21 February - Lowland Meadows of England: History, Conservation and Wildlife 



Jo Hodgkins 



The fundamental distinction between meadows and pastures is that the former are mown for hay 

 whilst the latter are grazed by animals. Meadows are semi-natural with plants that are native and 

 wild. Mowing is done at different times of the year to encourage different types of plants, although 

 grazing may be done after the hay has been cut. 



Neutral soil meadows were the subject of this talk although meadows can vary according to soil, 

 terrain and acidity. Botanically the best are unimproved with no fertiliser, manure or re-seeding. On 

 these there are 40-50 species of plant per square metre, mainly spring or early summer flowering, 

 with fine-leaved grasses. There are fewer specialist meadow animals than plants - anthills, for 

 example, developing when meadows are left undisturbed. 



There are fewer than 10,000 hectares of unimproved neutral grassland in England, a decline of 

 98% in the last 75 years. Although it is unknown how much of this is meadow and how much is 

 pasture, it is likely that only a small per cent is meadow. In Berkshire between 1984 and 1995 there 

 was a continuous additional loss of 50%. Most of what remains is fragmented, making it more 

 difficult for wildlife to survive. 



Historically, meadows originated in the tundra grasslands that replaced the ice. As climate 

 warmed, trees and scrub moved in along with large herbivores. Early hunter-gatherers foraged and 

 gathered game in this environment whereas the first Neolithic farmers began growing crops and 

 developing stock. The development of grasslands continued in the Bronze Age. When man had 

 developed tools that allowed grass to be cut, meadows followed, enabling feed to be stored for the 

 period during late winter and early spring when grass did not grow. 



The first written record of a meadow (derived from the OE word for 'to mow') was in a grant via 

 charter by King Hlothere of Thanet in Kent, AD 679 of a meadow. Meadows were mentioned in the 

 Domesday Book although this was more similar to heath than to meadow or pasture. They became 

 permanent fixtures in the middle ages where a distinction was made between common and private 

 meadows. 



The 1500's was the pinnacle of water meadow management, the first mention being in 1523. 

 These meadows were engineered to take advantage of floodplains, with ditches and channels. 

 In the 18th century the decline began with the start of the agricultural revolution. By 1700 grass 

 seeds were available to buy, enclosure acts split more common meadows into private hands and 

 it was easier to get fertiliser; improvement brought higher yields. 



Meadows decreased in value in the 20th century as a result of the food shortages of WWII (with 

 the associated encouragement to grow more through intensification and food subsidies), as well 

 as the expansion of settlements and development. Recent atmospheric pollution and climate 

 change has also led to changes in the wildlife that lives on the grasslands. 



Possibilities for protecting remaining meadows were discussed. These include SAC (Special Area 

 of Conservation, an EU designation) and SSSI status; priorities in Biodiversity Action Plans; local 

 designations as wildlife or heritage sites; and nature reserves. The Grasslands Trust also has 

 projects to restore and conserve grassland. Agri-environment schemes (such as the Higher Level 

 Stewardship) grants and projects can help conserve grassland; effectiveness of restoration 

 depends on what has been done before; re-creation can take up to 150 years to be effective. On 

 a local level, the most effective ways are to flag up forgotten fragments and/or to create one's own 

 in the garden. Plantlife has information on its website on creating a meadow on any scale:- 



http://www.plantlife.org.uk/things_to_do/grow_wild/wildmeadow/ 



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