Natural grasslands* and their diverse plant and animal communities developed over centuries, and their maintenance was ensured by traditional farming practices – livestock grazing, haymaking and transport. At present, natural grasslands in Latvia cover just 0.9% of the country’s territory; their restoration is therefore of fundamental importance for ensuring ecosystem services that are vital to society.
How can we restore them? Scientists have concluded that it takes several decades for a monotonous grassland to become a species-rich natural meadow, during which time the meadow must be managed in a specific way. If the meadow already exhibits characteristics of a natural meadow, this period may be shorter. However, it will certainly not be a task that can be completed in a single summer.
As part of the "GrassLIFE" project, the Latvian Nature Fund published a collection of information materials entitled “Tips for Restoring Natural Grasslands” in 2023. This can be of great use both to managers of natural grasslands and to anyone wishing to improve plant species diversity in their own meadow.
This collection of tips has been compiled based on the project’s five years of practical experience in the restoration of natural grasslands. It covers the following grassland restoration methods implemented in practice: sowing meadow plants, levelling the topsoil, sowing clover, spreading seed-rich grass and hay, the control of unwanted species and the dispersal of plant seeds, and feeding grazing livestock with seed-rich natural grassland hay. The collection is supplemented by a summary listing the signs indicating the need for grassland restoration and providing advice to help navigate the wide range of restoration methods.
The collection of materials entitled “Tips for Restoring Natural Grasslands” was compiled by experts from the Latvian Nature Fund’s "GrassLIFE" project: Solvita Rūsiņa, Baiba Strazdiņa, Rūta Sniedze-Kretalova and others.
*Natural meadows = natural grasslands, or grassland habitats of EU importance, or biologically valuable grasslands. The Latvian Nature Fund uses the term “natural meadows” in its communications to make the information more accessible to the general public.
Spreading grass or hay rich in seeds
Control of expansive and invasive plant species
The dispersal of plant seeds by domestic animals
The collection is also available in the "Information Repository" section of the “GrassLIFE” project website: https://grasslife.lv/arhivs/
The owner of the "Natural Meadow Product" label is Latvian Nature Fund.
The brand was created as part of the LIFE19IPE/LV/000010 LIFE-IP LatViaNature project, with the aim of promoting business initiatives for the sustainable management of natural grasslands.
The project "Optimisation of the Management and Stewardship of Natura 2000 Protected Areas" (LIFE19IPE/LV/000010 LIFE-IP LatViaNature) is being implemented with financial support from the European Union’s LIFE programme and the State Regional Development Agency.
The information reflects solely the views of the implementers of the LIFE IP LatViaNature project; the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information provided here.
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