Various studies calculated the potential of marine and terrestrial ecosystems to
accumulating carbon in the biomass, soil, or water. Permanent grasslands with their
roots, soil vertebrates and invertebrates, bacteria, fungi, humus and exchange processes have a great potential to take carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the
soil and biomass. The meaning and potential of the above- and belowground carbon
storage in grassland ecosystems was already indicated and estimated by Olson et al.
(1983). If grasslands accumulate round about a third of the carbon of all terrestrial
ecosystems and if the reservoir of all terrestrial soils is two or even three times larger
than the amount of carbon in the atmosphere then grassland might be a relevant sink
for the future (Boeker 1957; White et al. 2000; Gruber and Sarmiento 2002; Lal
2008; Gruber et al. 2009; Archer 2010; Bond-Lamberty and Thomson 2010; von
Haaren et al. 2010; Bar-On et al. 2018; FAO 2018).
However, in regions with frequent wildfires an increasing carbon sequestration in
the biomass and soil would require the elimination of fire which on the other hand
causes a serious loss of biodiversity (Abreu et al. 2017). Thus, increasing carbon
storage should only be discussed for grassland, scrub or forest where fire is not a
natural event and may not become a mega-fire event because of the storage of
carbon.
Not only philosophers but also ecologists, physicians, landscape planners and
architects pronounce the meaning of the landscape scenery for place identity,
tourism, recreation activities, and health (e.g. White et al. 2000; BMU & BfN 2010).
If we observe the relationship between objective landscape attributes and the
subjective aesthetical awareness then we can recognize positive and negative relations. A positive effect is described by terms such as beauty, sympathy, attractiveness, wellbeing, and a negative reaction is related to effects in our awareness that
make us unhappy, nervous, or hurt.
Most likely, noise, fetidness, but also artificial buildings (at least p.p.), roads,
streets, smog of light, rectangular and linear shapes in high concentrations are
affecting the landscape aesthetics at the uncomfortable side (Milton 2002; Brady
2003).
In contrary, colourful and species-rich open and half-open landscapes without
rectangles or linear dissections by trend are perceived as attractive. We hypothesize
that grasslands in combination with water, large animals, woody plants, scrub,
groves, or small woods are experienced as highly attractive by most people. Eventually this might have to do with our evolutionary origin in half open landscapes
such as savannas. This hypothesis is underlined by the arrangements of private
gardens and public parks all over the world (Parsons 2008; Zalta et al. 2016).
Therefore, the loss of quantity and quality of grassland habitats is directly linked
with a loss of physical, environmental and emotional values and with a limitation of
recreation possibilities (Bundesamt für Naturschutz 2014).
Development and Future of Grassland Ecosystems: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift?
335
accumulating carbon in the biomass, soil, or water. Permanent grasslands with their
roots, soil vertebrates and invertebrates, bacteria, fungi, humus and exchange processes have a great potential to take carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the
soil and biomass. The meaning and potential of the above- and belowground carbon
storage in grassland ecosystems was already indicated and estimated by Olson et al.
(1983). If grasslands accumulate round about a third of the carbon of all terrestrial
ecosystems and if the reservoir of all terrestrial soils is two or even three times larger
than the amount of carbon in the atmosphere then grassland might be a relevant sink
for the future (Boeker 1957; White et al. 2000; Gruber and Sarmiento 2002; Lal
2008; Gruber et al. 2009; Archer 2010; Bond-Lamberty and Thomson 2010; von
Haaren et al. 2010; Bar-On et al. 2018; FAO 2018).
However, in regions with frequent wildfires an increasing carbon sequestration in
the biomass and soil would require the elimination of fire which on the other hand
causes a serious loss of biodiversity (Abreu et al. 2017). Thus, increasing carbon
storage should only be discussed for grassland, scrub or forest where fire is not a
natural event and may not become a mega-fire event because of the storage of
carbon.
Not only philosophers but also ecologists, physicians, landscape planners and
architects pronounce the meaning of the landscape scenery for place identity,
tourism, recreation activities, and health (e.g. White et al. 2000; BMU & BfN 2010).
If we observe the relationship between objective landscape attributes and the
subjective aesthetical awareness then we can recognize positive and negative relations. A positive effect is described by terms such as beauty, sympathy, attractiveness, wellbeing, and a negative reaction is related to effects in our awareness that
make us unhappy, nervous, or hurt.
Most likely, noise, fetidness, but also artificial buildings (at least p.p.), roads,
streets, smog of light, rectangular and linear shapes in high concentrations are
affecting the landscape aesthetics at the uncomfortable side (Milton 2002; Brady
2003).
In contrary, colourful and species-rich open and half-open landscapes without
rectangles or linear dissections by trend are perceived as attractive. We hypothesize
that grasslands in combination with water, large animals, woody plants, scrub,
groves, or small woods are experienced as highly attractive by most people. Eventually this might have to do with our evolutionary origin in half open landscapes
such as savannas. This hypothesis is underlined by the arrangements of private
gardens and public parks all over the world (Parsons 2008; Zalta et al. 2016).
Therefore, the loss of quantity and quality of grassland habitats is directly linked
with a loss of physical, environmental and emotional values and with a limitation of
recreation possibilities (Bundesamt für Naturschutz 2014).
Development and Future of Grassland Ecosystems: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift?
335