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Earthworm activities affect the provision of many ecosystem services. Land use can strongly influence earthworm communities and, hence related soil functions. We assessed earthworm biomass, abundance, and species composition on grasslands, apple orchards, and vineyards in the context of an existing sustainability assessment tool in South Tyrol, Italy. A stratified sampling campaign revealed significant differences in earthworm distribution. We found 21 to 700 individuals m−2 in grasslands and surprisingly abundant earthworm communities in apple orchards (14 to 382 individuals m−2). Results for vineyards were ambiguous with no or very low abundance in 47% of the vineyards and a maximum of 396 individuals m−2. Mesohumic endogeic species were the most abundant functional group observed (75% of the biomass in grasslands, 50% in apple orchards and vineyards). Aporrectodea caliginosa was the most abundant endogeic species, Lumbricus rubellus the dominant polyhumic endogeic species in all land-use types. We estimated a total of 34,900 t of earthworm biomass on agricultural areas in South Tyrol corresponding to a total value of EUR 872 million. Although soil quality is a complex concept that cannot be captured with a single indicator, earthworms are suitable and feasible indicators for sustainable soil use at the landscape scale.
Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Thomas Peham; Erwin Meyer; Ulrike Tappeiner. Hidden Engineers and Service Providers: Earthworms in Agricultural Land-Use Types of South Tyrol, Italy. Sustainability 2020, 13, 312 .
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Erich Tasser, Thomas Peham, Erwin Meyer, Ulrike Tappeiner. Hidden Engineers and Service Providers: Earthworms in Agricultural Land-Use Types of South Tyrol, Italy. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):312.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Thomas Peham; Erwin Meyer; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2020. "Hidden Engineers and Service Providers: Earthworms in Agricultural Land-Use Types of South Tyrol, Italy." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 312.
Greenness may protect from or contribute to allergy risk by influencing air pollution and human-microbe interactions. However, existing research on the issue is heterogeneous and produced conflicting results. Less in known about the effects of greyness. This study investigated the association between different characteristics of residential and school environment and allergic symptoms in schoolchildren. The present cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 2004/2005 among 1251 schoolchildren (8–12 years old) in several alpine valleys in Austria and Italy. Children's mothers completed a questionnaire that asked about allergic symptoms (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire), sociodemographic information, lifestyle, perinatal data, and housing conditions. We constructed four aggregate outcome variables: current asthma symptoms, ever asthma symptoms, ever allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms, and ever eczema symptoms. We employed well-known greenness and greyness exposure indicators (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, tree canopy cover, agricultural cover, imperviousness cover, and industrial cover), as well as an alternative naturalness index (Distance to Nature, D2N). Adjusted logistic regressions were used to explore associations between each exposure-outcome pair. Air pollution (NO2), traffic noise and time spent outdoors were tested as potential mediators in causal mediation analysis. Decrease in naturalness in a 500-m buffer around the home was associated with higher prevalence of AR symptoms. Associations with asthma symptoms were in the same direction but marginally significant. Residential NDVI and tree cover were marginally associated with lower prevalence of asthma and AR symptoms. Having a domestic garden was associated with lower prevalence of asthma symptoms. School greenness in a 100-m buffer was associated with lower prevalence of AR symptoms. Residential greyness was associated with higher prevalence of AR and asthma symptoms. We observed stronger associations for greenness and greyness in non-movers and in children without a family history of allergies. Mediation by NO2 and time spent outdoors was present in some of the exposure-outcome pairs. Schoolchildren residing in places with lower naturalness and higher greyness may be more likely to have allergic rhinitis and possibly asthma. Considering more comprehensive indicators than greenness and greyness and conducting research in children without a family history of allergic diseases may be key to better understanding who can profit from natural landscapes.
Angel M. Dzhambov; Peter Lercher; Johannes Rüdisser; Matthew H.E.M. Browning; Iana Markevych. Allergic symptoms in association with naturalness, greenness, and greyness: A cross-sectional study in schoolchildren in the Alps. Environmental Research 2020, 198, 110456 .
AMA StyleAngel M. Dzhambov, Peter Lercher, Johannes Rüdisser, Matthew H.E.M. Browning, Iana Markevych. Allergic symptoms in association with naturalness, greenness, and greyness: A cross-sectional study in schoolchildren in the Alps. Environmental Research. 2020; 198 ():110456.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAngel M. Dzhambov; Peter Lercher; Johannes Rüdisser; Matthew H.E.M. Browning; Iana Markevych. 2020. "Allergic symptoms in association with naturalness, greenness, and greyness: A cross-sectional study in schoolchildren in the Alps." Environmental Research 198, no. : 110456.
The European Alps are known as the ‘water towers of Europe’. However, climatic and socioeconomic changes influence both water supply and demand, increasing the need to manage this limited and valuable resource properly to avoid user conflicts and water scarcity. Two major challenges emerge when assessing water scarcity in the Alps: Firstly, mountainous regions are very heterogeneous regarding water availability and demand over space and time, and therefore water scarcity assessments need to be done at low temporal and spatial scales. Secondly, the tight coupling of the natural and the social sphere necessitate an integrative approach considering dynamics and interactions of the social-ecological system. Hence, we applied the agent-based water supply and demand model Aqua.MORE, which is designed for catchment scale and sub-daily temporal resolution, to a case study site in the Italian Alps. In the model, the water supply, the local water managers and water users are represented by interacting model agents. We estimated the water supply by refining the annual runoff data provided by the InVEST water yield model for within-year variations. Local stakeholders contributed to the development of quantitative and spatially-explicit scenarios for land use and tourism evolution. To evaluate water supply and demand dynamics, we assessed six scenarios for the period of 2015 to 2050: three different socio-economic policy pathways, both alone and in combination with a climate change scenario. In all six scenarios, the water demand:supply (D:S) ratio continuously rises from 2015 to 2050.The highest D:S ratio values are prognosed at the beginning of the irrigation period in May. In all scenarios considering climatic changes, the D:S ratio exceeds 20% for several days, indicating potential water scarcity. The simulation results reinforce the importance of analysing water balances at a high temporal resolution and can support management processes and stakeholder dialogues for sustainable watershed management.
Lisa Huber; Johannes Rüdisser; Claude Meisch; Rike Stotten; Georg Leitinger; Ulrike Tappeiner. Agent-based modelling of water balance in a social-ecological system: A multidisciplinary approach for mountain catchments. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 755, 142962 .
AMA StyleLisa Huber, Johannes Rüdisser, Claude Meisch, Rike Stotten, Georg Leitinger, Ulrike Tappeiner. Agent-based modelling of water balance in a social-ecological system: A multidisciplinary approach for mountain catchments. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 755 ():142962.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLisa Huber; Johannes Rüdisser; Claude Meisch; Rike Stotten; Georg Leitinger; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2020. "Agent-based modelling of water balance in a social-ecological system: A multidisciplinary approach for mountain catchments." Science of The Total Environment 755, no. : 142962.
Jacob Dein; Johannes Rüdisser. Landscape influence on biophony in an urban environment in the European Alps. Landscape Ecology 2020, 35, 1875 -1889.
AMA StyleJacob Dein, Johannes Rüdisser. Landscape influence on biophony in an urban environment in the European Alps. Landscape Ecology. 2020; 35 (8):1875-1889.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJacob Dein; Johannes Rüdisser. 2020. "Landscape influence on biophony in an urban environment in the European Alps." Landscape Ecology 35, no. 8: 1875-1889.
The application of ecosystem services (ES) models that rely on primary biophysical data is considered as most promising to generate accurate maps for decision making. However, to effectively apply these modelling approaches for ES mapping, representative functional spatial units with distinct socio-ecological characteristics are needed, which allow the upscaling of measured variables from the plot level to the landscape scale. In this study, we propose a theoretical framework for delineating functional spatial units based on abiotic and management variables. We apply this framework for an alpine grassland site and identify functional spatial units (here referred as to grassland trajectories) based on abiotic (elevation, slope, aspect) and management variables (fertilised or unfertilised) for three time steps (2015, 1953 and 1861). We test, via discriminant analyses, whether these grassland trajectories reflect variations in plant and soil traits. Our results indicate that the combination of topographical and management variables leads to significantly better classification results compared to land use/land cover (LULC) or topography alone. The best result could be obtained when information of past and present LULC was included, i.e. 51% of grassland trajectories were correctly classified. We finally use these grassland trajectories to map five ES (forage production and forage quality, carbon storage, water quality and soil fertility) based on trait-based models to exemplify the operational suitability of grassland trajectories to upscale plot-level data to the landscape scale. Current ES provision varies greatly for the different grassland trajectories, revealing the combined effects of abiotic and biotic drivers.
Uta Schirpke; Georg Leitinger; Erich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Veronika Fontana; Ulrike Tappeiner. Functional spatial units are fundamental for modelling ecosystem services in mountain regions. Applied Geography 2020, 118, 102200 .
AMA StyleUta Schirpke, Georg Leitinger, Erich Tasser, Johannes Rüdisser, Veronika Fontana, Ulrike Tappeiner. Functional spatial units are fundamental for modelling ecosystem services in mountain regions. Applied Geography. 2020; 118 ():102200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleUta Schirpke; Georg Leitinger; Erich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Veronika Fontana; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2020. "Functional spatial units are fundamental for modelling ecosystem services in mountain regions." Applied Geography 118, no. : 102200.
Ecological footprint analyses demonstrate that the world’s more than 7.5 billion people consume multiple planets’ worth of resources. To incite and evaluate societal changes for the sustainable use of the environment and its natural resources, the ecosystem service (ES) concept was developed more than 20 years ago. To ensure the sustainable provision of indispensable ES, the concept has been refined and enhanced, enabling its application across various temporal and spatial scales. However, evidence-based strategies and policies are needed to preserve biodiversity and natural capital in our changing world. This Special Issue comprises studies advancing the frameworks, concepts, and applications related to ES assessment, with a particular focus on social–ecological systems. To broadly apply the ES concept in different social–ecological systems, several key issues emerged: (1) ES-related definitions and procedures should be improved and standardized; (2) the complexity of the interactions in a social–ecological system must be recognized, and knowledge about spatial and temporal dynamics and interactions among multiple ESs must be deepened; and (3) communication about ES, considering cultural and stakeholder differences, must be increased.
Johannes Rüdisser; Georg Leitinger; Uta Schirpke. Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2960 .
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Georg Leitinger, Uta Schirpke. Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):2960.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Georg Leitinger; Uta Schirpke. 2020. "Application of the Ecosystem Service Concept in Social–Ecological Systems—from Theory to Practice." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2960.
Johannes Rüdisser; Uta Schirpke; Ulrike Tappeiner. Symbolic entities in the European Alps: Perception and use of a cultural ecosystem service. Ecosystem Services 2019, 39, 1 .
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Uta Schirpke, Ulrike Tappeiner. Symbolic entities in the European Alps: Perception and use of a cultural ecosystem service. Ecosystem Services. 2019; 39 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Uta Schirpke; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2019. "Symbolic entities in the European Alps: Perception and use of a cultural ecosystem service." Ecosystem Services 39, no. : 1.
Farmers are important actors for regional development and biodiversity protection. Agri-environment-climate measures (AECM) are therefore a central tool of the European Union to support its biodiversity conservation policy. AECM generally reward farmers for fulfilling predefined management actions or avoiding specific practices. In contrast, result oriented AECM are intended to reward farmers for the outcome of nature friendly management practices. This approach gives more flexibility in management and hence promotes farmers engagement and autonomy. Besides educational activities and agricultural advisory services farmers need user friendly tools to assess biodiversity in order to meet result oriented AECM. Thus, we present a biodiversity assessment scheme for farmland using a set of indicators, which covers different aspects of biodiversity (flower colour index, butterfly abundance, landscape structuring degree, patch diversity index, aggregated biodiversity index) and can be applied at different spatial scales. The assessment scheme is applied on 44 farms in five countries (France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Austria). To evaluate its appropriateness the relationship between the indicators and land-use intensity and plant species richness is investigated. Grasslands with low land-use intensity are more colourful grasslands, have significantly more butterflies and a higher aggregated biodiversity index than moderately and intensively used grasslands. The influence of management intensity on the landscape structuring degree is not significant. All indicators correlate with plant species richness at all spatial scales. The proposed assessment scheme serves as a tool for the detection of differences in biodiversity resulting from land-use practices, and can assist the monitoring of ROMs.
Erich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Michaela Plaikner; Alexander Wezel; Sibylle Stöckli; Audrey Vincent; Heike Nitsch; Monika Dubbert; Valerie Moos; Janette Walde; Daniel Bogner. A simple biodiversity assessment scheme supporting nature-friendly farm management. Ecological Indicators 2019, 107, 105649 .
AMA StyleErich Tasser, Johannes Rüdisser, Michaela Plaikner, Alexander Wezel, Sibylle Stöckli, Audrey Vincent, Heike Nitsch, Monika Dubbert, Valerie Moos, Janette Walde, Daniel Bogner. A simple biodiversity assessment scheme supporting nature-friendly farm management. Ecological Indicators. 2019; 107 ():105649.
Chicago/Turabian StyleErich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Michaela Plaikner; Alexander Wezel; Sibylle Stöckli; Audrey Vincent; Heike Nitsch; Monika Dubbert; Valerie Moos; Janette Walde; Daniel Bogner. 2019. "A simple biodiversity assessment scheme supporting nature-friendly farm management." Ecological Indicators 107, no. : 105649.
Agricultural land abandonment and transformation of the rural mountain landscapes have been of widespread occurrence in the European mountains. Such changes have strongly affected agricultural land, particularly traditionally used grasslands, which are hotspots of biological and cultural diversity in Alpine countries. We investigated the land use/cover changes and drivers of those changes between 1990 and 2010 in the Austrian and Italian bi-national region of Tyrol. We focus on grasslands as they covered around 94% of the utilized agricultural area since 1990. We mapped changes in grassland areas and assessed the socio-economic and biophysical factors associated with those changes using statistical modelling. Both sub-regions of Tyrol experienced changes in grasslands, but national and local scale factors mediated the impact of regional integration on land use decisions. Marginal grasslands decreased more rapidly in Austria's than in Italy's Tyrol, mostly in high elevation areas. High-management intensity grasslands slightly expanded in Austrian Tyrol, while in Italy's South Tyrol their conversion to other land uses such as permanent crops was more frequent. In the whole Tyrol region, grasslands of high management intensity expanded mostly in municipalities with a larger population, greater livestock density, smaller farms, more remote location, and fewer municipal grasslands and natural parks. Our findings suggest that grasslands conversion is a geographically heterogeneous process. Notwithstanding the de-agrarisation of the Tyrolean landscapes that took place in some Alpine areas, an expansion of grasslands was observed in others. These changes have ecological and social implications.
Leonith Hinojosa; Erich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Georg Leitinger; Markus Schermer; Eric F. Lambin; Ulrike Tappeiner. Geographical heterogeneity in mountain grasslands dynamics in the Austrian-Italian Tyrol region. Applied Geography 2019, 106, 50 -59.
AMA StyleLeonith Hinojosa, Erich Tasser, Johannes Rüdisser, Georg Leitinger, Markus Schermer, Eric F. Lambin, Ulrike Tappeiner. Geographical heterogeneity in mountain grasslands dynamics in the Austrian-Italian Tyrol region. Applied Geography. 2019; 106 ():50-59.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLeonith Hinojosa; Erich Tasser; Johannes Rüdisser; Georg Leitinger; Markus Schermer; Eric F. Lambin; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2019. "Geographical heterogeneity in mountain grasslands dynamics in the Austrian-Italian Tyrol region." Applied Geography 106, no. : 50-59.
A key challenge in the sustainable management of freshwater is related to non-stationary processes and transboundary requirements. The assessment of freshwater is often hampered due to small-scale analyses, lacking data and with the focus on only its provision. Based on the ecosystem service (ES) concept, this study aims at quantitatively comparing potential water supply with the demand for freshwater in the European Alps and their surrounding lowlands. We propose an easy-to-use combination of different mapping approaches, including a large-scale hydrologic model to estimate water supply and the downscaling of regional data to the local scale to map demand. Our results demonstrate spatial mismatches between supply and demand and a high dependency of the densely populated lowlands from water providing mountain areas. Under expected climate variations and future demographic changes, our results suggest increasing pressures on freshwater in the south of the Alps. Hence, sustainable water management strategies need to assure the supply of freshwater under changing environmental conditions to meet the increasing water demand of urbanized areas in the lowlands. Moreover, national water management strategies need to be optimally concerted at the international level, as transboundary policies and frameworks can strengthen future water provision.
Claude Meisch; Uta Schirpke; Lisa Huber; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner. Assessing Freshwater Provision and Consumption in the Alpine Space Applying the Ecosystem Service Concept. Sustainability 2019, 11, 1131 .
AMA StyleClaude Meisch, Uta Schirpke, Lisa Huber, Johannes Rüdisser, Ulrike Tappeiner. Assessing Freshwater Provision and Consumption in the Alpine Space Applying the Ecosystem Service Concept. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (4):1131.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClaude Meisch; Uta Schirpke; Lisa Huber; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2019. "Assessing Freshwater Provision and Consumption in the Alpine Space Applying the Ecosystem Service Concept." Sustainability 11, no. 4: 1131.
Citizen science (CS) terms the active participation of the general public in scientific research activities. With increasing amounts of information generated by citizen scientists, best practices to go beyond science communication and publish these findings to the scientific community are needed. This letter is a synopsis of authors' personal experiences when publishing results from citizen science projects in peer-reviewed journals, as presented at the Austrian Citizen Science Conference 2018. Here, we address authors' selection criteria for publishing CS data in open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as barriers encountered during the publishing process. We also outline factors that influence the probability of publication using CS data, including 1) funding to cover publication costs; 2) quality, quantity and scientific novelty of CS data; 3) recommendations to acknowledge contributions of citizen scientists in scientific, peer-reviewed publications; 4) citizen scientists' preference of the hands-on experience over the product (publication) and 5) bias among scientists for certain data sources and the scientific jargon. These experiences show that addressing these barriers could greatly increase the rate of CS data included in scientific publications.
Gabriele Gadermaier; Daniel Dörler; Florian Heigl; Stefan Mayr; Johannes Rüdisser; Robert Brodschneider; Christine Marizzi. Peer-reviewed publishing of results from Citizen Science projects. Journal of Science Communication 2018, 17, L01 .
AMA StyleGabriele Gadermaier, Daniel Dörler, Florian Heigl, Stefan Mayr, Johannes Rüdisser, Robert Brodschneider, Christine Marizzi. Peer-reviewed publishing of results from Citizen Science projects. Journal of Science Communication. 2018; 17 (3):L01.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriele Gadermaier; Daniel Dörler; Florian Heigl; Stefan Mayr; Johannes Rüdisser; Robert Brodschneider; Christine Marizzi. 2018. "Peer-reviewed publishing of results from Citizen Science projects." Journal of Science Communication 17, no. 3: L01.
The slow downhill motion of snow on the ground, referred to as snow gliding, impairs afforestation, increases the predisposition for landslides, fosters winter soil erosion, and coincides with the occurrence of glide-snow avalanches. This study identifies areas with a high chance for severe snow gliding for an area covering >20,000 km2 in the Central and Eastern Alps. The Spatial Snow-Glide Model (SSGM) was used to map potential snow gliding areas (i.e. snow gliding distances). The results revealed 56% of the investigated area to be potential snow gliding areas. Nearly 2000 km2 (17%) were prone to snow gliding distances of >112 cm per winter period, indicating a high vulnerability for both glide cracks and glide-snow avalanches. Taking the inter-annual variability of winter precipitation into account, which turned out to be highest in the usually drier southern part, another 5690 km2 were found to have a high risk for snow gliding damages. For planning purposes of on-site mitigation measures the Guidelines to Identify Snow-Glide Areas (GISGA) were validated to corroborate the sequential application of SSGM and GISGA for comprehensive assessment of snow gliding at landscape scale. We conclude that the application of SSGM and GISGA provides an appropriate evaluation framework for regional stakeholders to implement adequate steps to prevent critical snow gliding.
Georg Leitinger; Katrin Meusburger; Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Janette Walde; Peter Holler. Spatial evaluation of snow gliding in the Alps. CATENA 2018, 165, 567 -575.
AMA StyleGeorg Leitinger, Katrin Meusburger, Johannes Rüdisser, Erich Tasser, Janette Walde, Peter Holler. Spatial evaluation of snow gliding in the Alps. CATENA. 2018; 165 ():567-575.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGeorg Leitinger; Katrin Meusburger; Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Janette Walde; Peter Holler. 2018. "Spatial evaluation of snow gliding in the Alps." CATENA 165, no. : 567-575.
Public participation in scientific research, now commonly referred to as citizen science, is increasingly promoted as a possibility to overcome the large-scale data limitations related to biodiversity and conservation research. Furthermore, public data-collection projects can stimulate public engagement and provide transformative learning situations. However, biodiversity monitoring depends on sound data collection and warranted data quality. Therefore, we investigated if and how trained and supervised pupils are able to systematically collect data about the occurrence of diurnal butterflies, and how this data could contribute to a permanent butterfly monitoring system. We developed a specific assessment scheme suitable for laypeople and applied it at 35 sampling sites in Tyrol, Austria. Data quality and its explanatory power to predict butterfly habitat quality was investigated comparing data collected by pupils with independent assessments of professional butterfly experts. Despite substantial identification uncertainties for some species or species groups, the data collected by pupils was successfully used to predict the general habitat quality for butterflies using a linear regression model (r² = 0.73, p <0.001). Applying the proposed method in a citizen science context with laypeople could support both the long term monitoring of butterfly habitat quality, as well as the efficient selection of sites for professional in-depth assessments.
Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Janette Walde; Peter Huemer; Kurt Lechner; Alois Ortner; Ulrike Tappeiner. Simplified and still meaningful: assessing butterfly habitat quality in grasslands with data collected by pupils. Journal of Insect Conservation 2017, 21, 677 -688.
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Erich Tasser, Janette Walde, Peter Huemer, Kurt Lechner, Alois Ortner, Ulrike Tappeiner. Simplified and still meaningful: assessing butterfly habitat quality in grasslands with data collected by pupils. Journal of Insect Conservation. 2017; 21 (4):677-688.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Janette Walde; Peter Huemer; Kurt Lechner; Alois Ortner; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2017. "Simplified and still meaningful: assessing butterfly habitat quality in grasslands with data collected by pupils." Journal of Insect Conservation 21, no. 4: 677-688.
The role of ecosystems as carbon (C) sinks or sources is intrinsically related to land-use intensity, which determines the land required for biomass production. Here, we systematically investigate the role of different land-use types including their land-use intensities on vegetation C-stocks (SCact) in the Stubai valley, located in the Austrian central Alps. After a period of high land-use impacts until 1954, indicated by massive C-depletion, land-use shifted to completely new courses. Polarization into high-intensity low-land areas and extensification at higher altitudes allowed for a tripling of SCact until 2003. The most important land-use change was the intensification of the livestock sector accompanied by abandonment of extensive grasslands and reduced harvest pressure on forests after WWII. Market integration, abundance of fossil energy carriers, as well as structural change of the economy were important underlying socio-economic drivers of these trends. However, despite this remarkable SCact increase, SCact amounted to only 62% of the potential carbon stocks (SCpot) in 2003. Although conversion of forests to agriculture clearly contributed the lion’s share to this SC-gap, forest management explains roughly one quarter of the SC-difference. We found that time-lags between land-use shifts and the establishment of a new C-climax had fundamental repercussions on recent C-dynamics in the study region. Apparently, the land system is still net-accumulating C, although land-use changes have peaked decades earlier. Our findings are crucial for the understanding of C-dynamics, including the role of land management and time-lags in mountainous regions, which are regarded key areas for terrestrial C-sequestration.
Maria Niedertscheider; Erich Tasser; Monika Patek; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner; Karl-Heinz Erb. Influence of Land-Use Intensification on Vegetation C-Stocks in an Alpine Valley from 1865 to 2003. Ecosystems 2017, 20, 1391 -1406.
AMA StyleMaria Niedertscheider, Erich Tasser, Monika Patek, Johannes Rüdisser, Ulrike Tappeiner, Karl-Heinz Erb. Influence of Land-Use Intensification on Vegetation C-Stocks in an Alpine Valley from 1865 to 2003. Ecosystems. 2017; 20 (8):1391-1406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Niedertscheider; Erich Tasser; Monika Patek; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner; Karl-Heinz Erb. 2017. "Influence of Land-Use Intensification on Vegetation C-Stocks in an Alpine Valley from 1865 to 2003." Ecosystems 20, no. 8: 1391-1406.
Land use changes and intensification have been amongst the major causes of the on-going biodiversity decline in Europe. A better understanding and description of how different levels of land use intensity affect biodiversity can support the planning and evaluation of policy measures. Our study investigates how land use-related landscape characteristics affect bird diversity, considering different spatial scales and species groups with characteristic habitat use. We used breeding bird census data from 2693 observation points along 206 transects and applied a random effects hurdle model to describe the influence of the landscape characteristics altitude, forest proportion, patch density, land cover diversity, and land use intensity on avian species richness. Land use intensity and related landscape characteristics formed an important explanatory variable for bird richness. Increasing land use intensity was accompanied by a decrease in bird species richness. While forest bird richness decreased with a decreasing amount of forest cover, farmland species richness increased. This led to a bird diversity peak in extensively used semi-open landscapes. The influence of land cover diversity on species richness was small. Increasing patch density had positive effects on forest birds, but affected farm birds negatively. The strongest correlation between land use-based indicators and bird diversity was determined using spatial indicators at a close range around observation points (100–500 m radius). Our results assist interpretation of the Pan-European Common Bird Indices and emphasize the importance of using multifaceted and thoroughly selected indicators in the context of biodiversity monitoring and decision-making support.
Johannes Rüdisser; Janette Walde; Erich Tasser; Johannes Frühauf; Norbert Teufelbauer; Ulrike Tappeiner. Biodiversity in cultural landscapes: influence of land use intensity on bird assemblages. Landscape Ecology 2015, 30, 1851 -1863.
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Janette Walde, Erich Tasser, Johannes Frühauf, Norbert Teufelbauer, Ulrike Tappeiner. Biodiversity in cultural landscapes: influence of land use intensity on bird assemblages. Landscape Ecology. 2015; 30 (10):1851-1863.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Janette Walde; Erich Tasser; Johannes Frühauf; Norbert Teufelbauer; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2015. "Biodiversity in cultural landscapes: influence of land use intensity on bird assemblages." Landscape Ecology 30, no. 10: 1851-1863.
We conducted a comprehensive assessment of soil quality in South Tyrol, Italy by combining spatial land use and land cover data with field surveys studying soil microarthropods. The biological soil-quality index (BSQ) proposed by Parisi et al. (2005) is based on the assumption that higher soil quality is associated with the occurrence of more microarthropod groups that are well-adapted to soil habitats. We used the BSQ concept in the context of a state-wide sustainability assessment on a municipality level. Many soil animals fulfil key ecosystem functions that are the basis for significant and broadly used ecosystem services. These functions and services are essential for any sustainable agriculture type. To determine if and how BSQ values are influenced by land use characteristics, we analysed field data from 243 sampling sites comprising eleven different land cover or land use types. An ordinary least square regression (OLS) was used to assess the influence of land use types, altitude, aspect, slope and geology as independent variables on BSQ values (R2 = 0.60; p < 0.001). In addition to high variability in soil microarthropod communities, there were significant differences in BSQ values among most land use types. BSQ values were highest in forest ecosystems and lowest in arable fields. The parameters of the linear regression model were used together with spatial comprehensive GIS data to predict BSQ values spatially. The predicted values ranged from 0 to 198 and were used to calculate area-weighted mean BSQ values for all municipalities in South Tyrol. Our results show that the BSQ reacts sensitively to land use and hence can serve as an important surrogate indicator for sustainable land use practices.
Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Thomas Peham; Erwin Meyer; Ulrike Tappeiner. The dark side of biodiversity: Spatial application of the biological soil quality indicator (BSQ). Ecological Indicators 2015, 53, 240 -246.
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Erich Tasser, Thomas Peham, Erwin Meyer, Ulrike Tappeiner. The dark side of biodiversity: Spatial application of the biological soil quality indicator (BSQ). Ecological Indicators. 2015; 53 ():240-246.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Thomas Peham; Erwin Meyer; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2015. "The dark side of biodiversity: Spatial application of the biological soil quality indicator (BSQ)." Ecological Indicators 53, no. : 240-246.
Facing the challenges of global and regional changes, society urgently needs applicable and broadly accepted tools to effectively manage and protect ecosystem services (ES). This requires knowing which ES are perceived as important. We asked decision-makers from different thematic backgrounds to rank 25 ES on the basis of their importance for society. To test whether perceptions are varying across regions, we surveyed three Alpine regions in Austria and Italy. The ranking of importance showed a high variability amongst experts but was not influenced by region or thematic background. ES that satisfy physiological needs (‘fresh water’, ‘food’, ‘air quality regulation’) were indicated as most important. ES that relate to safety and security needs were ranked in the middle field, whereas cultural ES were perceived as less important. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify ES bundles based on perception of importance. In order to investigate whether research intensity follows the perceived importance, we related the interviews with a comprehensive literature review. ‘Global climate regulation’, ‘food’, ‘biodiversity’, ‘fresh water’ and ‘water quality’ were studied most often. Although ‘habitat’, ‘energy’, ‘primary production’, ‘tourism’, ‘water cycle’, and ‘local climate regulation’ were ranked as important by decision-makers, they did not receive corresponding research attention. We conclude that more interaction between research and stakeholders is needed to promote a broader application and understanding of the ES concept in practice. The use of ES bundles could help to manage its inherent complexity and facilitate its application.
Christin Haida; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner. Ecosystem services in mountain regions: experts’ perceptions and research intensity. Regional Environmental Change 2015, 16, 1989 -2004.
AMA StyleChristin Haida, Johannes Rüdisser, Ulrike Tappeiner. Ecosystem services in mountain regions: experts’ perceptions and research intensity. Regional Environmental Change. 2015; 16 (7):1989-2004.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristin Haida; Johannes Rüdisser; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2015. "Ecosystem services in mountain regions: experts’ perceptions and research intensity." Regional Environmental Change 16, no. 7: 1989-2004.
Mathias Kirchner; Johannes Schmidt; Georg Erich Kindermann; Veronika Kulmer; Hermine Mitter; Franz Prettenthaler; Johannes Rüdisser; Thomas Schauppenlehner; Martin Schönhart; Franziska Strauss; Ulrike Tappeiner; Erich Tasser; Erwin Schmid. Ecosystem services and economic development in Austrian agricultural landscapes — The impact of policy and climate change scenarios on trade-offs and synergies. Ecological Economics 2015, 109, 161 -174.
AMA StyleMathias Kirchner, Johannes Schmidt, Georg Erich Kindermann, Veronika Kulmer, Hermine Mitter, Franz Prettenthaler, Johannes Rüdisser, Thomas Schauppenlehner, Martin Schönhart, Franziska Strauss, Ulrike Tappeiner, Erich Tasser, Erwin Schmid. Ecosystem services and economic development in Austrian agricultural landscapes — The impact of policy and climate change scenarios on trade-offs and synergies. Ecological Economics. 2015; 109 ():161-174.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMathias Kirchner; Johannes Schmidt; Georg Erich Kindermann; Veronika Kulmer; Hermine Mitter; Franz Prettenthaler; Johannes Rüdisser; Thomas Schauppenlehner; Martin Schönhart; Franziska Strauss; Ulrike Tappeiner; Erich Tasser; Erwin Schmid. 2015. "Ecosystem services and economic development in Austrian agricultural landscapes — The impact of policy and climate change scenarios on trade-offs and synergies." Ecological Economics 109, no. : 161-174.
The ongoing worldwide biodiversity crisis comes along with a growing demand for feasible environmental indicators to measure, evaluate and communicate anthropogenic influence on biodiversity. Those indicators can be useful tools for national and regional management and support decision making processes. We propose degree of naturalness (Nd), distance to natural habitat (Dn) and the composite index distance to nature (D2N) as a highly comprehensible environmental indicator set that can be used as surrogate for land use related anthropogenic influence on biodiversity. A high resolution naturalness map for Austria based on the best nationwide available land use data was produced and used to test and demonstrate the applicability of the indicator set. Spatially inclusive and comprehensive indicator maps were calculated for the entire country (83,872 km2). Exemplary indicator values for all 2359 municipalities and six altitudinal zones were calculated and evaluated. Indicator maps of Austria clearly delimitate regions with elevated anthropogenic pressure on biodiversity due to land use characteristics. A sensitivity analysis conducted to evaluate the effect of land use data with different spatial and thematic resolution on the indicators showed that Dn reacts sensitive to spatially more detailed information about natural and near natural habitats. By contrast Nd and D2N were robust regarding the spatial and thematic resolution of input data. The proposed indicators do not measure biodiversity or a part of it directly, but the degree of habitat changes caused by anthropogenic land use, therefore they can be used for analysis over wide geographic ranges including different bio-geographic or climatic zones, and different spatial scales.
Johannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Ulrike Tappeiner. Distance to nature—A new biodiversity relevant environmental indicator set at the landscape level. Ecological Indicators 2012, 15, 208 -216.
AMA StyleJohannes Rüdisser, Erich Tasser, Ulrike Tappeiner. Distance to nature—A new biodiversity relevant environmental indicator set at the landscape level. Ecological Indicators. 2012; 15 (1):208-216.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Rüdisser; Erich Tasser; Ulrike Tappeiner. 2012. "Distance to nature—A new biodiversity relevant environmental indicator set at the landscape level." Ecological Indicators 15, no. 1: 208-216.
In the 1980s/90s, a number of socio-acoustic surveys and laboratory studies on railway noise effects have observed less reported disturbance/interference with sleep at the same exposure level compared with other modes of transportation. This lower grade of disturbance has received the label "railway bonus", was implemented in noise legislation in a number of European countries and was applied in planning and environmental impact assessments. However, majority of the studies investigating physiological outcomes did not find the bespoke difference. In a telephone survey (N=1643) we investigated the relationship between railway noise and sleep medication intake and the impact of railway noise events on motility parameters during night was assessed with contact-free high resolution actimetry devices. Multiple logistic regression analysis with cubic splines was applied to assess the probability of sleep medication use based on railway sound level and nine covariates. The non-linear exposure-response curve showed a statistically significant leveling off around 60 dB (A), Lden. Age, health status and trauma history were the most important covariates. The results were supported also by a similar analysis based on the indicator "night time noise annoyance". No railway bonus could be observed above 55 dB(A), Lden. In the actimetry study, the slope of rise of train noise events proved to be almost as important a predictor for motility reactions as was the maximum sound pressure level - an observation which confirms similar findings from laboratory experiments and field studies on aircraft noise and sleep disturbance. Legislation using a railway bonus will underestimate the noise impact by about 10 dB (A), Lden under the conditions comparable with those in the survey study. The choice of the noise calculation method may influence the threshold for guideline setting.
P Lercher; M Brink; Johannes Rüdisser; T Van Renterghem; Dick Botteldooren; M Baulac; J Baulac. The effects of railway noise on sleep medication intake: Results from the ALPNAP-study. Noise and Health 2010, 12, 110 -9.
AMA StyleP Lercher, M Brink, Johannes Rüdisser, T Van Renterghem, Dick Botteldooren, M Baulac, J Baulac. The effects of railway noise on sleep medication intake: Results from the ALPNAP-study. Noise and Health. 2010; 12 (47):110-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP Lercher; M Brink; Johannes Rüdisser; T Van Renterghem; Dick Botteldooren; M Baulac; J Baulac. 2010. "The effects of railway noise on sleep medication intake: Results from the ALPNAP-study." Noise and Health 12, no. 47: 110-9.