With teeth and claws: Managing and restoring ecosystem services of an alpine cultural landscape. Albin Blaschka

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1 With teeth and claws: Managing and restoring ecosystem services of an alpine cultural landscape Albin Blaschka Project Team: T. Guggenberger, R. Huber, F. Ringdorfer Agricultural Research and Education Center Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Austria

2 Land use forms the basic connection between people and landscape, which is, at least partly, formalized in the theory of ecosystem goods and services Hypothesis

3 What we want Development and test of a methodological, integrated framework combining ecological restoration of alpine pastures with agriculture (pasturing of sheep), allowing farmers an economically viable development thus helping to preserve and restore an important part of an alpine cultural landscape

4 Project Structure and Management LEADER + - Project: ENNSTAL LAMM (Enns valley lamb) Sheep and Goat Breeder s association National research project: Innovative High-Pasture Management with Sheep for a Sustainable Land-Use of an Alpine Cultural Landscape AREC Raumberg-Gumpenstein - Scientific support for LEADER + -Project PhD at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg: With teeth and claws: Managing and restoring ecosystem services of an alpine cultural landscape

5 Background The Alps are characterized by permanent land use over many centuries, resulting in a typical cultural landscape, with forestry, pasturing and hay-making The difficulties of adapting traditional agricultural practices to changing conditions translated into risks of abandonment for many Alpine grazing areas. The number of sheep and goats taken to high pastures decreased by 37% between 1997 and The area of high pastures was reduced by 20%, that of extensively used agricultural area by more than 40%

6 Analysis of stakeholders & Key system components Farmer: Optimization of feeding, well-being of animals (profit) Landowner: Land management, Optimization of vegetation Externals: Optimization of additional benefit Shepherd: guiding the flock, point of intersection for all interests

7 General considerations - Questions Agricultural Agronomy (focus in the LEADER + - Project) Health, animal welfare of ewes and lambs (development of live weight, meat quality) Marketing: Enns valley lamb / High pasture lamb Ecology - Restoration Pasture: Grass dominated biotopes Feed for sheep - cover of dwarf shrubs Nutritional status / Energy content Landscape level / Management Sustain a Cultural Landscape type Multifunctional use Ecosystem services - Tourism: Summer and winter, forestry, hunting

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9 Questions Restoration of a high alpine pasture from encroachment of dwarf shrubs (Vaccinium ssp..) How does vegetation respond to targeted pasturing (very) high intensity in a short period of time? Development of dwarf shrubs Development of herbs How changes the energy content of the pasture in the course of the trial/restoration effort?

10 Pasturing area 85 ha ski runs and sub-alpine heath (high pasture) Altitude: 1300 msm 2150 msm Trial Site Methods - Study Area Austria, Styria (Steiermark) N 47,38801 E 13,78048 Haus im Ennstal ca. 110km SE of Salzburg Saddle between two mountains, 1860 msm Abandoned high pasture (in early-mid 1970ties) Advanced encroachment: Vaccinium ssp., Rhododendrum ferrugineum Size: 0,2 ha (without exclosure)

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12 Methods Pasture Evaluation Model (PEM):...a multivariate data-model to estimate the feed quantity and quality of an alpine pasture GIS and Remote Sensing Habitat mapping, botanical assessments Implementation of Adaptive Management practices Targeted pasturing, realizing the need for a multifunctional land use Participatory approach Meetings with stakeholder Data mining INVEKOS ( Integriertes Verwaltungsund Kontrollsystem - Basis for CAP subsidies)

13 Methods Targeted pasturing or mob stocking with sheep Flock Stocking method characterised by a high grazing pressure for a short time as a management strategy Between 738 (2008) and 950 sheep (2011); in 2010 the flock was divided Period of occupation varied between 105 and 118 days (May to September) Chemical Analysis; Calculation of energy need Following the recommendations of the Society of Nutrition Physiology (GfE, Germany) Calculation of intensity

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18 Set up plan Four levels: Exclosure - No pasturing Mowing followed by mob stocking Mob stocking Low intensity/browsing

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20 Summary & Discussion Different management procedures: Separation of flocks Learning process: Adaptive Management Weight gain lambs between 70g and 125 g/day, depending on management and year is a little lower than on other high pastures in the region Payments for the shepherd are covered partly by subsidies, partly farmers pay a small fee for every animal returning safely With the involvement of other stakeholder (skiing company, tourism) additional money and/or workforce is available

21 Summary & Discussion Reduction of dwarf shrubs below 20% Reached, in both variants Increase of herbs above 60% Reached, in both variants No changes in the amount of open soil With the variant Mowing + Pasturing problems could arise: Mowing/removal of shrubs is not necessary and even increases the risk of erosion ( and saves money) Energy content above 8.2 MJ ME/kg DM More or less (8.17 MJ ME/kg in 2011) Attention: The flock for targeted pasturing should not consist of lambs and ewes giving milk, due to the energy constraints!

22 Recommendations Energy content as part of restoration targets - Energy need could not be satisfied with yield possible on the trial area/paddock Monitoring of animals and restoration area is a must Nutritional status vs. restoration success Good/high quality pastures around restoration areas are necessary to compensate shortage of energy for animals Rotational stocking Important for the acceptance of management measurements Possible losses of income have to be compensated

23 Synthesis Landscape management and connected initiatives need a multifunctional approach Science as basis Participatory approach/stakeholder involvement to get acceptance of measures taken Two concepts/frameworks proved to be of value: Ecosystem goods and services Adaptive Management Development of scenarios is a useful tool to transport facts and explain processes

24 Thank you for your attention!