Plants and Animals in the Meadow

Plants and Animals in the Meadow

Which animals and plants can you find in a meadow? Lie down in a meadow in the summer and observe which animals live in the meadow (e.g., in the flower layer) and which plants grow there. You will be amazed at the diversity of this habitat.

But what lives in the litter layer of the meadow, for example? What other layers are there, and what are the characteristics of meadow animals? In this video and overview, you will learn more about the animals in the meadow, also called meadow creatures – a popular topic in elementary school.

The meadow consists of different layers that divide the habitat of animals and plants. With the help of these layers, you can assign where different animals in a meadow live.

The Soil Layer

The soil layer is like the basement of a house, at the bottom. Can you imagine which parts of the plant are located here?

• The roots of the plants lie here, through which the plants are supplied with water and nutrients. In addition, the roots give plants stability as they anchor them in the ground.
• In the soil level, you can find animals such as moles, earthworms, ants, and bumblebees.

The Litter Layer

Above the soil level is the litter layer.

• It mainly consists of dead plant remains, such as leaves and broken bits of plants.
• Animals such as snails, beetles, and crickets live here. Some birds also spend time here, especially those that build their nests on the ground, such as the Whinchat.

The Leaf Layer

Directly above the litter layer is the leaf layer.

• As the name suggests, you'll find mainly leaves and stems of flowering plants here.
• Creatures that live in the leaf and stem layer include spiders, grasshoppers, and ladybugs.

Flower Layer

The top layer of the meadow is like a roof. The four meadow layers are completed here, just like on the top floor of a building.

• Often the flowers of meadow plants rise above everything else, forming the top of the meadow. Many insects enjoy the nectar of flowers during blooming season.
• Above all, flying insects are found here, such as bumblebees, bees, or butterflies.

Animals In the Meadow – Example

Do you remember which layer the butterfly is typically found? Butterflies typically fly around at the tops of flowers.

Look at the illustration of the butterfly: Can you recognize the individual body parts? Butterflies have antennae, wings, and a body. The body is divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen, with three pairs of legs attached to the thorax. Have you ever admired the wings of butterflies?

Imagine, each species of butterfly has a unique pattern, and there are over 180,000 species of butterflies worldwide. Just as varied as the wing patterns are the names of butterfly species, such as the Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Small Tortoiseshell, Purple Emperor, Small Copper*, and many others.

Plants On the Meadow – Example

Do you know any native meadow plants? Maybe you have already seen daisies, bellflowers, dandelions, buttercups, clover, yarrow, or primroses in a meadow.

In the illustration, you can see the structure of a daisy. Many other flowering plants are structured similarly from bottom to top: roots, leaves and stem, flower.