Montane and alpine grasslands under climate change – ways in a sustainable future

Pastures and natural grasslands are an important part of the montane and alpine landscape ranging from intensive grasslands in the lower regions to highly diverse seasonal mountain pastures and specialized natural ecosystems. These grasslands fulfill various ecosystem services like carbon and nitrogen storage, habitat for plant and animal species, feeding of domestic herbivores, and recreation. However, climate and land use changes affect montane and alpine grasslands and their capacity to provide the different ecosystem services. The conference addresses diverse aspects of the challenges and changes in montane and alpine grasslands – looking into the soils and their microbiome, vegetation dynamics, the socio-economic dimension of their ecosystem services and the future of seasonal mountain pastures. Additionally, we want to present innovative approaches to monitor grasslands through remote sensing and the potential of modelling to assess future development pathways. Finally, the conference will present examples of knowledge transfer between science and practice to support a sustainable use of these ecosystems.

Information on the SUSALPS project is available at http://www.susalps.de/