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I almost feel there needs to be another category of land cover/use for "scruffy grass", of the sort which is managed, but very infrequently (maybe once or twice a year), so it grows long and scruffy, maybe with a few other plants growing in it, but not many. Or indeed one for grass which isn't managed at all, but naturally kept short by wild animals (e.g, rabbits). "Grass" to me implies something mown regularly to keep it neat, "Grassland" (in the European sense) seems to be more for abandoned land, "Meadow" is used a lot but is also used for farms (grass grown for livestock) which is very different, while "Scrub" suggests a number of bushes growing amongst the grass. |
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Hi. Around here (Brittany, France), meadows are what you describe, cut once or twice a year, to feed livestock during the winter. Some other meadows are directly "mown" by livestock, more or less frequently, depending on the distance to the farm. I can't think of examples of places kept clear by wild animals, it all turn to scrub in few years, but I guess meadow would apply too. Did you look at the wiki ? I just discovered a whole lot of sub-tags, which might be of interest to you. Best regards. Thanks, but none of those subtags exactly seem to match grass which is left to grow long, because it's better for wildlife (wildflowers, insects and small animals), and perhaps only cut once a year in autumn, not specifically for livestock, but just to tidy it up so it can grow again the next year. What is perhaps needed is a subtag of "grass" for grass which isn't mown regularly
(04 Mar '22, 19:48)
Mikey Co
It's still grass & forbs (i.e., non-grass herbs). Scrub by definition needs a substantial amount of woody plants which don't die down in winter. I'd say grassland would be fine, particularly if it is tussocky or with many permanent ant hills (and therefore not or unmowable). There's another related class of vegetation which we dont tag: tall herbs (strictly forbs), perhaps because usually they are relatively small areas. Examples include Stinging Nettles, Rosebay Willowherb, Himalayan Balsam, and Japanese Knotweed (although people may map this as scrub it's not technically correct).
(04 Mar '22, 22:43)
SK53 ♦
@Mikey Co, IMHO the best for wildlife is not to cut at all. Even once a year will destroy habitats, and make all animals flee. But that's not the point of your question, or of this website... ;-) Slightly more to the point, I don't know a farmer around here who will cut a field without taking the hay home. Even if it's low quality, because it's too old, or too mixed. A bit closer to your question, are the public space, which are "cleaned up" less often, but even there they usually take the cuttings somewhere, to make compost. My point is, even if it's once a year, or less, it's still agricultural to me. Think of a forest, which is "harvested" once in 20 years or more ! Well, anyway, that's just my local point of view, YMMV, I hope you'll find what you are looking for. Best regards.
(06 Mar '22, 11:27)
H_mlet
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