Like forests, grassland provides numerous ecological, economic and social benefits.
Like forests, grassland provides numerous ecological, economic and social benefits. Researchers have investigated ways to maintain and improve these benefits in the Swiss canton of Solothurn.
Grass, clover and herbs are the foundation of Swiss agriculture: two-thirds of Switzerland’s agricultural land is grassland, much of which is barely suitable for arable farming. Vast areas of grassland are to be found primarily in the foothills of the Alps, in the Alps themselves and in the Jura Mountains. And grassland, in turn, is the basis for Swiss dairy and meat production.
However, in contrast to forests, whose ecosystem services such as timber production, water regulation, climate and recreation are firmly anchored in the public consciousness, grassland is rarely mentioned in terms of the diverse and numerous ecosystem services it provides for people. Yet it plays an even more important role in our food supply.
Read more at ETH Zurich
Photo Credit: TheDigitalArtist via Pixabay
