!!!Alm Alpe, Schwaige

Alm: alpine pasture, alp (also called "Alpe" in Vorarlberg, "Schwaige" 
in Lower Austria and Styria), pasture areas at high altitudes, above 
the crop line, below or above the tree line (with mountain huts and 
sheds) which are worked only 3-5 months in the summer. In Austria 
there were more than 12,000 Alpine pastures in use in 1997, on which 
approx. 70,000 alm farmers kept approx. 500,000 head of cattle, the 
highest figures in the EU. In 1997, alm and mountain meadowland 
covered 851,128 hectares (approx. one quarter of Austria'´ total 
agricultural area). Ownership of the Alpine pastures is divided at a 
ratio of about 7 : 3 : 1 between individuals, 
communities and commons; the lower Alpine pastures (called 
"Maiensaess" in Vorarlberg) are found at altitudes up to 1,750 m, 
middle Alpine pastures up to 2,500 m, and high Alpine pastures 
are found above 2,500 m. Grazing in the mountain pastures is important 
for the health of the livestock (approx. 15 % of all cattle, 
mostly young animals). Subsidies and promotion schemes for farming 
alpine pastures are being implemented to combat a reduction in their 
use and in order to prevent avalanches occurring due to long, ungrazed 
grass.  Alpine Pasture Husbandry.

!Further reading
F. Zwittkowits, Die Almen Oesterreichs, 1974; H. and 
W. Senft, Unsere Almen: erleben, verstehen, bewahren, 1986.


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