Coastal meadows are meadows in the coastal zone, influenced by the sea. Under this definition, the

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...

of the air and wind is usually high and the flora is dominated by salt-tolerant species. Some coastal meadows may be flooded by seawater occasionally, increasing the demands on the flora even further. These conditions however, do not make a meadow. To be categorized as a meadow in the first place, the plantgrowth has to be low in height, and normally this can only be achieved from wear by general traffic or grazing of the landscape (artificially or by livestock). Coastal meadows are therefore usually thought of as cultural landscapes or

biotope A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. ''Biotope'' is almost synonymous with the term "habitat", which is more commonly used in English-speaking countrie ...

s, requiring some degree of intervention and not being able to sustain themselves on their own. If left alone, coastal meadows would often transform into a transitional meadow and eventually a shrubby or bushy seashore habitat. Depending on the geology, climate and local conditions, coastal meadows can take on different expressions, with their own specific ecology. The main subcategories are: *

Beach meadow Beach Meadows are coastal meadows influenced by the presence of the nearby sea. Under this definition, the salinity of the air and wind is always high and the meadows are often flooded during and after stormy weather. These conditions implies t ...

s *

Fell meadow A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, par ...

s Coastal meadows can be found all over the world, where grazing is practised near the coast and in some places they emerge as

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the kn ...

Sources

Coastal meadow management
LIFE Nature EU project (2004). Meadows Coastal geography

See also

Sources