The decline in wild-flower meadows
Up until the 1930s, meadows and grasslands were an intrinsic part of our rural landscape, but during the Second World War, some six million acres of grassland were ploughed to grow cereals crops. Since the War, many meadows have been replaced by improved pastures, which has been managed to increase productivity, usually through a combination of drainage, ploughing, reseeding, and the use of fertilisers and herbicides. This creates productive monocultures of grass and clover for grazing animals, but often to the detriment of biodiversity.
The decline has continued until now, leading to a loss of 97% of wildflower meadows in the UK. Species-rich grassland now covers only 1% of the land area, and what remains consists of scattered fragments. This loss of meadows and species-rich grasslands is said to be without parallel in the history of nature conservation in the UK
National Trust Meadows in the Chilterns Countryside
Many of the meadows managed by the National Trust in the Chilterns consist of rare chalk grassland habitats. These carefully managed wildflower meadows are key features in the Chilterns Countryside. Where possible, meadows are integrated into sustainable farming systems, giving them economic, social and environmental value. The management follows an annual cycle of growing in the spring and early summer, and cutting or grazing in late summer. Invasive scrub vegetation is also kept under control.