Final Conference

GLOBAL CHALLENGES IN MOUNTAIN AGROPASTORAL SYSTEMS

We are very glad to announce the LIFE PASTORALP final conference “GLOBAL CHALLENGES IN MOUNTAIN AGROPASTORAL SYSTEMS – Scientific evidence on impacts, adaptation and policies”, which aims at bringing together researchers, policy makers, agriculture and extension technicians, farmers and students to share and discuss current and emerging issues related to climate-driven global changes in mountain agropastoral systems. The debate on these issues, hosted in the heart of the Alps, will be fostered by experiences from all Europe and mountain environments and will give rise to new ideas and proposals to be spread and shared globally.

NEW FOR ABSTRACT SUBMITTER!!!

Abstract submitters are given the opportunity to submit a scientific article on the research topic ‘Climate-Smart Management in Grassland Ecosystems‘ of the Scientific Journal Frontiers, benefiting from a special discount. 
To obtain the discount, authors are invited to register in the Frontiers Fee Support program by filling in the following form: https://frontiersin.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YqUCmY73k4Gm0u.

The outcome of each application will be communicated by our Fee Support Department.

The deadlines are:

• Abstract: 31st July 2023
• Manuscript: 31st December 2023

Where and when

📍Forte di Bard, Bard, Aosta Valley (Italy) (where to sleep in Bard and surroundings)

📅 15-16-17 March 2023

Download the Conference Programme

Program

Day 1 (15/03/2023) – Conference opening, keynote talks and discussion with policy makers and stakeholders (a simultaneous translation service will be provided during the day).

Moderator: Marta Galvagno (ARPA Valle d’Aosta)

14.00 – 14.40 Registration and Welcome coffee

14.45 – 15.15 Opening and Welcome

15.15 – 15.30 Camilla Dibari – University of Florence: “The LIFE Pastoralp project”

15.30-16.00 Carolina Adler – Executive Director Mountain Research Initiative, Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): “Climate change in mountain regions: key findings from the IPCC’s sixth assessment and prospects for climate-resilient mountain social-ecological systems”

16.00-16.30 Uta Schirpke – Eurac Research, Institute for Alpine Environment; University of Innsbruck, Department of Ecology : “Global change impacts on ecosystem services of mountain grassland”

16.30-17.00 Maria Luisa Paracchini – European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Sustainable Resources Directorate: “Integrating scientific results into EU nature protection and restoraton policies”

17.00-17.30 Alessandro Rota – Assessorato Agricoltura e Risorse Naturali, Politiche regionali di sviluppo rurale: “Pastoralp results in operational tools for rural development programme 2023/27” – closing remarks and discussion

18.00-20.00 Ice breaker aperitif

Day 2 (16/03/2023) – Scientific conference (in english language)

9.00 – 9.30 Registration

9.30 – 10.30 Session 1: Challenges and opportunities for mapping and modelling agropastoral systems (Moderator: Edoardo Cremonese – ARPA Valle d’Aosta)

Analysis and conservation of secondary grasslands: the case of Maiella National Park. Gigante, D.*; Angelucci, S.; Morbidini, L.; Pauselli, M.; Vizzari, M.; Di Cecco, V.; Bonini, F.; Madonna, L.; Valenti, B.; Di Martino, L. |*Dip. Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università di Perugia, Italy

Large-scale mapping of shrublands in altitude pastures using the 20-m Sentinel-2 Normalized Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (NARI). Bayle, A.*; Choler, P. | *Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France

Characterization of Alpine Pastures using Multitemporal Earth Observation Data within the Climate Change Framework. Orusa, T.*; Farbo, A.; De Petris, S.; Sarvia, F.; Cammareri, D.; Borgogno-Mondino, E. | *Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), GEO4Agri DISAFA Lab, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy

Incorporating ecotone monitoring into alpine land management and biodiversity conservation: a pilot study from the Chamonix valley. Carlson, B.*; Bayle, A.; Bison, M.; Boulangeat, I.; Delestrade, A. | *CREA Mont-Blanc, France

10.00 – 11.30 Poster session & Coffee break (poster_list)

11.30 – 12.30 Session 2: Challenges and opportunities for mapping and modelling agropastoral systems & Climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation (Moderator: Giovanni Argenti – Università di Firenze)

Monitoring pasture vegetation using satellite remote sensing: which images and workflow? Oriani. F.*; Aasen, H.; Schneider, M.; | *Agroscope – Swiss Center of Excellence for Agricultural Research, Switzerland

GPS tracking: Opportunities for a better understanding of the interactions between pastoralism and vegetation in high altitude pastures. Perron, R.*; Garel, M.; Bayle, A.; Choler P. | *Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France

Animal-borne sensors to monitor pastoral systems: opportunities and challenges. Schneider, M.*; Pauler, C. | *Agroscope – Swiss Center of Excellence for Agricultural Research, Switzerland

Pastoral management and climate have a comparable effect on the variation of botanical composition of alpine pastures: an evaluation over a 20-year time span. Pittarello, M.*; Nota, G.; Marengo, G.; Lombardi, G.; Lonati, M. | *University of Torino, Department of veterinary sciences, Italy

12.30 – 14.30 Lunch break

14.30 – 15.30  Session 3: Climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation (Moderator: Gianni Bellocchi – INRAE)

Yield and nutritional quality of drought-resistant leys under extreme and contrasting climatic conditions. Probo, M.*; Dereuder, E.; Frick, R.; Frund, D.; Raymond, B.; Mariotte, P.| *Grazing Systems, Agroscope, Switzerland

Yield and nutritional quality of drought-resistant leys under extreme and contrasting climatic conditions. Pascual, D*.; Pla, E.; Nadal-Romero, E.; Zabalza Martínez, J.; Lasanta T.; Foronda, A.; Reiné, R.; Barrantes, O.; Pueyo, Y.; Lana-Renault, N.; Ruíz-Flaño, P. | *CREAF, Barcelona, Spain

Re-grazing of abandoned mountain pastures to maintain soil functions and biodiversity? The case study “Brunnenkopfalm”. Dannenmann M.*; Jentsch A.; von Heßberg A.; Ramm E. | *KIT (Karlsruhe Institut for Technology), Campus Alpin; Garmisch-Patenkirchen, Germany

Using robust ruminants to preserve mountain pastures under global change conditions. Pauler, C.M.*; Lüscher, A.; Kreuzer, M.; Berard, J.; Schneider, M.K. | *Agroscope, Forage Production and Grassland Systems, Switzerland

15.00 – 16.30 Poster session & Coffee break (poster_list)

16.30 – 17.30  Session 4: Governance under global changes: the interface between policy and science (Moderator: Philippe Choler – LECA)

A conceptual model of mountain socio-ecological systems to support multi-stakeholder collaborations on the governance of mountain regions and agropastoral systems. Cristofari, H., Urbach, D.*; Otero, I.; Reynard, E.; Guisan, A.; Randin, C. | *Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment, Assessment, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland

Pyrenean Climate Change Strategy at the crossroads of science and political agenda at regional level. Vergèr D*.; Terrádez Mas J.; García Balaguer E.; Pascual, D. |* Pyrenean Climate Change Observatory (OPCC) of the Working Community of the Pyrenees, Spain

The national school of pastoralism (SNAP): first realisations. Battaglini L.*; Barbera F.; Bindi L.; Franca A.; Claps S.; Storti D.; Membretti A.; Omizzolo A.; Semplici G.; Nori M.; Arneodo G.; Tallone G.; Di Meglio F.; | * DISAFA, University of Torino, Italy

A multi-taxa approach in mountain ecosystems. Cerrato C.*; Ghidotti, S.; Rocchia, E.; Aimone, B.; Bionda, R.; Movalli, C.; Pedrotti, L.; Vettorazzo, E.; Viterbi, R.  | * Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

18.00 – 20.00 Aperitif

Day 3 (17/03/2023) – Project networking, on invitation (in english language)

9:00-9:10 Giacomo Trombi (UNIFI) “Aims. methodology and expected outcomes of the networking meeting”

9:10-9:20 P. Borsotto (CREA) and F. Benvenuti (MASE, LIFE NCP) “Strengthening complementarity between the LIFE Programme and the CAP”

9:20-9:45 Round presentation of each project invited:

• LIFE AGRICOLTURE, Luca Filippi (Consorzio di Bonifica dell’Emilia Centrale)
• LIFE GRACE, Luca Colombo (FIRAB)
• LIFE IMAGINE, Daniela Gigante (UNIPG)
• LIFE MIDMACC, Diana Pascual Sánchez (CREAF)
• LIFE REGENERATE, Antonio Pulina (UNISS)
• LIFE SHEPFORBIO, Tommaso Campedelli (Dream)
• LIFE XEROGRAZING, Ginevra Nota (UNITO)
• LIFE CLIMAMED, Maria Doula (BPI)
• POLLINATORS, Simona Bonelli (Butterfly Conservation Europe)
• SUSALPS, M. Dannenmann (KIT)
• Parco Natuale Mont Avic, Daniele Stellin

9:45-11:00 hands on discussion on the main topics

11:00-11:15 Coffee break

11.15-12:30 final outcomes, wrap up

12:30-13:00 conclusion of the meeting

Topics of the scientific conference:

🔎 Challenges and opportunities for mapping and modelling agropastoral systems

Mapping grasslands and agropastoral systems has become undoubtedly pivotal for global change studies, natural resource monitoring and management, desertification evaluation and or loss of biodiversity. Moreover, the abandonment of marginal land in combination with shrub encroachment and climate changes are critical factors in the continuing decline of Europe’s species-rich of semi-natural grassland habitats. Traditional mapping methods are time consuming and very costly, hence, alternative approaches (such as modelling, remote sensing products, machine learning) are becoming increasingly important to map changes in pastoral systems and detect mowing and grazing practices. This session welcomes studies analysing challenges and opportunities of using innovative approaches to model and map grasslands and pastoral systems.

🔎 Climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation

As climate change continues, and climate extremes such as droughts, heatwaves, and  intense precipitation increase, it is important to advance our understanding of their impacts on ecosystem structure and function. Natural and managed ecosystems, such as mountain pastures, have indeed the potential to face future climate change challenges if preserved and sustainably managed. This session focuses on observational, experimental and modeling studies related to climate change impacts on mountain grasslands, pastures and other agropastoral systems. We also welcome studies investigating the role of agropastoral systems for adaptation and mitigation opportunities in mountain areas.

🔎 Governance under global changes: the interface between policy and science

The science-policy interface presents several challenges to both scientists and policy-makers, however, the growing severity of challenges imposed by climate change, and the policies needed to face them, implies that more frequent collaborations between scientists and policymakers are crucial. This session welcomes studies or experiences at the interface between policy and science in the context of mountain agropastoral systems, including the definition of adaptation or mitigation strategies or plans. The session aims also at describing the current gaps, challenges, skills and strategies facilitating the uptake of scientific knowledge in policy formulation and implementation.

Abstract

Mountain agropastoral systems are facing global challenges (climate change, land use and societal changes) to which scientists need to respond. The LIFE PASTORALP final conference entitled “Climate-driven global challenges in the mountain agropastoral systems” will give the opportunity to gather relevant representatives (scientists, policy makers, technicians and stakeholders), coming from both PASTORALP study areas and other alpine and mountain regions, to present and discuss the utmost climate related biophysical, social and governance issues affecting agropastoral systems in mountain environments. This will give the chance to exchange opinions and to gain science-based knowledge on these topics, paving the path for future actions and synergies for an environmental and economic sustainable transition.

Conference Registration

Abstract Submission

The deadline for submitting abstracts has expired.