At first sight grass meadows might all seem the same but during the period of blossom they reveal their differences, mainly thanks to the flowers, which reveal how every meadow contains numerous different micro-habitats within itself.
According to use, which influences plant differentiation, they are divided into pasture, hey meadows, or combined mowing and grazing. The meadows also fall into the two general typologies of natural and semi-natural grasslands. Natural grasslands lie above above the treeline for woody plants and arise out of natural processes (the fundamental factor being that at these altitudes trees cannot grow and, when other conditions are right, grassland develops spontaneously). These zones include the summit areas of Monte Peller and Pian della Nana, which are populated by numerous animal species ranging from chamois to rock partridges, from Alpine choughs to golden eagles, as well as other less well known species like wheatears, Alpine accentors, and water pipits. Semi-natural grasslands are widespread at lower altitudes and unlike natural grasslands they derive from human elimination of more highly structured vegetation like woodland and scrubland during various historical periods. Examples of this typology can be found near Boiara, Vergondola, Malghetto di Tuenno, and Tassullo, along with the vast area used for grazing between Malga Clesera and Culmei , all of anthropic origin and therefore previously subjected to radical deforestation. The latter is confirmed by the current process of spontaneous recolonization by tree species (mainly spruce and larch, often preceded by pioneering broadleaf species like birch and willow). The semi-natural grasslands provide nesting for a number of highly protected bird species that have become rare in Europe, for example the red-backed shrike. When not excessively fertilized, these grasslands are also the preferred habitat for numerous species of orchids, some of which live only in these contexts.
