How to manage meadows effectively? Flagship, keystone & diagnostic species perspective

We investigated the long-term effects of meadow management regimes (abandonment vs. mowing, and its frequency), plant invasion, and habitat availability on three different meadow ecosystem components. The system consists of (1) native plant Sanguisorba officinalis, (2) ant assemblages, and (3) butterfly species of the genus Phengaris, known as flagships for biodiversity conservation. The investigated wet meadow communities responded quite similarly to management regimes. In general, declining biodiversity was related to either complete abandonment or more intensive management (with mowing more than once per year). The focal native plant cover was affected by management and invasive plants. Mowing frequency did not affect ant diversity or population fluctuations of Phengaris butterflies over a five-year period. Low frequency mowing (one cut per year) is crucial to long-term persistence of the studied species, and S. officinalis cover is a good indicator for assessing habitat condition of studied meadows. The establishment of non-intensive management and occasionally more intensive mowing for active control of invasive plants is needed to preserve the investigated wet meadows of high conservation value and complex system of organisms inhabiting them.