Meadow

grassland · habitat · plants · nature

Open grassy spaces. Meadows are fields covered mostly with grasses, wildflowers, and other soft plants instead of trees or shrubs. They stay open and sunny, which lets all kinds of plants and animals live there together.

Made for farming. Many meadows were created by people who cleared forests or bushes to grow hay for their animals or to let sheep and cows graze. Farmers have used meadows for thousands of years to feed their livestock.

Wild but managed. Meadows are considered semi-natural because they have mostly native plants that grew there naturally, but people help maintain them by mowing or grazing animals on them to keep trees from taking over.

Wildlife paradise. Meadows are home to insects, birds, small mammals, and wildflowers that all depend on the open, sunny conditions. Many species would disappear if meadows weren't there.

Need sunlight. Meadows can only exist in places where trees don't naturally take over, which means they need regular maintenance like cutting or grazing to stay open and sunny.