Abstract

English agriculturists' attitudes to-wards grassland vegetation, 1780-1914: an ecological perspective Angus and Owen Davies repens), timothy (Phleum pratense), and meadow INTRODUCTION grass (Poa spp.) (Rodwell 1992). Grassland Landscape historians have long been interested in maintenance is also directed at prohibiting the the evidence grasslands provide about general natural ingress of other grassland species, thus shifts in agriculture, such as enclosure, and the preventing the sward from becoming 'worn-out' nature of ridge and furrow. Grassland landscapes with the invasion of less productive plants. This is such as irrigated water-meadows and Lammas largely achieved by heavy applications of nitrogen, meadows have received considerable attention phosphoms and potassium based artificial fertilisers, (for example, Sheail 1971; Bettey 1977; Feltwell which promote the dominance of a few competitive 1992; Brian 1994). Yet, the stmcture and diversity species at the expense of the majority of the of grassland vegetation is also an important aspect grassland flora which are less competitive, and of landscape study, and the relatively recent dramatic more stress-tolerant (Grime 1989). Agriculture has decline of floristically-rich grasslands has certainly now reached a stage where virtually all the naturally altered the visual impression of the countryside. occurring grassland species are considered as The grasslands