Extensification of dairy farming and floristic richness of peat grassland

Abstract

Amounts of fertilizer and animal manure proved to be the major factors for the floristic richness of peat grasslands. Additional factors were peat mud treatment and soil type. Conservational profits of a moderate reduction of nitrogen supply are limited. Only a more extreme reduction, to levels ≤200kg N ha-1yr-1, will raise the floristic richness substantially. The chance to restore the floristic richness of peat grasslands at current Dutch agricultural practice is thus low. -from Authors