Half-day excursion to South-Tyrol’s Mountains (13:00-19:00)

This excursion departs at 1 p.m. in Bozen by a bus organized by the conference and we will return to Bozen at 7 p.m.. We will drive to the inneralpine valley of Vinschgau – Val Venosta. From the village of Naturns, we will use a cable car uphill reaching 1300m a.s.l. and walk down hill on the south-facing sunny slope using a small path/hiking trail (difference in elevation of ca. 700 m in descent). We will discuss the natural and cultural landscape, its history and future, the vegetation, biogeography, site ecology and plant and vegetation changes. Characteristic habitats and their plant species that we will encounter are dry grasslands and thermophilous forests of pubescent oak (Quercetum pubescentis s.l.).