ABSTRACT
Natural and managed (semi-natural) grasslands are of great ecological and agricultural importance worldwide. In humid temperate regions, permanent pastures and meadows are multi-species plant communities, often dominated by graminaceous plant species. These grasslands evolved over thousands of years as a result of anthropogenic infl uence and would, for the most part, revert to forest without management. In many parts of western Europe, semi-natural grassland has greatly declined during the last part of the 20th century due to intensifi cation of agriculture with subsequent conversion into arable land or forest after abandonment of grazing and mowing (Rognli et al. 2013). Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) is a signifi cant component of species-rich permanent pastures and meadows in temperate regions with cool climates, ensuring high forage yield under harsh climatic conditions where other productive forage grass species are unable to grow.
