Pasture Landscapes and Nature Conservation — New strategies for the preservation of open landscapes in Europe

Low-intensity pastoral systems have long provided substitute habitats for many species adapted to open landscapes in Europe. Modern developments in land cultivation techniques have caused a dramatic decline of valuable habitats, thereby threatening the biodiversity of open landscapes. However, for many years grazing was basically considered a problem by most individuals and organizations working for nature conservation. It is only recently that the adaptation of traditional pastoral systems to changing socio-economic conditions and the establishment of new forms of pasture landscapes have come into focus as a nature conservation strategy. A number of remaining traditional pastoral systems in Europe and the objectives of concepts for establishing new forms of pasture landscapes were the topics of the 1st International Workshop on Pasture Landscapes and Nature Conservation held in Lüneburg, Germany. The principal requirements for their successful implementation are discussed in this paper.