The effect of past land-use on species diversity

This thesis is review of scientific studies on the effect of past land-use on species diversity. The aim of the thesis is to summarise knowledge of past land-use changes and their impact on plant communities and species diversity of grasslands. Those are mostly affected by human activities and have been used already for more than 8 000 years. In recent time, the agriculture has intensified, the main production is concentrated and marginal areas are abandoned. Many studies focus on spontaneous succession on these abandoned areas and the relationship between species diversity and past land-use. Their results suggest that current vegetation composition is mostly determined by habitat continuity rather than by recent land-use. In the last part of the thesis, I introduce the area of White Carpathian Mountains where my future research will be held. Key words: seminatural grasslands, historical management, biodiversity, past land-use changes, secondary successio