Landscape management and animal health

Open alpine pastures and grazing lands characterize the cultural landscape of the Alpine region. However, many of these valuable habitats are increasingly becoming overgrown: shrubs and woody plants are spreading, displacing forage plants and endangering biodiversity.

This is exactly where the Interreg Italy-Austria project WeideWert comes in. On the Hofalm in South Tyrol, sheep and goats are being used in a targeted manner to keep shrub-encroached areas open. Through the controlled grazing of areas with alpine rose, blueberry, or common heather, the animals are expected to help maintain the open landscape while simultaneously promoting biodiversity.

But can animals manage the landscape without their own health suffering? This question is one of the central research focuses of the project. After all, shrubs and woody plants provide significantly fewer nutrients than fresh alpine grasses and herbs. The goal is therefore to find a sustainable balance between landscape management and animal welfare.

To investigate this scientifically, the Interreg IT-AT project WeideWert is collaborating with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Innsbruck branch, during the 2026 alpine season. As part of a diploma thesis under the supervision of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johannes Lorenz Khol, research is being conducted into how grazing on shrub-encroached areas affects the health and performance of sheep and goats.

To this end, the animals are weighed before and after the alpine pasture season and subjected to regular health examinations. In addition to checking body condition, hoof health, and potential parasite infestation, blood and fecal samples are also analyzed. Furthermore, particularly detailed health monitoring is carried out on 20 selected animals.

Another exciting aspect of the research is the question of which plants the animals actually eat. Using modern DNA analysis of fecal samples, the researchers want to identify which shrubs and plant species are actually consumed on the grazed areas.

The findings are intended to show how biodiversity, landscape management, and animal health can be successfully combined.

Article written by Julia Stauder, Eurac Research.