Spatial and structural uniformity of lowland agricultural grassland in England: a context for biodiversity loss
- Tallowin, J. R. B.
- Smith, R. E. N.
- Goodyear, J.
- Vickery, J. A.
DOIAbstract
The contention that agricultural grassland within the UK is spatially and structurally uniform across wide differences in livestock farming intensity is examined. Total nitrogen (N) input was used as a surrogate for management intensity. Farms with average annual N inputs of >200 kg ha−1 were categorized as highly intensive, those with N inputs of 50–200 kg N ha−1 as moderately intensive and those with inputs of 75 kg N ha −1 year−1 contained 12 plant species and >5 forb species m−2 were only found in study fields that received 10 forb species m−2 were found only in sites receiving <15 kg N ha−1. Of importance at a landscape scale was ubiquity of species‐poor and similar grassland plant communities across the management intensity range with...
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