subject: Hay Meadows Are Not Simply For Christmas [print this page] The Hay Meadow is commonly synonymous with idyllic unspoilt landscapes however sadly within the recent few years they have been disappearing at an alarming pace. So what exactly is a meadow and why are they so important to preserve? The word 'meadow' is strictly speaking used to describe grass fields that are grown forhay. Nonetheless a few hay meadows will also be grazed by cattle at some stage and some fields which are mostly employed for grazing could also be cut for hay.
To begin with most farmlands that we are accustomed to observing are heavily farmed to produce the maximum possible crop yield. They will have been ploughed and seeded, typically with one or two genetically enhanced higher yielding grasses such as Perennial Rye Grass. This sort of intensive grass production produces very little space either for diversity, or for flora and fauna. On the other hand, meadows are going to be very infrequently ploughed. Many may not have been ploughed in living memory therefore meadows have plant and animal communities which have been present over a very long time period. Meadows on top of that have specific other elements in common.
They are pastures which are grazed at a very low intensity or the crop is cut back and then used for haymaking. The grazing of low quantities of cattle or sheep prevents scrub and woodland from rising up, and encourages a variety of plant and insect species.
They receive very little if any enrichment. Therefore, they mostly are made up of a mixture of grasses instead of the mainly Perennial Ryegrass swards of intensive fields. This mixture will include wild grasses. The meadow will have had a minor fertilizer input. This may be either artificial, or natural fertilizer i.e. dung or slurry. The low input is key to the existence of meadows simply because most wild flowers are adapted to comparatively low soil nutrient levels.
Meadows have a low output in terms of yield for the land owner. The grass output of meadows will in no way near compare with those created from the ubiquitous, heavily farmed grass farm lands that have mostly taken the place of meadows. A range of monetary enticements remain to encourage farmers to maintain their meadows.
Meadows are smallfields, often found on earth of reduced fertility or where there will be poor access for machinery.
Specific meadows are usually a fairly uniform habitat overall, albeit one complete with an incredible variety of plant and animal types.
Hay meadows are cut back at the end of the summer months. If meadows are cut back for hay, the grass is permitted to grow tall, flower and drop seed before it is actually mown. This allows animals, for example ground nesting birds occuring in the meadow, the time to rear their off spring prior to harvesting machinery cuts back their cover. It furthermore gives creatures such as butterflies time to complete significant parts of their life cycles. The flowers and seeds from the grasses and all the alternative plant species in the meadow in addition have the opportunity to thrive and finish their life cycle. This also presents foods for innumerable insects, birds and small mammals.
Hay meadows are, hence, crucial to save to support a brilliant assortment of flora and fauna along with continuing an approach to landscape management which has been in existence for countless years.
