Increase and enhance grassland across Dorset by creating more species-rich, larger, better-managed, and interconnected areas. 

Increase and enhance grassland across Dorset by creating more species-rich, larger, better-managed, and joined up areas.

The priority is to protect and expand existing species-rich grassland sites, create new sites and ensure they are connected. By increasing the variety and density of grassland species and improving the condition of grassland habitat by more nature-friendly management practices, such as stopping the use of artificial fertilisers and avoiding under or over-grazing.  

What are grasslands? 

Grassland habitats are areas where most of the plants are grasses. They are often maintained by people through mowing, drainage, or livestock grazing. Grassland can be separated into the following types, depending on their biodiversity and management: 

Improved grasslands

Improved grasslands have been changed a lot by people to improve agricultural productivity, or to create amenity grassland for recreation. Changes include applying fertilisers, reseeding and intensive cutting or grazing. They typically have a limited variety of species of grasses and flowering plants, with white clover, perennial ryegrass and other agricultural species usually covering more than 50% of the area. 

Semi-improved grasslands 

Semi-improved grasslands have undergone some changes through people using fertilisers, herbicides and grazing, but not as much change as improved grasslands and so have a wider diversity of plant species. This is a transitional category between improved and unimproved grasslands.  

Unimproved grasslands

Unimproved grasslands have not been changed through artificial fertilisers, ploughing or reseeding and are therefore species rich. Unimproved grasslands have a high diversity of plant species, with wildflowers and sedge covering more than 30% of the area and less than 10% cover of white clover and perennial ryegrass. It is managed with low-impact practices, like traditional grazing or hay-cutting, and supports high biodiversity, including insects, birds and other wildlife.  

The types of grassland that are relevant to this priority are: acid, neutral, calcareous, or marshy. Find more on ways to manage improved grassland in ways that help nature recovery in priority 6 and 7.

Typical grassland species

Field voles
Field voles
Adder snake
Adder
Bee orchids
Bee orchids

Nature recovery video - grasslands

Watch this video to find out why grasslands are important and what you can do to help. 
 

Nature recovery in action

The Hogchester Meadows Expansion Project was funded by Dorset National Landscape Partnership through both the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme and National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative, with additional funding from the Hogchester Conservation Trust.

The project’s aim was to increase local wildflower seed availability for meadow restoration. Conventional seed harvesting methods were impractical for small, diverse grassland sites (often under 1 hectare). However, the project identified and funded compact equipment to enable accessible seed collection. Volunteers helped sort the seeds, and innovative sorting methods were developed. 

Between 2022 and 2024, seed from 17 donor sites has been used to restore 25 hectares across 40 new meadow sites. 

Seed harvesting using the brush harvester.
Image credit: Rachel Janes

Potential activities

See what activities people can carry out to help achieve this priority by exploring the sectors below. You can view them all or just look at the one most relevant to you. These activities are a guide and are not exhaustive, as there are many small activities involved in habitat management and restoring ecosystems. 

The activities and Dorset’s nature recovery maps provide a starting point, but additional land management and ecological advice will often be needed to support activities on individual sites.