Ecological Mowing: Protecting Biodiversity with AS-Motor
The Role of Ecological Mowing in Landscape Conservation
The loss of biodiversity is a growing concern, with natural habitats increasingly disappearing due to intensive land use and urban expansion. Open landscapes and marginal areas—once thriving ecosystems—are being lost or poorly maintained, leading to declining species richness. Ecological mowing provides a solution by ensuring responsible land management while preserving flora and fauna.
At AS-Motor, we specialize in developing high-grass mowers that balance efficiency with ecological responsibility. Our machines are designed for steep slopes, rough terrains, and natural meadows, ensuring optimal mowing performance while protecting wildlife habitats.
Why Ecological Mowing Matters
Grasslands, roadside greenery, orchards, and meadows are vital ecosystems that sustain various plant and animal species. Without proper mowing, these areas can become overgrown, reducing biodiversity. However, traditional mowing methods can also disrupt or harm insects, birds, and small animals, creating a challenge: how can we maintain these landscapes while protecting their ecological balance?
The answer lies in ecological mowing. Thoughtful mowing practices help sustain biodiversity, prevent habitat destruction, and maintain the long-term health of green spaces. AS-Motor’s innovative mowers are specifically designed to support these ecological needs, ensuring that natural habitats remain intact while managing vegetation effectively.
Not Mowing is Not a Solution Either
When we think of biodiversity, we tend to think of the tropics, oceans, and forests. Old cultivated landscapes, which are highly diverse habitats, are largely underestimated. These landscapes have evolved over centuries from the interaction between land nature and land use. Without any maintenance and management measures, these ecologically important areas and peripheral locations are exposed to scrub encroachment and reforestation. In order to limit or avert the loss of species, the landscape and peripheral areas must be extensively managed. No maintenance reduces biodiversity.
The Principles of Sensible Extensive Grassland Management
Mowing: As Little as Possible, As Often as Necessary
The following recommendations are relatively easy to implement for ecologically orientated landscape management and should become standard practice.
Frequency of Care
- Keep interventions to a minimum while ensuring necessary upkeep.
- Align mowing frequency with the species and meadow types being preserved.
- Central European meadows typically require one to two cuts per year.
- Prevent scrub encroachment and maintain open habitats.
- Some nutrient-poor meadows can thrive with mowing every two to three years.
- More fertile sites may initially require two to three cuts per year to restore balance.
Maintenance Period
- Complete mowing before March 15 to protect early nesting birds and wildlife.
- Delay mowing in flowering areas until 50-70% of plants have set seeds to support pollinators.
- Insect-rich areas should be mowed in the early morning or late evening to minimize harm.
- To protect ground-nesting birds, mowing should begin no earlier than mid-July, preferably in August or September.
- Late autumn mowing benefits many species but may reduce plant diversity.
- Avoid winter mowing as it disrupts hibernating animals and slows decomposition of plant material.
Mowing Direction
- Mow from the center outward, allowing animals to escape safely to the periphery (see Figure 4).
- Alternatively, strip mowing directs wildlife outward while maintaining refuge areas (see Figure 3).
Maintain in Sections
- Avoid large-scale mowing all at once—retain unmowed sections as escape zones.
- Old grass strips of 10 x 50 m should be left intact and mowed the following year.
- Leave 10-20% of the area unmowed each year to preserve subpopulations and biodiversity.
- Rotational fallow practices (see Figure 2) and mosaic mowing (see Figure 1) ensure biodiversity preservation.
AS-Motor’s Innovative Technical Solutions for Ecological Mowing
AS-Motor provides specialized mowing solutions to protect biodiversity while maintaining efficiency. By integrating cutting-edge technology with traditional best practices, AS-Motor ensures that mowing operations are both eco-friendly and effective.
Insect Scare Device: Protecting Pollinators
A scientific field trial by the University of Hohenheim found that AS-Motor’s insect scare device increases insect escape rates by nearly three times compared to mowing without one. The device’s mechanically driven rotors create vibrations that encourage insects and small animals to leave the grass in time, significantly reducing mortality rates. Particularly useful in flower meadows, orchards, and conservation areas, it ensures that mowing and biodiversity conservation go hand in hand.
Cultivation Band Rake: Supporting Natural Regeneration
Once mowing is completed, proper distribution of mown material plays a crucial role in regrowth and soil health. The cultivation band rake for the AS 600 MultiPro is designed to spread cut vegetation evenly, supporting seed dispersal and allowing natural nutrients to return to the soil. By preventing clumps of grass from smothering new plant life, it enhances regrowth and maintains ecological balance.
Cutter Bar Mower: The Gentle Approach to Ecological Mowing
The cutter bar mower for the AS 600 MultiPro is one of the most environmentally friendly mowing technologies available. Unlike rotary or flail mowers, it cuts grass at the base without shredding it, allowing insects and small animals to escape unharmed. This makes it ideal for hay production, flower-rich meadows, and conservation areas, where seed preservation is essential for biodiversity.
Rotary Disk Mowers: The Versatile Alternative
For those looking for an alternative to cutter bar mowers, rotary disk mowers provide efficiency and adaptability. They are well-suited for dense vegetation and uneven terrain, cutting grass into smaller clippings that decompose quickly, returning nutrients to the soil. Rotary mowers like the AS 700 KM offer fast coverage, even distribution of clippings, and superior maneuverability for professional landscapers and municipalities managing large areas.
Discover Ecological Mowing with AS-Motor
With cutting-edge technical solutions, AS-Motor ensures that mowing operations remain effective without compromising biodiversity. Whether using the insect scare device to protect wildlife, the cultivation band rake to support natural regrowth, cutter bar mowers for gentle cutting, or rotary mowers for efficiency, AS-Motor offers tailored solutions for sustainable land management.
By choosing the right equipment and following best practices, landowners, municipalities, and conservationists can achieve eco-friendly mowing while maintaining healthy and biodiverse landscapes.
AS-Motor ELECTRIC: Sustainable and Efficient Mowing
Electric mowing is revolutionizing sustainable land management. AS-Motor’s battery-powered mowers combine zero-emission performance with high efficiency, reducing noise pollution and environmental impact. They provide an eco-friendly alternative to traditional combustion engine mowers while maintaining the power and durability required for professional use.
Balancing Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Land Use
Ecological mowing is not just about protecting wildlife—it is a sustainable approach to land management that benefits farmers, conservationists, and municipalities alike. By delaying mowing, creating refuge areas, and using strategic cutting patterns, biodiversity thrives while landscapes remain functional and attractive.
AS-Motor mowers excel in these ecological tasks, ensuring that whether you are managing steep slopes, natural meadows, or road verges, you achieve the highest level of efficiency and sustainability.
Take Action for Sustainable Land Management
With AS-Motor’s specialized mowers, you can actively contribute to protecting biodiversity while maintaining your green spaces efficiently. Whether you’re a municipal landscaper, conservationist, or landowner, our machines offer precision, power, and ecological responsibility in every cut.