Fertile soil is fundamental to our ability to achieve food security, but problems with soil
degradation (such as acidification) are exacerbated by poor management. Consequently …

This article introduces a Special Issue on biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and
provides a synthesis of the current knowledge on this topic. Four major categories of …

Global change, such as exotic invasions, dramatically affects ecosystem functioning.
However, the mechanisms behind the impacts are often unclear and despite extensive …

Abstract The Park Grass experiment (PGE) in the UK has been ongoing since 1856. Its
purpose is to study the response of biological communities to the long-term treatments and …

Eutrophication is a major driver of species loss in plant communities worldwide. However,
the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon are controversial. Previous studies have …

Human activities have increased the availability of nutrients in terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems. In grasslands, this eutrophication causes loss of plant species diversity, but the …

Comparative functional ecology seeks to understand why and how ecological systems and
their components operate differently across environments. Although traditionally used in …

Long‐term field experiments that test a range of treatments and are intended to assess the
sustainability of crop production, and thus food security, must be managed actively to identify …

Robert May's seminal book has played a central role in the development of ecological
science. Originally published in 1976, this influential text has overseen the transition of …

Intact ecosystems contain large numbers of competing but coexisting species. Although
numerous alternative theories have provided potential explanations for this high biodiversity …