On 26th August until 1st September 2024, the 19th Eurasian Grassland Conference organized by G4B partner Eurac Research took place in Bozen, Italy. G4B was represented by three researchers of the G4B partnership.
Jonas Sommer (Eurac Research) introduced the G4B project and first results from the analysis of the collected Alpine vegetation data. Esther Dale (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow & Landscape Research) presented the “Management intensity effects on plant species richness in semi-natural grasslands in Switzerland”. Michael Moser (Laimburg Research Centre) addressed the “Effect of season, stakeholder group and meadow type on the visual appreciation of grassland in the Trudner Horn Nature Park”.
During the conference, field trips took place, leading participants to grasslands that are part of the G4B study area. Local experts explained traditional land use and changes that have occurred over the last decades. They covered a wide range of grasslands, from abandoned dry grasslands to intensively used hay meadows.
With grassland experts from across Eurasia, the conference offered a lot of opportunities for networking to embed G4B in international research initiatives and databases. Several other Biodiversa+ projects like ALPMEMA and the Biodiversa+ Habitat Pilot were also present and there was an intensive exchange.
