Development of flower meadows in an urbanized environment

Abstract

Abstract With increasing urbanization, it is necessary to create green infrastructure in cities and urban areas to improve not only the quality of life for residents, but also the health and sustainability of local ecosystems. One effective way to create green spaces is by establishing meadows filled with diverse plant species. These meadows can provide numerous benefits, such as aiding pollinator conservation, improving air and water quality, and increasing biodiversity. Therefore, creating these meadows is an important component of urban ecology. Seven types of flower meadow mixtures from a Czech company were sown in 12 plots within the Hliník Urban Park in Nové Zámky, Slovak Republic. The development of the vegetation and the impact of maintenance management and climatic factors were monitored during the vegetation period of 2021‒2022, and the plots are still being monitored. The results of the flower meadow research in 2021 showed that improper maintenance and insufficient precipitation negatively influenced the vegetation’s development. Grasses were most prevalent during the summer months, while legumes were more common in the spring months. The analysis of the plots revealed that four out of 12 plots were dominated by annuals and grasses, which were the most abundant throughout the entire vegetation period. In 2022, it was observed that grasses were most prevalent in May, legumes in June and July, and annuals occurred sporadically in all plots. Insufficient precipitation and high temperatures in 2022 created unfavorable conditions for the thriving of the flower meadow vegetation, resulting in a high proportion of opportunistic species. Due to the impact of stress factors, the vegetation in the plots dried up.