The mountain environment is an ecosystem sentinel for global climate change, which will negatively affect soil properties and determine phenology shifts. Grasslands cover about 70% of agricultural land and they can store about 34% of the global carbon stock, depending on climatic conditions and land management. The current grassland ecological degradation affects their ecosystem services. The digestate, which contains organic matter and plant-available nutrients, can have amendment properties and can allow for the replacement of inorganic fertilizers. Now, it's being increasingly used in mountain areas. The dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) in mountain meadows are unclear, and the antagonistic and synergistic interaction between climate change and management practices (including amendment) have yet to be understood. The present research project aims at examining the effect of digestate application on SOM biogeochemical characteristics, distinguishing POM (particulate SOM) and MAOM (mineral associate SOM) in topsoil from grasslands, also considering a possible climate change scenario simulated using open top chambers. To achieve this goal, two experimental fields (randomized blocks) will be set up and monitored for 2-3 years, and 6 theses tested, i.e., increasing temperatures (ambient vs. + 2°C), amendment (unamended vs. digestate application), and application times (2 vs. 4). In fact, as the timing of amendment can have an influence on C:N:P stoichiometry, the same quantity of digestate will be distributed differently, i.e., in spring and autumn rather than around the time of meadows cutting. Physical, chemical and biological properties will be investigated, including SOM evolution/stability (by soil respiration and thermal analysis), as well as fodder production and nutritional quality. The obtained results will contribute to improving the knowledge about the interaction between agronomic practices (fertilization, cutting), SOM dynamics and associated ecosystem services (e.g., carbon storage, fodder production, climate change mitigation and biodiversity preservation) in mountain grassland soils. Moreover, they may be useful to increase the awareness of farmers on the role of healthy soil in sustainable livestock in mountain areas.
Influence of digestate application in mountain grassland as a possible strategy to increase their resilience to climate change
Bona D.;Galluzzi G.;Zaccone C.
2026-01-01
Abstract
The mountain environment is an ecosystem sentinel for global climate change, which will negatively affect soil properties and determine phenology shifts. Grasslands cover about 70% of agricultural land and they can store about 34% of the global carbon stock, depending on climatic conditions and land management. The current grassland ecological degradation affects their ecosystem services. The digestate, which contains organic matter and plant-available nutrients, can have amendment properties and can allow for the replacement of inorganic fertilizers. Now, it's being increasingly used in mountain areas. The dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) in mountain meadows are unclear, and the antagonistic and synergistic interaction between climate change and management practices (including amendment) have yet to be understood. The present research project aims at examining the effect of digestate application on SOM biogeochemical characteristics, distinguishing POM (particulate SOM) and MAOM (mineral associate SOM) in topsoil from grasslands, also considering a possible climate change scenario simulated using open top chambers. To achieve this goal, two experimental fields (randomized blocks) will be set up and monitored for 2-3 years, and 6 theses tested, i.e., increasing temperatures (ambient vs. + 2°C), amendment (unamended vs. digestate application), and application times (2 vs. 4). In fact, as the timing of amendment can have an influence on C:N:P stoichiometry, the same quantity of digestate will be distributed differently, i.e., in spring and autumn rather than around the time of meadows cutting. Physical, chemical and biological properties will be investigated, including SOM evolution/stability (by soil respiration and thermal analysis), as well as fodder production and nutritional quality. The obtained results will contribute to improving the knowledge about the interaction between agronomic practices (fertilization, cutting), SOM dynamics and associated ecosystem services (e.g., carbon storage, fodder production, climate change mitigation and biodiversity preservation) in mountain grassland soils. Moreover, they may be useful to increase the awareness of farmers on the role of healthy soil in sustainable livestock in mountain areas.
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