The research project LIVEMOUNT, “Achieving Sustainability of Livestock Farming in High Mountains under Climate Change,” has been selected for “BASIC RESEARCH FUNDING” (Horizontal Support for All Sciences) under the Greece 2.0 – National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is funded through the Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (ELIDEK).
It is widely acknowledged that addressing major environmental challenges can be successfully achieved within the framework of an interdisciplinary and networked approach (nexus approach). In the LIVEMOUNT project, we introduce the networked approach “biodiversity-grazing-climate change,” aiming to achieve sustainability in livestock use of the primary productivity of high mountain grasslands.
Extensive livestock farming is one of the key sectors of global food production, impacting a quarter of the Earth’s surface, particularly grassland ecosystems. However, it also exerts increasing pressure on natural resources and contributes to global warming as a source of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, unsustainable grazing can reduce species richness and functional diversity, especially in dry grassland ecosystems. This degradation is directly linked to a decline in the multifunctionality of grassland ecosystems, defined as their ability to provide multiple ecosystem functions that support various ecosystem services.
The capacity of grasslands as pastures to support food production (meat and dairy products) through their primary productivity and act as carbon sinks is gradually diminishing due to the cumulative negative effects of unsustainable grazing and global warming. Global warming may also impact the economic viability of the livestock sector directly or indirectly through biodiversity loss and changes in grassland ecosystem functionality.
The LIVEMOUNT project introduces the biodiversity-grazing-climate change nexus, aiming to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem service provision while ensuring the sustainability of livestock farming under climate change conditions. LIVEMOUNT incorporates cutting-edge scientific initiatives and sets four distinct objectives:
1. Assessing the impact of grazing on mountain plant and insect communities under water stress (taxonomic approach).
2. Investigating the underlying mechanisms influencing ecosystem functionality in mountain grasslands (functional approach).
3. Combining taxonomic and functional approaches to propose strategies for adapting livestock farming to climate change and linking these with policies and practices to maintain ecosystem functionality.
4. Maximizing the scientific and societal impact of the project.
The study focuses on 32 sites across seven mountain ranges in the Pindos range, at altitudes exceeding 1470 m. The selected areas are protected under the Natura 2000 network: Smolikas (GR2130002), Tymfi (GR2130009), Mitsikeli (GR2130008), Lakmos (GR2130007), Athamanika (GR2110002), Oiti (GR2440002), and Parnassos (GR2450005).
As part of the project, the following activities are planned:
(a) Fieldwork:
Collection of field data, specifically data on the primary productivity of grasslands, phytosociological characteristics, biodiversity of indicator taxa (Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and floristic elements), and microhabitat parameters.
Study of the functional traits, ecophysiological adaptation, and resistance to disturbances of the dominant floristic elements in grasslands.
(b) Laboratory Work:
Processing of samples for:
(a) Soil, to determine the physico-chemical properties of soils from the 33 sites.
(b) Plant species, to describe their functional traits.
(c) Grazing biomass, to calculate the grazing capacity of the sites.
(c) Social Research:
Collection of data to document the social aspects of extensive livestock farming in the selected areas, including grazing practices, grazing intensity, and suggestions from farmers for improving livestock activities.
(d) Statistical Research:
Collection of data from national databases related to livestock farming activity in the country, aiming to develop support strategies for livestock farming in mountainous regions based on the results of this study.
Project Timeline:
The project began on February 1, 2024, and will run until December 31, 2025. During the first year, field data, social research data, and laboratory analyses have been initiated and are underway.
The project is coordinated by Professor Vasiliki Kati of the Department of Biological Applications and Technology at the University of Ioannina. Researchers from the Universities of Ioannina, Thessaly, Patras, and the Agricultural University of Athens are participating.
From the University of Thessaly, contributors include Professors Michalis Vrachnakis and Ioannis Kazoglou of the Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences, and Design (FWSD), Ph.D. candidate Dimitrios Oikonomou, and postgraduate student Pinelopi Alexaki. Additionally, Professor Nikolaos Gougoulias from the Department of Agriculture – Agrotechnology at the University of Thessaly is collaborating.
As part of the project, undergraduate and postgraduate students from the FWSD department are completing their theses.