Mary Allen
A meadow is a green area on which grass and herbs grow. Meadows can be very different, they are inhabited by different animals and are overgrown differently. That depends on the nature of the soil and the climate there: there are lush wet meadows with lots of herbs in river valleys and by lakes, but also sparsely overgrown grasslands on sunny and dry mountain slopes.
Meadows are home to many animals and plants: many worms, insects, mice, and moles live on and under meadows. Large birds such as storks and herons use meadows to forage. Small birds like the skylark, which can hide in the grass, also build their nests there, i.e. use meadows as breeding grounds.
Which grasses and herbs grow in meadows depends on how wet or dry, warm or cold, and sunny or shady the meadow is. It is also important how many nutrients there are in the soil and how well the soil can store water and nutrients. The most common and well-known meadow herbs in Europe include daisies, dandelions, meadowfoam, yarrow, and buttercups.
What do people use meadows for?
Meadows have been created by humans for thousands of years. They only remain in meadows because they are mowed regularly. The mowed grass is well suited as animal feed for cows, sheep, or goats. So that the animals have food in winter, which is often preserved. For example, you dry it into hay and keep it for later.
Meadows are not only used as a source of fodder in agriculture. They are also used as lying and recreational areas in parks, or as playgrounds for sports such as football or golf. If the green area is not mowed but used by grazing animals, it is called pasture.