Study sites
The LUCSES project has two study sites: Lautaret (France) and Stubai valley (Austria).
Lautaret
The Lautaret site within the Central French Alps is located on the south facing slopes of the headwaters of the Romanche and Guisane valleys. The area ranging between 1552 and 2442 m.a.s.l. covers 53 km2 and is composed nearly solely of grasslands on the Western side of the Lautaret Pass (Romanche), while the Eastern side (Guisane) comprises significant woody encroachment due to strong agricultural extensification.
Stubai Valley
The Stubai Valley site is located in the Central Alps, Tyrol, Austria. Ranging from 900 to 2600 m a.s.l. and covering 80 km2, a long tradition of farming systems has led to diverse grassland types including fertilized meadows in the valley bottom, grassland of low management intensities and gradients of secondary succession after abandonment above 1500 m.a.s.l., and permanent grassland above 2000m a.s.l.