The vegetation cover of our climatic zone - as, indeed, of all of Europe - was formed mainly under the influence of glaciations; in addition, since the Neolithic era, it has been increasingly influenced by man. A characteristic feature of meadows and pastures is species diversity: several dozen plant species can coexist here at the same time. Meadow and field plants of our climate are described in this material.
The formation of the meadow occurs in three stages. Annual plants and creeping herbs grow first; such vegetation takes root shallowly and its roots, creeping shoots and rhizomes form a dense turf surface. Then, when the seedlings become denser and the first humus forms on the ground, loose shrub grasses appear, which take root deeper and can use nutrients from the underlying soil layers. The last stage of the formation of the meadow is the further thickening of the vegetation and the acidification of the soil. As a result, the roots of some grasses cease to have enough air, some species die, and ordinary grasses grow in their place, and in wet areas - sedge and rush.
Grasslands and pastures are a dynamic, rich community of diverse plants that compete for light, water and nutrients - mineral salts and trace elements. The upper tier is formed by light-loving plants; two-leaved plants are rare here. The lowest tier consists of species that tolerate the lack of light well. The composition and type of meadow vegetation depends not only on human activities, but also on the nature of the area where the meadow is located - the quality of the soil, the flood of rivers, the level of groundwater, the direction of the winds, as well as the species of insects and birds - potential seed carriers.
From this point of view, meadows are subdivided into lowland and swampy reclaimed, floodplain and upland meadows, as well as mountain pastures and glades. Floodplain, or water meadows are located in valleys or where water spills in spring or the soil gets wet. About 50 species of plants can be found in such a meadow. The vegetation of the upper layer of water meadows is represented by vascular plants of the sedge family, which are well suited to acidic soils. In the lower tier of flood meadows, you can find monetized loosestrife, or meadow tea, a beautiful creeping plant from the primrose family.
Its shoots, reaching 60 cm in length, are covered with many oval leaves. Fairly large yellow flowers, growing from the axils of the leaves, bloom from June to September. Of all the varieties, upland meadows occupy the largest part of the total area of perennial green land. Here, on light and medium soils, an average of 80 different species grow, including tall and short grasses, fodder plants and clovers. Almost everywhere you can find tender, leafless panicles of meadow bluegrass - its root system is well developed, thanks to which the plant forms a strong turf that is resistant to trampling.
Fescue is distinguished by a significant variety of morphological features - for example, red fescue withstands frost and even survives under an ice crust for two months, and in the absence of frost it does not wither even in winter. Fescue blooms in June, and in summer its leaves grow almost right before our eyes - at a speed of up to 4 mm per day. She is not afraid of trampling, light-requiring and without harm to herself tolerates flooding with water for 10-15 days.
The root system of the perennial chaff, or ryegrass, forms a dense turf, but its roots do not go deeper than 10 cm. This valuable fodder cereal is sensitive to lack of water; it blooms in June-July and continues to grow until late autumn. Ryegrass requires light, but tolerates trampling well, and its nutritional value for livestock is due to the fact that this plant accumulates significant amounts of minerals and trace elements: calcium, sodium, silicon, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, copper, molybdenum. A flat ear of ryegrass reaches a height of 20-25 cm.
In contrast, laxative flax - an annual plant with filamentous stems up to 30 cm tall and a weak root - is a small weed, and the poisonous linamarin contained in it can be harmful to animals. Yarrow leaves reminiscent of lace are no less toxic - they contain the alkaloid akhilein and can cause headaches and clouding of consciousness.
Nevertheless, this is a very valuable medicinal plant, known to mankind from time immemorial; It contains the terpenoid proazulene, a substance with strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves of St. John's wort, which is also a widely used medicinal plant, look like they really have been perforated. In fact, highly translucent places are nothing more than glands filled with essential oils.
Plantain large is a perennial rosette plant with a short thick rhizome and a bunch of cord-like roots. Long spikes on high stems are covered with tiny fruits, which are very fond of birds. This plant blooms and bears fruit from April to September, and it is completely undemanding to the type of soil and is found almost everywhere in our nature. Probably the most famous among the weeds is the dandelion officinalis: its sunny yellow flowers can be seen in May-June, and sometimes it blooms again in the fall.
Dandelion flowers open under the sun, closing on cloudy days and in the evening, and ripened light seeds, equipped with "parachutes", are carried by the wind over considerable distances. Dandelion is very difficult to destroy: the tap root of this plant reaches 5-50 cm in length, and if you tear off the aerial part of the plant, it will grow back from the root; in addition, in places of damage, the dandelion root forms brood buds, from which new plants appear. The only way to exterminate a dandelion is by chemical means or by depriving it of light. Nettle has excellent medicinal properties.
Stinging nettle is a perennial plant that propagates by seeds, as well as many underground shoots. It blooms from May to late autumn and is pollinated by the wind. Very small and light seeds ripen from inconspicuous flowers. The aerial part of the nettle is covered with burning, hard hairs filled with a liquid with a high content of formic acid and histamine - when touched, they easily break off and dig into the epidermis. Nettle leaves contain a lot of chlorophyll, vitamins, tannins and mineral salts. Describing the flora of upland meadows, it is impossible not to mention the family of legumes, or moths, represented by creeping and meadow clover, as well as mouse peas.
Due to the beautiful flowers, the perennial daisy and a number of plants potentially dangerous for their poison also deserve attention: spring adonis, yellow iris, purple foxglove, buttercup. On upland meadows with moist soils, the following types of trees and shrubs can also be found: warty birch, black alder and common viburnum. In drier areas, common barberry, blackthorn, sessile oak and wild rose are found. The herbage of mountain pastures and glades depends on the climate and location.
In the lower part of the tier of mountain forests, meadows growing on various soils are distinguished by plant species diversity and give rich harvests of good hay; they are usually mowed twice a year. Here you can see, in particular, cuffs, European bathing suit, perennial chaff. Cuffs, a high-protein, mineral-rich food that tolerates grazing and trampling, usually reach a height of 40 cm and bloom, depending on the species, from May to September. Their flowers are inconspicuous, yellowish, and the leaves are round and jagged.
In the territories located higher in the mountains, it is often protected by law, and since the local forests do not touch the human hand, the latter are gradually replacing the meadows. Above the border of the forests, on rocks covered with poor acidic soils, meadows are overgrown with white-bearded sticking out, common bent grass and common heather. In addition to cultivated plants important for agriculture, there are also numerous weeds in the fields. Some of them, such as blue cornflower, are the owners of beautiful flowers; others are completely inconspicuous - for example, wheatgrass or horsetail.
It is also worth noting that poppy, cockle, horsetail and some other species contain toxic chemical compounds. Among the field plants of the legume family, alfalfa is the richest in protein and other nutritional components; Recently, they have become even more popular due to their medicinal properties. Melilot officinalis, in addition to vitamins C and E and many other valuable components, contains a mixture of coumarin compounds and is used to flavor tobacco. Meadows and fields form a characteristic mosaic landscape.
The results of human activities, however, provide habitat for many species of insects, amphibians, birds and mammals. Meadows purify the air from dust and, to a certain extent, from bacteria - such are the properties of certain herbs, such as ryegrass, common bent grass or red fescue. Greens have a calming effect on stressed nerves and tired eyes. Herbs saturate the air with negative ions, which is very beneficial for health. In addition, meadows and fields often become nothing more than a natural plantation of various medicinal herbs.
About meadow and field plants of our climate in the video clip for the song by Lyudmila Zykina: