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- Title
Rotational pasture management to increase the sustainability of mountain livestock farms in the Alpine region.
- Authors
Baronti, Silvia; Ungaro, Fabrizio; Maienza, Anita; Ugolini, Francesca; Lagomarsino, Alessandra; Agnelli, Alessandro Elio; Calzolari, Costanza; Pisseri, Francesca; Robbiati, Giorgia; Vaccari, Francesco Primo
- Abstract
Over the past 30 years, farming in the Alpine region has undergone important changes: the average number of animals per farm and the use of external inputs have increased while the diversity of farming practices has decreased, becoming similar to intensive farming. This change has led to a reduction in the supply of agroecosystem services and the sustainability of the mountain livestock sector. In this study, we investigated rotational grazing as alternative to continuous grazing to improve the sustainability of mountain farming practices. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were measured together with soil properties (bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon content and plant biomass) for two grazing seasons using static chambers. The results showed that rotational grazing had a positive impact on plant biomass: minimize soil disturbance, reduce compaction and GHG emissions of the soil and increase water infiltration. Therefore, this practice has revealed clear benefits in terms of soil protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Publication
Regional Environmental Change, 2022, Vol 22, Issue 2, p1
- ISSN
1436-3798
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10113-022-01896-1