With the "Green Deal", the European Union wants to promote biodiversity and intact ecosystems in order to sustainably ensure the quality of our living and economic space, even in the face of climate change. The widespread grassland areas in particular play a central role in this. They can be a biodiversity hotspot or very species-poor depending on management and location. However, there is still insufficient research into which form of use on which sites leads to the most biodiversity-friendly use possible while at the same time being economically viable. Together with 13 partners from 8 European countries, Eurac Research staff will now investigate how sustainable management can be guaranteed in the Alps and Carpathians in the future. In addition, a network of grassland areas will be elaborated to preserve valuable grassland areas through management in the long term.
The research project is financed by the European research network Biodiversa+, which the province of South Tyrol joined last year. Thus, the project represents a great opportunity to strengthen cooperation, data and knowledge exchange between researchers and stakeholders from different countries to safeguard grassland biodiversity in Europe's two largest mountain ranges, the Alps and the Carpathians.