Grassland research and conservation within the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG)

Abstract

Grassland ecosystems are sources of biodiversity, natural beauty and cultural values. Recent land-use changes and the gradual loss of traditional rural cultures, eutrophication from agricultural fertilization, and airborne nitrogen deposition from multiple sources has resulted in rapid loss of grassland biodiversity, and homogenization is detectable in almost all types of Palaearctic grasslands. The Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) is an international organization dealing with research and conservation of Palaearctic grasslands, with more than 1200 members from nearly 70 countries. This contribution summarises the EDGG research and conservation activities over a decade of EDGG existence (2008-2017). Grassland research was supported mainly by preparation of special issues on grassland-related topics in international scientific journals, organizing research fieldworks and expeditions, and establishment of the GrassPlot database. Grassland conservation initiatives such the Smolenice Grassland Declaration highlight the necessity of strong and comprehensive international frameworks and well-developed national strategies for grassland conservation, which are still missing.