Cuttings project
Cuttings project
Restoration and creation of species-rich meadows through mowing - a contribution to nature conservation in intensively utilised landscapes
Species-rich hay meadows are in sharp decline in many regions of Central Europe due to intensification and abandonment of utilisation as well as ploughing up. The project aims to test and scientifically evaluate the method of mowing material transfer for the restitution (or creation) of endangered meadow types of medium-sized sites. It represents a contribution to increasing local and regional biodiversity in grassland and to the networking of plant and animal populations in intensively used landscapes; at the same time, co-operation between agriculture and nature conservation and the sustainable use of species-rich meadows by farmers are an essential medium-term goal. The results show that these goals can be achieved with great to very great success, provided that suitable technical, logistical and, above all, ecological conditions are in place. Financing: German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) Duration: 01.10.2005 to 30.09.2011 
Publications
Buchwald, R.; Rath,A.; Willen, M. and Gigante, D. 2007: Improving the quality of NATURA 2000 - meadows: the contribution of seed bank and hay transfer - Fitosociologia 2007
Lectures
Buchwald, R. 2008: FFH grassland types in Germany: target and problem species, conservation options - Lecture
Buchwald, R.; Roßkamp, T.; Steiner, L. and Wolf, R. 2008: Restoration of species-rich mesophilic meadows by mowing material transfer: Conditions, results, perspectives - Abstract and presentation
Buchwald, R.; Roßkamp, T. and Steiner, L. 2008: Restoration of species-rich mesophilous meadows by hay transfer: which results do we have after four years? - Abstract
Buchwald, R. 2008: Restitution of mesophilous meadows: Questions and interim results - Lecture
Conference
"Restoration and creation of new species-rich meadows through mowing material transfer: Objectives, interim results and perspectives"
Oldenburg, March 2008: Programme