Open Air Lab Matschertal - Val di Mazia

The Alps are the largest freshwater reservoir in Europe. With climate change, this function is increasingly changing. With 525 millimeters of rainfall per year, the Matschertal - Val di Mazia, a branch of the Val Venosta in western South Tyrol, is one of the driest areas in the Alpine Arc. Here, it is already possible to observe how climate change can affect other mountain areas.

For this reason, the Matschertal - Val di Mazia has been intensely observed and studied for many years to better understand the complex interactions between climate, ecosystems, and human land use. Parameters such as air temperature, soil moisture, snow height, biodiversity, and land use are recorded from the residential area to the glacier region to predict the effects of global changes.

A dedicated website presents the results of long-term research in the Matschertal - Val di Mazia through four different habitats between 1,500 and 2,700 meters in altitude. For each site, real-time meteorological data are available, as well as an in-depth look at the methods applied, the most important results, and the related scientific publications.