on the plant community composition. However, the differences in species richness and forb abundance between livestock types are not ecologically significant, and grazing intensity appears to be more important than species of grazer. Managers must balance changes in bryophyte abundance, forb diversity and plant species richness to achieve tradeoffs appropriate to their conservation objectives. The poor evidence base necessitates flexible, site-based management and rigorous monitoring where grazing of important mesotrophic pastures is undertaken. Further evidence regarding interactions between grazing intensity and livestock type is noticeably lacking, precluding prediction regarding livestock type impacts at given stocking intensities. Lack of detailed knowledge of land-use history is a major impediment and there is little information regarding taxa other than vascular plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A closed depression is defined as a geomorphologic element where a sediment depository is encircled by hillslopes. Despite the fact that closed depressions are often the only stagnant water points in many European landscapes, few ecological researches on their plant assemblages have been done. The main goal of this study was to give first results of the environmental factors responsible for the vegetation composition, richness and rarity in the closed depressions of the Lorraine biogeographical district (Belgium, France and grand-duché de Luxembourg). We surveyed for plant presence 85 forest and 77 grassland closed depressions. For each site, wetland area, local environmental factors and regional connectivities registered. For each species, the Ellenberg values were compiled. To investigate the main source of variation in species composition and in species richness (including richness in rare species), Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling analyses and Generalized Linear Models were respectively used. Species pools in forest (forest and preforest species) and in grassland (bog plants, pioneers, helophytes) were quite different. In both landscapes, a gradient from plants typical of basic high-productive soils to plants typical of acid lowproductive soils reflects a shared successional gradient. The accumulation of organic matter allowed the establishment of Sphagnum spp., which slowly acidified the soil and thus acted as ecosystem engineers for the arrival of bog plants. Moreover, the species composition was additionally driven by the plant light tolerance in forests and by the plant water requirements in grasslands. Mechanisms of species accumulation (increase in species richness) were different in forests and in grasslands: respectively related to the plant light tolerance and to the wetland area. At the regional level, the averaged soil productivity was negatively related to the richness in rare species. Indeed, perennial highly-competitive plants such as Glyceria spp., Iris pseudacorus or Urtica dioica impeded the establishment of smaller and rarer species. At the habitat level, isolated closed depressions (due to either low connectivity or low grazing pressure) have more habitat rare species, giving evidences of dispersal limitation in plant assemblages of closed depressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-environment schemes are the most widely adopted political measure to maintain and restore farmland biodiversity in Europe. However, abiotic and biotic factors often limit the success of ecological restoration. Among the biotic factors, the size of the local and regional species pool is a major constraint. This is only well documented for plants. We therefore wanted to know if a small regional species pool can also limit restoration efforts of invertebrates. Specifically, we tested if by relocating grasshoppers from further away, we could overcome regional species pool limitations on hay meadows under the Swiss agri-environment scheme, so-called Ecological Compensation Area meadows (ECA meadows). All meadows had been under restoration for 6 years and were formerly intensively used hay meadows. Two grasshopper species, Euthystira brachyptera and Mecostethus parapleurus, were selected; E. brachyptera was not found in the regional species pool and M. parapleurus had nearly disappeared. In 2004, 1,400 grasshopper individuals of each species were taken from the nearest large source populations and distributed equally on seven ECA meadows and seven control meadows. In 2005, we evaluated whether the species had successfully established. Only one individual of M. parapleurus was found. We conclude that a small regional species pool is not the only constraint for the reestablishment of grasshoppers on restoration meadows. Also, other factors such as habitat quality appear to constrain the reestablishment of grasshoppers on restoration meadows. Additional restoration efforts specifically targeted at grasshopper restoration are needed, and innovative techniques have to be developed to overcome the relocation constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil/atmosphere exchange fluxes of nitrous oxide were monitored for a 3-year period at 10 grassland sites in eight European countries (Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and United Kingdom), spanning a wide range of climatic, environmental and soil conditions. Most study sites investigated the influence of one or several management practices on N2O exchange, such as nitrogen fertilization and grazing intensity. Fluxes were measured using non-steady state chambers at most sites, and alternative measurement techniques such as eddy covariance and fast-box using tunable diode laser spectroscopy were implemented at some sites. The overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates derived from chamber measurements may be as high as 50% due to the temporal and spatial variability in fluxes, which warrants the future use of continuous measurements, if possible at the field scale. Annual emission rates were higher from intensive than from extensive grasslands, by a factor 4 if grazed (1.77 versus 0.48kgN2O-Nha−1 year−1) and by a factor 3 if ungrazed (0.95 versus 0.32kgN2O-Nha−1 year−1). Annual emission factors for fertilized systems were highly variable, ranging from 0.01% to 3.56%, but the mean emission factor across all sites (0.75%) was substantially lower than the IPCC default value of 1.25%. Emission factors for individual fertilization events increased with soil temperature and were generally higher for water-filled pore space values in the range 60–90%, though precipitation onto dry soils was also shown to lead to high losses of N2O-N from applied fertilizer. An empirical, multiple regression model to predict N2O emission factors on the basis of soil temperature, moisture and rainfall is developed, explaining half of the variability in observed emission factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cattle overwintering areas common in central Europe may represent significant point sources of the important greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). A 2-year field study was carried out in order to estimate the emissions of N2O and CO2 from soil in a cattle overwintering area located in the southwest of the Czech Republic. The measurements were performed at three sampling locations along a gradient of animal impact (severe, moderate, slight) to test the hypothesis that emissions of CO2 and N2O are positively related to the degree of impact. In addition to CO2 and N2O fluxes determined by using non-vented manual closed chambers, soil mineral nitrogen (NH4 + and NO3 −), pH and temperature were determined to assess their regulatory role and impact on gas fluxes. The overwintering area was about 4ha and it had been used for overwintering of about 90 cows since 1995. Deposition of animal excreta resulted in a significant accumulation of nitrogen in the soil during winter, but most of the N2O was emitted during a few short periods in spring and/or in late autumn. Maximum N2O fluxes of up to 2.5mgN2O-Nm−2 h−1 were recorded at the most impacted location near the animal house, where the highest concentrations of soil mineral nitrogen also occurred. The emissions of CO2 showed a completely different pattern to those of N2O, being correlated with soil temperature; the highest emissions thus occurred in June–July, while very low fluxes were found in winter. Emission values ranged from about 0 to 700mgC-CO2 m−2 h−1. Furthermore, the effect of animal impact on CO2 emissions was opposite to that on N2O fluxes, as the highest CO2 fluxes were mostly recorded at the least impacted location, where respiration of plants most likely increased overall CO2 production. The results show that cattle overwintering areas are important sources of greenhouse gases, including N2O and CO2. Fluxes of these two gases are, however, differently distributed over the year, which also suggests that they are controlled by different environmental and soil factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]