PHUSICOS - Kaunertal Valley
Methods to revegetate steep slopes to control soil erosion
Context
Infrastructure in high mountain environments is affected by increased sediment loads, due to glacier retreat above the timberline.
Kaunertal Valley in western Austria is experiencing glacier retreat and the southern part of the valley the ‘Gepatschferner’ glacier is one of the fastest melting glaciers in Austria. This glacier retreat leaves unconsolidated sediments in steep lateral moraines exposed to erosion and subsequently rock fall, debris flows, and shallow landslides decreasing the slope stability in the proglacial.
The initiative
Kaunertal concept study aims at the development of a height adapted seed mixture to stabilize slopes. In an interdisciplinary effort between geomorphologists and ecologists, the stabilizing effect of vegetation and the growth-promoting effects of bacteria to specifically enhance plant traits that most strongly contribute to slope stability will be demonstrated, through laboratory experiments and vegetation plots.
Results, limits and enable factors
The prior treatment of the seeds with local micro organisms lead to the favourable development of erosion reducing functionalities such as higher vegetation cover and a denser root system. The envisaged product will be spread by the means of hydro seeding on steep slopes to reduce sediment yield most effectively.
Location
Kaunertal Valley, Austria
Coordinator
PHUSICOS team [1]
Key words
Biodiversity / Nature´s Contributions to People / Good Quality of Life / Institutions and governance / Drivers of change / Climate change adaptation / Transformative adaptation
Timeframe
2018-2022
Current status
Work in progress
Type of ecosystems
Pastures and mountain summits
More info
Updated on 5 May 2021
[1] This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 776681