Wild and sown grasses. Profiles of a temperate species selection: ecology, biodiversity and use
Edited by Alain Peeters. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and FAO, Viale delle Termedi Caracalla, 00100,
Rome, Italy, 2004, £69.50 (US$125), Hardback, 311 pp. ISBN: 1405105291 (Blackwell) and 9251051593 (FAO)

One consequence of the widespread intensification of grasslands over the past half century has been the reduction in the range of species available for sowing. Most of the grass-breeding effort has been with Lolium species and these now dominate the seed market, while seed of the mainly wild grasses that contribute to the forage resources of permanent pastures, including some that were sown previously, are now scarce or unavailable.
Furthermore, there is a generally poor level of understanding among land managers and advisers of the agricultural and ecological attributes of secondary grasses at a time of increasing interest in the multifunctional use of grassland. This book makes a documented plea for a re-evaluation of wild and littleselected grass species so that they can be better known and more widely used.
The first part of the book provides a series of short background chapters on grassland ecology and agronomy in a European context. It summarizes the importance of grasslands, grass breeding, classification of communities, sward production, ecological requirements, forage values, diseases (with supporting colour illustrations), the uses of grasses in agricultural and non-agricultural situations, and their morphology and physiology. This section alone can be recommended to students and others seeking an excellent and well referenced introduction to grass and grasslands.
The second and main part (200 pages) profiles 43 temperate grass species, many of which are regaining importance in the context of reduced agricultural intensification. Each profile includes a description of the plant, illustrated with line drawings and high resolution photographs, its uses and agronomic characteristics, including research on production and herbage quality, where available. Ecological requirements are described and, for each species, matrix tables present the ecological optimum and range values in terms of pH, soil water, nutrient supply and defoliation management. Uses, advantages and shortcomings, and disease susceptibility are summarized. This part of the book is essentially a reference manual, presented in a consistent, though inevitably somewhat staccato, style.
The final part of the book focuses on grass mixtures and gives examples of mixtures appropriate for different situations and soil types, including productive agriculture, ecological restoration, set-aside, field margins, amenity uses and soil conservation projects. The book highlights many gaps in knowledge and the author here identifies a number of possibilities for future research, suggesting some priorities for selection from species well-suited to particular environments where Lolium species are inappropriate, and on the need to improve understanding of the ecophysiology of secondary grasses and their potential to contribute to wider environmental objectives.
One of the key merits of this book is the way it presents ecological concepts and information in an understandable and accessible form to those with little previous ecological knowledge, while at the same time summarizing agricultural aspects for a wider audience.
The book will become an invaluable work of reference for students of agriculture and ecology. It will also be of value to lecturers, researchers, land managers, advisers,
ecologists, conservationists and other professionals, for example in the seed industry, and consultants involved in environmental management and restoration.