MICROVALU

The project MICROVALU, funded by the Euregio Science Fund, aims to identify the main drivers of microbial and faunal diversity in the soil of alpine pastures. We collect data on abiotic/climatic factors (such as soil moisture, soil organic matter content, temperature, number of days of snow cover), as well as biotic interactions between the microbiota of soil, rhizosphere and above and below ground fauna (including invertebrates, small mammals and livestock). MICROVALU will evaluate the interactions of these soil components along an altitudinal gradient, in order to predict how such interactions may be affected by climate change.