The effects of nitrogen deposition, grazing and land use on Danish acidic grasslands

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that a strong interplay of land-use history may explain the weakening of the response of species richness to increased levels of nitrogen deposition in acid grasslands. In this study, we use an interpretation and grouping of crop codes from the farmers Field and Fertilizer Plan as an indicator for land use to test this hypothesis. We find that land-use, significantly, affects several indicators of the conservation status of Danish acid grasslands. The study clearly concludes that present and historical management and land-use is important for understanding the differences and changes in the conservation status of acid grassland.