EUNIS habitat classification 2012 amended 2019 > E - Grasslands and lands dominated by forbs, mosses or lichens > E2 - Mesic grasslands > E2.2 - Low and medium altitude hay meadows

Low and medium altitude hay meadows

English name: Low and medium altitude hay meadows

Description (English)

Mesotrophic hay meadows of low altitudes of Europe, fertilised and well-drained, with Arrhenatherum elatius, Trisetum flavescens, Anthriscus sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Daucus carota, Crepis biennis, Knautia arvensis, Leucanthemum vulgare, Pimpinella major, Trifolium dubium, Geranium pratense; they are most characteristic of the nemoral and boreonemoral zones of Europe, but extend to the Cordillera Central, the Apennines and the supra-Mediterranean zone of the Balkan peninsula and Greece.

Source:
EUNIS habitat classification
Interpretation Manual of the habitats targeted by Resolution No. 4

Quick facts

EUNIS habitat type	code E2.2
Bern Convention	Resolution 4 habitat type (used for designation of Emerald sites)
Relation to	Annex I habitat types (EU Habitats Directive)

Legal status

Mentioned in the following international legal instruments and agreements

Legal text	Annex	More information
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention)	Revised Annex I of Resolution 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention on endangered natural habitats types using the EUNIS habitat classification (year of revision 2014)	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention lists endangered natural habitats requiring specific conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming the Emerald network]

Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments

Legal text	Annex	Name in legal text	Code in legal text	Habitat type relationship	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007	Annex I: natural habitat types of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation	Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands	6270	Overlap	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007	Annex I: natural habitat types of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation	Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)	6510	Wider

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Name	Definition	Other names	Reference
Calthion palustris Tx. 1937	Wet herb-rich meadows and pastures on mineral soils of temperate Europe	Bromion racemosi Tx. In Tx. et Preising 1951; Caltho-Deschampsion caespitosae Passarge 1976; Lychno-Bromion racemosi Doing 1963; Achilleo ptarmicae-Cirsion palustris Julve et Gillet 1994; Bromion racemosi Tx. In Tx. et Preising ex de Foucault 2009; Achilleo ptarmicae-Cirsion palustris Julve et Gillet in Julve 1993; Achilleo ptarmicae-Cirsion palustris Julve et Gillet ex de Foucault 2011	Schaminee et al, 2012
Glycyrrhizion glabrae Golub et Mirkin in Golub 1995	Subhalophilous alluvial meadows in semidesert zone of lower Volga River region	Limonio gmelinii-Artemision lerchianae Ageleulov et Golub in Golub 1995	Schaminee et al, 2012
Ranunculo neapolitani-Arrhenatherion elatioris Allegrezza et Biondi 2011	Mesic mown meadows on mineral-rich soils of sub-mediterranean regions of Apenninian Peninsula		Schaminee et al, 2012
Glycyrrhizion echinatae Golub et Saveleva in Golub 1995	Subhalophilous alluvial meadows of steppe zone of lower Don River region		Schaminee et al, 2012
Deschampsion cespitosae Horvatic 1930	Floodplain alluvial unfertilised meadows of sub-continental regions of Europe	Veronico longifoliae-Lysimachion vulgaris (Passarge 1977) Bal.-Tul. 1981; Agrostion albae Soó 1941; Alopecurion pratensis Passarge 1964; Cnidion dubii Bal.-Tul. 1966 nom. mut. propos.; Cnidion venosi Bal.-Tul. 1965; Cnidion venosi Bal.-Tul. 1966; Deschampsio-Alopecurion Mirkin et Naumova 1986	Schaminee et al, 2012
Conioselinion tatarici Golub et al. 2003	Wet meadows of subarctic supralittoral of White Sea seaboards		Schaminee et al, 2012
Glycyrrhizion korshinskyi Lysenko 2010	Subhalophilous alluvial meadows in steppe zone of Volga and Ural River region		Schaminee et al, 2012
Arrhenatherion elatioris Luquet 1926	Mesic mown meadows on mineral-rich soils or planare to submontane belts of temperate Europe	Agrostio-Festucion rubrae Passarge 1969; Anthrisco-Heracleion Passarge 1975; Arrhenatherion Br.-Bl. 1931; Arrhenatherion elatioris Koch 1926; Arrhenatherion elatioris Tx. 1931; Dauco-Arrhenatherion Passarge 1969; Festucion pratensis Sipailova et al. 1985; Hyperico-Vicion angustifoliae Passarge 1975; Triseto-Arrhenatherion Passarge 1969	Schaminee et al, 2012
Rumicion thyrsiflori Micevski ex Carni et Mucina 2013	Mesic mown meadows on mineral-rich soils of sub-mediterranean regions of Central Balkans	Rumicion thyrsiflori Micevski 1994	Schaminee et al, 2012
Molinion caeruleae Koch 1926	Wet grass-rich unfertilised meadows at low-altitudes of temperate Europe	Juncion acutiflori Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1947; Molinio-Juncion acutiflori Duvigneaud 1949; Junco subuliflori-Molinion Westhoff in Westhoff et Den Held 1969; Polygono bistortae-Juncion acutiflori de Foucault et Géhu 1980; Juncion acutiflori Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et Tüxen 1952	Schaminee et al, 2012
Brachypodio-Centaureion nemoralis Br.-Bl. 1967	Mesic mown meadows on mineral-rich soils of thermo-atlantic and sub-mediterranean belts of Western Europe		Schaminee et al, 2012
Cynosurion cristati Tx. 1947	Pastures on well-drained mineral-rich soils at lower altitudes of temperate Europe	Ranunculo sardoi-Plantaginion intermediae Julve 1993; Achilleo-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Alchemillo-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Alchemillo-Trifolion repentis Passarge 1976; Bromo mollis-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Cardamino pratensis-Cynosurioon Passarge 1969; Eu-Ranunculo repentis-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Eu-Thymo pulegeioidis-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Lolio perennis-Plantaginion majoris Sissingh 1969; Lolio-Cynosurion Jurko 1974; Lolion perennis Felföldy 1942 nom. ambig. propos.; Lolion perennis Resmerita et Pop 1972; Ranunculo repentis-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Rumici crispi-Cynosurion cristati de Foucault 1989; Sanguisorbo minoris-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Thymo pulegioidis-Cynosurion Passarge 1969; Trifolio repentis-Lolion perennis Dietl 1983; Phleo-Leontodontion (Br.-Bl. et Berset 1957) Dietl 1972; Alchemillo xanthochlorae-Cynosurion (Passarge 1969) de Foucault 1989	Schaminee et al, 2012

Species mentioned in habitat description

Flowering Plants Anthriscus sylvestris

Flowering Plants Arrhenatherum elatius

Flowering Plants Crepis biennis

Flowering Plants Daucus carota

Flowering Plants Geranium pratense

Flowering Plants Heracleum sphondylium

Flowering Plants Knautia arvensis

Flowering Plants Leucanthemum vulgare

Flowering Plants Pimpinella major

Flowering Plants Trifolium dubium

Flowering Plants Trisetum flavescens

Species scientific name	English common name	Species group
Anthriscus sylvestris		Flowering Plants
Arrhenatherum elatius		Flowering Plants
Crepis biennis		Flowering Plants
Daucus carota		Flowering Plants
Geranium pratense		Flowering Plants
Heracleum sphondylium		Flowering Plants
Knautia arvensis		Flowering Plants
Leucanthemum vulgare		Flowering Plants
Pimpinella major		Flowering Plants
Trifolium dubium		Flowering Plants
Trisetum flavescens		Flowering Plants

Other classifications

Classification	Code	Habitat type name	Relationship type
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112	38.2	Lowland and collinar hay meadows	same
CORINE Land Cover	3.2.1.	Natural grassland	n/a
Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993	B22	Neutral grassland: semi-improved	not defined
Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993	B21	Neutral grassland: unimproved	overlap
Biodiversity Broad Habitat Classification (UK)	6	Neutral grassland	wider
Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitats (UK)	10	Lowland meadows	overlap
Milieux Naturels de Suisse 1998	4.5.1	Prairie de fauche de basse altitude	wider

For relation to plant communities (syntaxa), see Vegetation types

History

Classification	Code	Habitat type name	Relationship type
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410	E2.2	Low and medium altitude hay meadows	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308	E2.2	Low and medium altitude hay meadows	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202	E2.2	Low and medium altitude hay meadows	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910	E2.2	Coarse permanent grassland and tall herbs, usually mown but little grazed	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811	E2.2	Coarse permanent grassland and tall herbs, usually mown but little grazed	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712	E3.2	Coarse permanent grassland, usually mown but little grazed	same
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905	38.2	Lowland and collinar hay meadows	same
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997	38.2	Lowland and collinar hay meadows	same
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996	38.2		same
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993	38.2		same
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1991	38.2		same
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1989	38.2		same

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