Lowland Meadows BNG Units
High
Grassland
Trusted by Developers and Landowners
What are Lowland Meadows?
Lowland meadows are species-rich grasslands on neutral soils, characterised by a diverse mixture of native grasses and herbs. They are typically managed for hay cropping with aftermath grazing, or as permanent pasture under low-intensity grazing.
Lowland meadows are found across England and Wales but have undergone a dramatic decline, making them a UK priority habitat.
Why It Matters for BNG
Lowland meadows provide high distinctiveness units and support strong biodiversity outcomes. They help meet strategic BNG targets and deliver visible, long term ecological value within landscape proposals.
Traditional meadow management through hay cutting and aftermath grazing can generate high value BNG credits. The habitat aligns with low input farming and strengthens long term stewardship schemes.
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Where Do They Grow?
Lowland meadows occur throughout the UK but are now scarce and fragmented. Key concentrations include:
• Worcestershire
• South-west England (Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire)
• East Midlands and East Anglia (Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk)
They also include the flood-meadows of central England and eastern Wales, which depend on seasonal winter flooding and support tall, moisture-loving species such as great burnet and meadowsweet.
Soil Preferences
Lowland meadows grow on relatively deep soils that are neither strongly acidic nor lime-rich. Their character is shaped by seasonal water availability and the height of the water table, with wetter types particularly sensitive to summer drought and water abstraction.
How New Lowland Meadows are Created
Inputs
• Restore semi-improved grassland by removing fertiliser inputs
• Recreate meadow habitat on arable or improved grassland using seed introduction
• Introduce wildflower seed through green hay spreading or brush-harvested seed
• Establish yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) to reduce dominance of vigorous grasses and open the sward for wildflowers
Management
• Cut for hay in summer, followed by aftermath grazing
• Time management flexibly to match flowering and seed setting
• Control dominant or invasive species where necessary
Landscape
• Expand and link existing meadows by restoring nearby land
• Target arable reversion or semi-improved grasslands
• Position meadow creation to strengthen habitat networks and ecological connectivity
How Existing Lowland Meadows are Improved
Inputs
• Maintain low nutrient status by cutting and removing hay crops
• Manage water levels to prevent drying or prolonged flooding
Management
• Adjust grazing pressure to avoid overgrazing or neglect
• Vary timing and intensity of hay cuts and grazing to reflect seasonal conditions
• Use cattle grazing where possible, as cattle are less selective than sheep and help maintain structural diversity
• Introduce seed of missing species into gaps to restore diversity
• Monitor and control invasive species promptly
Landscape
• Expand meadows by restoring adjacent semi-improved or arable fields
• Retain or reinstate traditional regimes such as Lammas hay cutting systems
• Increase resilience by enlarging sites and improving connectivity
• Plan adaptively for climate change, allowing management to respond to hotter summers and wetter winters
Target Condition
Lowland meadows in good condition should:
• Support high plant diversity, with up to 35 or more species in 2m²
• Retain low nutrient status, with no dominance of competitive grasses
• Show continuity of low-intensity management such as hay cutting and aftermath grazing
• Contain key species such as yellow rattle, which signals a diverse and well-managed sward
The BNG Value of Lowland Meadow
• Distinctiveness: High (priority habitat)
• Condition Potential: High, sensitive management maintains or improves biodiversity
• Habitat Connectivity: Support pollinators, farmland birds, and small mammals, contributing to wider ecological networks
• Climate Services: Provide carbon storage, regulate water, and build resilience against extreme weather
Species Typical of Lowland Meadows
🌱 Grasses
• Crested dog’s tail (Cynosurus cristatus)
• Red fescue (Festuca rubra)
• Sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)
🌸Herbs and Wildflowers
• Common knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
• Bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
• Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
• Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
• Snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
• Sulphur clover (Trifolium ochroleucon)
• Field gentian (Gentianella campestris)
• Green-winged orchid (Orchis morio)
• Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
• Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
• Pepper-saxifrage (Silaum silaus)
🍄Fungi and Invertebrates
• Waxcap fungi and earth-tongue fungi
• Hornet robber-fly (Asilus crabroniformis)
• Shrill carder bee (Bombus silvarum)
• Butterflies, grasshoppers, bumblebees
• Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus)
🐦 Birds and Mammals
• Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
• Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis)
• Bats and small mammals such as the field vole (Microtus agrestis)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lowland Meadows?
Species-rich, typically traditionally managed hay meadows that support a high diversity of native wildflowers and grasses, often found on neutral soils. It is a priority habitat.
How is BNG measured here?
The assessment focuses heavily on the presence, abundance, and diversity of indicator species of wildflowers and grasses. Condition is scored based on species richness, sward structure, and soil quality.
How can I achieve BNG?
Enhancement of existing degraded grassland through practices like controlled grazing, cessation of fertilizer use, or spreading native seed/hay from a donor site. Creation involves stripping topsoil and seeding/planting.
What is the BNG target condition?
Aiming for a Good or Very Good condition, characterized by a high proportion of positive indicator species and a diverse, uneven sward structure.
What management is required?
Annual hay cutting and removal, usually late in the season (July/August), followed by aftermath grazing. The removal of cuttings is critical to lowering soil nutrients and promoting wildflowers.
Exploring Other Habitats?
Rural Tree
Rural trees are individual trees located in the open countryside that do not form part of woodland, hedgerow or wood-pasture habitats. They include isolated field trees, parkland trees, scattered trees in paddocks, and trees along rural roadsides or watercourses where they are not part of a continuous linear feature.
Ancient and veteran trees in rural locations are also recorded under this habitat type and are additionally flagged as irreplaceable habitat, meaning impacts should be avoided wherever possible.
Upland Mixed Ashwood
Upland mixed ashwoods are species-rich broadleaved woodlands found on base-rich soils in upland landscapes. They are typically dominated by ash, though locally oak, birch, wych elm, rowan, small-leaved lime or hazel may be prominent depending on site conditions.
These woodlands often develop on limestone and other calcareous substrates, including steep slopes, ravines, flushes and rocky outcrops. Many upland mixed ashwoods are ancient woodland, while others represent long-established secondary woodland that retains strong ecological continuity.
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Ponds (Non-Priority Habitat)
Non-priority ponds are small standing waterbodies, generally up to two hectares in size, that do not meet the priority pond criteria but still function as semi-natural freshwater habitats. Non-priority ponds include many farm ponds, estate ponds, attenuation ponds with natural features, and older field ponds that support aquatic and marginal vegetation but lack the exceptional species assemblages required for priority status.
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