Endozoochory by free-ranging, large herbivores: Ecological correlates and perspectives for restoration

Plant species create positive feedbacks to patterns of nutrient cycling in natural ecosystems. For example, in nutrient-poor ecosystems, plants grow slowly, use nutrients efficiently and produce poor-quality litter that decomposes slowly and deters herbivores. /n contrast, plant species from nutrient-rich ecosystems grow rapidly, produce readily degradable litter and sustain high rates of herbivory, further enhancing rates of nutrient cycling. Plants may also create positive feedbacks to nutrient cycling because of species' differences in carbon deposition and competition with microbes for nutrients in the rhizosphere. New research is showing that species' effects can be as or more important than abiotic factors, such as climate, in controlling ecosystem fertility. Copyright © 1992. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Species-rich grassland and heathland communities still occur in low-intensity farming systems in many European countries. Gradually, such systems have either been abandoned or more intensively exploited, with a subsequent decrease in species numbers. Until recently, it was thought that restoration of these communities would be straightforward. However, abiotic constraints (with respect to eutrophication and acidification) have hampered restoration more than previously thought. Moreover, very recent research has revealed that biotic constraints can also be important: many plant species are not present in the soil seed bank and their dispersal is limited in the present fragmented landscape.