A decision-making tool for restoring lowland grasslands in Europe

Species-rich grasslands suffer from significant loss and degradation all over the world. In particular in lowland Europe, the vast majority of these habitats are in an unfavourable conservation status which requires urgent restoration measures. A significant amount of information on the results of previous restorations exists thanks to the implementation of numerous projects and the publication of action plans, technical notes and scientific articles. This information is however very scattered, which does not facilitate the work of practitioners. We therefore propose here a decision support tool using a step-wise framework informed by the successes and failures obtained in two large-scale restoration projects supplemented by scientific and grey literature. This decision tree addresses different restoration techniques depending on the local context, e.g. the intensity of habitat degradation, the richness of soil nutrients, and the presence in the vicinity of a habitat in a good conservation status. Depending on the type of grassland, our tool then suggests various recurrent management techniques to be applied after restoration. This synthetic work is presented step by step according to a dichotomous key which is intended to help practitioners make the right choices in their restoration process.

Automated summary

Species-rich grasslands around the world are experiencing significant loss and degradation, especially in lowland Europe. There is a wealth of information on previous restoration efforts, but it is scattered, making it difficult for practitioners. Therefore, a decision support tool has been proposed based on successful and failed experiences, as well as scientific and grey literature.