Mountain hay meadow

This habitat is characteristic of deep, well-drained, mesic soils through the sub-montane and montane zones of northern and central Europe, being favoured by an oceanic rather than continental climate and, at southern latitudes, more limited to high mountains.  It is especially well developed in the Alps and Carpathians but extends also into Scandinavia and the United Kingdom and the Pyrenees and Balkan Peninsula.  A shorter and/or cooler growing season at higher altitudes results in less productive growth than in lowland meadows on similar soils and often only one hay crop a year.  Spring and aftermath grazing occurs in some regions.  These meadows have traditionally been fertilized by dung and so tend to be more frequent near settlements, farms and mountain huts  where grazing stock were available and carting easier. Typically, chemical fertilisers are not used.

These meadows share many species of medium-tall grasses and herbs with mown grasslands of lower altitudes but the distinctive character is provided by such plants as Trisetum flavescens, Polygonum bistorta, Geranium sylvaticum, Cirsium helenioides, Trollius europaeus,  Alchemilla vulgaris agg.  Some of these plants occur both in these meadows and in the more open woodlands of the montane belt from which they were probably originally derived.

Distinctive sub-types of mountain hay meadows reflect regional contrasts in climate from the more oceanic north and west of Europe (with Lathyrus linifolius, Poa chaixii, Anemone nemorosa, Crepis mollis), the sub-Continental central European mountains (Meum athamanticum, Galium hercynicum, Arnica montana), the Jura and Alps (Rumex alpestris, Pleum alpinum, Poa alpina, Campanula scheuchzeri, Myosotis alpestris, Rhinanthus alectorolophus) and the Tatra and west Carpathians (Alchemilla walasii, A. crinita, Cardaminopsis halleri).

Indicators of good quality:

• High species-richness

• Occurrence of regionally distinctive rare plants

• Continuation of traditional management with one or two hay cuts per year, optionally with light aftermath grazing

• Absence of heavy grazing

• No encroachment of trees and shrubs

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

• Absence of alien plant species

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats