Europe’s forest plants thrive best in light-rich, semi-open woodlands kept open by large herbivores

Before Homo sapiens arrived, Europe’s forests were not dense and dark but shaped by open and light-rich woodland landscapes. A new study from Aarhus University shows that most native forest plants are adapted to semi-open, light-filled woodlands—formed over millions of years by the influence of large, free-ranging herbivores such as bison, elk, and wild horses.

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