Präsentation:
- Dr. Žiga Zwitter Assistant Professor University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of History
- Dr. Leonid Rasran Senior Scientist University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Botany
Moderation: Univ.Prof.i.R. Ing. Dr. Dr.h.c. Verena Winiwarter, Former Head of ZUG Chairperson of KIOES, Austrian Academy of Sciences
In the winter of 2022-23, a new interdisciplinary monograph "Species-Rich Grasslands in the Alps in the Last Millennium: Environmental History and Historical Ecology of Agroecosystems" will be published. This book, written by Žiga Zwitter and Leonid Rasran, offers at the beginning a brief phytosociological overview. The following seven chapters present the fluctuations in grassland area in the Alps in the last millennium; natural and nature-induced environmental changes in grasslands; historical changes in livestock size and feed demand; selected historical practices of species-rich grassland management and their ecological impacts; introduction of plant species to grasslands in the Alps through human activities in the context of economic history, political history, and the history of botany and ornamental plants; gathering of grassland plants and lichens; and abandonment of grasslands in the Alps: a case study with an emphasis on the role of plant species composition. The final chapter provides a view on the applicability of grassland history in the twenty-first century, with an emphasis on meadows.
In the ZUG-Minisymposium, the authors will present a selection of contents of the forthcoming interdisciplinary monograph. The main emphasis will be placed on the period from 1500 to 1950, in addition, present relevance of historical data will be discussed.
