Agri-Environmental Value of Semi-Natural Grasslands: Degradation, Proper Management, and Restoration
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 15359
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Despite their ancient origin, species-rich semi-natural grasslands still excel among agricultural ecosystems for their multifunctionality, including important agricultural benefits (high-quality forages, niche food products, agro-tourism, etc.) and environmental services (biodiversity, hydrological cycle, carbon sequestration, etc.).
Unfortunately, their extent and quality has been alarmingly reduced in recent decades. Highlighting the causes and losses from grassland degradation in addition to the benefits from proper management of high-quality grassland is therefore crucial for justifying policies aimed at supporting their conservation.
Ecological restoration has also become an important tool for maintaining grassland multifunctionality. Reintroducing species-rich grasslands can increase the environmental value of both agricultural areas (e.g., in livestock farming, field margins, herbaceous–woody cropping systems) and extra-agricultural environments (e.g., in urban parks, green roofs, road embankments, riverbanks, ski slopes).
Dr. Michele Scotton
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- species-rich semi-natural grasslands
- semi-natural grassland degradation
- semi-natural grassland management
- semi-natural grassland conservation and restoration
- grassland biodiversity in agricultural, urban, and extra-urban environments
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