This paper investigates the habitat preferences of Chorthippus albomarginatus, Chorthippus brunneus and Chorthippus parallelus in relation to sward height and vegetation composition. using 2 X 2-m quadrats, the grasshopper fauna of 15 sites was surveyed in July and August of 2000 and 2001. The results obtained highlight the importance of sward height and vegetation composition in determining grasshopper abundance. The three Chorthippus species were found to favor sward heights between 100 to 200 mm. C. brunneus and C. parallelus in particular, were positively associated with fine-leaved grass species such as Agrostis spp. or Festuca spp. (p < 0.05) and negatively associated with Lolium perenne L. and Poa trivialis L. (p < 0.01).

Both C. parallelus and C. brunneus were found to be in significantly higher abundance at heathland sites than in agricultural habitats. This may have been because the farmland sites were dominated by L. perenne, which may not be a suitable food resource for grasshoppers, whereas heathland swards tended to be composed of fine-leaved grass species such as Agrostis capillaris, which might be more favorable for adult feeding. The lack of suitable swards on agricultural land may severely restrict the occurrence of these grasshopper species. This could have important conservation implications for rare farmland bird species, such as Emberiza cirlus which utilise grasshoppers as a food source.