This is the fifth in a series of meetings the Association of Applied Biologists has organised on Vegetation Management since 1992. There have been a number of significant changes since the previous meeting held in 2007. These include the failure to achieve targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2010, increased awareness of climate change impacts, growing concerns over the declines in pollinators, the rising popularity of "sustainability" and "ecosystem services", and continued grant schemes for farmers based on the environment rather than on production. There have also been severe financial constraints affecting practice and research across the public, private and university sectors.
 
  An increasing number of other challenges face those involved with vegetation management. These include
• Pressure from development and urbanisation
• The need to adapt to climate change and climate extremes
• Eutrophication
• Continued biodiversity loss
• Resolving recreation and conservation
• Restoration and enhancement
• Invasive species
• Plant-soil interactions
• Cultural landscapes

  We invited offers of papers and posters in areas associated with Vegetation Management in its broadest sense, including those areas outlined above. As a consequence this volume contains a diversity of contributions including habitat management, restoration, creation and vegetation management for invertebrates.

Thanks are due to all members of the organising committee (see below) for their invaluable help with this conference.  Sincere thanks are also due to Carol Millman, Becky Morgan, Claire Hartry and Bernadette Lawson at the AAB Office for organising the administration for the conference and preparing this volume of Aspects of Applied Biology.
 
Organising Committee
Tim Sparks  

Chris Britt   

Andy Cherrill
Rob Marrs   

Simon Mortimer  

Richard Pywell
Ian Rotherham   

Victoria Stokes  

Duncan Westbury 

2011 pp.272