When speaking about natural grasslands, several different terms are used: natural grassland, grassland habitat, pasture, meadow, biologically valuable grassland. What do they mean? How do they differ? Are all grasslands meadows, and are all meadows natural?
ZA grassland whose continued existence depends on human management – mowing or livestock grazing – while environmental conditions and species composition are shaped by natural processes. Because these grasslands cannot persist without human involvement, the scientifically accurate term is semi-natural grassland, rather than natural grassland. However, for simplicity and ease of use, they are often referred to as natural grasslands or natural meadows. These habitats are endangered and currently cover only 0,9 % of Latvia’s territory.
Natural grassland
Natural grassland is a type of grassland whose existence is entirely maintained by natural factors (precipitation, fire, soil, and wild herbivores), without the need for human economic activity. In agriculture, the term natural grassland is often used to describe any sown grassland in which the cultivated grasses have partially declined and wild species have established themselves. However, in essence, such grassland is either a permanent grassland or an old cultivated grassland. From an ecological perspective, a truly natural grassland is only one that shows no signs of cultivation. In Latvia, such natural grasslands are not found.
EU protected habitat
A grassland habitat type listed under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). All EU-protected grassland habitats in Latvia are semi-natural grasslands.
Biologically valuable grassland
A term used within Latvia’s Rural Development Programme. It includes: botanically valuable grasslands, and bird-important grasslands. A botanically valuable grassland is a semi-natural grassland that corresponds to one of the EU-protected grassland habitat types. A bird-important grassland may be either a semi-natural or long-term grassland that serves as important habitat for grassland-dependent bird species.
Cultivated grassland
A grassland created and maintained by humans, where environmental conditions are controlled through agricultural measures such as fertilisation, drainage, overseeding or reseeding. Also referred to as a sown grassland or improved grassland.
Permanent grassland
A grassland that has existed for more than five years. This is an agricultural term used in policy and farm management contexts.
Sown grassland
A grassland that is ploughed and reseeded at least once every five years. This is also an agricultural term.