Creating productive diverse grassland for multi-ecosystem services: an example of agri-environment schemes policies driven by science in United Kingdom

Abstract

INTRODUCTION 
Grassland accounts for 72% of agricultural land use in the UK and constitutes the largest area of habitat managed under the agri-environment schemes (DEFRA, 2016). Most agricultural grassland is intensively managed resulting in floristically species-poor swards supporting a restricted range of invertebrates and grassland agri-environment schemes have had a limited effect in diversifying these homogeneous habitats. 
Increasing grassland plant diversity can potentially provide multiple benefits including greater productivity and forage quality, increased faunal abundance and ...