Verschuivende mozaïeken de rol van kleine zoogdieren

Since the last 25 years large herbivores have been introduced in many nature areas across Europe with the aim to increase heterogeneity in the vegetation structure and, with that, positive effects on biodiversity. According to the theory of' shifting mosaics' low intensity grazing drives the crucial alternation of facilitation and competition between plant species that indeed cause this heterogeneity. Empirical evidence for this theory is growing, but some important steps still need investigation. We investigated these steps and here report on results of our various observational and experimental studies on the effects of grazing by rabbits and cattle on shrub expansion, the establishment of new shrubs and the role of mice as seed dispersers in the grazed landscape.