GRASSROOTS

Grasslands in South Tyrol play a vital role in the region’s agricultural landscape and ecological health. These areas provide critical pasture for livestock, contributing significantly to the local dairy and meat industries, which are important for the region’s economy.
Ecologically, these grasslands are biodiversity hotspots. They support a wide range of plant species, which in turn help maintain soil health, prevent erosion, and support pollinators and other wildlife. Their root systems contribute to soil stability, reducing the risk of landslides in this alpine region.
In the context of climate change, South Tyrol's grasslands are particularly important for carbon sequestration. Well-managed pastures can store carbon in both plant biomass and the soil, helping mitigate the effects of climate change. Additionally, these grasslands provide a buffer against extreme weather events by improving water retention and supporting ecosystem resilience.
As South Tyrol faces shifts in climate, promoting resilient grass species and sustainable management practices in these grasslands is key to ensuring their long-term productivity and environmental benefits.
GRASSROOTS proposes an instrumented approach based on the generation of Digital Twins that will reproduced in a microclimate chamber. It will be programmed under diverse climate scenarios that are able to duplicate current climate conditions, but also simulating extreme events and the consequences in varied grass species.

The overall goal is to find resilient species capable of enduring these environmental stresses by controlled simulated environments and giving some recommendations to final users. Data validation will take over in at least 4 different managed pastures in South Tyrol.