January 30, 2025
Project
LIVEMOUNT
Project info
Title
LIVEMOUNT: Achieving sustainability of livestock farming in the high mountains under climate change
Year
2024–2025
Year
2024-2025
Funding
This project has received funding from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), under the Action: Basic Research Financing (Horizontal Support of all Sciences), National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Greece 2.0). Project Number: 015451.
Host Institute
University of Ioannina, (UOI), Department of Biological Applications & Technology, Biodiversity Conservation Lab (BCL)
Collaborating Institutes
Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Department of Forestry & Natural Environment Management, Forest Botany-Geobotany Lab
University of Patras (UP), Department of Biology, Plant Functional Biology Lab
University of Thessaly (UTH), Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences & Design, Rangeland Science Lab
Principal Investigator
Prof. Vassiliki Kati (UOI)
Personal CV link: https://bc.lab.uoi.gr/en/who-we-are/vassiliki-kati/
Institute link: https://bc.lab.uoi.gr/en/, https://uoi.gr/en/
Partners
Assoc. Prof. Giorgos Fotiadis (AUA)
Personal CV link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Georgios-Fotiadis-2
Institute link: http://votaniki.gr/, https://www2.aua.gr/en
Asst. Prof. George Adamidis (UP)
Personal CV link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/George-Adamidis-2
Institute link: https://www.upatras.gr/en/
Prof. Michalis Vrachnakis (UTH)
Personal CV link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Vrahnakis
Institute link: https://www.uth.gr/en
Research Team
University of Ioannina:
Asst. Prof. Charilaos Yotis, plant biologist
Dr. Konstantina Zografou, entomologist
Dr. Olga Tzortzakaki, entomologist
Dr. Haritakis Papaioannou, conservation biologist
Dr. Christina Kassara, GIS expert
Dr. Maria Petridou, conservation biologist
Konstantina Nasiou, biologist, PhD student
Apostolis Stefanidis, biologist, PhD student
Niki Evaggelopoulou, economist
Effrosyni Varoucha, biologist, field assistant
Agricultural University of Athens:
Asst. Prof. Dimitrios Zianis, remote sensing expert
Stefanos Profitis, forester, MSc student
University of Patras:
Ioanna Nanopoulou, environmentalist, PhD student
University of Thessaly:
Assoc. Prof. Yannis Kazoglou, agronomist/rangeland scientist
Prof. Nikolaos Gougoulias, soil scientist
Dimitrios Oikonomou, agronomist, PhD student
Pinelopi Alexaki, economist, scientific staff
Goal
The LIVEMOUNT project explores the interplay between biodiversity, grazing, and climate change, aiming to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services while supporting sustainable livestock farming under global warming.
Research questions
- How will mountainous plant and insect communities respond to increasing climate stress along with ongoing alterations to livestock grazing pressure?
- How does livestock grazing, and aridity affect ecosystem service delivery, such as carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, water retention and insect pollination, in the mountainous grasslands?
- What is the current grazing capacity of the mountainous grasslands and what will their future potential to sustain livestock food production under climate change be?
- How can new scientific evidence help address societal and policy barriers to adopting sustainable solutions?
Disciplines
Livemount is a multidisciplinary project, involving 11 scientific fields: soil science, botany, entomology, functional ecology, ecophysiology, social science, ecological modelling, spatial mapping, climate change, rangeland science and conservation policy.
Study area
The project focuses on montane grasslands in the Pindos Mountain range, spanning nine mountains (Natura 2000 network).To study the effect of intensive grazing and aridity on functional and taxonomic diversity, we selected 32 sites above tree line (from 1,470 up to 1,850 m) without tree cover, maximizing the gradient range of pasture quality (Leaf Area Index difference) and humidity (mean Normalized Difference Infrared (Moisture) Index) accounting for the past five years. We then defined the stocking density (in terms of Livestock Units per ha) per site through targeted interviews with livestock farmers.
Target taxa
We selected three taxa – vascular plants, grasshoppers and butterflies – that capture different trophic and functional facets (e.g. biomass production, nutrient cycle, pollination), are sensitive microclimatic indicators and highly responsive to grazing regime change.
Methodology
We performed nested sampling, recording all taxa and measurements within a 300x100m site range. Butterflies were recorded within one transect (300x5m) per site, while grasshoppers, plants and microhabitat parameters were recorded within quadrats of 5 m length and 5 m width. Each butterfly transect included four quadrats, positioned at 0, 100, 200 and 300 m along its length. Plant functional traits and plant infestations were measured within two and four quadrats (5x5m), respectively, per transect. The above-ground biomass (grazing capacity) was collected in three 0.5×0.5m plots per quadrat and soil properties were collected as 4 samples per transect. Plant ecophysiological characteristics were measured in 2-4 quadrants per site. Butterfly and microhabitat sampling spanned three seasonal visits.
Results
|
Category |
Sampling area |
Area (m2) |
Number |
Sites |
Visits |
Total samples |
Species |
Counts |
Units |
|
Butterflies |
T-Transect |
1500 |
1 |
32 |
3 |
96 |
104 |
3393 |
Individuals |
|
Orthoptera |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
4 |
32 |
1 |
128 |
47 |
3090 |
Individuals |
|
Plants |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
4 |
32 |
1 |
128 |
227 |
2680 |
Individuals |
|
Microhabitat parameters |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
4 |
32 |
3 |
384 |
/ |
14 |
Parameters |
|
Functional plant traits |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
2 |
32 |
1 |
64 |
46 |
408 |
Functional traits |
|
Plant infestations |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
4 |
32 |
1 |
128 |
53 |
3496 |
Number of infestations |
|
Grazing capacity |
P-Plot |
0.25 |
12 |
32 |
1 |
384 |
/ |
/ |
Above-ground biomass |
|
11 soil parameters |
/ |
/ |
4 |
32 |
1 |
128 |
/ |
/ |
Soil samples |
|
Ecophysiology |
Q-Quadrat |
25 |
2 up to 4 |
32 |
1 |
74 |
49 |
956 |
Photosynthesis/stress measurements |
|
Stocking density |
Site |
250000 |
1 |
32 |
1 |
32 |
/ |
55 |
Interviews |
Conferences
Kati V., Nasiou K., Kassara C., Petridou M., Stefanidis A. and Zografou K. (2025). Sustainable livestock grazing in Mediterranean mountains for insect conservation. International Mountain Conference, September 14-18, Innsbruck, Austria. Oral presentation.
Abstract: Sustainable livestock grazing is challenging in Mediterranean mountainous grasslands, under the increasing aridity stress, stemming from global warming. We aimed to define the optimal range of stocking rate for insect diversity conservation in mountainous grasslands (1,470-1,850 m) in Pindos Mountain Range in Greece (nine mountains, including protected areas of the Natura 2000 network). We sampled 32 sites along a gradient of pasture quality (LAI-Leaf Area Index) and humidity (NDII-mean Normalized Difference Infrared Moisture Index). For three butterfly seasons (June-July-August 2024), we recorded 104 butterfly species across one transect (300 x 5 m) per site, and 14 microhabitat parameters across four plots (5 x 5 m) per site. During August, we recorded 47 Orthoptera species in the same plots. We produced the Time-Weighted Grazing Index (TWGI) (96 values: 32 sites X 3 seasons), by multiplying the Livestock Units/ha (data collected from interviews with 55 livestock farmers) with the number of grazing days/ overall days of the vegetation growth season, implying the butterfly flight period window. Pasture quality (LAI), humidity (NDII), vegetation height and cover, and flowerheads significantly decreased from June to August, and TWGI and litter cover increased. Models showed that TWGI negatively affected vegetation height, vegetation cover and flowerhead abundance, and positively litter cover. Models also showed that vegetation heights of 15–20 cm ensured the highest butterfly species richness and abundance (and a litter cover of 25-30% only for butterfly species richness). Orthoptera species richness peaked at 1,650–1,750 m elevation and 20–50% vegetation cover, with their abundance positively related to vegetation height and negatively to stone cover. Preliminary findings suggest a stocking rate of up to 0.108 LVU/ha in arid pastures (NDII2000) to maintain adequate vegetation height and cover for butterfly and orthoptera conservation in the high mountains. These results underline the need to define sustainable grazing management plans in the mountainous pastures accounting for both livestock farming sector sustainability and biodiversity conservation, under climate change. This study was funded by H.F.R.I. (LIVEMOUNT project).
Kati V., Fotiadis G., Adamidis G.C., Giotis C., Vrachnakis M., Kazoglou Y., Gougoulias N., Kassara C., Petridou M., Zografou K., Tzortzakaki O., Nasiou K., Nanopoulou I., Stefanidis A., Profitis S., Papaioannou H., Staratzis E., Andreou I. (2024). LIVEMOUNT: Research for sustainable grazing in high mountains under climate change. 1st Panhellenic Agroforestry Congress, 17-19 October, Karpenisi, Greece. Oral presentation.
Abstract: LIVEMOUNT tackles the nexus grazing-biodiversity-climate change, focusing on the mountainous grasslands of Greece. In full compliance with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the project will contribute to sustainable livestock farming in conditions of increasing aridity, through the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Nanopoulou I., Yiotis C., Fotiadis G., Kati V., Profitis S., Adamidis G.C. (2024). Plants of mountain grasslands and ecosystem functioning along a gradient of grazing intensity and aridity. 18th Panhellenic Scientific Conference of the Hellenic Botanical Society, 2-5 October, Thessaloniki, Greece. Poster presentation.
Abstract: Mediterranean mountainous grassland ecosystems are under increased pressure due to the combined impact of human activities and climate change. Specifically, unsustainable livestock grazing, combined with increasing aridity, may negatively affect biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the ecosystem services they provide. The LIVEMOUNT project studies the nexus grazing-biodiversity-climate change, while this study investigates variation of functional traits of dominant plant species, their leaf damage by herbivores and pathogens, as well as the assessment of their photosynthetic rate and stress levels imposed along a dual gradient of grazing intensity and aridity. This research was conducted in 32 sampling areas of the Natura 2000 network in the mountains of Parnassos, Oiti, Tymfristos, Tzoumerka, Lakmos, Mitsikeli, Tymfi, and Smolikas. The measurement of plant functional traits was conducted in two representative 5x5m plots in each study area. In each plot, leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, leaf thickness, leaf dry leaf mass, and specific leaf area of dominant species with a combined coverage >60-80% were measured. Chlorophyll fluorescence-based methods and porometry were used to measure the gas exchange capacity, photosynthetic efficiency and stress levels of the same species, when possible. Herbivore and pathogen leaf damage was recorded in four sampling plots per study area. Part of the samples was stored for future analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon concentrations, while in the next sampling period, the floral traits of the dominant species (flower color and size and nectar volume and concentration) will be measured. The assessment of the combined impact of grazing intensity and aridity on mountainous grassland ecosystems’ functioning will lead to the development of improved management and conservation policies.
Open lectures
News
October 7, 2024
