Holderegger Rolf

Botanische Diversität in Mähwiesen: Eine Untersuchung als Beitrag der nachhaltigen Landnutzung in der Berglandwirtschaft

Project Number: CH-5282

Project Type:	Research_Project
Project Duration:	07/01/2003 - 07/01/2004 project completed
Funding Source:	SNSF ,
Leading Institution:	WSL Birmensdorf
Project Leader:	Prof. Rolf Holderegger Head Research Unit Biodiversität und Naturschutzbiologie WSL MG C 29 Zürcherstrasse 111 CH-8903 Birmensdorf Phone: +41 (0) 44 739 25 27 ; +41 (0) 44 739 21 11 e-Mail: rolf.holderegger(at)wsl.ch http://www.wsl.ch/forschung/forschungsunits/biodiversitaet/index_DE

related to this project.

for which the project has a relevance.

Research Areas:

Biodiversity

Disciplines:

general biology
botanics

Keywords:
Botanik, Landwirtschaft

Abstract:
We investigated whether agri-environmental incentive payments help to maintain biodi- versity. We studied the effect of agricultural management intensity on vascular plant spe- cies richness and plant assemblages of mountain meadows in Switzerland. Other factors such as slope, altitude or accessibility (distance from farmyard) were also taken into ac- count. Vegetation sampling was conducted at 69 sites representing five different manage- ment types, differing with respect to nutrient input and soil moisture: (i) dry extensive meadows; (ii) extensive meadows; (iii) dry low-intensive meadows; (iv) low-intensive meadows; (v) intensive meadows. There was a significant negative relationship between plant species richness and management intensity: The mean number of plant species per management type declined markedly when management intensity increased, although dry sites harboured slightly more species regardless of management intensity (dry exten- sive > dry low intensive > extensive > low intensive >> intensive meadows). Species rich- ness was clearly affected by management intensity, but not so by slope, altitude or accessibility. There was a gradual shift in plant assemblages among management types with only intensive meadows differing from the other four types of differently managed meadows. We therefore found, in contrast to many studies done in the European lowlands, positive effects of incentive payments on plant species richness.

Publications:
Dietschi, S., Holderegger, R., Schmidt Gehrig, S., Linder, P . 2007. Agri-environment incentive payments and plant species richness under different management intensities in mountain meadows of Switzerland - Acta Oecologica 31: 216-222.


Last update: 8/11/22
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-5282

Go Back