Woody plant encroachment
Woody encroachment has probably started thousands of years ago, when Earth started warming, but it has happened much faster during the last 50 years. There are different possible reasons for woody encroachment, some directly linked to the action of people, others linked to climate change. The reasons for woody encroachment are very different between dry grasslands and wet grasslands. Once the bushes and shrubs have grown and taken over an area, they make it harder for grass to grow. This makes the problem of woody encroachment continue.