Ethnobotanical Research in Homegardens of Small Farmers In the Alpine Region of Osttirol (Austria): An example for bridges built and building bridges

Abstract

The importance of farmers’ activities in the management of natural resources in the diverse and risk prone area of the Alps is discussed frequently in public. But, analysis of the development of the alpine farming system with focus on traditional ecological knowledge of the rural population has not been realized yet. This paper presents traditional knowledge on the management of alpine homegardens, and shows its development in the context of the mosaic of farmers’ activities.