Meadow

A meadow is an open area dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants. Natural conditions or human activities such as mowing and grazing maintain its vegetation.

Connect

Grassland: An ecosystem dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants, often with few trees. Meadows are a type of grassland, though the terms can overlap in everyday use.
Grazing: The consumption of plants by herbivorous animals. Grazers remove vegetation and can suppress woody growth in some meadows.
Hay meadow: A grassland managed primarily by cutting and drying vegetation for animal fodder. It is a managed meadow whose harvest timing shapes its plants and wildlife.
Prairie: A North American grassland, especially one dominated by grasses and adapted to fire and grazing. Prairie often names a broad grassland ecosystem, while meadow commonly suggests a smaller or more seasonally lush opening.
Herbaceous plant: A plant with non-woody stems that typically die back to the ground after a growing season. These plants, rather than trees or shrubs, dominate meadow vegetation.
Mowing: The cutting of growing vegetation, commonly with a machine or hand tool. Cutting can prevent tree and shrub establishment while shaping flowering and seed production.
Pollinator: An animal that transfers pollen between flowers, enabling plant reproduction. Flower-rich meadows provide food and habitat for many pollinating animals.
Pasture: Land covered with vegetation and used for grazing livestock. Pasture is defined by livestock use, whereas meadow need not be managed for grazing.
Soil: The living surface layer of Earth, composed of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and organisms. Soil depth, fertility, and moisture shape which plants can thrive in a meadow.
Fire ecology: The study of how fire affects organisms, ecosystems, and ecological processes. Periodic fire can limit woody plants and renew vegetation in some meadow landscapes.