Alpine Pastures Research Articles

Human activities alter response of alpine grasslands on Tibetan Plateau to climate change

The world's largest alpine pastures are found on the Tibetan Plateau, where considerable climate changes and human impacts have been experienced. Identifying their contributions to terrestrial productivity is essential if we are to adapt to, or mitigate the effects of, climate change. In this work, we begin by showing how the current warming and wetting of the climate over the last three decades has favored plant growth, as consistently captured by satellite observations and 15 models. However, the interactions between climate factors explain less of the variation in greenness observed by satellites after the 2000s, implying non-climatic influences. Next, we show that there is a significant negative impact of livestock grazing on pasture greenness, especially in peak summer. Official statistics across 72 counties verify these negative impacts, especially in poorer pastures with a higher density of grazing livestock. The variation in grazing density has a stronger negative effect on vegetation growth during the early part of the growing season after the 2000s, as compared with that before the 2000s. We found a compensatory effect of grazing and climate on alpine grassland growth, and the grazing regulates the response of vegetation greenness to climate change by modulating the dependency of vegetation growth on temperature. Thus, we suggest there is a weakening influence of climate on the greenness of alpine pastures, largely due to a strengthening influence of management, which should be considered by both the scientific community and policymakers.

Choosy grazers: Influence of plant traits on forage selection by three cattle breeds

Abstract Forage selection by herbivores is a major driver of plant diversity in pasture vegetation. Yet, we know relatively little about how plant traits influence decisions of different herbivore species and breeds to select or avoid a certain plant species on semi‐natural pastures. We quantified the influence of the traits leaf N and P content, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA) and physical defence mechanisms on plant species selection for three cattle breeds: high‐yielding Angus × Holstein crossbreed, dual‐purpose Original Braunvieh and undemanding Highland Cattle. The cattle grazed a series of adjacent paddocks in different alpine pastures. Plant species selection was quantified by assessing the difference in biomass proportions of all plant species in 66 vegetation subplots per breed before and after grazing. Plant traits and indicator values were extracted from the TRY database. Data on 152 plant species were analysed using a local mixed‐effects model and a global multivariate hierarchical regression model. Plant traits had a clear impact on forage behaviour. Plants with high SLA, leaf N and P contents were significantly selected, whereas plants with high LDMC (e.g. woody plants) and defence mechanisms (e.g. thistles) were generally avoided. Species with high forage quality indicator values as defined by Briemle et al. (2002) were significantly preferred. More importantly, significant differences between forage behaviour of cattle breeds were detected. Selection by less‐productive Highland Cattle was much less influenced by plant traits than the selection by the two higher‐yielding breeds. Results indicate a clear impact of plant traits on forage selection and demonstrate breed‐specific influences. Highland Cattle (and possibly other robust breeds) graze less selectively and impose less selective exclusion on plants. Thereby, they likely influence plant species composition of pastures in a different way than high‐yielding breeds, thereby creating a distinct habitat. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Evaluation of the Nutritive Value and the Fatty Acid, Phenol, Tannin and Terpenoid Contents of Nine Pastures in an Alpine District during the Summer Season

A study was conducted over the summer of 2014 on nine Alpine pastures in the Chisone and Susa Valleys (NW Italy). The aim was to characterize the variation in the chemical composition, gross energy, in vitro true digestibility (IVTD), in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), fatty acids (FA), total phenols, total and condensed tannin contents, and terpenoid profile. The dry matter, ash, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, lignin, and gross energy contents of the pastures were found to differ. All the pastures had good IVTD (706–829 g/kg DM) and NDFD (487–694 g/kg NDF) values. The most abundant FAs in all the pastures were α-linolenic (354–519 g/kg of the total FAs), linoleic (75–110 g/kg of the total FAs), and palmitic acid (64–89 g/kg of the total FAs) and they differed significantly among pastures. No significant differences were found in the total phenols, or in the total and condensed tannin contents among pastures. Fifty-eight terpenoids were detected and 4-cyclopentene-1, 3-dione, β-caryophyllene, and eucalyptol were the most abundant. The terpenoids differed both qualitatively and quantitatively among pastures. The results highlight the importance of the great biodiversity of pastures, which provide a balanced distribution of fundamental nutritional elements and bioactive compounds in grasslands.

Tourists and Local Stakeholders’ Perception of Ecosystem Services Provided by Summer Farms in the Eastern Italian Alps

In the Alps, summer farms are temporary units, where cattle are moved during summer to graze on Alpine pastures, which provide multiple ecosystem services (ESs), many of which do not have a market value. This study aimed at understanding and comparing the perceptions of summer farms and of the associated ESs by local stakeholders and tourists in a study area of the province of Trento in the eastern Italian Alps. Thirty-five online questionnaires and two focus groups were realized with local stakeholders involved in the dairy value-chain. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 405 tourists in two representative summer farms. The perceptions of summer farms differed between local stakeholders, who mainly focused on provisioning ESs, and tourists, who mainly focused on cultural and regulating ESs. Both categories of actors rated positively eight different ESs associated with summer farms, but demonstrated a lack of knowledge of specific regulating ESs. This study showed that discussion among the different actors is required to increase mutual knowledge and to grasp the diversity of links between summer farms and ESs, in order to support public policies and private initiatives for promoting summer farm products and the sustainable development of mountain regions.

Microclimatic effects on alpine plant communities and flower-visitor interactions

High-alpine ecosystems are commonly assumed to be particularly endangered by climate warming. Recent research, however, suggests that the heterogeneous topography of alpine landscapes provide microclimatic niches for alpine plants (i.e. soil temperatures that support the establishment and reproduction of species). Whether the microclimatic heterogeneity also affects diversity or species interactions on higher trophic levels remains unknown. Here we show that variation in mean seasonal soil temperature within an alpine pasture is within the same range as in plots differing in nearly 500 m in elevation. This pronounced heterogeneity of soil temperature among plots affected the spatial distribution of flowering plant species in our study area with a higher plant richness and cover in warmer plots. This increased plant productivity in warmer plots positively affected richness of flower visitor taxa as well as interaction frequency. Additionally, flower-visitor networks were more generalized in plots with higher plant cover. These results suggest that soil temperature directly affects plant diversity and productivity and indirectly affects network stability. The strong effect of heterogeneous soil temperature on plant communities and their interaction partners may also mitigate climate warming impacts by enabling plants to track their suitable temperature niches within a confined area.

МЕРИНОСОВАЯ ПОРОДА ОВЕЦ ДЛЯ ГОРНО-ОТГОННОЙ СИСТЕМЫ РАЗВЕДЕНИ

Dagestan is the leading Republic of Russia in terms of the number of sheep and sheep breeding products. The zoned target sheep breed in Dagestan is the Dagestan mountain breed. However, this breed produces thin but non-merino wool. Developing the Merino sheep breed suitable for mountain breeding is an urgent problem. The new Merino sheep breed was developed for the foothill zone of Dagestan, where summer Alpine and winter low-lying pastures are located at a distance of no more than 150 km from each other, and summer Alpine pastures are located at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level. The research and stock breeding work was carried out at the farm production enterprise “Krasniy Oktyabr’”, the Kazbek district, in the period between 2005 and 2019. The work resulted in the development of the Arthlukh Merino sheep breed. (Patent for selection achievement No. 10112 “State Commission of the Russian Federation for Selection Achievement Tests and Protection”). The breed was developed by crossing the Stavropol sheep rams with the Dagestan mountain sheep, with the subsequent improvement of crossbreeds by the Manych Merino breed. A distinctive feature of the new Merino breed from the basic herdmates of the Dagestan Mountain breed is the high live weight, which is 15.3–16.5% higher in different sex and age groups. Besides, the amount of washed wool shorn is 16.2–26.0% higher. The ewes’ wool fineness is 22.9 microns (19.4–23.0) – 64 qualities. That of adult rams amounts to 23.3 microns (19.9–23.3) and has 60 qualities. The difference of the wool fineness on the side and thigh does not exceed one quality. The coat length on the side of ewes is not less than 9.0 cm, rams – 9.5 cm, gimmers (young ewes) – 9.5 cm and replacement rams – 10.0 cm. The wool strength is 7.0 cN/Tex. The belly wool cover is good. The suint is stable, of a white and light cream color. The average yield of washed wool excluding the lowest grades is 64%. The fertility of ewes ranged from 125% to 135%.

Alpine and lowland grazing differentially alter the reproductive tract redox milieu and amino acid composition in cattle

An alpine environment is unique due to pasture biodiversity, with an abundant content of natural antioxidant polyphenols. The present study investigated the effects of lowland and alpine grazing on the oviduct and uterine tissue redox status and amino acid concentrations in plasma and reproductive fluids. In the first experiment, heifers grazed on lowland (H-LOW: n = 13) and on alpine (H-ALP: n = 15) pastures. In the second experiment, heifers grazed on the same lowland (HS-LOW: n = 6) and on a different alpine (HS-ALP: n = 6) pasture. The abundance of mRNA transcripts for antioxidant enzymes in the oviduct (glutathione S-transferase alpha 2, glutathione synthetase (GSS)) and the endometrium (catalase, glutathione-disulfide reductase, GSS) was less (P < 0.05), and for glutathione peroxidase 4 in the endometrium greater (P = 0.006) in the H-LOW than in the H-ALP group. The abundance of mRNA transcript for catalase was less in the endometrium in the H-LOW than in the H-ALP (P = 0.001) group. Catalase and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 concentrations in the oviduct were greater in the HS-LOW than in the HS-ALP group (P < 0.05). Of 32 amino acids analysed, there were differences in concentrations in the H-LOW and H-ALP group of 13, seven and 15 in plasma, oviduct and uterine fluids, respectively (P < 0.05). Comparing the HS-LOW to the HS-ALP groups, there were 13, one and three amino acids in the plasma, oviduct and uterine fluids, respectively, that were differentially abundant (P < 0.05). The grazing systems had some effect on the redox status and amino acid patterns in reproductive tissues.

Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Goats: Host-parasite Relationship Differences in Breeds at Summer Mountain Pasture in Northern Italy.

IntroductionThe Orobic goat is a hardy breed native to the Orobic Alps (Lombardy, northern Italy). The aim of the study was the assessment of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) egg excretion in Alpine and Saanen (cosmopolite breeds) and Orobic grazing goats, after a strategic treatment with eprinomectin in late June.Material and MethodsIndividual faecal samples from a mixed flock of cosmopolite and Orobic goats were collected and analysed by the FLOTAC double technique every three weeks from June to September.ResultsStrongylida was the primary GIN infection observed in goats that grazed on Alpine pastures; a strategic treatment with eprinomectin led to a prolonged reduction of egg excretion during the whole study period. Egg excretion was also influenced by breed. Pluriparous Orobic does were able to control reinfection better than the pluriparous cosmopolite does. Regarding Nematodirus sp. eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), the autochthonous Orobic breed presented higher values than the cosmopolite breeds. However, cosmopolite goats presented higher EPG values of Strongyloides papillosus than their Orobic counterparts in August.ConclusionsFurther studies on genetic features of local autochthonous goats, such as the Orobic breed, are needed, since they could reveal peculiar characteristics of susceptibility, resistance or resilience to GIN infection, providing genetic resources for selection.

Diversity of ethnomedicinal plants in Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary of district Sirmour of Himachal Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT Himachal Pradesh has a great altitudinal range (300-7,000m asl), with varied species, habitats, communities, populations and ecosystems. There are more than 3,400 different species of plants are reported to be found in Himachal Pradesh. More than 1,000 plant species have been known as aromatic and medicinal for the states occurring in temperate forests, Shiwalik ranges, alpine and sub-alpine pastures. Majority of the inhabitants in Himachal Pradesh belong to different communities and cultures, with specific traditional knowledge. In the remote areas, especially high altitude region of the state is devoid of modern medical facilities and therefore tribal and rural society mainly depend on native medicinal plants. Herein we compiled 41 medicinal plant species belonging to same or different families used by migratory shepherds in Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary of district Sirmour in Himachal Pradesh. This survey will help the medicos, forest, pharmaceutical firm and wild life manager in their efforts for improving the public health service and conservation of wild medicinal plant wealth of the study area.

The importance of seasonal environmental factors in the foraging habitat selection of Alpine Ring Ouzels Turdus torquatus alpestris

Species inhabiting mountain ecosystems are expected to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change, yet information on their basic ecology is often lacking. Knowledge from field‐based empirical studies remains essential to refine our understanding of the impact of current habitat alterations and for the consequential development of meaningful conservation management strategies. This study focuses on a poorly investigated and vulnerable mountain bird species in Europe, the Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus. Our aim was to identify the species’ key ecological requirements during the crucial period of nestling provisioning in the context of environmental change. We radiotracked and observed Alpine Ring Ouzels in a high‐density population, investigating their pattern of foraging habitat selection in 2015 and 2017, and evaluated the transferability of these results over a wider geographical range across the SW Swiss Alps. Foraging birds selected, consistently in space and time, short grass swards (&lt; 10 cm) with interspersed patches of accessible and penetrable soils, at intermediate moisture levels (around 40–65% volumetric water content). In Alpine ecosystems, this microhabitat configuration is typically widespread during the spring snowmelt, but extremely seasonal, with a rapid decrease in its availability over the course of the breeding season. This underlines the high vulnerability of the Ring Ouzel to environmental change: an earlier snowmelt could generate a temporal mismatch between the peak of the breeding effort and optimal foraging conditions; however, abandoning grazing activities on semi‐wooded Alpine pastures may further decrease foraging habitat suitability through taller and denser grass swards, and subsequent woody vegetation encroachment. This study provides a mechanistic appraisal of the challenges Ring Ouzels will face in the future, as well as initial guidelines for targeted habitat management within timberline ecotones.

Phytosociological Studies in Alpine Pasture of Tikkagahar, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

A study was carried out to know the status of plant diversity in the alpine pasture of Tikkagahar, district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh during the year, 2017. A total of 75 plant species belonging to 31 families and 66 genera were recorded from the study area. Out of 59 medicinal plant species recorded from the pasture, two species viz; Roscoea alpina and Selinum vaginatum fall in the category of threatened plants. The distribution pattern of most of plant species was contiguous.

Grazing activity increases decomposition of yak dung and litter in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

AimsThis study investigated the influences of herbivore grazing intensity and grazing season on decomposition and nutrient release of dung and litter, which aimed to improve our understandings of grazing affecting nutrient cycling in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Platean.MethodsA factorial design experiment comprising 3 grazing intensities (non-grazing, moderate grazing, and heavy grazing) and 2 grazing seasons (summer and winter), was applied to quantify the decomposition and chemistry of dung and litter in an alpine pasture using the litterbag technique. Litterbags were retrieved for analysis of mass loss and nutrient release with 180, 360, 540, and 720 days after placement.ResultsGrazing activity accelerated the decomposition of dung and litter and increased nutrient release from dung and litter by increasing soil temperature compared with non-grazing pastures, whereas grazing season had no effect on decomposition. The decomposition time was shorter for dung than that for litter.ConclusionsHerbivores grazing benefited dung and litter decomposition and nutrient cycling directly by increasing soil temperature, which is likely to promote soil microbial activity due to low temperatures in alpine meadows, and indirectly through herbage ingestion and dung deposition which increase the organic debris concentration used for microorganisms growth and reproduction. This study provides insights into the mechanisms of grazing regulating nutrient cycling in alpine ecosystems.

Disentangling evolutionary, environmental and morphological drivers of plant anatomical adaptations to drought and cold in Himalayan graminoids

Understanding what determine plants ability to survive drought and cold is crucial for predicting how plants may respond to ongoing climate change. Plant survival strategies are usually characterized by morphological and physiological adaptations, while their underlying anatomical settings are largely unknown. Woody angiosperms and herbaceous dicots have repeatedly evolved small water transporting conduits and large storage parenchyma tissues at colder or drier places to cope with freezing‐ and drought‐induced damages. However, whether these adaptations are also valid for graminoids remains unclear. Here we show that stem anatomical variations in grasses, sedges and rushes dominating in western Himalayan grasslands are driven by elevation and soil moisture via control over aboveground plant stature and belowground clonal growth, while phylogenetic constraints have only a weak effect. Phylogenetic comparative analyses controlling for confounding factors showed that the elevation‐related cooling controls the conductive system through reduced vessel diameter and extended assimilatory and storage tissues with more chlorenchyma and less sclerenchyma around vessels. The soil moisture deficit, on the other hand, determines stabilization structures by promoting short‐rhizomatous turf graminoids with hollow stems, thicker epidermis and deep adventitious roots in dry steppes and semi‐deserts. Saline wetlands and moist alpine pastures promote long‐rhizomatous short‐stature plants with lower need for mechanical support (absence of hollow stem) and exposure to high evaporative forcing (thinner epidermis). Observed trends of decreasing vessel sizes and lignification rate with elevation supports the existing knowledge that narrower vessels and extensive parenchyma assist plants to grow in cold environments by avoiding freezing‐induced cavitation. Our results bring novel information on ecological drivers influencing the evolution of anatomical adaptations in high mountain graminoids. Distinct grassland types, covering elevations from 2650 to 6150 m, harbor unrelated species with different evolutionary histories that have converged towards similar anatomical structures.

Mountain farmers’ intangible values foster agroecological landscapes: case studies from Sierra Santa Victoria in northwest Argentina and the Ladin Dolomites, northern Italy

ABSTRACTAgroecological landscapes, which promote critical features such as agrobiodiversity, represent valuable global commons. These landscapes are products of ways of life, local knowledge, and rural practices. Recent studies agree on the need to better understand such rooted social-ecological systems by more deeply exploring their human-environment relationships. To address this, we investigated agroecological landscapes in two communities, one in the Andean highlands of northwest Argentina, the other in the Dolomites in northern Italy. This research applies discourse-ethnographic methods to explore how the communities build institutions to protect their culture, how they manage change, and how the environment is perceived and used. Based on the results, we identified several dimensions of farmers’ intangible values, their understanding of well-being, and how they contribute to the genesis of landscapes (maize terraces, alpine pastures). This work shows that many interviewees did not perceive nature merely as a resource or service for humans, as suggested by the widely held discourse of agricultural industrialization, and that alternative relationships to nature are possible and do exist in practice. Further, this work raises relevant issues for how to imagine the transition to agricultural systems that do not define well-being only from the perspective of materiality and of humans.

Scomporre e ricomporre il patrimonio. Dialogo con Martino Pedrozzi

Martino Pedrozzi operates in Canton Ticino. His architectural production ranges from renovations to ex novo interventions; among the most remarkable projects, the interventions on the abandoned heritage of high mountain pastures in Val Malvaglia are worth mentioning. With a combination of art and architecture, Pedrozzi “reassembles” the stones of the destroyed ruins within their own perimeter walls, with implications of symbolic, conservative and landscape value. This project implies various meanings: from the restoration of a neat public spatiality, to a gesture of pietas and dignity towards a civilization, the rural Alpine one, ended only a few decades ago. The interventions are going to involve also building reconditioning, wherever the pre-existing ones will allow it, through minimal substitutions and integrations. The redevelopment also extends to the landscape, through practical and symbolic cleaning operations of former alpine pastures covered with vegetation since their abandonment. Freed from functionality and economic interests, they become construction sites shared by volunteers, friends and students, involving a strong educational component.

Estimating soil degradation in montane grasslands of North-eastern Italian Alps (Italy)

Grasslands cover a large portion of the terrestrial ecosystems, and are vital for biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and livestock husbandry. However, grasslands are degraded due to unreasonable management worldwide, i.e., soil erosion indirectly due to the damage of overgrazing on vegetation coverage and soil texture. An in-depth investigation is necessary to quantify soil erosion in alpine pastures, in order to manage grasslands more sustainably. In this work, we collected freely available satellite images and carried out intensive field surveys for the whole Autonomous Province of Trento (Northeastern Italian Alps) in 2016. The area (and volume) of soil erosions were then estimated and shown in maps. The average of the depths of soil erosion measured in field was used as a reference for estimating soil erosion of the entire study area. High-resolution DEMs difference in soil surface conditions was also computed in two representative areas between pre- and post-degradation to estimate the volume and the average depth of eroded soils. The degradation of soil in the study areas has been estimated in 144063 m2 and an estimated volume of 33610 ± 1800 m3. Results indicate that our procedure can serve as a low-cost approach for a rapid estimation of soil erosion in mountain areas. Mapping soil erosion can improve the sustainability of grazing management system and reduce the risk of pastureland degradation at large spatial scales.

Zooarchaeological evidence of functional and social differentiation in northern Italy between the Neolithic and Bronze ages

Many sites dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been investigated in northern Italy and have provided important zooarchaeological data. These sites are mostly settlements, but also places of worship and necropoli. While there are few zooarchaeological studies for the north-western part of Italy, the north-east and the Po Valley have been better investigated. Particularly important are the pile-dwellings and the Terramare sites of the Po Valley as they have a long chronological span, the animal bone assemblages are large and, therefore, highly statistically reliable, and have been excavated relatively recently. There is evidence of functional and social differentiation in the Bronze Age which coincided with the evolution of more complex societies. The most common type of functional differentiation began when human communities started to settle and is visible in the zooarchaeological record. Until the end of the Copper Age, animal bone assemblages are characterized by the presence of both domestic animals and a relatively important proportion of wild animals. In the early Bronze Age, domestic animals dominated, if not entirely, the assemblages, and a growing interest in secondary products is evident. From the Middle Bronze Age, the foundation of semi-permanent settlements multiplied in the Alpine area, in the internal areas (secondary valleys and areas far from the main watercourses) and at medium-high altitudes. This was coupled with the seasonal occupation of sites at a high altitude, used for the practice of vertical transhumance (alpine pasture). This phenomenon implies the existence of a settlement hierarchy and, therefore, of forms of social stratification within the framework of the settlement system. Unfortunately, the few zooarchaeological studies of sites located in the Emilia Apennines do not currently allow us to confirm the existence of such links between the mountain sites and those on the plain. Nevertheless, other evidence, such as the introduction of the horse, which is attested from the late Early Bronze Age onwards, can be interpreted as proof of social differentiation; the horse was, in fact, considered a status symbol of the emerging warrior elite.Very few animal burials, dated to the period studied, show the link between animal species (such as dog, cattle, deer) and cultural practices, although a number of examples of such a relationship are provided by the terramare necropoli. In conclusion, in light of current knowledge, it seems that zooarchaeology cannot confirm the existence of important forms of social stratification. This does not mean that they cannot necessarily be postulated: the complex use of territory and the evidently communal nature of funerary and cult ceremonies (which often involved animals) that characterize the Bronze Age make it difficult to exclude the existence of such stratification.

Effects of Summer Transhumance of Dairy Cows to Alpine Pastures on Body Condition, Milk Yield and Composition, and Cheese Making Efficiency.

Simple SummarySummer transhumance of dairy cows is a seasonal pastoral system practiced in many European countries from ancient times. This practice provides additional forage supply for mountain dairy farms and plays a role in the preservation of landscape, biodiversity, and natural habitats and conservation of local traditional dairy products, but it may affect cows’ physiological and nutritional status. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transhumance of Brown Swiss cows to summer pastures on the yield, composition, and coagulation properties of milk, and on cheese yield. For this study, twelve multiparous cows from a mountain lowland permanent farm were divided into two groups of six cows: One group stayed at the permanent farm while the other moved to the alpine pasture (1860 m above sea level). Cows at the alpine pasture had reduced milk yield and body condition, and greater fat and lower protein contents in milk compared to cows at the permanent farm. Conversely, neither milk coagulation properties nor cheese yield were affected by summer transhumance. In conclusion, summer transhumance did not affect the cheese making efficiency of milk compared to permanent farm, but the negative effect on milk yield depressed daily cheese yield, which was 2 kg/d lower in cows moved to Alpine pasture.Summer transhumance to alpine pastures (ALP) is widespread in dairy systems of alpine regions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transhumance of Brown Swiss cows to ALP on the yield, composition, and coagulation properties of milk (MCP), and on cheese yield (CY). The study involved 12 multiparous cows kept at a mountain lowland permanent farm (PF), which were divided into two equal groups: One remained at the PF, the other was moved to the ALP (1860 m above sea level) from July to September. Every month (June to October), daily milk yield (MY) and body condition score (BCS) were recorded, and individual milk samples (n = 60, 2000 mL each) were collected to assess milk composition, MCP, and CY. Compared with PF, ALP cows had a reduced MY and BCS, which was maintained on return to the PF, greater fat and lower protein contents of milk. Neither MCP nor CY were affected by summer transhumance. In conclusion, summer transhumance did not affect the cheese making efficiency of milk but depressed MY and consequently daily cheese yield, which was nearly 2 kg/d lower for the ALP than the PF cows and was only partially recovered after returning to the PF in autumn.

Change from agricultural to touristic use: Effects on the aesthetic value of landscapes over the last 150 years

The demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES) is increasing, and aesthetic values contribute substantially to attract visitors to mountain regions, enhancing the socio-economic well-being. While most studies focused on the assessment of aesthetic values under current conditions, this study aimed to evaluate the historic development of aesthetic values from the perspective of today by analysing changes in the actual supply of this CES along roads and paths in Sölden in the Ötztal valley (Austria) since the beginning of tourism. We first mapped roads and paths for five time steps over the last 150 years to then estimate aesthetic values along these infrastructures, using a spatially explicit modelling approach. Furthermore, we compared spatial patterns of visitation preferences derived from social media data with predicted aesthetic values. Our results indicate that an increased access to areas of high aesthetic values was related to general increases in the supply of aesthetic values until 1950. Although the accessibility to high-elevation areas continued to increase until 2017, aesthetic values generally decreased due to landscape changes induced by the shift from mainly agricultural to touristic use. The abandonment of alpine pastures occurred mainly above the forest belt, which coincides with high levels of photo density, as most pictures were taken around mountain huts and on mountain peaks. If carefully planned and managed, mountain regions may actively enhance aesthetic experiences and foster the touristic use by providing good infrastructure, but land use policies and landscape management should support agricultural activities to maintain high levels of aesthetic values.

Low-quality dwarf-shrub litter negatively affects the fitness of Alpine earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister, 1843; Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae)

Alpine pastureland is increasingly abandoned, leading to shrub encroachment and to the accumulation of low-quality litter. Alpine key decomposers such as earthworms were found to feed on both low- and high-quality litter, but little is known how this might affect their life history traits.To fill this gap of knowledge, we conducted a laboratory experiment with the widespread earthworm species Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister, 1843. Hatchlings were provided with either of three aged litter types: grass and forb leaf litter as high-quality food sources and dwarf shrub leaves as low-quality food source. A control group was fed with aged cow dung. Biomass, days until (pre-)maturity, mortality, and reproduction rate were measured regularly to assess the impacts of food quality on earthworm development.We found pronounced impacts of food source quality on the fitness of L. rubellus. The low-quality litter led to significantly delayed development of up to 53 days, the lowest mean biomass (720 mg after 32 weeks) as well as a 50% drop of produced cocoons compared with the high-quality litter. However, the F2 generation showed the highest hatchling success in the shrub treatment.We conclude that the increased consumption of low-quality dwarf shrub litter led to negative effects on the development and reproduction of L. rubellus. Overall, this might be the main reason for declining earthworm densities in abandoned Alpine pasture soils, even though the biomass of the second generation was not significantly affected possibly due to a phenotypic variability in reproduction strategy. However, the decrease of such important decomposers and ecosystem engineers can have far reaching consequences for ecosystem processes such as litter accumulation and bioturbation and thus for the stability of Alpine soil ecosystems.