Meadows - Habitat Protection and No-Treading Zones

For farmers, the primary focus is usually on high yields with good forage value. People seeking recreation view meadows as spaces for leisure and experiencing nature. Those who care about nature conservation value meadows as habitats for animals and as biodiversity hotspots.

Just as expectations for meadows vary, so too do the meadows themselves. They can be dry or wet, nutrient-poor (meager) or nutrient-rich (fertile), species-rich or species-poor.

Rich meadows with a high proportion of grasses are often intensively managed. They are frequently fertilized and mowed several times a year. The early, protein-rich growth provides particularly energy-rich forage and is used primarily for cattle farming (milk production).

Poor meadows, on the other hand, usually have a lower proportion of grass. Since nutrient-loving grass species do not dominate here, numerous herbs such as daisies, widow’s flower, scabious, and bellflower thrive. This results in species-rich, flower-filled meadows that provide an important habitat for butterflies, wild bees, and many other insects. They are mowed less frequently and later in the season. The hay harvested from them is lower in protein and is particularly well-suited as feed for horses and sheep.

Particularly dry and nutrient-poor meadows in Erlangen can form smooth transitions into sandy nutrient-poor grasslands. The sand pink, for example, often grows there.

Wet meadows are—as their name suggests—particularly moist. In addition to moisture-loving plants such as the ragged robin, rushes and sedges that are adapted to wet sites also grow here.

Species-rich meadows—regardless of whether they are nutrient-poor, dry, or wet—lose many of their herbaceous plants due to intensive use, such as fertilization and frequent mowing. It is precisely these flowering plants that provide food and habitat for insects. Since species-rich meadows are becoming increasingly rare, lowland hay meadows, wet meadows, and nutrient-poor meadows are protected by law.

The legal basis for this is Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act and Article 23 of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act. In addition to various types of meadows, protected areas also include riparian forests, swamp forests, reed beds, bogs, and broom heaths.

In principle, all actions that could impair or destroy a protected biotope are prohibited. Destruction can occur immediately, for example, through the clearing of a riparian forest or the plowing or draining of a wet meadow. However, it can also occur gradually, for example, through more intensive management involving increased fertilization and more frequent mowing, or through damage to the grass cover resulting from increased recreational use.

Regardless of the type of meadow or how intensively it is used, the following applies: As soon as a meadow is used for agricultural purposes, it must not be entered during the growing season (Art. 30, para. 1 of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act).

The start and end of the growing season depend on the weather. In a mild spring, it can begin as early as March; in a warm fall, it can last into October. As a general rule, agricultural meadows within the city limits of Erlangen may not be entered between April and the end of September.

Diverse meadows are valuable habitats and, at the same time, agricultural land. Please observe the legal restrictions on entry and stay on the trails—this way, you protect sensitive vegetation, prevent damage from trampling, and help preserve these valuable habitats.