Multifunctional Animal Production
Principles for the Concerted Use of Plant Diversity
Meadows and pastures provide a variety of services that benefit people –so-called ‘ecosystem services'. How well they provide these services depends to a large extent on their botanical composition. Our aim is to achieve an improvement in the different performances of agriculturally used grassland by deliberately influencing plant composition. The principles, which are valid for temporary and permanent leys alike, are developed with simple mown or grazed forage-crop mixtures.
Multifunctional Mountain Farms
As it does at present, mountain agriculture is expected to carry on performing a wide range of services for society in future. In addition to producing high-quality foodstuffs, it is expected to preserve a varied landscape with significant species diversity and a high recreational value. We are investigating how these different services can be quantified and optimised at whole-farm level.
Promoting Flower-Rich Meadows
‘Ecological compensation’ meadows and pastures are low-input habitats that play an important role in encouraging biodiversity in the agricultural landscape. In the lowland region, however, the diversity of their flora often fails to meet the targets set. We are investigating cultivation measures that may contribute to an improvement in the quality of their flora.
