The effects of mountain grazing abandonment on plant community, forage value and soil properties: observations and field measurements in an alpine area

Cislaghi, Alessio; Giupponi, Luca; Tamburini, A.; Giorgi, Annamaria; Bischetti, Gian Battista

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2019.104086

Cited by 41 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…This species grows in abandoned fields in plant communities of Sambuco-Salicion capreae phytosociological alliance [50]. This vegetation is expanding both in the Apennines and in the Alps due to the drop out of agricultural practices [51]. Our study confirm that the determination of the "type" of propolis, according to its plant source, has to be the first step in quality control of bee glue and that bees have the ability to find in their environment and use as propolis source the best agent to protect their hives against bacterial and fungal infections [42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Different Analytical Methods for the Characterization of Propolis: A Case of Study in Northern Italy

et al. 2020

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Propolis is used as folk medicine due to its spectrum of alleged biological and pharmaceutical properties and it is a complex matrix not still totally characterized. Two batches of propolis coming from two different environments (plains of Po Valley and the hilly Ligurian–Piedmont Apennines) of Northern Italy were characterized using different analytical methods: Spectrophotometric analysis of phenols, flavones and flavonols, and DPPH radical scavenging activity, HPLC, NMR, HSPME and GC–MS and HPLC–MS Orbitrap. Balsam and moisture content were also considered. No statistical differences were found at the spectrophotometric analysis; balsam content did not vary significantly. The most interesting findings were in the VOCs composition, with the Po Valley samples containing compounds of the resins from leaf buds of Populus nigra L. The hills (Appennines) samples were indeed characterize by the presence of phenolic glycerides already found in mountain environments. HPLC–Q-Exactive-Orbitrap®–MS analysis is crucial in appropriate recognition of evaluate number of metabolites, but also NMR itself could give more detailed information especially when isomeric compounds should be identified. It is necessary a standardized evaluation to protect and valorize this production and more research on propolis characterization using different analytical techniques.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Different Analytical Methods for the Characterization of Propolis: A Case of Study in Northern Italy

et al. 2020

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“…Previous studies reported that the preferential flow can prevent the absorption of water by the roots under low rainfall conditions and reduce runoff before the soil is saturated under high rainfall conditions [55][56][57]. Moreover, previous studies also showed that the vegetation recovery can highly increase the soil stability by accelerating plant growth and promoting soil formation processes such as fine soil particle collection, organic matter, and dispersal of mycorrhizas [58,59].…”

Section: Root Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root Tensile Resistance of Selected Pennisetum Species and Shear Strength of Root-Permeated Soil

Ettbeb

Rahman

Idris

et al. 2020

Applied and Environmental Soil Science

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It is widely recognized that vegetation plays a significant role in contrasting slope instability through the root reinforcement. The main objectives of this paper are to evaluate the root tensile of selected Pennisetum species, namely, P. pedicellatum (PPd) and P. polystachion (PPl), and to determine the soil shear strength of root-permeated soil from these species. The selected species were initially planted in the polybags using the hydroseeding technique. A mineral fertilizer of NPK ratio 10 : 8 : 10 was adopted in the hydroseeding mixture. Routine watering program was applied twice a day throughout growth observation for six months. Four replications were prepared for each species including a set of control polybags, which contained only soil for reference and comparison. The results of root tensile tests revealed the significant relationships between root diameter and tensile force. In comparison, the PPl was still indicated by higher values of root tensile force than PPd. The presence of roots clearly has contributed to the shear stress of root-permeated soils. The root density based on root biomass measurement attributed to the higher value of peak shear stress as achieved by PPl than PPd. The combined effects of root tensile and the soil shear strengths of this selected species can be used as biological materials in slope protection against erosion.

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“…In the last decades, and even today, the European Alps have been subject to abandonment by population [12]. This anthropic process caused the progressive neglection of agricultural practices [13][14][15], and then the forest expansion in areas once occupied by mountain grasslands (meadows, pastures, and meadows-pastures) [16][17][18]. Forest expansion is a phenomenon following the timeline and the modalities of secondary plant succession: once the grasslands start to be unkempt, their plant communities are generally replaced by herbaceous plant communities (fringes) that afterward, passing the time, give way to shrublands (mantles) and, finally, to forest communities [19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forest expansion is a phenomenon following the timeline and the modalities of secondary plant succession: once the grasslands start to be unkempt, their plant communities are generally replaced by herbaceous plant communities (fringes) that afterward, passing the time, give way to shrublands (mantles) and, finally, to forest communities [19,20]. This phenomenon could have an impact on the qualitative and quantitative availability of forage for domestic animals [18] from a productive point of view. In addition, the forest expansion threatens the landscape richness [21] and the conservation of some species and habitats [22] from a naturalistic and landscape management point of view.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

VegeT: An Easy Tool to Classify and Facilitate the Management of Seminatural Grasslands and Dynamically Connected Vegetation of the Alps

Giupponi

Leoni

2020

Land

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Alpine pastures and meadows are agroecosystems of biological, cultural-historical, and economic importance that are undergoing profound imbalances and which are in a rapid decline due to changes in management and/or abandonment. The European Union is making efforts to protect this heritage and resource. However, the dialog among the different professionals in charge of studying and managing these agroecosystems needs to be as easy and comprehensible as possible for grasslands conservation/restoration actions to be successful. This research introduces VegeT, an easy-to-use tool to facilitate information transfer between botanists and practitioners responsible for providing guidelines for the correct management of mountain grasslands. VegeT is a Microsoft Excel® worksheet that allows the classification of seminatural grasslands and dynamically connected vegetation (shrublands and forests) of the Alps employing two ecological indexes: the index of nutrients (N) and the index of mowing tolerance (MV). VegeT was elaborated upon the floristic-ecological analysis of the vegetation of Taleggio Valley (Italian Alps) performed applying multivariate analysis techniques. From the analyses, it emerged that N and MV are the main variables on which to base a classification system of alpine mountain grasslands and dynamically connected vegetation able to facilitate the interpretation of floristic-vegetation data and to return useful information for management decisions.

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The effects of mountain grazing abandonment on plant community, forage value and soil properties: observations and field measurements in an alpine area

Cited by 41 publications

References 101 publications

Effectiveness of Different Analytical Methods for the Characterization of Propolis: A Case of Study in Northern Italy

Effectiveness of Different Analytical Methods for the Characterization of Propolis: A Case of Study in Northern Italy

Root Tensile Resistance of Selected Pennisetum Species and Shear Strength of Root-Permeated Soil

VegeT: An Easy Tool to Classify and Facilitate the Management of Seminatural Grasslands and Dynamically Connected Vegetation of the Alps

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