Contents

• Part 1 (PDF-format, 299 Kb)
  • Preface
  • Special edition on grazing
• Part 2 (PDF-format, 388 Kb)
  • New views on grazing among site managers
  • Area sizes and numbers in the Netherlands
  • ´Quaternary Park´:large herbivores and the natural landscape before the last Ice Age
  • A park-like landscape rather than closed forest
• Part 3 (PDF-format, 225 Kb)
  • Grazing in Belgium
  • Livestock farming changed the landscape
  • Large Herbivore Initiative
  • Hoofed animals in nature areas:theory and practice versus research
• Part 4 (PDF-format, 249 Kb)
  • Grazing and the conservation of low-nutrient open landscapes
  • Reptiles and grazing
  • Butterflies and grazing
• Part 5 (PDF-format, 292 Kb)
  • Natural grazing versus seasonal grazing
  • Natural grazing,social structure and heredity
  • Unexpected high mortality at Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve
  • Health risks between large herbivores,farm animals and man
  • Infectious diseases and susceptible species,including humans
• Part 6 (PDF-format, 184 Kb)
  • Effects of anthelmintics on manure-eating arthropods
  • Ethology and large herbivores:what do we want?
  • Battles of nature;the ethical side of grazing by large herbivores
• Part 7 (PDF-format, 307 Kb)
  • Some facts about grazing animals and the public
  • Rare livestock breeds and nature policy
  • Communication and grazing at Natuurmonumenten
  • Make way for the European ecological network
• Part 8 (PDF-format, 398 Kb)
  • European bison and cattle do not cross spontaneously
  • Large herbivores and government policy
  • Research questions
  • Grazing:get on with it! Closing remarks

Looking back in history wild herbivores took care of open spots in the forests. They counteracted a dominant growth of trees, thus preparing places where other species could live that we find nowadays in grasslands. As a result of hunting and agriculture these wild herbivores were pushed back to remote areas. Often they became locally or totally extinct. For centuries, agriculture developed in a fairly good manner for biodiversity. However, less and less space became available for large animals and for natural processes, even though the variation in species and in landscape-types was maintained and even increased.

Nowadays the situation is totally different. In large parts of Europe agriculture is becoming so intensive that almost all the positive effects on biodiversity have disappeared. In many areas in Europe, both in the west and the east, agriculture has become more and more marginal. Rural areas are becoming empty, the social circumstances in villages are deteriorating. This process also affects the biodiversity and ecological processes. Because of the lack of grazing, vegetations rich in species are becoming overgrown by scrub and by litter (such as thick layers of dead grass).

A few years ago two special editions of the Vakblad natuurbeheer with a lot of articles about grazing and grazing animals were printed, one in the Dutch language and one in the English language.

The English version has been split up in several smaller chapters, but it is still available as a full colour printed version.. You can send me an e-mail (see contact) if you want a copy.