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

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. Researchers have analyzed 917 native forest plant species in Central and Western Europe and found that more than 80 percent prefer high-light conditions -- environments traditionally created by large herbivores.