To moo or to mow: Disentangling the effects of management on Gladiolus imbricatus in coastal meadows

Semi‐natural grasslands are extremely species‐rich, but when management ceases, they become overgrown and lose their exceptional biodiversity. During the twentieth century, most formerly mown or grazed grasslands in northern Europe were abandoned and subsequently encroached by tall herbs and shrubs. An indicator species of extensively managed semi‐wet grasslands is Gladiolus imbricatus , a tall perennial herb, declining across its range in parallel with the loss of these habitats. We investigated the response of G. imbricatus to different management regimes—mulching, mowing and grazing—in coastal meadows in southwest Estonia, which were restored in 2001 after more than a decade of abandonment. In addition, we assessed the effects of recent adjustments to these regimes introduced in 2021, specifically the timing of mowing and the intensity of grazing. We collected data from permanent plots from 2021 to 2025, recording the number of individuals at different life stages (juvenile and adult, with adults further subdivided into vegetative and generative), which we used as demographic indicators of population dynamics. Cutting regimes (mulching and mowing) supported a higher abundance of G. imbricatus , whereas grazing at both tested intensities resulted in a population decline. Temporal fluctuations in population size between management regimes were driven by variations in juvenile numbers. Under mulching, the population increased from a stable population structure initially characterized by a juvenile‐to‐adult ratio greater than one to a dynamic structure with a ratio greater than eight. We did not find significant results by variation in mowing date. However, although not statistically significant, medium grazing intensity appeared more favourable than high intensity to maintain a stable population structure. Practical implications . To promote a growing population of G. imbricatus in semi‐natural wet grasslands, vegetation removal by mulching or mowing should be prioritized over grazing, which, if applied, should be implemented at lower intensities. We found no conclusive evidence regarding the optimal time to mow but advise conservation practitioners to actively select a mowing date under consideration of target species' requirements and desired conservation outcomes.