Economy and Ecology of Heathlands

Heathlands in Europe have a long history of supporting human activity and use. Through the ages heathlands have been used as (semi-)agricultural areas, hunting territories and for various other purposes. This has created a cultural diversity over the whole Atlantic area of Europe, from Portugal and Spain in the south to Norway in the north, and from Germany in the east to Ireland in the west.

Economy and Ecology of Heathlands shows us both the diversity of use across Europe, and combines this information with the newest insights in ecology and the current Natura 2000 status of most of these heathlands.

A central theme is how to cover the costs of maintenance of these heathlands. Is their future in new types of commons, or do other types of land ownership, using the revenues of heathland ecosystem services, give better opportunities?

The editors combine a broad knowledge of heathlands across all aspects of ecology, land use, and economics.