Impact of different management systems and location parameters on floristic diversity of mountainous grassland

Within the Man and Biosphere project 'Grassland in mountainous regions of Austria', which was initiated by the Austrian Academy of Science, comprehensive studies have been carried out in 8 representative grassland regions in Austria. More than 1700 botanical assessments have been carried out and were linked with important location properties and aspects of various management systems. The total number of vascular plants found on pastures and meadows reached a maximum of 115, depending on livestock intensity and land use type. It could be demonstrated that the Austrian grassland is not only characterized by high species diversity but also by a rich diversity of different plant communities. The research findings clearly indicated the positive impact of low input fanning systems on floristic diversity of grassland but failed show any significant benefit to organic farming compared with other fanning methods when compared at similar livestock intensities. Beside forage plants, a high number of red list species were found in meadows and pastures, depending mainly on land type and intensity of utilisation. Therefore, the different grassland types in Austria, which cover approximately 60% of the total agricultural used land, represent an indispensable part of the cultural landscape.