Herbaceous Vegetation, Species Richness in

For more than half a century, reductions in plant diversity have been observed in many types of ecosystems. One of the best-known and most lamented of these losses has been associated with the widespread disappearance and degradation of ancient species-rich meadows and pastures in Western Europe. However, from census data collected in several countries it is apparent that this phenomenon has not occurred in isolation from processes taking place in landscapes as a whole; the fate of such highly prized communities is merely one conspicuous element in a widespread attrition affecting both species-rich and species-poor ecosystems.