Helpful information for ecologically oriented green space maintenance

Extensively maintained landscapes are important habitats and refuges for a variety of animal and plant species in times of intensive land use. There are a number of things to consider in terms of maintenance frequency, period and mowing direction. Since mowing is nevertheless indispensable, AS-Motor offers technical solutions to make its effects as gentle as possible.

In order to minimise the impact of mowing on flora and fauna, there should be as little intervention in the area as possible, but as much as necessary. Without any maintenance and management measures, ecologically important areas and marginal sites are exposed to scrub encroachment and forest encroachment. This must be prevented at all costs, because no maintenance leads to a reduction in species diversity. In Central Europe, one to two maintenance intervals are ideal.

The maintenance period has a decisive influence on which animal and plant species settle permanently on an area. Unfortunately, there is no ideal maintenance period for all species at the same time. Any maintenance planning must therefore take into account which species are to be protected and promoted. The creation of refuges and escape routes is just as decisive in ecologically oriented and animal-friendly green management. The direction of mowing is also essential to protect animals and insects during mowing. It is recommended to mow from the centre of the area outwards. In this way, the animals on the surface are pushed to the edge and can escape under the protection of the vegetation. The same applies to mowing in strips.

In addition to the right mowers for such demanding areas of use, which are characterised by slopes, scrub, high gas and impassable terrain, AS-Motor offers further technical solutions to protect flora and fauna.

Useful aid: insect repellent device

Scaring devices for mowers startle flying insects at some distance in front of the mower. This gives them enough time to flee the danger zone. At the same time, more beetles and caterpillars are repelled and fall to the safe ground outside the mowing area. A scientific field test conducted by the University of Hohenheim* with an AS 63 tall grass mower has shown that with the aid of the insect deterrent device, almost three times as many insects are scared off in front of the mower than when mowing without a deterrent device. The AS-Motor device is available for the AS 62 and AS 63 all-mowers, for the AS 701 and AS 901 flail mowers, for the new AS 1000 Ovis RC tracked flail mower as well as for the entire Sherpa and the entire YAK family.

In focus: The bar mower

Oscillating grass cutting techniques - better known as beam mowers - are particularly gentle on insects and small creatures when mowing. The triangular blades running against each other cut the grass cleanly like scissors. The grasses and plants remain unshredded and full-length on the surface and begin to dry. The dried grass can then be collected at short intervals and used as hay. AS-Motor has two matching double blade bars in its range for its AS 600 MultiPro implement carrier.

In order to protect mammals and reptiles living close to the ground, the mowing height should be as high as possible: at least 8 cm, better 10 cm. Also
insects grazed by a scaring device have a better chance of escaping unharmed.

Helpful: Cultivation belt rake

Often, mowing is not the end of the process. The next step is to remove the cuttings from the area to prevent nutrient enrichment. The scarcity of nutrients on certain grassland sites is an important prerequisite for the flowering of numerous herbs. Nutrient-poor sites produce a more colourful and species-rich plant composition. These sites are maintained extensively, i.e. only once or twice a year. The AS-Motor belt rake, which can also be attached to the AS 600 MultiPro, is a very helpful tool for removing the cuttings. But the belt rake with a working width of 120 cm can also be used in various functions for forage collection for small-scale farming or private livestock farmers. In the first step, the machine functions as a tedder with higher engine speed and without swath cloth. With the swath cloth and low speed, the hay is then conveniently raked into swaths.

Extensive knowledge from the experts at AS-Motor about ecologically oriented green space maintenance can be found on the Internet at:

Ecologically oriented green space maintenance