Application of Vegetation Science to Grassland Husbandry and Agriculture

WERNER KRAUSE INTRODUCTION GENERAL COMMENTS ON THIS VOLUME The subject" Application of vegetation science to grassland husbandry" is not limited by geographical boundaries. It is pro- posed to cover this subject in an internationally applicable work of reference. However, to avoid omissions it would have to em- brace all the diversity of grassland from the Arctic to the Equa- tor. The term "application" requires that the papers contained herein take into account both generally relevant scientific knowl- edge and the special needs of practical farming. The latter are not satisfied solely by the laws of vegetation science; the changing effects of the market, politics, the distribution of wealth and poverty, highly developed technology and the continued use of archaic farming methods must all be considered. To try to cover all this adequately in one volume of ap- proximately 550 pages is a hopeless task. The editor and the authors had to limit themselves to presenting a selection of prob- lems and attempts to solve them, with the aim that these exam- ples should indicate how much vegetation science can contribute to grassland husbandry, and the scope of this contribution is broadened by the references quoted. The arrangement of the sections within this volume does not lend itself to specific suggestions for the management of individual systems. However, grassland husbandry can expect to obtain from this work an'insight into some overall general rela- tionships, which could assist the adviser in the formulation of more specific improvement plans.