Meadows vs Grasslands

What's the difference?

Meadows are types of grassland. The term ‘meadow’ refers to how the land was used. Traditionally, a meadow is a grassland habitat managed for haymaking or producing silage, just as a pasture is enclosed land that is grazed by livestock.  However, in recent years the term ‘meadow’ is often used to describe grassland areas with wildflowers that are allowed to bloom.

• A meadow is a grassland that is used for haymaking or cut for sileage.
• Meadows are managed by human intervention, which mimics the grazing of wildlife. Without these interventions, many grassland species would be lost and the habitat would turn into scrubland and eventually woodland.
• Meadow management is centuries old. It has been referenced as far back as the the Hundred rolls of Edward I, dating from 1279 and also in the Doomsday Book prior to that in 1086.
• Grasslands are habitats that predominantly contain grass species.
• Grassland flora and fungi are adapted so that they can thrive in soil with poor nutrient content. In high nutrient soils, these species are out-competed by scrubland plants.

Haymaking to feed livestock has been practised for centuries and this land management practice is recognisable as part of our social and cultural heritage.  After the Norman Conquest, meadows had their own land category in the Doomsday Survey of 1086 (English Heritage).

Meadow flora is associated with poor soil as the management prevents high fertility. These species can easily be outcompeted by other plants, such as bramble and nettle, when the nutrient levels are higher.

We need both meadows and grasslands to sustain a mix of invertebrate species - It is not always appropriate to manage a grassland as a meadow. This depends on what species are present and the underlying soil conditions and geology. You can contact Wild Oxfordshire or look through the resources if you would like to know what may be best for your grassland.

We need both!

We need both meadows and grasslands to sustain a mix of invertebrate species - It is not always appropriate to manage a grassland as a meadow. This depends on what species are present and the underlying soil conditions and geology. Check out the types of grassland page to see examples of the different grassland habitats and the species they support.
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You can contact Wild Oxfordshire or look through the resources if you would like to know what may be best for your grassland.