If grazing stops
No cows
It is easy to see that grazing animals are important for the formation of shoreline meadows. If grazing stops, reeds, rushes and tall grasses spread out and stifle the low-growing herbs.
Birds disappear
If grazing stops, the waders and the geese will disappear, like many smaller birds– although they will be replaced by other species. The total number of bird species that nest or rest on the meadows will decrease.
Threatened
The use of coastal meadows for grazing and hay-making became less and less common during the 1900s. Efforts are now being made to protect this kind of habitat. Inventories and other research provide a basis for conservation management.
