1. Novel manipulations of local climate were employed to investigate how warmer winters with either wetter or drier summers would affect the Auchenorrhyncha, a major component of the insect fauna of grasslands. Direct and indirect effects of climate manipulation were found. 2. Supplemented summer rainfall resulted in an increase in vegetation cover, leading to an increase in the abundance of the Auchenorrhyncha. 3. Summer drought, however, caused a decrease in vegetation cover, but this did not lead to a corresponding decrease in the abundance of the Auchenorrhyncha. 4. Egg hatch and the termination of nymphal hibernation occurred earlier in winter warmed plots; however, the rate of nymphal development was unaffected.

Abstract. The lowland calcareous grasslands of northwestern Europe are highly prized by ecologists and conservationists as a result of the diversity of their plant and invertebrate communities. Large areas of such grasslands have been lost this century as a result of changes in agricultural land use. Recent changes in agricultural policies, in particular the introduction of agri‐environmental incentive schemes, have resulted in an increasing area being managed for the restoration of these communities. This paper reviews the management techniques employed in the restoration of lowland calcareous grasslands and the factors that govern their success. Constraints on the enhancement of the plant diversity of restoration sites include high soil fertility and the presence of undesirable species in the soil seed bank. However, it is thought that the primary constraint is the availability of propagules from which new populations can be established. Similarly, the dispersal mode and ability of insect species is likely to be the major factor limiting the enhancement of insect diversity. Evaluation of the success of restoration management usually involves monitoring changes in the plant community. However, as a result of their short life‐cycles and sensitivity to small‐scale environmental conditions, insects may respond more rapidly to changes resulting from restoration management and therefore provide better indicators of success. With the exception of a few high‐profile butterfly species, the use of insects as indicator taxa has largely been neglected in terrestrial systems. This paper illustrates their potential use with reference to lowland calcareous grasslands in southern Britain.

No abstract

. 1995. Population dynamics and survivorship patterns in the common shrew Sorex araneus in southern England. Acta Theriologica 40: 53-68.Results of a four-year, mark-recapture study of a high-density population of Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 inhabiting grassland are reported. The population showed regular cycles of abundance between seasons and differences between years. Captures were not related to ambient temperature or rainfall, and population numbers showed no consistent correlation with winter weather conditions. Immigration and dispersal occurred throughout the year but were lowest in winter. Fifty-five percent of males and 35% of females in the breeding population were immigrants. Shrews underwent an autumn-winter weight loss of 12-19% but there was no evidence that weather conditions affected seasonal or annual patterns of weight change. There were no significant differences in body mass between resident and transient (and dispersing) young or between resident and immigrant adults. Weather conditions affected neither monthly survival, nor annual winter mortality rate which was 21-48%. Onset of sexual maturity was not affected by time of birth, but early-born cohorts had better survival rates at all stages than did late-born cohorts. There were significant differences in survival between cohorts born in different years but these were not correlated with weather conditions or population density.