Human induced and natural developments of coastal dune grasslands and its implications for management.

Late 1990, year-round livestock grazing by Galloway cows and Nordic Fjord horses was introduced in Meijendel (The Netherlands) at a density of 0.06-0.07 LLU (Large Livestock Units: 1:12-18 ha). The animals should counteract the processes of stabilisation and ecological succession towards monotonous stands of vegetation, dominated by tall grasses and a sedge species and counteract shrub and forest encroachment. Thel incentive for the PhD thesis is the evaluation of several decades of livestock grazing in Meijendel by a unique and large amount of data available: high resolution false color infrared digital orthophotos, data from long term permanent plots and exclosures, and a massive amount of relevés of the so-called Zeedorpenlandschap.