Alpine landscapes under global change: Impacts of land-use change on regulating ecosystem services, biodiversity, human health and well-being
Abstract
Changes in agricultural practices and policies, low farm income and depopulation of rural areas have resulted in the abandonment of traditionally managed mountainous landscapes globally and across the Alps. Such historic landscapes, e.g. alpine pastures, however, harbour a high biodiversity, attract tourists and may even positively influence human health. Today’s western societies are faced with a growing incidence of poor health because of mental stress and sedentary lifestyles. Natural landscapes are increasingly seen as restorative settings, compensating for negative psycho-physiological effects on humans. The extent of these positive effects, however, may depend on the landscape quality. However, so far restorative research has neglected the role of such mountainous landscapes for human health. In addition, possible linkages between cultural ecosystem services such as human health and well-being, biodiversity, and regulating ecosystem services (pollinator activity, soil decomposition rate, greenhouse gas emission) have never been investigated for such landscapes. Therefore, the ecosystem services of these landscapes cannot be fully considered in political decision making, and in the design of agro-environmental, public health and nature conservation policies and measures. If cultural landscapes of biosphere reserves are specifically effective in providing restorative effects, then such benefits can be used for regional development by exploiting the natural-cultural capital for new health-related commercial offers in a sustainable way, thereby preserving such valuable historic landscapes. “Healthy Alps” investigates whether and to what extent 1) regulating ecosystem services, biodiversity, human health and well-being are connected 2) land-use intensities and land-use abandonment of cultural landscapes have an impact on human health and well-being and that these differently managed landscapes are perceived as restorative by humans 3) soundscapes are useful tools for measuring linkages between biodiversity and human health
alpine grassland land use biodiversity ecosystem services human health and well-being
Publikationen
Healthy Alps - Alpine landscapes under global change: Impacts of land-use change on regulating ecosystem services, biodiversity, human health and well-being
Autoren: Frank, T; Arnberger, A Jahr: 2015
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Healthy Alps: Erfassung der Erholungswirkung einer bewirtschafteten Bergwiese in der Steiermark
Autoren: Arnberger, A; Eder, R; Böhm, S; Ebenberger, M Jahr: 2015
Journal articles
Impacts of land use change on the biodiversity of bumblebees, grasshoppers and ecosystem services
Autoren: Walcher, R; Frank, T Jahr: 2015
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Impacts of land-use change on the diversity of bumblebees, bugs and grasshoppers in semi-dry alpine meadows
Autoren: Walcher, R; Brandl, D; Karrer, J; Zaller, J; Arnberger, A; Frank, T Jahr: 2016
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Restorative effects of managed and unmanaged Alpine meadows
Autoren: Arnberger, A., Eder, R., Allex, B., Hutter, H.-P., Bauer, N., Hofmann, M., Zaller, J.G., Frank, T. Jahr: 2017
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Diversity of bumblebees, heteropteran bugs and grasshoppers maintained by both: abandonment and extensive management of mountain meadows in three regions across the Austrian and Swiss Alps
Autoren: Walcher, R; Karrer, J; Sachslehner, L; Bohner, A; Pachinger, B; Brandl, D; Zaller, JG; Arnberger, A; Frank, T Jahr: 2017
Journal articles
Perceived health benefits of managed and unmanaged meadows in a mountain biosphere reserve - an experimental study in the Austrian Alps
Autoren: Arnberger, A; Eder, R; Allex, B; Hutter, HP; Wallner, P; Bauer, N; Zaller, JG; Frank, T Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Two methods to assess grasshoppers in grassland habitats: a comparison of the frequently used acoustic-visual method and a novel soundscape approach.
Autoren: Walcher, R; Sachslehner, L; Hussain, R.I; Jernej, I; Arnberger, A; Zaller, J.G; Frank, T Jahr: 2017
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Impacts of land use intensity in mountain semi-dry meadows on earthworms, litter decomposition and plant diversity
Autoren: Jernej, I; Bohner, A; Walcher, R; Hussain, R; Arnberger, A; Zaller, JG; Frank, T Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Influence of abandonment on syrphid assemblages in mountainous meadows
Autoren: Hussain, RI; Walcher, R; Brandl, D; Jernej, I; Arnberger, A; Zaller, JG; Frank, T Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Healthy Alps: Effekte alpiner Wiesen auf die kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit
Autoren: Hutter, HP; Weitensfelder, L; Wanek, G; Wallner, G; Eder, R; Allex, B; Bauer, N; Zaller, J G; Frank, T; Arnberger, A Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Protected areas’ landscapes as resources for human health and well-being – case studies from Austria
Autoren: ARNBERGER, A., ALLEX, B., EDER, R., HUTTER, H.-P., WALLNER, P., BAUER, N., ZALLER, J.G. & FRANK, T. Jahr: 2018
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Impacts of land use intensity in mountain semi-dry meadows on earthworms, litter decomposition and plant diversity
Autoren: Jernej, I; Bohner, A; Walcher, R; Hussain, RI; Arnberger, A; Zaller, JG; Frank, T Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Ökologische Auswirkungen der Flächenstilllegung von gemähten Halbtrockenrasen: Fallstudien in drei Bergregionen in den Ostalpen
Autoren: Bohner, A; Karrer, J; Walcher, R; Brandl, D; Michel, K; Arnberger, A; Frank, T; Zaller, JG Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
How abandonment of mountainous meadows influence bumblebees, true bugs and grasshoppers: studies from the Austrian and Swiss Alps
Autoren: Walcher, R; Hussain, RI; Karrer, J; Brandl, D; Sachslehner, L; Bohner, A; Jernej, I; Zaller, JG; Arnberger, A; Frank, T Jahr: 2018
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Do urban environments with different degrees of naturalness differently effect human health and wellbeing?
Autoren: Arnberger, A.; Allex, A.; Eder, R.; Hutter, H-P.; Wallner, P. Jahr: 2018
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Health-Related Effects of Short Stays at Mountain Meadows, a River and an Urban Site-Results from a Field Experiment.
Autoren: Arnberger, A; Eder, R; Allex, B; Ebenberger, M; Hutter, HP; Wallner, P; Bauer, N; Zaller, JG; Frank, T; Jahr: 2018
Journal articles
Linking urban outdoor recreation with health benefits on a city scale level – a first approach
Autoren: Arnberger, A Jahr: 2019
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Effects of management cessation on hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) across Austrian and Swiss mountain meadows
Autoren: Walcher, R; Hussain, RI; Karrer, J; Bohner, A; Brand, D; Zaller, JG; Arnberger, A; Frank, T Jahr: 2020
Journal articles
Project staff
Thomas Frank
Univ.Prof. Mag. Dr. Thomas Frank
thomas.frank@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83311
Project Leader
01.01.2015 - 31.01.2019
Arne Arnberger
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arne Arnberger
arne.arnberger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-85311
Project Staff
01.01.2015 - 31.01.2019
Ronnie Walcher
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Ronnie Walcher
ronnie.walcher@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83315
Project Staff
01.01.2015 - 31.01.2019
Johann Zaller
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Johann Zaller
johann.zaller@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83318
Project Staff
01.01.2015 - 31.01.2019
BOKU partners
External partners
Landwirtschaftliches Forschungszentrum Raumberg-Gumpenstein
Andreas Bohner, Renate Mayer
partner
Büro für Naturschutzpraxis und Forschung
Leopold Sachslehner
partner
Eidgenoessiche Forschungsanstalt WSL
Nicole Bauer
partner
Federal Forest Research Station
Kerstin Michel
partner
Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde
Hans-Peter Hutter
partner