Restoration of abandoned Alpine Summer Pastures: Insights into Vegetation, Soil Conditions, and Microbial Communities

Alpine grasslands, recognized as High Nature Value Farmland due to their biodiversity, are crucial agro-ecosys tems for extensive livestock systems. Within a project aimed at restoring a recently abandoned pasture located at 1900 of elevation in the northeastern Italian Alps, this study aims at assessing the pre-restoration interactions between vegetation, soil features and microbial communities and N cycle potential functions. Vegetation was an alyzed with the Braun-Blanquet method during 2022, revealing three vegetation classes across ten sample areas. Topsoil samples from each area were examined to determine organic carbon content and pH. In addition, we used qPCR and sequencing to examine soil microbial communities. We used qPCR to quantify target genes involved in nitrogen cycle processes, evaluating their functional potentials. The targeted genes included nifH for nitrogen f ixation, amoA for nitrification, nirK, nirS, and nosZ for denitrification. Sequencing was applied to characterize the microbial communities’ composition, inferring functional diversity through FAPROTAX. Regarding pedo logical conditions, the three vegetation types exhibited significant organic carbon and pH differences. These dis tinctions were further validated by different microbial community compositions and functional potentials related to denitrification and nitrification, though not to nitrogen fixation. These findings reveal the interconnectedness between vegetation and soil microbial communities, emphasizing substantial implications for nutrient cycles. The gathered information holds practical value to define sustainable management of future grazing plan, considering agroecological principles