BIODIVERSITY OF SOIL BIOTA AND PLANTS IN ABANDONED ARABLE FIELDS AND GRASSLANDS UNDER RESTORATION MANAGEMENT

The currently widespread abandoning of agricultural land use in Wester n Europe offers new opportunities for ecological restoration and natur e conservation. This is illustrated for abandoned arable fields and fo r permanent grasslands cut for hay after the cessation of fertilizer a pplication. Although initiated by a sudden reduction of nutrient input to the system, the changing nutrient supply from the soil is consider ed to be the main driving force of succession. The soil nutrient suppl y is affected by soil organisms, both directly (root symbionts and her bivores) and indirectly (nutrient mineralization from dead organic mat ter). It is argued that because of the close association of changes in species diversity with changes in the functioning of ecosystems, biod iversity has to be studied in an ecosystem ecology context.