Man-made natural ecosystems in environmental management and planning
This paper has been conceived from a background of European phytosociology and plant ecology, involved in the study of the vegetation of more or less densely populated countries like the Netherlands. I want to speak on behalf of many colleagues from that field of ecology. We are in the awkward position that the changes in the natural environment of our countries are, or at least have been, so tremendously fast that until recently we were spending our time in trying to preserve the remnants of our natural heritage rather than in analysing them. Despite this effort, Europe is losing its biotic diversity at an alarming speed. Unfortunately we have ample circumstantial evidence for this decline, but we need facts and figures to persuade those people who can most effectively try to stop, or at least try to curb, this tendency. Nowadays we consider that the planning authorities are the first people to persuade.