Further Results of Excluding Sheep from High-Level Grasslands in the North Pennines

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Long-term botanical studies on the effects of preventing sheep from grazing grasslands dominated by Agrostis-Festuca, Festuca, Nardus and Juncus squarrosus were carried out on the Moor House National Nature Reserve. The heterogeneity of these grasslands is stressed, and the interpretation of the results obtained from relatively small fenced areas is confined to generalities. Previous findings (after 8 yr of protection) of a decline in a species-number is confirmed (after 24 yr of protection), but there are indications that the grasslands are not stable and compositional changes are still occurring. Changes in the structure of the grasslands were considerable, and were shown to improve conditions for the invertebrate fauna. Standing crops were larger, but the consequences on the distribution of nutrients were unclear.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: