Meadow and Grassland Restoration

Why are meadows so important?

Meadows are rich in species.

They often host a large number of diverse plant species and related animals. And many of these organisms are endangered and protected. For example, in the meadows of the White Carpathians, up to 80 species of vascular plants per 1 m2 have been found, making them some of the richest habitats in the world on a small scale.

Meadows serve as a habitat for pollinators and other animals.

They are also important for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Many of them use meadows not only as a source of food but also as a place to breed. Other open landscape species also seek refuge here; mainly various invertebrates, but also reptiles and birds.

They play an important role in the landscape.

Meadows provide year-round cover for the soil and at the same time they provide good root penetration. Therefore they are very important in preventing erosion. They prevent soil and nutrients from being carried away by both water and wind, and they also help water to soak into the soil, thus preventing local floods. Thanks to better soak, plants can then use the stored water better during dry periods. Meadows also reduce dust in the air, cool the surrounding air and support the storage of carbon in the soil.

They are used by humans.

Last but not least, meadows are also important for humans. They provide fodder for livestock, and species-rich meadows are often of better dietary quality than poorer vegetation. Blooming meadows also have a positive effect on the human psyche.

Not all meadows are the same

All of the above-mentioned functions are mainly fulfilled by meadows that are species-rich and on which our original plant species grow. However, in our landscape often occurs vegetation that does not meet these conditions and is therefore not diverse nor beautiful to look at. It is all the more important to protect traditional meadows with preserved species richness and to use them to restore extinct vegetation.

What threatens flowering meadows?

Overgrowth

Unused areas are often left fallow and unmaintained meadows gradually become overgrown with aggressive plant species, and subsequently invasive woody plants.

Nutrient accumulation

Nutrients can accumulate on a meadow either by not mowing at all, or by not raking and leaving the mowed material on the land or by mulching. Many rarer plant species need less nutritious habitats. Too many nutrients, on the other hand, only benefit a certain spectrum of plants that are currently common in our landscape.

Intensive and inappropriate management

Today, meadows are commonly cut all at once, right down to the edges. Moreover, they are often cut too frequently. This causes a decline in meadow insects and other animals, which lose their shelter, food, or developmental stages.

Afforestation and development

If the area is afforested, this intervention will create a much less valuable area than the original meadow. The newly planted forest, unlike the original flowery meadows, does not have much biodiversity. Meadow sites are also threatened by development or other land conversions.

Unsuitable seed mixtures

When grassing land for agricultural production, seed mixtures that are poor in species are usually used. Grasslands are not nearly as diverse as our native meadows, and often do not perform their functions as well. The other extreme is the use of mixtures that are very species-rich, but also contain species that are unsuitable for the location. At the same time, they do not take into account the genetic variability of individual species - for example, a daisy from western Bohemia may be genetically quite different from a daisy from southern Moravia, but this is often not taken into account when creating seed mixtures. Such mixtures often also contain non-native species.

How do we protect and restore meadows?

BY TAKING CARE OF THEM

The basis for protecting meadows is proper and regular care for them.

Mowing

Meadows need to be mowed once or twice a year, depending on their usefulness. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that the meadow is not mowed all at once. Mowing can be done gradually, e.g. in strips, with intervals of several weeks. Another option is to leave part of the meadow completely unmowed in a given year. These unmowed parts need to be rotated between years. Thanks to this, there will always be enough space in the meadow for animals and for some of the seeds to ripen. All mowed material needs to be taken outside the meadow so that the nutrient content in the soil does not increase and rarer plant species can also thrive there.

Grazing

Tady byl článek o pastvách, jen netuším, co znamená "přepasení otav", tudíž nejsem schopna přeložit, omlouvám se.

Other Disturbances

In addition to grazing, exposed areas for plant germination can also be created by, for example, dragging or thorough digging – again only in places and once in a while.

BY CREATING NEW MEADOWS

Restoration of an unmaintained meadow

If you want to restore an existing grassland, it is first necessary to remove the old growth and disturb the grass turf, e.g. with a rotavator. In case of invasive woody plants or non-native plant species, you have to remove these. It is important to be careful about rejuvenation. Independently growing trees or shrubs do not need to be removed; on the contrary, this makes the environment more diverse, which is suitable for many species.

Creating new meadows

New flowery meadows are established on arable land or as a seedbed for species-poor vegetation. Before establishing, it is advisable to leave the area without fertilization for 1–2 years. Then the soil is prepared for sowing using classic agricultural practices. In the case of enrichment of species-poor vegetation, the site is mowed, all material is taken away and areas of bare soil are created on site for re-sowing.

WHAT ARE THE METHODS OF RESTORATION?

Natural recovery (spontaneous succession)

In so-called spontaneous succession, the area is allowed to spontaneously overgrow with species from the surrounding area. This method can be used if we have a lot of time and there is already a species-rich area in the immediate vicinity of the land. The emerging meadow needs to be mowed after a few years from its establishment; we can expect a diverse, connected vegetation here in approximately 15 years.

Green hay

In this method, a suitable source location (i.e. a preserved flowery meadow in the vicinity) is mowed at a time when the seeds of the plant species of interest are ripening (July–August). All mowed material is immediately transported and spread in a thin layer on the area to be restored. The hay is left to lie there. The seeds are released from the decomposing hay and will germinate by next year.

Regional seed mixtures

Regional seed mixtures are species-rich mixtures that are intended for sowing only in a certain region and contain only seeds originating from that area. They are best suited to local conditions.
If a regional mixture is not available for a given area, it is also possible to use material that is collected by special brushing machines directly at the source location and is not supplemented with species grown separately.
It is always better to consult these specific interventions with experts.

What can I do to save meadows myself?

AS A LAND OWNER

• mow the meadow regularly in a mosaic pattern, i.e. leave parts uncut or mow them at a different time;
• mow only once or twice per season;
• thoroughly dig up the mown material and remove it from the meadow;
• do not afforest or build up meadows;
• increase the species richness of grassed meadows by sowing other species;
• grass arable land using the spontaneous succession method, green hay or a regional mixture;
• divide large fields with long-term flowery strips of local plant species.

Do you own a nice, species-rich meadow? Join our program!

If you are the owner or user of a species-rich meadow and would like to see more of these places in your area, you can join our program, in which we try to restore meadows with local seeds collected in their immediate vicinity. Your meadow can thus serve as a source of seeds and help other locations around you. Send us more information about your land – meadow type, area, location, ownership relationship to the area – and we will send a botanist to the location to evaluate the area. If it is suitable, we will include the meadow in the Database of Source Meadow Areas. This will give you the opportunity to cooperate in creating regional seed mixtures for your area, botanical data about your location and recommendations for meadow care.

Contact us at info@csop.cz.

AS A VOLUNTEER CONSEVATIONIST

• if you feel that the owner is not taking good care of the site, contact him, try to explain the importance of meadows and offer help in caring for them;
• inform the ČSOP about the occurrence of species-rich meadows;
• establish a land association and agree with the owner on long-term care of the site or its purchase;
• establish a basic ČSOP organization and prevent the destruction of the site in administrative procedures or when preparing spatial plans, for example by afforestation, development, etc.;
• explain to the public why these places should be protected.