Land management and nature conservation on alpine pastures and mountain meadows - a participative-economic approach
Abstract
Austria's landscape has been shaped by agriculture for centuries. Agriculture is primarily responsible for shaping the living space in rural regions. In addition to food production, the management of the landscape by agriculture can be considered a cultural asset. In alpine regions, it extends to high altitudes. Alpine pastures and grasslands represent a unique natural asset worthy of protection in terms of nature conservation. Some alpine pastures in Austria have been included in the border zones of national parks. The clash of different strategies for the conservation of the cultural and natural assets of alpine pastures can lead to conflicts of use. Since both nature conservation and agriculture are supported by public funds and alpine pastures are a tourist attraction, societal expectations play a crucial role in shaping utilization strategies. The aim of this project is to better understand societal preferences for the design of such natural and cultural assets and to work out how these - at first sight contradictory - preferences can be better reconciled to achieve an optimum of both assets. The knowledge gained should contribute to the sustainable development of sustainable natural and living spaces. They facilitate agricultural management with regard to the amenities of alpine landscapes and the sustainability of their production. The demands of local people and visitors can then trigger local value creation and the development of a resilient regional offer. The Eisenwurzen region, member of the International Network for Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER), with its alpine pastures and the Kalkalpen National Park, is selected as a case study. Taking into account previous findings, scientific literature, local expert knowledge and the preferences of the regional population, a multi-stage participatory approach is developed. Based on a three-step procedure, features of the design of alpine pastures and their natural and cultural assets are first identified. Different designs of these features are then combined into fictitious future land use scenarios and evaluated by the local population using stated-preference methods to elicit their marginal willingness to pay. The results will be presented in the region and discussed with local stakeholders. The developed method will be designed to be transferable for use in other regions. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Publikationen
Project staff
Andreas Niedermayr
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Andreas Niedermayr
a.niedermayr@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73319
Project Leader
01.02.2021 - 30.10.2022
Jochen Kantelhardt
Univ.Prof. Dr. Jochen Kantelhardt
jochen.kantelhardt@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73311
Sub Projectleader
06.04.2021 - 30.09.2022
Project Staff
01.02.2021 - 05.04.2021
Fritz Wittmann
Dipl.-Ing. Fritz Wittmann B.Sc.
fritz.wittmann@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73317
Project Staff
15.04.2021 - 30.06.2022