The more diverse coastal calcareous grasslands occur on relatively thin limestone soils and are maintained either directly or indirectly by stock grazing: some areas are intentionally managed as pasture, other areas incidentally. The best examples of calcareous pasture in Wales tend to be lightly grazed by sheep, allowing the sward to have an open structure – as opposed to the structure of a golf green. This also slows down or prevents graminoids or carices becoming dominant and reduces the likelihood of gorse or blackthorn scrub encroaching. The favoured management for calcareous grassland is light cattle- or sheep-grazing throughout the autumn, winter and spring, with the animals removed for the growth/flowering period. Goats are also useful animals for creating soil disturbances and controlling scrub: these are a feature of the management on the Great Orme.
