Grasslands
- a rare kind of habitat that is worth preserving
A grassland is a grass-covered area on a dry and nutrient-poor soil. Grasslands were originally formed by the clearing of primeval forests and subsequent grazing of the open areas.
The name originates from 'oredrev'. 'Ore' is an old Danish word for uncultivated land. 'Drev' comes from the German word 'trift', which means pasture.
Former grazing land
Some grasslands have a past as pastures for village communities, which have remained uncultivated for many years. A grassland can also be caused when fields on nutrient-poor soils are abandoned and used for grazing.
Today grasslands are found particularly in hilly terrain and on the slopes of river valleys that are difficult to cultivate.
Plant species found on grassland are specially adapted to the grassland's dry and nutrient-poor soil conditions.
Leaves at ground level
Many plant species on grasslands have leaves formed in a rosette at ground level. It is the leaf's underside where most of the water is evaporated, and keeping the leaf close to the ground prevents the plant from the wind blowing over the underside of the leaf and drying out the leaf.
Habitat to conserve
Grassland is a rare habitat that should be conserved. It has therefore been included in the municipal Natura2000 plans. These specify that grassland areas are to be preserved - for example, by the clearing of trees and appropriate grazing.
