Low and medium altitude hay meadow

This habitat includes grasslands mown for hay occurring on deep, well-drained, mesic soils throughout much of Europe, especially in the nemoral and boreo-nemoral zones where they are found from low to medium altitudes. In southern Europe they are confined to precipitation-rich areas at higher altitudes, occurring in the mountains of the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, the Apennines and the supra-Mediterranean zone of the Balkan Peninsula. These meadows are typically fertilized by dung, only lightly by chemical fertilisers, and mown once or twice a year for hay, rather than silage, with light spring and/or aftermath grazing in some places.

They are dominated by productive grasses such as Arrhenatherum elatius, Briza media, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis, F. rubra, Poa pratensis and Trisetum flavescens, dicotyledonous herbs, particular rosette plants with taller flowering stems, including Crepis biennis, Heracleum sphondylium, Knautia arvensis agg., Leucanthemum vulgare agg., Pimpinella major, Plantago lanceolata and Rumex acetosa, and clonal geophytes such as Geranium pratense and Sanguisorba officinalis. Species-richness can be high, especially in types where low-input management has been consistent over long periods of time. Such grasslands also better reflect regional differences in climate and local variations in soil, whether to more base-rich or acidic substrates, or to moister or drought-prone situations.   Transitions to E2.1a Mesic permanent pastures are widespread in the lowlands, especially where there is a shift from mowing to more consistent grazing which favours a lower structure, the elimination of more palatable grasses and the prevention of flowering among taller rosette hemicryptophytes.    

Although the meadows of this type are still widespread through the nemoral and boreo-nemoral zones, they have been declining for many decades either because of such conversion to intensively grazed pastures or through heavy fertilizing and reseeding for crops of silage which can be cut three or more times a year.  In landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture, this habitat often survives best on road verges that are cut annually for amenity reasons but, where coarse perennials or weeds invade such situations, the vegetation does not belong to this habitat. Abandonment and subsequent encroachment of shrubs and trees is also widespread.

Indicators of good quality:

• Continuation of traditional management with one or two hay cuts per year

• Light or no spring and/or aftermath grazing

• High species richness

• Absence of patches dominated by nutrient-demanding, tall-growing competitive dicotyldeonous herbs

• Absence of alien plant species

• No encroachment of trees and shrubs

• Absence of heavy grazing

• No increase of fertility with addition of chemical fertilisers

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats