Species-rich grassy shrublands

Over the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting species-rich, grassy shrublands, a wonderful early-successional habitat that I feel is key to nature recovery across Britian’s farmland. Mosaics of species-rich grassland with scattered shrubs and emergent young trees can be a precursor to native woodland development. They can develop into wood pasture. Or, through livestock grazing and long-term management, they can remain a long-term feature of actively farmed land. Mosaics of species-rich grassland with scattered trees and shrubs support an unusually large number of species of conservation concern. And they accumulate species through time, exhibiting a gradual development of complexity - a key attribute of nature recovery.

This is a habitat everyone could be creating, whether livestock farmer, native woodland creator, local community with amenity land to manage, rewilder or small-holder.

Read my short booklet to find out more, or just stay tuned here for summaries of the case for grassy-shrubland creation…