Agri-environment scheme protects diversity of mountain grassland species

摘要: Abstract Most evaluations of agri-environment policies conducted in Europe have focused on biodiversity improvement effects. Their effectiveness with respect to protecting existing has been less investigated. Biodiversity and landscape protection effects can be expected marginal agricultural areas, where farming intensive. We investigated (i) the Ecological Compensation Area (ECA) scheme for according different evaluation criteria (ii) how was influenced by climate, socio-economic conditions structures. Vegetation surveys were carried out 18 municipalities across Swiss Alps 162 randomly selected meadows managed as ECAs conventionally meadows. Average species richness ECA-meadows per municipality ranged between 27 46 vascular plant 25m2 (conventionally meadows: 16–35 25 m2). In lower altitude (mainly fulltime farming) ECA constituted 20% farmland, difference two land-use types highly significant contribution grassland pool highest. higher part-time at least 40% found. This associated a strong botanical similarity conclude that altitudes, is relatively intensive, protects few, economically marginal, rich botanically complementary sites, important maintaining pool. At altitudes contributes scale. As it more efficient protect than restore biodiversity, effect agri-environmental schemes needs adequately recognized.