Samenvatting

Currently a worldwide biodiversity crisis is going on and a sixth mass extinction seems to be approaching, because of human actions more than 10.000 species are currently on the brink of extinction (Tilman, Clark, & Williams, 2017). Acting on this crisis is therefore important and restoring biodiversity in rural areas is urgent. Horse yards are often part of the rural areas and could therefore possibly contribute to a restored biodiversity. To understand the biodiversity potential of an area, in this case equestrian yards in the province of Gelderland, research is often focussed on landscape features that support biodiversity, such as hedgerows or ponds. By obtaining a baseline understanding of the landscape features present on equestrian yards, a starting point is provided for evaluating the future biodiversity potential that equestrian yards can contribute to rural areas.