Meadows are living, breathing places; they are a historically and culturally important part of the landscape, and they are capable of providing habitat for birds, mammals (including bats), and invertebrates. Species-rich grasslands are particularly important for pollinators due to the range of wildflowers supported. For the wider environment, species-rich meadows help to store and sequester carbon, acting as a natural defense against climate change, as well as providing increased water retention to prevent flooding, good quality hay for livestock, and helping to connect people with nature thus providing physical and mental health benefits.
But the area of lowland species-rich grassland in the UK has declined by 97% in the past 50 years, meaning that only small fragments of this precious habitat remain. It is crucial that existing species-rich grasslands are protected and well managed. Some existing grassland areas can be enhanced to increase their species diversity, and therefore their value for other wildlife. We can also create new areas of species-rich grassland to buffer existing grasslands, link habitats, and offer habitat in their own right.
Further information:
Norfolk Wildlife Trust:
About Wildflower Grasslands handout
http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/conserve-restore/importance-of-meadows
Species-rich meadows and connectivity
Increasing the connectivity of wildlife-friendly habitats across the landscape is crucial if nature is to recover. Small, isolated habitat fragments cannot sustain long-term populations of most species. It is therefore vital that we link habitats as well as working to increase their size and quality. The mantra of ‘better, bigger, more and joined’ points us towards a more sustainable future for wildlife.
Meadows have a crucial role to play; they can act as a stepping stones for wildlife across the wider countryside, and in doing so also offer a hunting ground for species such as barn owl, a vital food source for pollinators, protection of species from predators, a habitat for species that need grassland as part of their lifecycle (such as great crested newts), and a corridor through the landscape to migrate from one habitat to another. Even fungi such as waxcaps, and club and coral fungi are predominantly found in meadows, proving the importance of meadows for a vast range of wildlife through their connectivity with the wider landscape.