A flower meadow as before | Luxembourg word
A year ago, the official starting shot was given for the latest project, which the Cactus group created together with the Fondation « Hëllef Fir d’Adt ». In Ösling, not far from the village of Sir shortly before the Belgian border, there are around four hectares of Wiese owned by the foundation. Together with a local farmer, this area is managed in such a way that a natural meadow will be created there again in the coming years. « We want a meadow to be created again as before, » Patrick Losch, President of the Fondation « Hëllef Fir d’Adt », emphasized a year ago.
The advantages of hay for nature
In the meantime, the « Cactus Bludwiss » is already distinguished by a considerable appearance than with the neighboring meadows. Here is only mowed twice a year and then only to harvest hay. In contrast to the usual mowing for the silage, where the mowed grass is chopped and removed as quickly as possible, the grass remains longer in the conventional meadow and also remains to dry. The subsequent turn also has the pleasant side effect that the seeds of the grasses and flowers are distributed and thus ensure a natural increase.
Compared to the intensive management, the classic management brings only about half of the yield, but the two -time harvest is used to add feed on feed. Another difference creates the intensive manner. Since no or only a few seeds are spread with multiple mahd, a grass monoculture is gradually created. On the other hand, with the extensive method, flowers and herbs also mix under the various grasses. In this context, Frank Thielen from the Fondation « Hëllef Fir d’Adt » speaks of the « pharmacy ». This means the valuable food character of these plants for the cows if such a meadow is grazed.
Inconspicuous and yet remarkable
The often unnoticed grasses or flowers are a real enrichment of the biological and landscape diversity. In technical terms, this type of meadow is referred to as a « smooth -hafer meadow ». Even the Ruchgrass becomes an attraction. This grass has its name from its capacity that it distributes the typical hay smell.
In addition, the meadow is full of panicle grass, which is considered a typical feed grass. The honey grass makes a special development. In the course of its development, it becomes a grass with magnificent colorful flowers from the inconspicuous halm. In addition to the well -known butter flower, which is called Hahnenfuß, in addition to the well -known butter flower, also gave yellow swabs through the meadow stone beard. The honorary prize with its low growth and its blue flowers lays a colored carpet, while the meadow maker in turn ensures a padding meadow with its high stems and its white flowers in the wind.
Those who sharpen their eyes for the different grasses can make a lot more to say about the local conditions through their location. Heumann explains how lay people recognize this: the richer the soil, the more colored the meadow.
It is surprising for the layperson that there is hardly any red splash in the meadow, but Sonja Heumann, chemist at the fondation « Hëllef Fir d’Adt » knows why: « The gossip poppy with its strikingly red color is basically a field flower. Therefore, it can only be found in a meadow. »
Learn to read a meadow
Those who sharpen their eyes for the different grasses can make a lot more to say about the local conditions through their location. Heumann explains how lay people recognize this: « The richer the soil, the more colored the meadow. » This is particularly easy to recognize in slopes. The rain flushes the fertile soil from top to bottom. Therefore, rather undemanding grass will settle in the higher layers, while further down the color palette of grasses and herbs increases.
In contrast to sunny places, it is very similar. The gain in biodiversity is difficult to quantify on the basis of numbers, but it is solely aware of the waving grasses and the numerous splashes of color that the wildlife also feels comfortable here. Butterflies stagger from flower to flower and in between the insects buzz around, which is known to be the beginning of the nutrition chain.
Five years of project work
The project duration for the « Cactus-Bludwiss » is designed for five years. On the one hand, this is the time it takes until the biotope has developed and consolidated properly. On the other hand, the further procedure provides that an educational hiking trail of ten kilometers should open up the area.
Similar to the other projects of the cooperation between Cactus and the « Hëllef Fir d’Adtz » fondation, it is explained there how the flower meadow works and why it is useful. In addition, the path invites you to explore the surroundings of the village of Sir.
Three questions for Sonja Heumann
The trained chemist Sonja Heumann has been working as a conservationist at Fondation Hëllef Fir d’Adta for 15 years and is very familiar with the flora. Reason enough to talk to the specialist on things about things.
The term biodiversity is often used in the context of environmental measures. What exactly does this mean?
The origin of the name reveals what this means. The root « Bio » refers to everything that affects life and the term « diversity » means nothing other than « diversity ». Today we understand the variety of species, both for plants and animals. In a broader sense, the term also stands for the variety of ecosystems or genetics of individual species.
Why is biodiversity important?
There is a lot to say. Various, diverse nature has a high resistance to external influences, be it now heat, high amounts of rain or diseases. For us humans, this means a source of healthy food. If we expand the horizon somewhat and look at the variety of ecosystems, they also offer people protection against damage. Just think of wetlands that have a high capacity of water storage and thus buffer floods. After all, the diversity of genetics is a guarantee that the respective species remain healthy, similar to humans, in which there is otherwise an impoverishment of genetics with all the resulting diseases.
What contributes to this?
A healthy flower meadow usually has different areas, some drier, some moisture, which means different ways. The primarily attracts different insects that often need plants as food for their caterpillars. If a meadow has many different insects, this in turn attracts many birds that feed their young animals. This also promotes the variety of species. The natural development is quite easy to recognize: Many plant species attract many types of insect, which in turn attract many species of birds. The same applies to small mammals. Since the Cactus-Bludwiss is mowed late, the vegetation can grow higher, which offers the deer and rabbits greater protection for their young animals. Another aspect is the better feed quality of the resulting hay, which means that both the milk and the meat of the fed cows have a higher food value.
