These farms, which are largely located in mountainous areas, often have species-rich, extensively managed permanent meadows. In the course of this project, the effects of intensification of use as a result of production expansion and longer growing seasons on the plant population will be examined in a case study.

The following working hypotheses are examined:

• Working hypothesis 1: An increase in the number of cuts in montane economic grassland from 2 to 3 and 4 has a significant influence on the composition and diversity of the grassland stock. Depending on the cutting frequency, the growth strategy of the plants changes, described by Plant Functional Types

•  Working hypothesis 2: The quality and quantity of the plant population develops differently with manure fertilization than with liquid manure fertilization. Related to this, the soil humus content, the nitrogen content in the soil, and the availability of phosphorus and potassium also change.

• Working hypothesis 3: When the cutting frequency is intensified and different types of manure are used (solid/liquid), there is a shift in the vertical light profile and leaf area index at different growth heights. This can be used to describe the change in growth form and position of the leaf mass of the forage plants.

Adaptation strategies of mountainous hay meadows to intensified management regime in organic farming

Over half of the agricultural area in Austria is grassland stands. About one fifth of the meadows and pastures are managed with the guidelines of organic farming. It is this farms which own very diverse and more extensively managed meadows. This project aims to detect the impact of more intense production caused by management practice and longer vegetation period on well-established grassland stands.

The following working hypothesis shall be answered:

• Hypothesis 1: Increasing cutting regime has a major impact on diversity and species assemblage in mountainous hay meadows. Growth form strategy of grassland plants changes in dependency of mowing level, described with Plant Functional Types
• Hypothesis 2: Development of both herbage quantity and quality differences within type of organic fertilizer. Therefore, total amount of nitrogen, organic substance, phosphorous and potassium varies.
• Hypothesis 3: There is a shift of light transmission and leaf area index on different growth heights dependent on treatment factors. With this, changes in growth habit and position of main leaf mass of herbage plants can be described.