Why Flowering Meadows Are Better Than Lawns

A groomed, grassy field can be good for certain uses, like sports or picnics. But for broader «ecosystem services»—things like plant pollination, pest control, soil quality, and climate regulation—the smart money is in meadows.

Meadows are more than just unmowed lawns, though. They are rich, diverse ecosystems bustling with a wide range of wildlife. And as research illustrates, meadows and other natural grassland habitats can be surprisingly beneficial to humans—if we let their biodiversity reach full bloom.

A 2016 paper published in the journal Nature conducted by 60 researchers from nearly three dozen universities studied 150 grasslands, examining how species richness and abundance relate to 14 specific ecosystem services. Biodiversity is key, but their research suggests the secret to a great grassland is a bit more complex. And given what's at stake, we'd be wise to pay attention.

Grasslands host lots of species at various levels of the food chain, also known as «trophic levels.» Humans are eroding biodiversity in many of these groups, often by developing grasslands for intensive agriculture. Earlier research has suggested that loss of biodiversity can threaten a grassland's ecosystem services, but those studies didn't examine diversity across multiple trophic groups at the same time.

The 2016 paper was the first to study all groups in a grassland food chain. Its authors collected data on 4,600 species from nine trophic groups — including obscure, easily ignored creatures such as soil microbes and insects.

«Many different groups are important for providing essential ecosystem services. In order for nature to continue 'working' reliably for us, we therefore need to protect biodiversity at all levels in the food chain,