Litter raking: From prohibition to restoration

“Litter raking” was once common in many mountain and upland areas where alternative sources of bedding, such as straw, were scarce. This material was used as bedding for livestock in winter, and beech leaves were even used in the Alps to fill mattresses for human use. With the advent of alternative sources, this practice has largely been abandoned. However, the use of litter raking now appears to be very suitable for restoration and maintenance management to conserve the biodiversity of open forests.

Credits:
Manuscript: Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Pamadillo
Animation: Pamadillo - https://www.pamadillo.com/
Intro/ending music: Gregor Quendel https://www.gregorquendel.com/
Middle music: Andreas Raad    / @baltimus9000  
Project: ROTATE: Application of traditional knowledge to halt biodiversity loss in woodlands
Funding: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and Norway Grants 2014–2021

Contact: NIBIO researcher Fride Høistad Schei, [email protected]

References:
1. - (0:25) Cutout: Women gather needles and herbs https://www.waldwissen.net/de/lernen-...
2. - (0:54) Historic photograph: Litter collecting day in Betlis https://www.researchgate.net/figure/L...
3. - (0:56) Historic photograph: Extraction of beech leaves https://www.waldwissen.net/de/lernen-...
4. - (0:58) Historic photograph: Litter collecting day in Betlis https://www.researchgate.net/figure/L...
5. - (01:00) Cutout: Woman and boy with filled leaf baskets https://www.waldwissen.net/de/lernen-...
6. - (1:02) Cutout: Lady https://www.life.com/history/true-gri...
7. - (1:03) Cutout: Sheep https://cartorum.fr/carte-postale/720...
8. - (01:10) Cutout: Horse and carriage https://www.alamy.com/harmony-communi...
9. - (01:42) Cutout: Lady and leaves   / 1774065544066425111