Introduction of threatened species in a fragmented and deteriorated landscape

In The Netherlands, heathlands and species-rich grassland are strongly reduced in both area and habitat quality mainly due to fragmentation, eutrophication and acidification. As a result, many plant and animal species have become (locally) extinct, or are threatened by extinction as they are forced into small and isolated habitat patches. In this thesis several genetic reasons for the loss and threatening of these plant species are described. The possibility to use reintroduction as a management measure in order to preserve these small and isolated populations from extinction is investigated. Moreover, several reintroduction strategies by using plant material from local and non-local populations of different size are discussed. In The Netherlands, heathlands and species-rich grassland are strongly reduced in both area and habitat quality mainly due to fragmentation, eutrophication and acidification. As a result, many plant and animal species have become (locally) extinct, or are threatened by extinction as they are forced into small and isolated habitat patches. In this thesis several genetic reasons for the loss and threatening of these plant species are described. The possibility to use reintroduction as a management measure in order to preserve these small and isolated populations from extinction is investigated. Moreover, several reintroduction strategies by using plant material from local and non-local populations of different size are discussed. In The Netherlands, heathlands and species-rich grassland are strongly reduced in both area and habitat quality mainly due to fragmentation, eutrophication and acidification. As a result, many plant and animal species have become (locally) extinct, or are threatened by extinction as they are forced into small and isolated habitat patches. In this thesis several genetic reasons for the loss and threatening of these plant species are described. The possibility to use reintroduction as a management measure in order to preserve these small and isolated populations from extinction is investigated. Moreover, several reintroduction strategies by using plant material from local and non-local populations of different size are discussed