29 August 2025 | Article

Mire mowing for biodiversity

In northern Sweden, farmers once depended on mire grasslands to secure enough fodder for livestock during long winters. Today, traditional mire mowing has disappeared from most landscapes, but its return helps restore biodiversity. Orchids, mosses, and wading birds all benefit when these habitats are managed instead of overgrown.

History

In the past, mires in northern Sweden were crucial for local farmers. Farmland was often too limited to produce enough winter fodder. Sedge-covered wetlands became a valuable complement. Farmers harvested their fields first, then walked for kilometers to mow the mires. The sedge grass was dried on racks before the hay was pulled home by horse or by hand during winter. Today, mires are no longer used for fodder, which has led to slow overgrowth.

Mire mowing today

In some places, mowing is now reintroduced to support biodiversity, but more sites need restoration. Without mowing, vigorous sedge species like Carex appropinquata, together with willow and shrubs, dominate, making it harder for orchids and mosses to thrive.

Mire mowing also benefits waders nesting in wetland landscapes. The best time for mowing is late July through August. Small areas can be managed with a scythe, while larger ones are efficiently handled with a mini cutter-bar attached to a brushcutter. The hay should be removed—either dried on racks or carried away into the forest.

The photo shows the mire mowing carried out within Boreal Mix this summer as part of conservation management on our contracted sites.

Photo: fightCOtwo

Read more: 

This perspective is part of fightCOtwo’s ongoing work on long-term conservation of Swedish boreal forests, integrating verified carbon sequestration, biodiversity outcomes, and documented collaboration with the reindeer herding community and the Sámi Indigenous people.