Project number: 26.30.16.03.02_NeoFight

Controlling invasive weeds and neophytes and improving plant diversity in extensively managed valley meadows south of the Alps

Biodiversity Promotion Areas [IT: Superfici per la Promozione della Biodiversità] constitute a key instrument within Swiss agricultural systems. In the lowland regions south of the Alps, their effectiveness may be constrained by the warm, humid climate and by pressure from invasive neophyte species. Under these conditions, traditional extensive management, characterised by infrequent late-season mowing and the absence of fertilisation, can lead to thinning of the herbaceous layer, creating open patches that are rapidly colonised by highly competitive invasive species such as Erigeron annuus and Sorghum halepense. The concurrent presence of these two species represents a substantial threat to biodiversity and to the agronomic quality of both the affected areas and adjacent farmland. This project examines the transition from extensive to low‑intensity management to assess its current effects on biodiversity and the spread of neophytes. The project contributes to the development of biodiversity management approaches grounded in field experiments and adapted to the specific conditions of individual farms.

Last Name, First Name Location
Jousson Antoine Cadenazzo
Mazzi Dominique Cadenazzo

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