It is likely that natural steppes in the Steinfeld area have always been treeless. However, within the last two centuries large areas have been afforested to improve local agricultural and climatic conditions. It is likely that afforestation has had negative effects on the habitat quality of steppe animals. To investigate this the authors examined some invertebrate communities (Orthoptera, Heteroptera, Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Gastropoda) by pitfall trapping along a pine forest edge within a former open dry grassland. This study revealed that species richness is lower in the forest than in the central grassland. In addition, lower number of species typical for the habitat are found in the forest and, with a few exceptions, steppe and rare species are absent entirely. Moreover, in some invertebrate groups, such as grasshoppers, steppe species avoid grassland close to the forest to a greater or lesser extent. To save the typical invertebrate fauna of steppe meadows in the Steinfeld the authors propose stopping afforestation of dry grassland or even reducing forests in some parts.
