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 that the flora is dominated by salt-tolerant species. However, that alone does 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, either artificially or by livestock. Beach meadows are therefore usually thought of as cultural landscapes or biotopes, requiring some degree of intervention and not being able to sustain itself on its own. If left to their own, beach meadows would usually transform into a so-called transitional meadow and eventually a shrubby or bushy seashore habitat.