Nearly all arid lawns in Thuringia resulted from forest clearin and following exploitation as sheep-pastures and reaping meadows or windfalls' meadows.

Open space without any vegetation ("badlands") developed at some slopes of the Thuringian Basin on watertight Keuper-soil. The "Three-Equals-Area" (Drei Gleichen) southwest of Erfurt is typical for the permanent rock weathering of the "badlands".

Precipitations wash almost every seed away. Bare soil remains with its colour scale of reddish-brown and blue-grey. Some perennial plants succeed in settling only on flat places. The species of arid lawn, by the way, find ideal conditions on the bases of the hills and in depressions of ground.

Arid lawn on gypsolyte and limestone rock is the result of waterpermeable soil. Precipitations infiltrate the subsoil through fissures and joints. Only a few animals and plants stand the strong ground frost in winter as well the blazing summer-sun. The soil reaches a temperature of nearly 60° C during the day then.

One third of all endangered species live on arid lawn. Even today they depend on human help. If the using is stopped the arid lawn will grow into bushes until trees will gradually begin to grow in this area.

The rabbits are gregariously living animals. They were brought from Spain to Central Europe in the Middle Ages. In contrast to the Hare they dig deep underground ways branching out in all directions. Several generations live together there. Nearly 200 animals can live in those "way-systems", which can be some hundred metres long.

They permanently create new open land on the arid lawn. This way they counteract to the rapid growth of bushes.