ruohottua

Ruohottua is a Finnish term used in ecology and land management to describe land or vegetation that has become covered with grasses. It is the past participle form of the verb ruohottaa, meaning to turn into or cover with grass. As an adjective, ruohottua describes a condition, for example in phrases like ruohottua peltoa or ruohottua aluetta, referring to grass-covered fields or areas. The corresponding noun form for the process is ruohottuminen, the act or development of becoming grass-covered.

In ecological terms, ruohottua land often results from succession on disturbed or abandoned sites, where grasses establish rapidly and form a turf that can suppress some weeds and reduce erosion. It is a common stage in the creation of pastures, meadows, and turf ecosystems and can follow soil disturbance, agricultural abandonment, or restoration efforts aimed at re-establishing grassland. The specific composition of the grass layer depends on climate, soil, and the available species, and over time it may give way to other plant communities or diversify into mixed grassland.

Usage notes: the term is primarily used in Finnish-language sources on ecology, agronomy, and land management, and is less common in everyday speech outside field contexts. See also grassland, turf, ecological succession, and pasture management.