Management of mountainous meadows associated with biodiversity attributes, perceived health benefits and cultural ecosystem services
Autor: | Brigitte Allex, Johann G. Zaller, Thomas Frank, Renate Eder, Peter Wallner, Raja Imran Hussain, Ronnie Walcher, Hans-Peter Hutter, Nicole Bauer, Arne Arnberger |
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Rok vydání: | 2019 |
Předmět: |
Grassland ecology
Adult Male 0106 biological sciences Attractiveness Health Status Biodiversity lcsh:Medicine Blood Pressure Flowers Grasshoppers Forests 010501 environmental sciences 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Article Perceived health Ecosystem services Young Adult Heart Rate Abundance (ecology) Surveys and Questionnaires Animals Humans Ecosystem lcsh:Science Socioeconomics Recreation 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Multidisciplinary lcsh:R Agriculture Plants Grassland Healthy Volunteers Geography Austria lcsh:Q Female Species richness Switzerland |
Zdroj: | Scientific Reports Scientific Reports, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2019) |
ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
Popis: | Associations between biodiversity, human health and well-being have never been discussed with reference to agriculturally managed, species-rich mountainous meadows. We evaluated these associations between extensively managed (one mowing a year, no fertilization) and abandoned (no mowing since more than 80 years, no fertilization) semi-dry meadows located in the Austrian and Swiss Alps. We quantified the richness and abundance of plants, grasshoppers, true bugs, bumblebees, syrphids and landscape characteristics in the surroundings of the meadows. Associations between these biodiversity attributes and short-term psychological and physiological human health effects were assessed with 22 participants (10 males, 12 females; mean age 27 years). Participants´ pulse rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were not affected during visits to managed or abandoned meadows. However, perceived health benefits (e.g., stress reduction, attention restoration) were higher during their stays in managed than in abandoned meadows. Also, the attractiveness of the surrounding landscape and the recreation suitability were rated higher when visiting managed meadows. Perceived naturalness was positively correlated with plant richness and flower cover. A positive correlation was found between SBP and forest cover, but SBP was negatively correlated with the open landscape. A negative association was found between grasshoppers and recreational and landscape perceptions. We suggest to discuss biodiversity attributes not only in connection with agricultural management but also with cultural ecosystem services and health benefits to raise more awareness for multifaceted interrelationships between ecosystems and humans. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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