Public participation in scientific research, now commonly referred to as citizen science, is incr... more Public participation in scientific research, now commonly referred to as citizen science, is increasingly promoted as a possibility to overcome the large-scale data limitations related to biodiversity and conservation research. Furthermore, public data-collection projects can stimulate public engagement and provide transformative learning situations. However, biodiversity monitoring depends on sound data collection and warranted data quality. Therefore, we investigated if and how trained and supervised pupils are able to systematically collect data about the occurrence of diurnal butterflies, and how this data could contribute to a permanent butterfly monitoring system. We developed a specific assessment scheme suitable for laypeople and applied it at 35 sampling sites in Tyrol, Austria. Data quality and its explanatory power to predict butterfly habitat quality was investigated comparing data collected by pupils with independent assessments of professional butterfly experts. Despite substantial identification uncertainties for some species or species groups, the data collected by pupils was successfully used to predict the general habitat quality for butterflies using a linear regression model (r² = 0.73, p <0.001). Applying the proposed method in a citizen science context with laypeople could support both the long term monitoring of butterfly habitat quality, as well as the efficient selection of sites for professional in-depth assessments.
... Land-use changes and natural reforestation in the Eastern Central Alps. ... The study sites s... more ... Land-use changes and natural reforestation in the Eastern Central Alps. ... The study sites selected on the municipality level (1:25,000) are situated in four agrarian structure regions in the Alps: &#x27;Innsbruck Land&#x27;, &#x27;Südtiroler Berggebiet&#x27;, &#x27;Unterland/Überetsch&#x27; and &#x27;Carnia&#x27;. ...
ABSTRACT Traditional agro-forest systems (TAFS) link the two ecosystems forest and grassland and ... more ABSTRACT Traditional agro-forest systems (TAFS) link the two ecosystems forest and grassland and are an attractive, species-rich land-use type in the European cultural landscape. In the past decades, particularly in mountainous regions, socio economic changes have resulted in their abandonment or intensification of use. Our study employed plant traits to analyze and understand the consequences that abandonment and intensification have on plant species diversity, functional diversity and the provision of ecosystem services of larch (Larix decidua) grassland, a TAFS in the European Alps. By applying commonly used traits such as growth form and pollination agent, together with less used traits such as flower color and edible or healing plants, we found highest plant species diversity in traditionally managed larch meadows and larch pastures, while functional diversity was seen to be high also in abandoned larch grasslands. We further show that provision of the ecosystem services scenic beauty and pollination is best in traditionally managed larch meadows and larch pastures. Regarding the provision of edible or healing plants, the largest species pool was found in traditionally managed larch meadows, while the highest species coverage was found in intensively managed larch meadows. Summarizing our results, we deduce that both the abandonment and intensification of larch grasslands result in a loss of plant diversity and a decrease in provided ecosystem services. Consequently, enhancement of our knowledge through further investigation of TAFS is essential for the maintenance and conservation of these valuable cultural ecosystems.
... a Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Boze... more ... a Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. ... The mean altitudes of the defined potential treeline are 2000 m at the Alpine margin, and 22002350 m in the central regions of the European Alps. ...
... and Graf, 1998; see Randall et al., 1994 for a review) or snowmelt-runoff processes ([Leavesl... more ... and Graf, 1998; see Randall et al., 1994 for a review) or snowmelt-runoff processes ([Leavesly ... In particular in mountainous areas, access during the snow melt period is difficult or even ... Whereas the spatio-temporal dynamics of snowmelt (onset, duration) clearly depend on the ...
Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 2011
Apart from forests, the landscape of the Alps is dominated by grasslands, where they account for ... more Apart from forests, the landscape of the Alps is dominated by grasslands, where they account for up to 40% of the agricultural area. This study focuses on the main man-made grassland plant communities of the Eastern Alps, shows their current spatial distribution and examines how strongly the influence of land use and site factors determines the communities. Discriminant analysis was
ABSTRACT Better understanding of surface runoff quantity for distinct hydrological units becomes ... more ABSTRACT Better understanding of surface runoff quantity for distinct hydrological units becomes increasingly important as many rainfall–runoff models use static surface runoff coefficients and neglect key factors affecting ecohydrological dynamics, e.g. land cover and land use. Especially in small-scale alpine catchments, surface runoff and its contribution to mountain torrent runoff is frequently underestimated. In our study, the seasonal variability of surface runoff on abandoned areas and pastures in the alpine catchment ‘Kaserstattalm’ (Stubai Valley, Austria, Eastern Alps) was analyzed using a rain simulator along with soil water content (SWC) and soil water tension (SWT) measurements. Additionally, seasonal variability of soil physical and soil hydraulic properties were assessed. Analyzing more than 30 rainfall simulations on 10 m2 plots at a rate of 90 mm h−1 (equivalent to convective precipitation events with 100 years return period) revealed a mean surface runoff coefficient of 0.01 on abandoned areas and 0.18 on pastures. Regarding seasonal variability, relevant surface runoff was limited to pastures in autumn with a maximum runoff coefficient of 0.25. The field capacity (Fc) of all soils was found to be stable throughout the season. However, for pastures, cattle trampling led to a significant increase of dry bulk density (BD) of up to +0.33 g cm−3 (p ⩽ 0.01) in the top 0.1 m of the soil which is attributed to a compaction of macropores. Although measured infiltration rates decreased by more than 60%, BD could ‘recover’ during the winter season presumably due to freezing-and-thawing cycles and bioturbation processes decreasing soil compaction. This study highlights that impacts of land-use changes on soil physical properties make surface runoff difficult to model. Moreover, dynamic and interactive behaviour of soil parameters have to be considered in order to make realistic assessments and accurate predictions of surface runoff rates. Finally, land-use effects on runoff formation in general and significance at catchment scale are discussed.
Page 1. RESEARCH ARTICLE An integrative approach for analysing landscape dynamics in diverse cult... more Page 1. RESEARCH ARTICLE An integrative approach for analysing landscape dynamics in diverse cultivated and natural mountain areas Erich Tasser Æ Flavio V. Ruffini Æ Ulrike Tappeiner Received: 6 December 2007 / Accepted ...
Against a background of increasing land use intensification on favorable agricultural areas and l... more Against a background of increasing land use intensification on favorable agricultural areas and land abandonment on less arable areas in the Alps, the aim of this investigation was to detect whether and how 10 differently used types of grassland can be distinguished by site factors, plant species composition, and biodiversity. By using a very large number of vegetation surveys (936)
ABSTRACT Simulating heavy rain events to analyze potential surface runoff and related soil erosio... more ABSTRACT Simulating heavy rain events to analyze potential surface runoff and related soil erosion is a well-established approach in alpine ecology and hydrology. In steep and inaccessible terrain with highly variable relief and vegetation, as occurs in mountainous regions, the rain simulators used to date are often not adapted to the abovementioned characteristics. This study reviews heavy rainfall simulators and presents a consequentially developed rain simulator that covers an area of 10 m2. The results of simulated heavy rainfall events (100 mm h− 1) demonstrated the sprinkling equipment used here to be a useful tool, delivering robust results when studying surface runoff at small scales in a heterogeneous terrain. A comparison to rainfall simulation on a 50 m2 plot revealed no significant differences, which demonstrates the equipment used at the scale of 10 m2 to be above a “minimum area” for rainfall simulation. Finally, the impacts of plot size on runoff behavior are discussed to provide useful information using a rainfall simulator in the field. The presented rainfall simulator turned out to be a valuable tool for obtaining more detailed information on the surface runoff of small patterned landscapes (i.e., in both natural and managed grass and dwarf-shrublands) by delivering results comparable to those of larger-scale rain simulators (covering 50 or 100 m2).
ABSTRACT We have developed an integrated modeling framework (IMF) to quantify indicators for ecos... more ABSTRACT We have developed an integrated modeling framework (IMF) to quantify indicators for ecosystem services (ES) and economic development (ED) in agricultural landscapes. Austria serves as a case study in which impacts, trade-offs, and synergies of ES and ED are assessed for different agricultural policy pathways and regional climate change scenarios. Agricultural intensification and incentivized use of provisioning ES (e.g. biomass production) lead to higher macro-economic output (e.g. GDP) but usually reduce ES related to regulation and maintenance (e.g. ecological integrity, climate regulation), as well as cultural services (landscape diversity). We revealed both synergies for certain ES (e.g. biomass production and soil organic carbon stocks) as well as large spatial deviations from the national mean across the heterogeneous agricultural landscapes in Austria. Climate change scenarios (i) lead to substantial variation in ES and ED indicators and (ii) usually amplify trade-offs by stimulating land use intensification. Our findings depict the complex relationship between different ES and ED indicators as well as the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity and regional climate change. This assessment can help to improve targeting of agri-environmental schemes in order to provide a more balanced and efficient supply of ES and to foster rural development.
Public participation in scientific research, now commonly referred to as citizen science, is incr... more Public participation in scientific research, now commonly referred to as citizen science, is increasingly promoted as a possibility to overcome the large-scale data limitations related to biodiversity and conservation research. Furthermore, public data-collection projects can stimulate public engagement and provide transformative learning situations. However, biodiversity monitoring depends on sound data collection and warranted data quality. Therefore, we investigated if and how trained and supervised pupils are able to systematically collect data about the occurrence of diurnal butterflies, and how this data could contribute to a permanent butterfly monitoring system. We developed a specific assessment scheme suitable for laypeople and applied it at 35 sampling sites in Tyrol, Austria. Data quality and its explanatory power to predict butterfly habitat quality was investigated comparing data collected by pupils with independent assessments of professional butterfly experts. Despite substantial identification uncertainties for some species or species groups, the data collected by pupils was successfully used to predict the general habitat quality for butterflies using a linear regression model (r² = 0.73, p <0.001). Applying the proposed method in a citizen science context with laypeople could support both the long term monitoring of butterfly habitat quality, as well as the efficient selection of sites for professional in-depth assessments.
... Land-use changes and natural reforestation in the Eastern Central Alps. ... The study sites s... more ... Land-use changes and natural reforestation in the Eastern Central Alps. ... The study sites selected on the municipality level (1:25,000) are situated in four agrarian structure regions in the Alps: &#x27;Innsbruck Land&#x27;, &#x27;Südtiroler Berggebiet&#x27;, &#x27;Unterland/Überetsch&#x27; and &#x27;Carnia&#x27;. ...
ABSTRACT Traditional agro-forest systems (TAFS) link the two ecosystems forest and grassland and ... more ABSTRACT Traditional agro-forest systems (TAFS) link the two ecosystems forest and grassland and are an attractive, species-rich land-use type in the European cultural landscape. In the past decades, particularly in mountainous regions, socio economic changes have resulted in their abandonment or intensification of use. Our study employed plant traits to analyze and understand the consequences that abandonment and intensification have on plant species diversity, functional diversity and the provision of ecosystem services of larch (Larix decidua) grassland, a TAFS in the European Alps. By applying commonly used traits such as growth form and pollination agent, together with less used traits such as flower color and edible or healing plants, we found highest plant species diversity in traditionally managed larch meadows and larch pastures, while functional diversity was seen to be high also in abandoned larch grasslands. We further show that provision of the ecosystem services scenic beauty and pollination is best in traditionally managed larch meadows and larch pastures. Regarding the provision of edible or healing plants, the largest species pool was found in traditionally managed larch meadows, while the highest species coverage was found in intensively managed larch meadows. Summarizing our results, we deduce that both the abandonment and intensification of larch grasslands result in a loss of plant diversity and a decrease in provided ecosystem services. Consequently, enhancement of our knowledge through further investigation of TAFS is essential for the maintenance and conservation of these valuable cultural ecosystems.
... a Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Boze... more ... a Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. ... The mean altitudes of the defined potential treeline are 2000 m at the Alpine margin, and 22002350 m in the central regions of the European Alps. ...
... and Graf, 1998; see Randall et al., 1994 for a review) or snowmelt-runoff processes ([Leavesl... more ... and Graf, 1998; see Randall et al., 1994 for a review) or snowmelt-runoff processes ([Leavesly ... In particular in mountainous areas, access during the snow melt period is difficult or even ... Whereas the spatio-temporal dynamics of snowmelt (onset, duration) clearly depend on the ...
Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 2011
Apart from forests, the landscape of the Alps is dominated by grasslands, where they account for ... more Apart from forests, the landscape of the Alps is dominated by grasslands, where they account for up to 40% of the agricultural area. This study focuses on the main man-made grassland plant communities of the Eastern Alps, shows their current spatial distribution and examines how strongly the influence of land use and site factors determines the communities. Discriminant analysis was
ABSTRACT Better understanding of surface runoff quantity for distinct hydrological units becomes ... more ABSTRACT Better understanding of surface runoff quantity for distinct hydrological units becomes increasingly important as many rainfall–runoff models use static surface runoff coefficients and neglect key factors affecting ecohydrological dynamics, e.g. land cover and land use. Especially in small-scale alpine catchments, surface runoff and its contribution to mountain torrent runoff is frequently underestimated. In our study, the seasonal variability of surface runoff on abandoned areas and pastures in the alpine catchment ‘Kaserstattalm’ (Stubai Valley, Austria, Eastern Alps) was analyzed using a rain simulator along with soil water content (SWC) and soil water tension (SWT) measurements. Additionally, seasonal variability of soil physical and soil hydraulic properties were assessed. Analyzing more than 30 rainfall simulations on 10 m2 plots at a rate of 90 mm h−1 (equivalent to convective precipitation events with 100 years return period) revealed a mean surface runoff coefficient of 0.01 on abandoned areas and 0.18 on pastures. Regarding seasonal variability, relevant surface runoff was limited to pastures in autumn with a maximum runoff coefficient of 0.25. The field capacity (Fc) of all soils was found to be stable throughout the season. However, for pastures, cattle trampling led to a significant increase of dry bulk density (BD) of up to +0.33 g cm−3 (p ⩽ 0.01) in the top 0.1 m of the soil which is attributed to a compaction of macropores. Although measured infiltration rates decreased by more than 60%, BD could ‘recover’ during the winter season presumably due to freezing-and-thawing cycles and bioturbation processes decreasing soil compaction. This study highlights that impacts of land-use changes on soil physical properties make surface runoff difficult to model. Moreover, dynamic and interactive behaviour of soil parameters have to be considered in order to make realistic assessments and accurate predictions of surface runoff rates. Finally, land-use effects on runoff formation in general and significance at catchment scale are discussed.
Page 1. RESEARCH ARTICLE An integrative approach for analysing landscape dynamics in diverse cult... more Page 1. RESEARCH ARTICLE An integrative approach for analysing landscape dynamics in diverse cultivated and natural mountain areas Erich Tasser Æ Flavio V. Ruffini Æ Ulrike Tappeiner Received: 6 December 2007 / Accepted ...
Against a background of increasing land use intensification on favorable agricultural areas and l... more Against a background of increasing land use intensification on favorable agricultural areas and land abandonment on less arable areas in the Alps, the aim of this investigation was to detect whether and how 10 differently used types of grassland can be distinguished by site factors, plant species composition, and biodiversity. By using a very large number of vegetation surveys (936)
ABSTRACT Simulating heavy rain events to analyze potential surface runoff and related soil erosio... more ABSTRACT Simulating heavy rain events to analyze potential surface runoff and related soil erosion is a well-established approach in alpine ecology and hydrology. In steep and inaccessible terrain with highly variable relief and vegetation, as occurs in mountainous regions, the rain simulators used to date are often not adapted to the abovementioned characteristics. This study reviews heavy rainfall simulators and presents a consequentially developed rain simulator that covers an area of 10 m2. The results of simulated heavy rainfall events (100 mm h− 1) demonstrated the sprinkling equipment used here to be a useful tool, delivering robust results when studying surface runoff at small scales in a heterogeneous terrain. A comparison to rainfall simulation on a 50 m2 plot revealed no significant differences, which demonstrates the equipment used at the scale of 10 m2 to be above a “minimum area” for rainfall simulation. Finally, the impacts of plot size on runoff behavior are discussed to provide useful information using a rainfall simulator in the field. The presented rainfall simulator turned out to be a valuable tool for obtaining more detailed information on the surface runoff of small patterned landscapes (i.e., in both natural and managed grass and dwarf-shrublands) by delivering results comparable to those of larger-scale rain simulators (covering 50 or 100 m2).
ABSTRACT We have developed an integrated modeling framework (IMF) to quantify indicators for ecos... more ABSTRACT We have developed an integrated modeling framework (IMF) to quantify indicators for ecosystem services (ES) and economic development (ED) in agricultural landscapes. Austria serves as a case study in which impacts, trade-offs, and synergies of ES and ED are assessed for different agricultural policy pathways and regional climate change scenarios. Agricultural intensification and incentivized use of provisioning ES (e.g. biomass production) lead to higher macro-economic output (e.g. GDP) but usually reduce ES related to regulation and maintenance (e.g. ecological integrity, climate regulation), as well as cultural services (landscape diversity). We revealed both synergies for certain ES (e.g. biomass production and soil organic carbon stocks) as well as large spatial deviations from the national mean across the heterogeneous agricultural landscapes in Austria. Climate change scenarios (i) lead to substantial variation in ES and ED indicators and (ii) usually amplify trade-offs by stimulating land use intensification. Our findings depict the complex relationship between different ES and ED indicators as well as the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity and regional climate change. This assessment can help to improve targeting of agri-environmental schemes in order to provide a more balanced and efficient supply of ES and to foster rural development.
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Papers by Ulrike Tappeiner