Content
- Litter meadow - a species-rich biotope for animals and plants
- What is a litter meadow?
- Litter meadows are very species-rich
- Typical plants of a litter meadow
- Create and maintain a litter meadow
- Tips & Tricks
Litter meadow - a species-rich biotope for animals and plants
The name "litter meadow" may seem confusing at first glance, but it derives from the centuries-long use of this wet meadow species: litter meadows have always been mown once a year, with the crop not as feed - it is unsuitable - but from litter was and is used for the cattle sheds. The mowing is traditionally carried out only in late autumn / winter.
What is a litter meadow?
Litter meadows belong to the typical wet meadows, which are to be found above all in the environment of waters as well as on bog and clay soils. Characteristic is the rather lean, nutrient-poor soil. Litter meadows are one of the most species-rich natural areas in Central Europe, housing not only an average of about 70 different plant species per square meter, but also numerous small animals and birds, in particular amphibians and soil breeders. Whinchat, lapwing, the tiny corncrake, as well as Rohrammer and marsh warbler are just as much at home here as grass and moor frog - provided the soil is moist enough and offers sufficient hiding places due to dense vegetation.
Litter meadows are very species-rich
Litter meadows are always located on nutrient-poor soils, whereby the actually occurring plant species differ from location and soil conditions. Among the typical plant species of a litter meadow include the different types of pipe grass, which is why this type of meadow is often referred to as a whistle grass meadow. In addition to numerous plants, birds and amphibians, rare butterflies also find their preferred food here. Due to the limited agricultural use, litter meadows - as well as all wet meadows - are declining sharply, which means that many animals and plants adapted to this habitat have become rare or already threatened with extinction.
Typical plants of a litter meadow
At this point, only a few characteristic plant species are listed, the actual diversity is of course many times higher. Furthermore, the actual occurrence of certain plants depends on the location, as some plants are native only in the Alpine foothills and others only in the lowlands.
Create and maintain a litter meadow
For the creation of a litter meadow is a natural moist soil (eg., At a lake, pond - even a garden pond - a stream or river), if possible in a sink. Here, the water collects and thus creates the necessary conditions. If, on the other hand, you want to create an artificial litter meadow at your garden pond, you should seal the soil with a thick clay or clay layer. Otherwise, the floor is prepared as described:
Tips & Tricks
Corresponding seeds can be obtained either in specialized Internet retailers or through the so-called Heumulchen. You bring fresh hay on the area to be sown with ripe seeds of litter meadows from your environment and leave it there over the winter.
IJA