Sonja

It is a mix with extended stands of Centaurea jacea, Persicaria lapathifolia , Carduus crispus. Alongside diverse hardy Cirsiums and larger flowered Carduus, Convulvus, some Umbelliver and stuff, and finally the very young willow, poplar and elm that can stand a waterlogged spring environment and growing up whilst the soil goes hard and rather dry, sometimes on islands amongst deeper standing bullrushes and mostly at the outer edge of the natural reedbelt where it meets the maintained wet strawmeadows.

There is a finer latin name for that specific habitat I guess but we usually say it's the Disteldickichtzone here. As straw meadows need annual maintainance and the reedbelt is left in peace to grow this is a buffer, showing people what you got if you clean up the perenial weeds and shrubs only all few years or so. In June and July, as the straw meadows are spent and seeds ripen there, this is where the high life is, with most to havest for the insects of the wetland. Guess in true wilderness it serves as defense shield for baby alluvial zone trees against foraging animals to promote the forest amongst thorny and tough stuff and it will die in the shadow as the tree seedlings grow up.