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Saving our magnificent meadows

Putting the natural colour back into our countryside

This three year initiative is making the case for increased funding to conserve and enhance the UK’s increasingly scarce wildflower-rich lowland meadows and grasslands.

Saving our Magnificent Meadows is led by Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, and Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and by Plantlife, as project host.

It is supported by The Grasslands Trust, The Northmoor Trust, Grazing Advice Partnership and Pori Natur a Threftadaeth.

Why urgent action is needed to conserve our wildflower-rich meadows and grasslands

These are arguably the UK’s most threatened habitats. Once lost, our species-rich meadows and grasslands cannot easily be restored.

Despite their high wildlife value and intrinsic cultural appeal, our magnificent meadows have suffered catastrophic declines. Between the 1930s and 1980s, 97% were lost across England and Wales.

Pressures from agriculture and development, together with neglect, continue to impact on the remaining areas. Research for the period 2005-08 shows that there remains an ongoing overall decline in condition of all priority grassland habitats.

These declines have meant that the UK is unable to meet its commitment to halt the loss of priority grassland habitat and species biodiversity by 2010.

The value to society of wildflower-rich meadows and grasslands

Wildflower-rich grasslands are important ecosystems, supporting a rich diversity of plants and animals, including rare and declining species. They contribute to the well-being of our society and as a healthy ecosystem providing essential ‘services’.

Wildflower-rich meadows and grasslands are an important store of carbon (about 34% of the global stock of carbon held in terrestrial ecosystems), they reduce the impact of flooding, emit fewer greenhouse gases due to lower livestock densities and fertiliser input, and improve soil nutrient retention.

Meadows provide recreation opportunities, with proven health benefits. They are spiritually uplifting, inspirational and form a major component of our landscapes and heritage.

Research has shown that the quality of meat from animals grazed on species-rich grasslands has better flavour and greater health benefits, and that these premium products can boost the local economy. This in turn leads to better protection of these vital habitats.

UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority grassland habitats have 206 BAP priority species associated with them. There are 82 species of flowering plants of lowland grassland that are listed as threatened, of which 43 are BAP priority species. There are 73 BAP priority vertebrate and invertebrate species associated with these habitats, including birds, bats, butterflies and moths.

A network of wildflower-rich meadows and grasslands, providing nectar and pollen year round is crucial for the long-term survival of our natural crop pollinators - bees - which are currently suffering massive declines in numbers and range.

Without additional action, we will continue to lose our beautiful meadows. Rare grassland species will vanish and once-common species will become rarer.

Wildflower-rich grassland conservation

During the first phase of Saving our Magnificent Meadows, we made contact with more than 100 individuals working on grassland conservation projects across the UK. This research provided a great deal of information including key issues that impact on grassland conservation, opportunities, and solutions - and an important snapshot of funding secured and an estimate of the ‘need’ for future funding.

A lack of accessible funding was identified as one of the key issues in preventing wildflower-rich meadows and grasslands being managed in the best way to safeguard biodiversity, and from building a wider understanding about their significance.

Whilst we acknowledge that a great deal of funding has been secured for meadow conservation in recent years (for example, from agri-environmental schemes, government agencies and grant giving bodies) our research shows that a huge funding gap remains if we are to meet our commitments to save and protect our remaining meadows.

Current sources of funding alone cannot solve the problem. Saving our Magnificent Meadows is seeking to establish new funding streams by making a very clear, strong argument for why it is so important to support wildflower-rich grassland conservation.

The partner organisations of Saving our Magnificent Meadows are asking potential funders to help us meet UK targets to halt biodiversity loss. We welcome the comments of all interested parties on this initiative.

To get involved in finding solutions or for further information on the project please contact Susan Kerry Bedell, Grassland Funding Manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).