The alliance Molinion caeruleae includes meadows on nutrient-poor soils that are wet but not flooded in spring and mesic in summer. In many stands the dominant species are the tussock-forming grasses Molinia arundinacea or M. caerulea. Species of intermittently wet soils, shared with open forests, are frequent. Due to their lower productivity, these meadows are usually mown only once a year, usually later in the season than other types of meadows. This alliance is widespread in the temperate zone of Europe, but in recent decades many stands have disappeared due to abandonment, drainage or fertilization.