The species-rich grasslands of the Zázrivské lazy site in Slovakia

The species-rich grassland habitats around the village of Zazriva are located in the north-western part of Slovakia in the buffer zone of the Mala Fatra National Park. The well-preserved species richness was a reason to propose the area as a Site of Community Importance. Most of the area is underlain by various types of calcareous rocks and by flysch sediments. Due to this high variability, the relief is very diverse with steep slopes and the occurrence of open rocky patches. In places where limestone is in contact with clay rocks there are active landslides with a typical relief mosaic of small hills and depressions. In Slovakia there are approximately 320,000 hectares of traditional grasslands. This chapter discusses the various grassland types: oligotrophic nardus grasslands, mesic pastures, lowland hay meadows, dry grasslands, mountain hay meadows, wet grasslands, fen meadows and intensive grasslands with altered species composition.Keywords: fen meadows; lowland hay meadows; Mesic pastures; mountain hay meadows; Slovakia; species-rich grassland habitats; Zazriva village