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So why bison in a @wilderblean? Well, large grazing animals are a natural part of European ecosystems and drive and create diversity and resilience in plant and animal communities. Learn more in the thread below.
"In view of the aims of nature conservationists to retain natural diversity, it will therefore be necessary to retain natural processes such as grazing and browsing by indigenous large herbivores living in the wild, or to redevelop them." Frans Vera. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273108489_Grazing_Ecology_and_Forest_History
See the ideas behind Vera's ground-breaking book ‘Grazing Ecology and Forest History’ here: https://knepp.co.uk/videos-frans-vera
Bison were once found in the UK. Two species (European bison and steppe bison) were once found in Europe, including southern England. The steppe bison is now extinct. https://rewildingeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Wildlife-Comeback-in-Europe-the-recovery-of-selected-mammal-and-bird-species.pdf
Different grazers perform different functions. It is often assumed cattle & bison have interchangeable roles, however while both are generalist herbivores, their ecology differs. European bison perform a role not provided by other spp., and distinct from the American/plains bison
Diversity of grazing function maximises diversity of wildlife though impacts on vegetation structure. Here’s an example: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550742409500218
