Local perception and knowledge of changing Alpine pastures

Abstract

Alpine pastures are places in the Alps intended for grazing livestock during the warmer months of the year. Those in the Solčava region and more broadly in the Alpine area have been undergoing transformations due to the interrelation between geophysical, social and cultural changes in the landscape. Based on fieldwork in the Solčava region, this article explores the changes most often recognized by their owners and/or caretakers in the Alpine pastures of the village, and is an attempt to show how those changes are perceived and experienced by them. The specific understanding of the changes and the way the Alpine pastures are cared for are a result of distinct local perceptions, wherein knowledge, its attaining and intergenerational transmission have special significance.