Mountain hay meadow
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLE2.3 |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Vulnerable |
EU | Vulnerable |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
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
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1, A3 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1, A3 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Modification of cultivation practices
- Crop change
- Grassland removal for arable land
- Mowing / Cutting of grassland
- Abandonment / Lack of  mowing
- Grazing
- Intensive grazing
- Pollution
- Air pollution, air-borne pollutants
- Nitrogen-input
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
- Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Present | 55 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Belgium | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Bulgaria | Present | 479 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Croatia | Present | 2 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Czech Republic | Present | 160 | Decreasing | Stable |
France mainland | Present | 1000 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Germany | Present | 190 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Hungary | Present | 20 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Italy mainland | Present | 1126 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Poland | Present | 168 | Stable | Decreasing |
Romania | Present | 120 | Stable | Stable |
Slovakia | Present | 13 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Slovenia | Present | 102 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Spain mainland | Present | 15 | Unknown | Decreasing |
Sweden | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
United Kingdom | Present | 9 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Present | 80 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Kosovo | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Montenegro | Uncertain | - | - | |
Norway Mainland | Present | 2918 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Switzerland | Present | 600-800 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 5775850 | 3331 | 4359 | Among all the countries returning an assessment, only Belgium (Flanders) records an unknown present extent. |
EU28+ | 3508 | 8057 | The very large extent from Norway much affects this total |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
Characteristic species
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Agrostis capillaris | Flowering Plants | |
Alchemilla vulgaris | Flowering Plants | |
Alchemilla walasii | Flowering Plants | |
Anemone nemorosa | Flowering Plants | |
Anthoxanthum odoratum | Flowering Plants | |
Arnica montana | Flowering Plants | |
Astrantia major | Flowering Plants | |
Briza media | Flowering Plants | |
Campanula patula | Flowering Plants | |
Campanula scheuchzeri | Flowering Plants | |
Cardaminopsis halleri | Flowering Plants | |
Cirsium helenioides | Flowering Plants | |
Crepis mollis | Flowering Plants | |
Dactylis glomerata | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca rubra | Flowering Plants | |
Galium hercynicum | Flowering Plants | |
Geranium sylvaticum | Flowering Plants | |
Hypericum maculatum | Flowering Plants | |
Lathyrus pratensis | Flowering Plants | |
Meum athamanticum | Flowering Plants | |
Myosotis alpestris | Flowering Plants | |
Narcissus poeticus | Flowering Plants | |
Phyteuma spicatum | Flowering Plants | |
Pimpinella major | Flowering Plants | |
Poa alpina | Flowering Plants | |
Poa chaixii | Flowering Plants | |
Polygonum bistorta | Flowering Plants | |
Primula elatior | Flowering Plants | |
Rhinanthus alectorolophus | Flowering Plants | |
Rumex acetosa | Flowering Plants | |
Rumex alpestris | Flowering Plants | |
Trifolium pratense | Flowering Plants | |
Trisetum flavescens | Flowering Plants | |
Trollius europaeus | Flowering Plants | |
Plagiomnium affine | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus | Mosses & Liverworts |