The management of meadows with Arnica montana

Abstract

Arnica grasslands are generally far away from the farmhouses. They are located on slopes or on top of the hills. The access is exhausting and mowing difficult due to the rocky terrain. The soils are of a reduced fertility and the productivity of the grassland is low (Michler et al. 2004) Comparing the management activities in Arnica sites with more productive grasslands around the houses, the activities in Arnica sites are of lower intensity. The fertilization of Arnica grassland is done only with manure obtained from people’s own households. It is applied in spring, in autumn and sometimes in winter. The grassland is used in a mixed way: a mixture of mowing and grazing is the most common management type, less common is to only graze the grassland and hardly ever is the grassland mown but not grazed. The mixed management, mowing the grassland in summer and grazing in autumn, is the most frequent one. Grazing only is realised especially in the southern part of Gârda village (Biharia). The grass is dried on the surface