Abstract
Perception of agricultural aspects by different stakeholders influencing the decision to maintain nutrient-poor meadows - The management of nutrient-poor meadows in the Trudner Horn/Monte Corno Nature Park (South Tyrol) has a long tradition. Generally, these ecologically valuable meadows are not fertilized and are mown once a year. The maintenance of nutrient-poor is a crucial decision influenced by various aspects related to ecological sustainability and agricultural productivity. These grasslands, characterized by low fertility and high diversity of plant species, play a key role in preserving biodiversity. However, their management poses significant challenges, including lower forage yield and high labour needs. The purpose of our study was to understand how different stakeholders perceive different aspects of agricultural management that might be relevant to farmers in deciding whether to maintain nutrient-poor meadows through appropriate management. To this end, grassland farmers (GR), apple and wine growers (FW), and people not employed in the agricultural sector (NA) were interviewed by means of an online questionnaire. On average, an adequate financial support in the form of public payments was judged on average by respondents to be the most important aspect. Restrictions on management measures were regarded as the least important. The evaluation of all aspects showed differences among the stakeholder groups. For instance, the aspect of high labour requirements was more highly rated by GR than by NA, while the aspect of improving ecosystem services obtained higher ratings by NA than by GR. The perception of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the maintenance of nutrient-poor meadows therefore differs depending on the stakeholder group. Knowledge of these differences is relevant in designing measures to support the maintenance of NPM and in communicating with different stakeholders groups.