Old fields are canonically defined as an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community, a concept which has been debated by contemporary ecologists for some time.
Stress tolerant species with wide seed dispersal ranges are able to colonize cultivated fields after their initial abandonment, usually followed by perennial grasses.
Though the policy has changed over time, researchers believe it is still failing the EU in many ways and ultimately harming the ecology of farm lands.
[6] Once abandoned and left unaltered for a long time, and without crops to deplete the soil of nutrients, old fields can slowly grow back into healthy communities via the process of ecological succession.
[4] Researchers state that studying the mechanisms behind succession of old fields at a local level can provide valuable restoration insights on how plant communities in the same region may respond to other stressors.