Counting on …. Day 1.152

18th August 2023

In the high alpine meadows of Switzerland there is a rich biodiversity of flowering plants and insects (various bees, flies, grasshoppers, ants) spiders, butterflies and moths – far more than I have seen in the UK. Is this richness a result of the alpine dairy farming? Quite probably so. Without the cows, the vegetation is tends to shrub and forest, which though totally natural is less biodiverse rich. Away from the steep slope, dairy farming is more intense and doesn’t support the same richness of plant and insect life. Even on the alpine slopes, repeated cutting of grass for silage reduces the biodiversity.  

Our human presence can have a positive effect on the natural environment.

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Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

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