Species indicators for naturally-regenerating and old calcareous grassland in southern England

Habitat restoration requires realistic goals. To naturally regenerate European lowland calcareous grassland, whose extent has severely declined, over a century may be required for vegetation to become indistinguishable from that of old calcareous grassland. Progress of natural regeneration can be characterized using member species of the reference vegetation as indicators of favourable site condition. Chronosequence studies have suggested that...