Client: Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
In the past grassland areas on marginal yield sites have increasingly been abandoned, while grassland stands in favourable locations are being used more and more intensively. The evaluation identified the diverse factors that influence this process and provided a basis for decisions for further developing the offered funding instruments. This study also analysed the trend of all grassland FFH habitat types and Natura 2000 areas. Using existing data from Statistics Austria and the Integrated Administration and Control System (INVEKOS), Suske consulting analysed the past development of grassland at the level of small production areas. A survey of 2,000 farmers, in-depth interviews and participatory workshops were used to determine the reasons at farm level that led to the abandonment or intensification of use. Trends for the individual regions were calculated from the data and compared with the proportion of valuable grassland biotopes. Scenarios for the different regions were developed from this and concrete conclusions drawn.
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