Goat-Grazing and Biocultural Diversity – a transdisciplinary system approach. How to optimize pastoral land use from an ecological and socioeconomic viewpoint?
Abstract
In the European Alps and in the mountains of Crete (and other parts of the world with low plant productivity) pastoralism has an ancient tradition dating back several thousands of years. During the last decades socio-economic changes brought this ancient sustainable mode of land use near to extinction. Pastures were abandoned and/or the mode of grazing and producing was modernized and rationalized. This development bears negative aspects for landscape, human society and biodiversity. In our case study, we will focus on following research questions: - What is the influence of different pastoral regimes on phytodiversity? - Is the succession of phytodiversity in abandoned Cretan mountain pastures comparable to that in the Austrian Alps? - Is it possible to regenerate the landscape and biodiversity of abandoned high-altitude pastures by (goat)-grazing? - Is a participative approach effective in overriding the contrary attitudes and prejudices of different stakeholders and scientists? The pilot study will produce information on the actual ecological effects of grazing in two study areas in Austria and Greece, on socio-economic barriers, conflicts and problems connected with ecologically and economically sustainable grazing and good contacts to the local stakeholders for a successive long-term project.
keywords Pastoralism Goat-and sheep grazing Revitalisation of high altitude pastures Sustainable land use
Publikationen
Project staff
Pia Regina Kieninger
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Pia Regina Kieninger
pia.kieninger@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.07.2010 - 30.06.2011
Monika Kriechbaum
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Monika Kriechbaum
monika.kriechbaum@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83411
Project Staff
01.07.2010 - 30.06.2011
Marianne Penker
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Marianne Penker
marianne.penker@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73115
Project Staff
01.07.2010 - 30.06.2011
BOKU partners
External partners
Orthodox Academy of Crete, Institute of theology und Ecology
Dr. Lukas Andrianos, Prof. Dr. Jacques Zaffran
partner
Sölktäler Nature Park
Mag. Bettina Maurer, Dipl.-Ing. Volkhart Maier
partner