This article introduces a Special Issue on biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and
provides a synthesis of the current knowledge on this topic. Four major categories of …

Many countries have legislation intended to limit or offset the impact of anthropogenic
disturbance and development on threatened plants. Translocations are often integral to …

Plant litter is a key component in terrestrial ecosystems. It plays a major role in nutrient
cycles and community organization. Land use and climate change may change the …

Dry grasslands are species rich and ecologically valuable habitats that have experienced a
massive decline in Switzerland during the last century due to agricultural intensification and …

Understanding the effects of land-use on threatened ecosystems is of special relevance for
nature conservation. The aim of our study was to use Orthoptera as ecological indicators for …

Patterns of biodiversity may vary across spatial scales and between taxonomic groups;
therefore, specific studies are needed to provide insights into factors driving community …

In recent decades, global change and local anthropogenic pressures have severely affected
natural ecosystems and their biodiversity. Although disentangling the effects of these factors …

Questions Litter quantity in grasslands is highly affected by disturbance regime and
influences seed recruitment of constituent species through different mechanisms. Does litter …

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, 12 million ha of cropland were abandoned in
the steppe zone of Kazakhstan. At the same time livestock numbers crashed, leaving large …

Background and aims Seasonal grazing is a traditional grassland management practice in
alpine swamp meadows on the Tibetan Plateau, but little information is available on the …