Semi-natural meadow conservation under pressure : farmers’ decision‑making in intensifying lowland agricultural systems

Alif, Živa (avtor), Novak, Ana (avtor), Šumrada, Tanja (avtor)

Despite their high nature conservation value and protection through the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), extensively managed semi-natural grasslands are often disappearing rapidly from European landscapes. Given the limited success of agricultural policy interventions in curbing grassland loss, a better understanding of farmers’ decision-making regarding grassland management is needed. This study explored the determinants of extensively managed meadow conservation in two lowland regions in Slovenia using mixed methods – qualitative analysis of interviews with farmers and quantitative modelling using machine learning. The results of our quantitative model indicate that the most influential predictors of extensive meadow preservation are increased plot size, greater distance from roads, higher share of rented land and share of meadows on the farm, as well as close proximity to water. These meadows thus often seem to be productively marginalised due to flooding, remoteness or low drainage. While farmers in our interviews valued extensive meadows for their aesthetic beauty, it is the productive value and social norms that typically drive their decisions favouring grassland intensification. Although some farmers appreciated the possibility of being compensated for extensive grassland management under agri-environmental measures, these measures do not act as a sufficient motivator for extensive meadow conservation.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: high nature value farming, mixed methods, semi-natural grassland, Slovenia
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: BF - Biotehniška fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Datum objave: 31.03.2026
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: Str. 153-171
• Številčenje: Issue 63
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181384
• UDK: 631:502
• ISSN pri članku: 1314-3301
• DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.63.186090
• COBISS.SI-ID: 274179075
• Datum objave v RUL: 03.04.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Nature Conservation
• Skrajšan naslov: Nat. Conserv.
• Založnik: Pensoft Publishers
• ISSN: 1314-3301
• COBISS.SI-ID: 29808345

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: kmetijstvo, varstvo narave, polnaravni travniki, ohranjanje, kmetje, stališča, Slovenija

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P4-0022
• Naslov: Ekonomika agroživilstva in naravnih virov

• Financer: Drugi - Drug financer ali več financerjev
• Številka projekta: -
• Naslov: European Innovation Partnership project EIP VIVEK
• Akronim: EIP VIVEK