Landscapes

i
Landscape Development
in Mountain Regions
Proceedings of the
ForumAlpinum 2007
18. 21. April, Engelberg / Switzerland
www.forumalpinum.org

ISCAR
ii
Imprint
Distributor
Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, Vienna
Editors
Prof. Heinz Veit, Dr. Thomas Scheurer, Dr. Gnter Kck
International Scientifc Committee on Research in the Alps Iscar, www.iscar-alpineresearch.org
ISBN Online: 978-3-7001-3940-9
doi: 10.1553/forumalpinum
Local scientifc committee
Prof. Heinz Veit (Icas / Iscar / University of Berne), chair, Susanne Grieder (Iscar / Swiss Alpine Museum), Dr. Christian Gysi (Schweizer
Alpen-Club SAC), Dr. Stefan Husi (National Research Programme NRP 48), Sylvia Martinez (Swiss Biodiversity Forum). Prof. Jon Mathieu
(Icas / University of Lucerne), Prof. em. Bruno Messerli (University of Berne), Christian Preiswerk (Swiss Academy of Sciences scnat), Dr.
Raimund Rodewald (Stiftung Landschaftsschutz Schweiz), Dr. Engelbert Ruoss (Icas / Iscar / Unesco Biosphere Entlebuch UBE), Dr. Thomas
Scheurer (Icas / Iscar), Andreas Stalder (Federal Offce for the Environment Foen), Urs Steiger (Swiss National Research Programme NRP
48), Marlis Zbinden (Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences SHS)
Partners:
Swiss Academy of Sciences scnat, Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences SHS, Swiss National Research Programme NRP 48,
Federal Offce for the Environment Foen
International scientifc committee
International Scientifc Committee on Research in the Alps Iscar:
Prof. Heinz Veit (University of Berne, chair 2005-2006), Dr. Loredana Alfar (Imont, Rome), Prof. Axel Borsdorf (University of Innsbruck),
Prof. Philippe Bourdeau (University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble), Dr. Anton Brancelj (Slovenian National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana),
Dr. Jean-Jacques Brun (cemagreF, Grenoble, chair 2007-2008), Susanne Grieder (Swiss Alpine Museum, Berne), Prof. Horst Hagedorn
(University of Wrzburg), Prof. Dietrich Herm (University of Munich), Dr. Gnter Kck (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, guest), Ivan
Kreft (University of Ljubljana;), Dr. Massimo Pecci (Imont), Dr. Christian Preiswerk (Swiss Academy of Sciences scnat, guest), Prof. Roland
Psenner (University of Innsbruck), Dr. Engelbert Ruoss (Unesco Biosphere Entlebuch UBE), Dr. Thomas Scheurer (Iscar offce, Berne), Marlis
Zbinden (Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences SHS, guest)
Editorial staff and production
Dr. Gnter Kck (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna)
Dr. Thomas Scheurer (Iscar offce, Berne)
DI (FH) Vittorio Muth (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna)
Mag. Herwig Stger (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna)
Vera Kaufmann (Iscar offce, Berne)
Layout
Vera Kaufmann (Iscar offce, Berne)
Translation & Proof-Reading
Margret Powell-Joss, Berne
Veit H., Scheurer T., Kck G. (Eds.) 2007: Landscape Development in Mountain Regions. Proceedings of the ForumAlpinum 2007,
18. 21. April, Engelberg / Switzerland International Scientifc Committee on Research in the Alps Iscar. Vienna, Austrian Academy
of Sciences Press. Digital Edition.
ISBN Online: 978-3-7001-3940-9; doi: 10.1553/forumalpinum
2007 Austrian Academy of Sciences
1
Contents

Foreword 3
1. Plenary Session 1: Values and valuation 5
1.1. Pecci M., Weck-Hannemann H.: summary 5
1.2. Key input contributions to Plenary Session 1: extended summaries 7
1.2.1. Walter F.: The Alps as both matrix and model of European perception of the landscape 7
1.2.2. Hunziker M.: What values, needs and expectations do future alpine landscapes have to
meet?Results of representative preference studies in Switzerland 8
1.2.3. Pruckner G.: Use and non-use values of landscapes economic valuation 9
1.2.4. Panizza M.: Cultural Geomorphology in Mountain Regions 10
1.3. Workshops Plenary Session 1: summaries 12
1.3.1. Backhaus N., Stremlow M.: Alpine views: from imagination to action
Workshop 1/1 (NRP 48 synthesis 1) 12
1.3.2. Grt-Regamey A.: Economic valuation of alpine landscapes
1.3.3. Sgard A.: Landscape and identity
Workshop 1/3 14
1.3.4. Hausner I., Reynard E.: Toponymy and Geoheritage in the Alps cultural approaches
in geoheritage research
Workshop 1/4 15
2. Plenary Session 2: Transformation processes 19
2.1. Brun J.-J., Golobi M.: summary 19
2.2.1. Tappeiner U.: Land-use change in the European Alps: effects of historical and future
scenarios of landscape development on ecosystem services 21
2.2.2. Bolliger J., Kienast F.: Observed and simulated transformation of Alpine landscapes:
driving forces and potential impact on landscape functions 24
2.2.3. Bertrand N., Vanpeene S.: Landscape under urban pressure: agreement or divergence
between socio-economical and ecological approaches 24
2.2.4. Vancutsem D.: Shaping our future urban landscapes experiences from Bavaria 26
2.3.1. Perlik M.: Urbanisation: changes of the built environment
Workshop 2/1 27
2.3.2. Stcklin J.: Agriculture, Alpine landscapes and biodiversity
2.3.3. Probst T.: Changing climate changing landscape
Workshop 2/3 30
2.3.4. Kozak J., Petek F.: Land-use changes in the Carpathians and in the Alps
Workshop 2/4 32
2.3.5. Alewell Ch., Spehn E.: Soil system services in mountain environments
Workshop 2/5 33
2
3. Plenary Session 3: Cooperation and decision-making in
landscape management 35
3.1. Luque S., Weixlbaumer N.: summary 35
3.2.1. Wiesinger G.: The importance of social capital in rural development, networking
and decision-making in rural areas 37
3.2.2. Coy M.: The perception of landscape management the example of the
Groes Walsertal Biosphere Reserve 38
3.2.3. Hirschmugl M., Zebisch M.: How can remote sensing support landscape planning
and landscape management in mountain regions? 39
3.3.1. Heeb J.: Shaping future landscapes: negotiation processes and best practices
Workshop 3/1 (NRP 48 Synthesis 3) 40
3.3.2. Lange E.: Virtual worlds real decisions: modelling the Alps
Workshop 3/2 (NRP 48 Synthesis 5) 41
3.3.3. Castiglioni B., De Marchi M.:Strategic Environmental Assessment and Alpine
landscape development
Workshop 3/3 43
3.3.4. Egerer H.: Cooperation in European mountains the example of the Alpine and
Carpathian Conventions
Workshop 3/4 45
4. Plenary Session 4: Landscapes role in a changing society 47
4.1. Wytrzens H. K.: summary 47
4.2.1. Debarbieux B.: Social demand for landscapes 49
4.2.2. Lehmann B.: Landscapes: from by-product to resource selected conclusions
from the Swiss NRP 48 Landscapes and Habitats of the Alps 50
4.2.3. Helming K., Kruchi N.: Assessing land-use impacts on landscape goods and
services the specifc case of mountain landscapes 51
5. Project & Programme Fairs 55
5.1. Borsdorf A.: Project networking in European Mountains (FP 6, Interreg III and cost)
Project & Programme Fair 1 55
5.2. Bjrnsen Gurung A., Scheurer T., Veit H.: Global change research in European mountains:
Implementation of the glochamore Research Strategy and Research Agenda in the
multi-annual working programme of the Alpine Convention among the scientifc
community
5.3. Bose L.: Ecological networks within and into the Alps: from concepts to actions
5.4. Jost S., Kirchgesser M.: The Alpine Space Programme: A successful approach to
transnational cooperation in the Alpine Space
6. Poster presentations 61
List of participants and contributors 75
3
Foreword
After Disentis (CH 1994), Chamonix (F 1996), Garmisch-
Partenkirchen (D 1998), Bergamo and Castione della
Presolana (I 2000), Alpbach (A 2002) and Kranjska Gora
(SI 2004), the seventh ForumAlpinum was hosted again by
Switzerland from April 18
th
21
st
, 2007. As in 1994, the
Swiss venue was Engelberg, a historic location famous for
its monastery. Some 230 scientists, stakeholders, politi-
cians and interested laypeople responded to the invitation
to discuss various aspects of Landscape Development in
Mountain Regions at this years ForumAlpinum, exten-
ded by the International Scientifc Committee for Alpine
Research Iscar, the Swiss Academy of Sciences scnat and
the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences
SHS. The choice of topic was related to the Swiss national
research programme Landscapes and habitats of the
Alps (NRP 48), realized between 2001 and 2007, but to
be discussed in a broader alpine and European context.
Four plenary sessions dealt with values and valuation,
transformation processes, cooperation and decision-
making in landscape management and the role of land-
scape in a changing society. The plenary sessions with
talks by various speakers were complemented by thirteen
workshops, a poster presentation, four project & pro-
gramme fairs, flm presentations and two excursions. Par-
ticipants and invited guests spent the offcial evening on
the Titlis (3020 m asl), an impressive peak on which Edwin
Bernbaum, Head of the Sacred Mountains Programme
of The Mountain Institute, Berkeley, USA, enhanced our
awareness of sacred mountains around the world.
These proceedings summarize the results of the 7
th

ForumAlpinum. I trust that issues addressed at Engel-
berg will encourage further research and programmes to
provide our society with greater knowledge in managing
mountain landscape as a cultural heritage and resource
for development.
The next ForumAlpinum will be integrated into Alpweek
2008 and focus on innovation processes in the Alps.
Alpweek 2008 will be held from June 11
th
14
st
, 2008 at
LArgentire-la Besse, France, in the south-western Alps.
Heinz Veit,
Chair of the ForumAlpinum 2007
4
5
1. Plenary Session 1:
Values and valuation
1.1. Summary
Moderators:
Hannnelore Weck-Hannemann (Institut fr
Finanzwissenschaft, Universitt Innsbruck, Austria)
Massimo Pecci (Imont, Rome, Italy)
Mountain landscapes represent symbolic and cultural
values, which are a part of driving factors for landscape
development in mountain regions, such as scenery,
amenity, identity, authenticity, naturalness, wildlife,
seclusion, or sacredness. This frst Plenary Session asked
(1) how such values are recognised, valuated and used by
policy-makers, society and the private economic sector,
(2) what issues concerning landscape development need
to be addressed, and (3) what appropriate concepts of
landscape development or effcient instruments exist to
preserve, improve or create such values.
The presentations of the Plenary Session emphasized cul-
tural, historical, political, social and economic dimensions
in the use of landscape values and debated on questions
as:
How are landscapes valuated by society and different
user groups?
What landscape for which users?
Are landscapes a public (national or regional) good?
Use (economic) and non-use (cultural, ethical) values
of landscapes?
Do we need landscapes for identity?
Will future mountain tourism depend on landscape?
Do value changes precede landscape changes or vice
versa?
How to create new values in / of landscapes?
The four Keynote Speakers represented different ap-
proaches to these issues. Franois Walter from the
Dpartement dHistoire gnrale of the University of
Geneva (Switzerland) questioned the perception of Alpine
landscapes from a historical perspective. He was followed
by Marcel Hunziker, from the Social Sciences in Landscape
Research Group of the Swiss Federal Research Institute
WSL in Birmersdorf (Switzerland), who further explored
the question of what objectives and preferences the Swiss
population has with respect to landscapes in the Alps
in the future. Gerald Pruckner from the Department of
Economics at the University of Linz (Austria) focussed on
the valuation of landscape amenities in monetary terms
and as revealed by local compensation schemes based
on political negotiations. Finally, Mario Panizza from the
Dipartmento di Scienze della Terra at the Universit di Mo-
dena e Reggio Emilia (Italy) supplemented the discussion

by illustrating his concept of cultural geomorphology in
mountain regions.
Franois Walter (Dpartement dHistoire gnrale,
Universit de Genve, Switzerland) :
The Alps as both matrix and model of European land-
scape perception
The alpine mountain landscape has played an im-
portant role in European visual culture. Between the
18
th
and the mid-20
th
centuries, this particular type of
landscape was a must when it came to characterizing
beautiful scenery. Beyond aesthetics, the political uses
of the model deserve renewed attention. Reference to
the alpine landscape has been used in very different
contexts, most often totally unrelated to mountain
topography, in order to affrm national specifcities.
More or less hybrid landscape types have thus been
promoted to the status of cultural reference. Else-
where, through rejection of the model and aesthetic
sublimation of local qualities, reference to mountains
helps found a more autonomous landscape image.
These complex processes do not develop within an
ideological vacuum. Understanding them might pre-
vent the excessive naturalization of cultural references.

Marcel Hunziker (Swiss Federal Research Institute
WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland):
What values, needs and expectations do future lands-
capes in the Alps have to meet? Results of representa-
tive preference studies in Switzerland
One of the main goals of our project within the frame-
work of the NRP 48 was to investigate the objectives
of different parts of the (Swiss) population regarding
the Alpine landscape and its development. In this con-
text, the underlying dimensions of objectives and pre-
ferences such as values, needs and expectations were
analysed. Furthermore, consensus-building measures
to resolve conficts of objectives were developed and
experimentally evaluated. At the conference, the
main results of a nationwide representative survey
in Switzerland regarding landscape objectives and
preferences were primarily presented, with special em-
phasis on the results of the statistical evaluation of an
integrative theoretical preference model developed to
comprehensively explain public assessment of future
landscape changes by underlying dimensions. Three
such underlying dimensions were identifed through
factor analysis. They can be described as need for
security, stimulation and self-direction, and might also
be interpreted as value-orientations.
6
Gerald J. Pruckner (Sozial- und wirtschaftswissen-
schaftliche Fakultt, Universitt Linz, Austria):
Use and non-use values of landscapes economic
valuation
The economic valuation of public goods such as
landscape amenities is diffcult due to market failure.
To overcome obvious free-riding incentives, econo-
mists have developed specifc tools for a monetary
valuation of public (environmental) goods. Based on a
contingent valuation study, it was possible to provide
willingness-to-pay (WTP) fgures by tourists in Austria
for the provision of landscape-enhancing services by
mountain farmers. These so-called non-commodity
outputs of agriculture contribute to the pleasure of
individuals, either as residents or as tourists on holiday
in the relevant areas. Moreover, landscape-cultivating
activities protect people, animals and infrastructure
from avalanches, landslides, erosion and rockslides.
Even though the potential of hypothetical benefts as-
sociated with landscape amenities seems substantial, it
was argued that the monetary landscape values have
not been suffciently transformed into real payments
for farmers. Since the preservation of a cultivated and
open countryside in mountain regions will require the
comprehensive internalization of all landscape values
in the future, voluntary local compensation schemes
based on political negotiations at the municipal level
may arise, which was illustrated by a specifc example.
Mario Panizza (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra,
Universit di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy):
Cultural Geomorphology in mountain regions
The author proposed a defnition of cultural geo-
morphology, i.e. the study of the geomorphological
component of a territory which embodies both a
cultural feature of the landscape and its interactions
with cultural heritage (archaeological, historical,
architectural, etc.). Moreover, he illustrated in general
terms and by selected examples from mountain regi-
ons that the relationships between geomorphology
and cultural elements can be considered schematically
according to two reciprocally integrated viewpoints:
(1) geomorphology is intended as a component of a
territorys cultural heritage (geomorphosites); (2) the
relationships between some cultural components (in
a strict sense) of a territory (archaeological, historical,
architectural assets, etc.) and their geomorphological
context. Finally, it was argued that this concept can
be extended to all the felds of earth sciences (cultural
geology) based on geodiversity and geohistory.
In sum, this frst Plenary Session with input contributions
from four speakers, and comments from the audience and
the moderators, has contributed to a general overview
of the complexity of landscape values and valuation, pre-
senting different points of view. Starting from the initial

coincidence of Alpine with Swiss landscape, the discussion
provided important impulses for a more general view, but
also presented problematic and unresolved landscape con-
cepts and values from historical, sociological, economic,
physical and cultural points of view.
Some of the aspects brought up in the Plenary Session
were taken up and discussed in greater depth in the sub-
sequent Workshops (see pages 12-17):
Workshop 1/1: Alpine views: from imagination to
action (Norman Backhaus, Matthias Stremlow)
Workshop 1/2: Economic valuation of alpine lands-
capes (Adrienne Grt-Regamey)
Workshop 1/3: Landscape and Identity (Anne Sgard)
Workshop 1/4: Toponyms and Geoheritage in the Alps
(Isolde Hausner, Emmanuel Reynard)
7
photography and the graphic arts. Landscape designa-
tions with references to the Swiss model spread quickly
throughout the world. Thus, 116 regions, scattered across
the globe, have been identifed as bearing the Swiss
label. Through its mountains, Switzerland has become the
canonical reference for beauty in Nature.
The question of a national landscape
Issues associated with a landscape model took on mea-
ning in the nation-forming processes of the 19
th
and 20
th

centuries. The adoption of an aesthetic model, like that
of the Alpine landscape, in a different context involves
a complex system of cultural images. It is a question of
explaining the social mechanisms of its trans-cultural ap-
propriation and its reinterpretation in a different national
context. The landscape of the Alps is used to develop a
new defnition of national culture.
Sometimes the model is integrated by hybridization (at
the regional scale in neighbouring countries), while in
other situations it is rejected through a refusal of domina-
tion, a step accompanied by a process of cultural sublima-
tion of local qualities (Germany, Scandinavia). In yet other
contexts, references of the model may be taken over, not
with a view to adopting it but rather to become distinct
from it and develop a counter model. Relations of simili-
tude are inversed here. The metaphor helps to reveal an
antonymic relationship while at the same time including
the positive features of the model (Hungary, Russia).
These mechanisms are not found in nations that have a
suffciently strong historical base to assimilate the shock
of comparison with the Alps or, better still, to ignore it
(case of France).
Political values
The phenomenon of a narrow identity anchor is not
exclusive to mountain areas. However, it expresses itself
in the Alps with particular force when local populations
defend their freedom and privileges as if the existence of
their autonomy was written in Nature. This indicates that
the mountain environment, more than any other, makes it
possible to project values considered as universal, such as
freedom, courage, authenticity and other ethical values.
They transcend time or at least take on a permanent cha-
racter. This is why we fnd the same references in other
mountain areas (for example, in Portugal or Scandinavia),
although temporal aspects are peculiar to the different
regions and national circumstances.
At different periods in history and in different contexts,
these models have been mobilised in order to express
national identity through a series of signs, metaphors,
semiophores, and accounts. The 19
th
century was a key
moment in this process.
1.2. Key input contributions to
Plenary Session 1: extended
summaries
1.2.1. The Alps as both matrix and model of
European perception of the landscape
Franois Walter (Dpartement dHistoire gnrale,
Universit de Genve, Switzerland)
Keywords
Landscape and ideology, national identity, perception and
representation
The aim of this paper is to show how, throughout history,
Europeans have symbolically invested the world of moun-
tains, and have not merely transformed it into a marke-
table commodity, into something with an exchange value,
as so often suggested by tourism today. The Alps have
provided something more than an exceptional context for
interchangeable leisure activities.
The Alps as a landscape
Today, it is diffcult to measure the extraordinary en-
richment of thought that has been brought about by
the diffusion of the landscape concept. We have gene-
rally become used to the idea that Western civilisation
invented, or at least discovered, the concept. The
origin of the concept has frequently been discussed, as
has its gradual emancipation from the strictly pictorial
context where it frst appeared. Alongside a few other
emblematic landscapes, the alpine mountain landscape
has been considered since the end of the 17
th
century as
the prototype of the aesthetic landscape. Its pictorial and
artistic interpretation is expressed in every aesthetic code
of perception, whether it be pastoral, georgic, exotic, or
even sublime rather than picturesque, where each vision is
non-exclusive of any other. Although the alpine mountain
landscape is a sensitive manifestation of the environment
that should not be reduced to its aesthetic dimensions,
it does represent something more than a simple way of
seeing the world. It is a means for making it visible,
which is more than a nuance of style.
Resistance to an aesthetic model
At frst, it may seem surprising to fnd texts that show
a sort of contempt for or resistance to the landscape,
appearing to refect a rejection of an intrusive landscape
model. Certain authors denounce the partiality shown for
grandiose high-mountain landscapes, which they consider
as no more than a fashion trend.
It is true that the 19
th
century saw a multiplication of
so-called Swiss landscapes. The signs or symbols of
the Swiss landscape became rapidly diffused thanks to
8
1.2.2. What values, needs and expectations
do future alpine landscapes have to
meet?
Results of representative preference
studies in Switzerland
Marcel Hunziker (Research Group Social Sciences
in Landscape Research, Swiss Federal Research
Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland)
Keywords
Landscape preferences, theories, models, surveys
Due to the high value of the landscape as an important
resource of the Alps, in particular regarding tourism,
society is called upon to consciously steer the future
development of Alpine landscapes. Thus, it needs to be
established what is expected from these landscapes, what
values and needs they have to meet. Our project within
the framework of the Swiss National Research Program
Landscapes and Habitats in the Alps (NRP 48) aimed
at providing such prerequisites for planning and realising
future landscape development in the Alps.
A frst main goal of our study was to investigate the
objectives of different parts of the (Swiss) population
regarding the Alpine landscape and its development.
In this context, the driving forces of the objectives and
preferences such as values, needs and expectations were
analysed, as well as the reasons of conficts of objectives.
Special emphasis was also given to the analysis of the role
of perceived quality of everyday landscape of (peri-)ur-
ban areas as a background of landscape objectives and
preferences.
As the landscape-objectives of different groups may
diverge, a second main goal was to develop, apply and
evaluate suitable methods to foster consensus building
regarding these objectives. Therefore, the infuences of
contextual and procedural factors on acceptance, hand-
ling and success as well as the outcome-effect of such
procedures were investigated.
The project consisted of three parts with different metho-
dological approaches:
The inductive part, i.e. the analysis of qualitative data
collected in problem-centred interviews of representa-
tives of different social groups, revealed deep insights
into the (different) landscape objectives and their
socio-cultural driving forces. Furthermore, conficts
resulting from diverging landscape objectives could be
recognised, and consensus criteria established.
The deductive part primarily provided representative
quantitative data regarding landscape objectives and
their socio-cultural and psychological driving forces. It
allowed the creation of models regarding the infu-
ence of values, needs and expectations on landscape
1)
2)
preferences, and the inter-relationship between
satisfaction with the daily environment, expectations
from leisure landscapes, and leisure mobility. To this
end, representative samples of different strata of the
Swiss public as well as of tourists and residents of two
investigation areas were surveyed by standardised
questionnaires (with visualised scenarios of future
landscape development in the Alps).
In the quasi-experimental part, consensus-building
procedures were applied. This approach was under-
stood as an intervention-experiment that is evaluated
empirically. Procedural aspects were evaluated by
process observation; effect was measured by surveys
before and after the intervention.
At the conference, the focus was on the main results of
the second research part. Special emphasis was therefore
given to the results of the statistical evaluation of an inte-
grative theoretical preference model, developed to com-
prehensively explain public assessments of future lands-
cape developments by basic driving forces such as values,
needs and expectations. This model combines two groups
of approaches: (1) concepts of the so-called biological
perspective (Bourassa 1991) such as Kaplan & Kaplans
(1989) information-processing theory, or attention-resto-
ration theory (e.g. Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989; Hartig et al.,
1997) and (2) concepts of social perspective, including
place-attachment (e.g. Altman & Low, 1992; Korpela et
al. 2001), place-identity (e.g. Breakwell, 1986; Twigger-
Ross & Uzzell, 1996), familiarity (e.g. Hammit, 1981), time
orientation (Stokols & Jacoby, 1984), political, ecological
and economical interests (e.g. van den Berg 1998; Hunzi-
ker 1995). Not only was it shown which factors have gre-
atest infuence on landscape preferences and objectives,
but also which factors are suggested by statistical analyses
to represent general underlying dimensions of (bundles
of) preference predictors. Three such underlying dimensi-
ons were identifed through factor analyses. They can be
described as needs for security, stimulation and self-direc-
tion, and might also be interpreted as value-orientations
in terms of Schwartz (1992) theory of integrated value
systems. The suggestion that security, stimulation
and self-direction form a shared, higher-order structure
linking different theoretical approaches, and representing
guiding dimensions in the human-landscape relationship
is also supported by the fnding that the three dimensions
are also related to types of landscape preferences: the
Arcadian type, the Utilitarian type and the Wilderness
type. Each of these types assesses future potential land-
scape developments such as settlement development or
reafforestation in another way. Furthermore, they are not
equally distributed in Switzerland.
Thus, considerable differences were found in the as-
sessment of future landscape scenarios, with landscape
experts and decision makers as well as the local popula-
3)
9
1.2.3. Use and non-use values of landscapes
economic valuation
Gerald J. Pruckner (Sozial- und wirtschafts-
wissenschaftliche Fakultt, Universitt Linz,
Austria)
Keywords
Use and non-use values of landscape, contingent valua-
tion, willingness to pay, agricultural externalities, non-
commodity output of agriculture, local compensation
payments
Environmental Valuation
One important principle of environmental economics is
that individuals face a trade-off between income (wealth)
and environmental quality. Therefore, it is theoretically
possible to elicit peoples willingness to pay (WTP) for an
increase in environmental quality in monetary terms.
However, environmental quality (landscape quality) is
a typical public good characterized by non-rivalry and
non-excludability. We face valuation problems as private
markets (demand and supply curves) do not exist.
Economists have developed non-market valuation
techniques for environmental goods. These techniques
capture different components of values:
Use values
Non-use values - existence values
- option values
- bequest values
We distinguish indirect and direct valuation instruments:
indirect instruments (revealed preferences): preference
elicitation by observable behavior; hedonic pricing,
travel cost method, etc.;
direct instruments (stated preferences): preference
elicitation by means of survey techniques; contingent
valuation, etc.
Landscape Valuation: Empirical Evidence from Alpine
Regions
Background: Apart from the production of food, feed
and other raw materials sold on private markets, Austri-
an agriculture provides non-commodity outputs (NCOs),
most of which represent external benefts of production.
Austrian farmers (including the forest sector) cultivate
more than 80 per cent of the national territory and are
therefore in charge of creating an appropriate landscape
across the nation the multifunctional role of (moun-
tain) agriculture. However, due to structural change in
agriculture, mountain farms are no longer suffciently
competitive policy measures have failed to keep farmers
in mountain areas. Therefore, the provision of landscape-
enhancing services and the openness of the countryside is
tion of Alpine areas favouring conservation of traditional

cultural landscapes, whereas the general public of the
lowlands was more open towards re-wilding and refore-
station. Nevertheless, a surprisingly strong consensus was
found within the majority of the Swiss population that
wilderness scenarios are not to be considered as (much)
worse than conservation scenarios. However, regarding
implementation strategies, one must bear in mind that
there are considerable value differences between Alpine
and non-Alpine populations. In addition, it must be taken
into account that, at present, the amount of cultural land-
scapes is still quite high and wilderness areas represent
a rather scarce good, which affects the current scenario
assessments. These assessments, however, might change
when, in turn, cultural landscapes become scarce.
References
Altman, I. & Low, S.M., 1992: Place attachment. New York,
Plenum Press.
Bourassa, S.C., 1991: The Aesthetics of Landscape. London and
New York: Belhaven Press. 168p.
Hammit, W.E., 1981: The familiarity-preference component of
on-site recreational experiences. Leisure Sciences 4/2: 177-193.
Hartig, T., Korpela, K., Evans, G.W., & Grling, T., 1997: A measu-
re of restorative quality in environments. Scandinavian Housing
and Planning Research 14: 175-194.
Hunziker, M., 1995: The spontaneous reafforestation in aban-
doned agricultural lands: perception and aesthetical assessment
by locals and tourists. Landscape and Urban Planning 31: 399-
410
Kaplan, R. & Kaplan, S., 1989: The experience of nature. A psy-
chological Perspective. Cambridge University Press. 340p.
Korpela, K.M., Hartig, T., Kaiser, F.G. & Fuhrer, U., 2001: Restora-
tive experience and self-regulation in favorite places. Environment
and Behavior 33/4: 572-589.
Schwartz, S. H., 1992: Universals in the content and structure of
values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries.
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1-65.
Stokols, D. & Jacobi, M, 1984:. Traditional, present oriented, and
futuristic modes of group-environment relations. In: K. J. Gergen
and M. M. Gergen. Historical social psychology. Hillsdale, NJ,
Erlbaum: 303-324.
Twigger-Ross, C.L., & Uzzell, D.L., 1996: Place and identity pro-
cesses. Journal of Environmental Psychology 16: 205-220.
Van den Berg, A.E., Vlek, C.A. & Coeterier, J.F., 1998: Group dif-
ferences in the aesthetic evaluation of nature development plans:
A multilevel approach. Journal of Environmental Psychology 18/2:
141-157.
1u
threatened.
Agricultural landscape-enhancing services: NCOs have
residential and/or recreational purposes. Certain types of
agricultural activities (supplied jointly or separately with
agricultural commodities) contribute to the pleasure of
individuals, either as residents or as tourists who spend
their holidays in the relevant areas. Whereas the beauty
of the countryside seems indispensable to the tourist
industry, protective measures provided by agriculture and
in particular by forestry in alpine regions (the protection
of people, animals, and the material infrastructure from
avalanches, landslides, erosion and rockslides) also beneft
local residents.
Several contingent valuation studies reveal the potential
of WTP for landscape values of tourists [and residents]
(Pruckner 1995, Hackl and Pruckner 1997, Hackl and
Pruckner 1999). This evidence is supported by interna-
tional studies. How do the WTP fgures correspond to
farmers willingness to accept payment WTA (Gltzer and
Pruckner 2007)?
Landscape Amenities and Compensation
Even if potential benefts associated with agricultural
landscape services have been identifed, the question
remains as to how these monetary welfare measures can
be translated into compensation payments to guarantee
the provision of a well-kept mountain landscape.
We observe local voluntary compensation payments to
farmers for their provision of landscape amenities in al-
pine Austrian tourist communities (for an interesting case
study, see Pruckner 2005). These payments can be inter-
preted as the outcomes of a political bargaining process
in municipalities. Based on a panel data analysis of local
compensation schemes, Hackl, Halla and Pruckner (2007)
identify underlying determinants of the negotiating pro-
cess. The probability for a positive negotiation outcome
depends on politico-economic factors such as the share of
votes for distinct parties in parliamentary elections. Whe-
reas benefts associated with landscape amenities also
play an important role, transaction costs of bargaining are
of minor relevance. If the variety of the countryside seems
to be endangered, tourist communities start compensa-
ting their farmers for landscape-enhancing activities.
Compensation payments are potentially effcient as
they internalise positive externalities. They supplement Eu-
ropean Union and national policy measures in support of
rural and/or less-favoured areas and contribute to farmers
incomes, especially in mountain regions. Whereas direct
dependence of tourist profts on a well-kept landscape
manifests itself in subsidy payments, we do not fnd si-
milar evidence in non-tourist areas. However, the preser-
vation of a cultivated and open countryside in mountain
regions will require the comprehensive internalisation of
all (intangible) landscape values in the future.
1.2.4. Cultural Geomorphology in Mountain
Regions
Mario Panizza (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra,
Universit di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy)
Keywords
Geomorphology, Culture, Geomorphosites, Mountain
regions
The landscape is a cultural component of a territory,
with all the natural and anthropogenic factors it con-
tains; the relationships between the geomorphology and
cultural elements of a specifc territory can be considered
schematically according to two reciprocally-integrated
viewpoints.
Geomorphology is then meant as a component of a
territorys cultural heritage (in a broad sense), such as
works of art, historical monuments, scientifc assets,
etc.
The relationships between some cultural components
(in a strict sense) of a territory (archaeological, histori-
cal, architectonic assets etc.) and their geomorpholo-
gical context.
As a result of these statements, a need was felt to propo-
se a defnition of Cultural Geomorphology (Panizza &
Piacente, 2003), i.e.
the discipline that studies the geomorphological compo-
nent of a territory which embodies both a cultural feature
of the landscape and its interactions with cultural heritage
of the archaeological, historical, architectonic etc. type.
The concept of Cultural Geomorphology can be exten-
ded to all the felds of Earth Sciences and can therefore
introduce the concept of Cultural Geology. This is based
on the two concepts of Geodiversity and Geohistory. The
former is considered as the substratum of unique lands-
capes and the basis of life varieties on Earth. The latter is
considered in its spatial-temporal relationships with other
cultural components and is a conditioning factor in the
history of human society.
Everywhere on Earth there are elements to which these
concepts can be applied. Therefore, in mountain regions,
the two viewpoints mentioned above can also be identi-
fed.
The frst viewpoint was considered as follows:
During the past ten years, these landscape aspects have
been differently described and defned. The defnition ad-
opted here is the following: Geomorphosite a landform
with particular and signifcant geomorphological attri-
butions, which qualify it as a component of a territorys
cultural heritage (in a broad sense).
1)
2)
11
The attributes that can confer value on a landform,
making it a geomorphosite, are the following: scientifc,
cultural, socioeconomic, scenic.
The duties of Geomorphology in assessing the various at-
tributes previously mentioned should be connected mainly
to their scientifc aspects.
The frst phase of geomorphosite research usually aims to
create a geomorphological map. From this map a map of
geomorphological units will be derived, in which the units
are grouped according to their morphogenetic characte-
ristics (e.g., glacial, fuvial, karst, structural). Finally, geo-
morphological elements will have to be selected in order
to produce a geomorphosite map.
Some examples in mountain regions were illustrated.
The second viewpoint was then considered as follows:
As regards a research methodology, fve operative phases
may be identifed
The frst phase consists of the physical setting of the
territory where the cultural asset (in a strict sense) is
located (i.e., archaeological, historical or architectonic
assets).
The second phase consists of the geomorphological
causes which conditioned the location of a given
cultural element.
The third phase consists of the possibility that a given
cultural site might be affected by natural hazards (in
our case geomorphological hazards) and consequently
subject to risk.
In the fourth phase the fruition of cultural assets
will have to be considered, in particular for social or
tourism initiatives which might have a negative effect
on the natural environment, and geomorphological
impacts should be taken into account.
In the ffth phase one should also consider that the
correct management of a cultural site cannot be
separated from the knowledge of its integration with
the surrounding environment. In this way, appropri-
ate benefts can be promoted for both, with positive
spin-offs in socio-economic terms, also with regard
to conservation and improvement. Implementation of
such an operation, together with all initiatives and ac-
tivities aiming to promote and protect assets, requires
interdisciplinary knowledge and multiple management
of environmental education initiatives.
Some examples in mountain regions were illustrated.
Generally speaking, efforts should be made to respond to
the ever-felt need for neo-humanistic culture, that is,
for the integration of culture.
In conclusion, what should be emphasized, since it sum-
marises the spirit guiding investigations in this feld, is the
fact that research approaches of an integrated, syste-

mic type can become a very important opportunity for
Geomorphology. Indeed, this Earth discipline can fnd in
these topics further possibilities of development with new
cultural and social vocations.
12
1.3. Workshops Plenary Session 1:
summaries
1.3.1. Alpine views: from imagination to
action (NRP 48 synthesis 1)
Workshop 1/1
Moderators:
Norman Backhaus (Geographisches Institut,
Universitt Zrich, Switzerland)
Matthias Stremlow (Federal Offce for the
Environment Foen, Bern, Switzerland)
A pristine and unaltered perception of landscapes and
habitats of the Alps (and other mountain areas) does not
exist. What does exist is a rich panoply of socially embed-
ded images in the Alps that are used in culture, media,
public relations but also in policy and planning. Not only
do such images shape landscape experiences, they also
play an important role in negotiations and conficts in and
around the Alps. To reveal such patterns of perception is
a frst step in order to fnd common grounds and to over-
come obstacles in discussions. The thematic synthesis I of
the NRP 48 addresses such issues, and using the results
from a dozen projects forges a new concept of dealing
with perceptions of landscape.
To see and experience landscapes and to talk about them
reveals their inherent diversity. This includes both natural
and built heritage and their anthropogenic depictions and
symbols. Therefore, this natural and mental diversity is
crucial to ascertain what landscapes can be.
Images of the Alps can be a symbolic capital for different
purposes. They are often used in product advertisements.
Here the Alps convey positive feelings. The product is seen
as natural (vs. artifcial), good (vs. bad) and in line with a
harmonious cultural landscape (vs. industrial landscape).
Especially in Switzerland, the Alps are used in political
debates. They are often portrayed as the real and authen-
tic Switzerland, or used in political campaigns. Also, of
course, the Alps are a major tourist attraction in Switzer-
land. In line with notions of early Alpinists, the mountains
are perceived as a sublime area that is removed from the
squalors of the modern lowlands. Therefore, the Alps
stand for recreation, leisure and being removed from the
problems of everyday life. The Alps are also used to mar-
ket cities and towns. Much has been written about the
perceptual shift of the Alps as terra incognita (seen from
far below) to the Alps as a modern sports arena. There-
fore, we just briefy refer to aspects that can be regarded
as outcomes of this historic development:
To a certain extent there is an increasing polarisation
between the Alps and the lowland. Moreover, this po-
larisation is superimposed onto the rural-urban divide
that is an undercurrent of Swiss history.

The cultural landscapes of the Alps are a consequence
of traditional agriculture. In line with the glorifcation
of pristine mountain peaks by the Alpinists of the 19
th

and early 20
th
centuries, the way of life of the Alpine
population of that time is regarded as natural and
authentic, including local customs and agricultural
practices. Therefore, outsiders tend to regard people
living in the Alps as peasants.
Therefore, modernity is not associated with Alpine life-
styles or Alpine landscapes. Thus, it makes sense that
the Alps are seen as something different from urban
contexts and as something that is and has to remain
unspoiled.
In a nutshell, the image of the Alps has a lot to do
with a Heidi-image of a free, untroubled, healthy and
happy life. Also, in an unspoiled environment, special
and different experiences can be made.
The core of the concept four poles and six dimensions
The physical pole refers to the view of natural science,

technology and environmental observation. It is there-
fore the pole of nature.
The symbolic pole emphasises cultural values, repre-
sentations and aesthetics of landscapes. It is the pole
of cultural studies.
The subjective pole is the point of view of individuals,
and refers to peoples individual and subjective expe-
riences and perceptions of landscapes. It is associated
with phenomenology, psychological and behavioural
studies.
Finally, the inter-subjective pole emphasises the social
construction of landscapes, and is the pole of the
social sciences.
Each pole is a centre of attraction and focuses on a know-
ledge base. Being focused on or attracted to one pole
is a consequence of different scientifc approaches and
produces specifc knowledge. However, there is the dan-
ger of losing sight of other poles. We regard landscape
perception as occurring between these poles. Landscapes
are more than the individual dimensions. Nevertheless, it
is both important to go deep into details of landscapes
and landscape perception and to look at the big picture
of landscapes as space for recreation, production, nature
protection and as a biosphere (fg. 1).
In order to describe the diversity and to be able to grasp
it, we distinguish between six landscape dimensions.
The focus of the corporeal and sensory dimension are the
sensations connected to landscape experiences. Thereby,
landscape is not only seen or regarded, rather all senses
1 Backhaus, N., Reichler, C. & Stremlow, M. 2007: Alpenland-
schaften: Von der Vorstellung zur Handlung Thematische
Synthese zum Forschungsschwerpunkt I Prozesse der Wahr-
nehmung des NFP 48. vdf, Zrich.
13
are addressed. Different expectations of a (beautiful)
landscape and questions regarding pleasure and enjoy-
ment are at the heart of the aesthetic dimension. Feelings
of belonging are often connected with landscapes and
therefore landscapes are connected with identity (dimen-
sion of identifcation). The fourth dimension we call the
political dimension, in which stakeholders and interest
groups enter negotiation processes. The economic dimen-
sion does not only concern values that can be expressed
monetarily, but also values connected to security. The
ecological dimension, fnally, addresses different ecologi-
cal concepts and their normative impact.
and perceptions, it is important to at least acknowledge
the existence of other ways of looking at them.
Recommendations
Landscapes should be regarded as the combination
of people and nature. Therefore, landscape is also an
intermediary for peoples spatial needs.
Landscapes provide socio-spatial aspects of a changing
world. Steering landscape development is a creative
cultural task; it includes protection and education, and
requires that we jettison traditional views of lands-
capes.
Landscapes themselves cannot be lost (only their qua-
lities and values).
Landscapes potential not only includes ecological and
economic aspects, but also emotional, aesthetic, social
and ethical ones.
Consequently, landscapes require a multidimensional
view, considering also the fact that inside and outside
views can differ (and change), that individual views
are not always the same as socially accepted ones,
and that the same person can look at a landscape
differently.
Bargaining processes should be supported using
knowledge about peoples / groups needs related
to landscapes and acknowledging inside-outside and
exper v. laypeoples views.
Especially in large-scale participation processes, coordi-
nators/moderators should be involved.
Discussion
How do we translate the debate on multifunctionality
into a viable planning instrument?
The model could be adapted to other topics and be
used as an evaluation tool.
Participatory approaches can also imply threats due to
limited resource; they are rarely practical, for if needs
are expressed/created, they should be able to be met
at least potentially.
1.3.2. Economic valuation of alpine
landscapes (NRP 48 synthesis 4)
Workshop 1/2
Moderator:
Adrienne Grt-Regamey (Landscape and
Environmental Planning LEP, ETH Zrich,
Switzerland)
Alpine landscapes are often perceived as economically
non-proftable regions. While 87% of the regional income
of Alpine regions is produced by the market (Simmen et
al., 2006), many goods and services provided by these
Fig. 1: Landscapes connect people with

nature
1. corporeal and sensory dimension
2. aesthetical dimension
3. identifcatory dimension
4. political dimension
5. economic dimension
6. ecological dimension
subjective
individual
s
y
m
b
o
l
i
c

c
u
l
t
u
r
e
p
h
y
s
i
c
a
l

n
a
t
u
r
e
society
inter-subjective
We can conclude that there are different ways to look at
landscapes and that there is no landscape that everyone
experiences the same way. Consequently, there is also no
scientifc, objectively valid landscape description.
The six dimensions show that landscapes are multi-layered
and that people emphasise different aspects according to
the context in which they regard or experience it.
But our model also shows that these dimensions or
spheres overlap and merge with each other. The spheres
can be regarded as frames or focal points through which
researchers as well as laypeople regard landscapes. For the
understanding of other peoples landscape preferences
14
regions are not marketed and thus do not command mar-
ket values. The objective of the workshop was to discuss,
(1) the economic potential of different strategies to make
use of the public goods and services provided by Alpine
landscapes; (2) the implementation of these strategies in
different Alpine regions.
A comprehensive set of strategies to make use of lands-
cape values was presented by Felix Walter (ecoplan, Berne,
Switzerland). These include market strategies, valuation
of public goods strategies, and mixed strategies (fg. 2).
Their success is, however, dependent on regional imple-
mentation: as the economic potential of certain regions is
large, selective withdrawal from other regions might be
necessary. For decision-makers, this means that problems
in areas with low economic potential should pro-actively
be tackled, and that local landscape policy should take the
function of resource policy.
that these regionally studies are not released to the large
public and that the resulting values are small compared to
the regional income hinder their integration into strategic
discussions. Yet, if economic estimates are assumed to be
a valuable part of the information base for environmen-
tal decision-making, then a database summarizing the
fndings of these Alpine studies would help organize and
express certain kinds of information on the range of alter-
native courses of action, and provide credible information
to decision-makers.
Reference
Simmen, H., Walter, F., Marti, M., 2006: Den Wert der Alpen-
landschaften nutzen - Thematische Synthese zum Forschungs-
schwerpunkt IV Raumnutzung und Wertschpfung, VDF
Hochschulverlag AG, ETH Zrich, p. 212.
1.3.3. Landscape and identity
Workshop 1/3
Moderator:
Anne Sgard (Institut de Gographie Alpine,
Grenoble, France)
The purpose of this workshop was to explore the relation-
ship between Landscape and Identity, or, more precisely,
between landscape and identifcation processes.
The workshop proposed three steps:
frst a general framework, presenting the two key
words: Landscape and Identity (by A. Sgard);
followed by a presentation of the theme of sacred
mountains with a series of landscapes from all over
the world (by E. Bernbaum, The Mountain Institute,
Berkeley, USA);
fnally a few examples introducing some of the main
questions concerning the relationship between land-
scape, identifcation processes and mountain, and
suggesting points of discussion.
The general presentation pointed out some elements of
characterization of the landscape as a social and cultural
construction, and focused on the fact that each person
looking at a landscape has his or her own interpretative
framework. Landscape is then the perceptible, emotional,
aesthetical dimension of our relationship with a territory.
From this point of view, landscape is a social and historic
construction, and our perception of landscape depends
on our cultural background. Each social group selects and
codifes certain landscapes and attaches certain values
to these landscapes: economical, aesthetic, symbolical,
etc. How can we say that a landscape participates in the
construction of identity, of feeling that one belongs to a
territory? Many studies have shown that landscape can be
integrated
concepts
compensation
for protection
fnancial
equalisation
nature parks
agriculture
mixed
strategies
innovative
products
housing
tourism
energy
market
strategies
valuation of
public goods
Fig. 2: Strategies to make use of landscape
values (Simmen et al., 2007)
Payoffs and problems implementing a specifc tourist
strategy in a region in Switzerland were illustrated by Urs
Wohler (head of Scuol Tourismus, Switzerland). The region
offers spas, traditional events, objects of cultural heritage,
and local products the livelihood of 7300 people. Yet,
even though several innovative ideas have been imple-
mented to exploit the values the landscape provides,
other strategies have to be considered to remain competi-
tive, especially considering rapid shifts in demand.
As the price of public goods only increases when they
become scarce, users can consume more of the landscape
values than their fair share. Such free-rider problems can
threaten the income of Alpine regions in the long-term.
Viewed in this light, valuation studies are essential to
demonstrate the value of public goods and services to
decision-makers. Several economic valuation studies have
been conducted in the last years in the Alps. But the fact
15
used as material and a medium for appropriation and
attachment processes by populations, both at a national
and local scale. Landscape is a kind of cement binding
local communities, as well as a means of projecting a
positive image of this society towards the outside world.
Three examples provoked discussion:
The case of Mont Aiguille: an emblematic landscape
showing a very unique and legendary mountain,
which has been very well known since the 15
th
cen-
tury. It can be found on many brochures, packaging,
postcards, etc. It certainly functions as an emblem
and a source of attachment for the people of the
nearest area (Trives), for whom the peak is a feature
of everyday environment. However, this is not true for
all the inhabitants of the Vercors massif. Mont Aiguille
is more a showcase, an advertising landscape for
the Vercors, the Dauphin, and even the North of the
Alps. This example shows that identity-building capa-
city depends on scale.
The case of Valchevrires (Vercors): this small village
was destroyed by German troops in 1944 as a repri-
sal; since then, it has become a memorial to the
Resistance: the ruins continue to exist, the meadow
is mowed, the woodland and scrub are cleared, etc.
Various notice boards all around the site tell of its
history. Here the landscape is part of the testimony; its
sacredness may induce meditation. But surveys show
that the location is more connected to the memory of
World War II and national identity. The local popula-
tion does not express a real attachment; they might
prefer to forget. This example allows us to focus on
relationships between identity and memory.
Is a golf club a modern landscape? This landscape is
extremely well appreciated by the local population
because it was created on an abandoned area. Now
the forest is cleaned, the grass is green and perfectly
cut, some statuesque trees have been preserved in
the golf course. This is an example of a totally artifcial
mountain landscape, an example demonstrating
that identifcation and attachment not only refer to
heritage and tradition but also to recent practices and
sceneries.
The workshop also addressed issues of forest landscapes
and peri-urban landscapes in mountains.
All these examples try to converge on the main idea, i.e.
the fact that the construction of collective identity is a
permanent process; that expressions of identity change as
populations and territories change; that identifcation is
based on memory or lack thereof, and on transformation
and adjustment. It is generally more relevant to study
processes and materials used by the population to build
and express different forms of identity, rather than to try
and fx a local identity as a well-defned object.
1.3.4. Toponymy and Geoheritage in the Alps

cultural approaches in geoheritage
research
Workshop 1/4
Moderators:
Isolde Hausner (Austrian Academy of Sciences,
Vienna, Austria)
Emmanuel Reynard (Institut de Gographie Igul,
Universit de Lausanne, Switzerland)
Geological and geomorphological processes and dynamics
drastically infuence alpine landscapes, and shape the
main valleys in the Alps. Geoconservation and geoheri-
tage research, however, is poorly developed in this region.
Landscape studies are mostly concerned with aesthetic
and biological aspects(landscape as habitat) and do not
really examine the geological and geomorphological cha-
racters of alpine landscapes.
This workshop aimed at considering the topography of
alpine landscapes from two perspectives, focusing on the
importance of geology and geomorphology (geoheritage)
for a complete analysis of the alpine landscapes, and on
the contribution of cultural studies and linguistics (topony-
my) to the analysis of alpine topography and geomorpho-
logy.
The introductory paper by Emmanuel Reynard (Univer-
sity of Lausanne) provided an overview of geoheritage
research (assessment, mapping, geoconservation, geo-
parks, geotourism) currently being developed in Alpine
countries. Isolde Hausner (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
illustrated how cultural studies can contribute to geoheri-
tage research by providing information on the relationship
between a given society and its natural environment. The
discussion following these papers had a wider scope.
Geoheritage conservation in the Alps
Several biotical alpine elements in the Alps (i.e., ibex
or edelweiss) have been protected for several decades.
Although the geological structure (i.e., folds) and geo-
morphological features (i.e., glaciers, alluvial valleys or
karstic areas) form the skeleton of alpine landscapes,
their geoheritage is poorly known and protected in the
various alpine countries. Especially in the ski areas at high
altitudes, several landforms and mineral landscapes
have been damaged, and even destroyed, by ski tracks
and artifcial snow-making infrastructures. One explanati-
on of the weak protection of the abiotical heritage is the
poor knowledge of Earth sciences among stakeholders
and the general public. Another reason is an inaccurate
perception of the value of geoheritage: the common view
is that geology and landforms are quite stable and solid;
the dynamic nature of geological and geomorphological
features is not well perceived. Therefore, geoheritage
16
fragility is poorly taken into account during environmental
impact assessment procedures.
Geoheritage of interest not only to geoscientists. Some
sites integrate other interests in the ecological, cultural,
and even economic domains. In heritage actions and
studies, the abiotical heritage should therefore be inte-
grated with ecological and cultural aspects of landscape
in order to obtain a global view. One way of creating links
between geosciences and cultural studies is the study of
toponymy.
Mountain and alpine pasture toponyms in East Tyrol
The second paper presented the main results of the
project Alpkultur cultural-historical documentation
of toponyms in the alpine space: Mountain and alpine
pasture toponyms in East Tyrol. The project focused on
toponyms and their cultural-historical value. In the work-
shop affliations to geoheritage were pointed out. The
following highlights relating to examples from the corpus
were discussed.
References to geomorphological and topographical
features mainly occur in the names of mountains: One
motive of naming is a reference to the rock or its compo-
sition, as for instance Kristallkopf, Kristallspitzl or Kristall-
wand. These names are very rare and every single case
requires verifcation that the name is actually geologically
motivated (rather than being a metaphor for ice or similar
phenomena). A more common form of naming is the
reference to salt in names like Salzkopf, Salzkogel, Salz-
klamm. The mineral was important for livestock farming.
Names like Schlatenkees (the name derives from slavic
*slatina sour water, carbonized water, and is applied
to a location above the so called Salzboden) show that
people have been aware of the value of these places for
a very long time. A reference to ore is contained in the
name Rudnik, derived from slavic *rudnik which means
ore mountain.
A frequent naming motive that hints at special kinds of
stone is colour (fg 3). Red, for example, in Osttirol is
commonly used for rocks whose colour is derived from in-
clusions of iron discharged by weathering and oxidisation.
As the name Cimaross, derived from Romanic *cima rossa
red peak, shows, this naming motive also is very old.
The names Blauspitze, Blaues Hatle and Blaue Knpfe,
however, are situated in a zone of green schist, where the
typical blue screes below the summits motivate the name.
Rural metaphors are commonly used to describe mounta-
in shapes. In certain cases they also depend on the stone.
The dialect word Schober, for example, designates a
cone-shaped haystack. Mountains bearing these meta-
phorical names (e.g. Hochschober, Kleinschober, Schober-
kpf) typically are situated in areas with primitive rocks
rather than limestone.
Some names also refer to the weathering phenomena in
the rock and its results (moraines, screes). The Falmori-
talpe, for example, derives from Romanic vall valley +
Protoromanic *marra debris + the Romanic diminutive
suffx -ittu. The meaning of Falmorit would therefore be
valley strewn with small-sized debris (i.e. screes).
Fig. 3: East-Tyrolean names with
reference to a certain colour
17
Conclusions and perspectives
In evidence there is a close relationship between the geo-
morphological realities of a certain area and its toponyms.
Interdisciplinary research, especially with geology, is the
only way to obtain further results in this interesting feld
of onomastics. A further result of the workshop was that
the onomastic research could be extended to the relatively
new topic of soil conditions. This would affect toponyms
referring to weathering phenomena etc., as well as to
vegetation, and might provide a missing link between
geomorphology and biology.
An ideal approach to elaborate this interdisciplinary me-
thod could be a joint project of these two disciplines in a
certain area, for example a national park.
18
19
Transformation processes
2.1. Summary
Moderators:
Mojca Golobi (Urban Planning Institute of the
Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Jean-Jacques Brun (CemagreF, Grenoble, France)
The Alps are undergoing an acceleration of social, eco-
nomic and climate processes which transform lands-
capes. Although change is a natural phenomenon of the
landscape, the rate at which it occurs makes it diffcult to
monitor, evaluate and react appropriately. Plenary Session
2, Transformation processes, focused on current and
future changes in mountain landscapes. Its aim was to
highlight the transforming driving forces and processes,
and to identify the most notable changes in traditional al-
pine landscapes from the ecological, cultural and aesthetic
aspects. The speakers were asked to address the following
questions:
What are the most important driving forces of land
use and landscape change in mountain regions and in
the Alps?
In what way will current and future transformation
processes change mountain landscapes? Do some
of these changes need particular attention because
they threaten people and the environment? What are
potential threats and benefts to people and selected
species?
How far are policy measures (e.g. agricultural, trans-
port or energy) adequate to guide or mitigate effects
of these transformation processes on landscapes?
The presentations covered a wide range of aspects of
landscape change and driving forces. While the frst two
presentations (U. Tappeiner and F. Kienast) focussed on
changes in natural environment and land cover caused by
various natural, socio-economic and cultural drivers, the
third (M. Bertrand) showed an approach balancing ecolo-
gical and socioeconomic perspectives. The fourth presen-
tation (D. Vancutsem) opened a different set of questions,
appealing to our emotional relation to landscapes, and
questioning our attitudes based on a design oriented
approach of active and intentional landscape changes.
Ulrike Tappeiner (Institute of Ecology, University of
Innsbruck, Austria & European Academy, Bolzano/Bo-
zen, Italy):
Land-use change in the European Alps: effects of his-
torical and future scenarios of landscape development
on ecosystem services
In the European Alps, 41.4 per cent of all farms cea-
sed operations and an average of about 20 per cent

of the agricultural land was abandoned over the past
twenty years. Based on remote sensing and historical
maps, a detailed analysis of the landscape develop-
ment over the past 150 years has been carried out in
different agrarian structure regions in the Alps. Results
show that the winners of this trend are built-up and
forested areas, while the main losers are traditionally
used areas (e.g. lightly used meadows in the subal-
pine and alpine belt). The magnitude of this trend
differs greatly from one region to the next, as well
as along altitudinal gradients. Furthermore, in a case
study in the Austrian Alps landscape-scale changes of
carbon pools and biodiversity important ecosystem
services in relation to historical and current land
use were analysed, as well as explorative scenarios of
future land use. Due to replacement of up to 70 per
cent of former alpine meadows by dwarf shrubs and
forests, carbon pool has increased by 426 t/km
2
and
a further increase of 230 per cent can be expected
in the next thirty years. With regard to development,
species diversity and ecosystem diversity do not always
correlate: between 1865 and 1970, phytodiversity
decreased by 6.6 per cent, while ecosystem diversity
increased by 12 per cent. Since 1970, both species
and ecosystem diversity have decreased.
Felix Kienast & Janine Bolliger (Swiss Federal Re-
search Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland):
Observed and simulated transformation of Alpine
landscapes: driving forces and potential impact on
landscape functions
As a result of free market forces, marginal regions
(e.g. mountains) throughout Europe are at risk of
experiencing increasing land abandonment and
spontaneous reafforestation. In mountain areas in
particular, the likely consequence of this marginalisa-
tion is an increasingly segregated land-use pattern.
At higher elevations, various stages of spontaneous
reafforestation are expected, replacing the formerly
open-land habitats by closed forests, whereas at lower
elevations, open land may be prone to increasing in-
tensifcation. Based on historical evidence, we present
analyses of past land-use change and show how they
have affected plant and animal species. Furthermore,
we show new results on how people perceive and
remember changing land use. These fndings as well
as extensive literature reviews represent the know-
ledge base for various predictive models aiming at si-
mulating various goods and services of landscapes (i.e.
biodiversity, carbon storage, landscape attractiveness)
2u
under changing conditions. These goods and services
are discussed in the context of landscape functions,
a concept being pushed forward by several articles in
the international literature.
Nathalie Bertrand & Sylvie Vanpeene (CemagreF Greno-
ble, France):
Landscape under urban pressure: agreement or
divergence between socio-economical and ecological
approaches
Changes in regional landscapes due to urban pressure
raise questions regarding land use, economic, social
and environmental issues related to urban sprawl,
daily commute increases, and land consumption.
These changes and dysfunctions jeopardise sustainable
development in such areas, especially in the Alps with
their diverse biotopes in a geographically constrained
space.
Sustainability calls for three pillars: economic, sociolo-
gical, environmental. However, what does landscape
under urban pressure mean? What kind of analysis
can take into account the three pillars of sustainabi-
lity? How can we go beyond disciplinary approaches
and offer an integrated analysis?
This paper is based on two years of work undertaken
by socio-economists and ecologists on the effects of
peri-urbanisation on landscape and the environment
in an alpine area. The frst of them regards space and
how space is taken into account in the environmental,
economic or social processes, respectively. Three the-
mes are developed: landscape point of view, problems
of spatial and temporal scales, indicators.
The three pillars of sustainability require the defnition
of a common feld with regard to temporal and space
scales as well as indicator type. To go beyond requires
a hierarchisation of these questions, taking a more
ecological, economic and / or social approach, and
dropping the notion of a common interface to address
specifc disciplinary questions.
Didier Vancutsem (IsoCarp & Vancutsem Stadtplaner
Landchaftsarchitekten, Mnchen, Germany):
Shaping our future urban landscapes experiences
from Bavaria
Radical changes in the urban landscape due to demo-
graphic change and various trends in settlement struc-
ture are a topical phenomenon in Germany. Forecasts
predict a population decline in Eastern Germany and
growth in Southern Germany, especially in Bavaria,
with increasing urban pressure on the foothills of the
Alps.
Current soil consumption in Bavaria is about 20 hec-
tares per day. Our landscapes are laboratories of urban
transformation and urban sprawl. Regions are facing
various challenges: planners are yet to see evidence of
shrinking.
Our landscapes are mirrors of our society. In view of
trends of suburbanization, dispersion, sustainable
re-urbanization, and return to core-cities, the regions
role must be reconsidered: new strategies for urban
regions are being developed. Regional landscape will
shape regional identity.
What types of landscapes will there be in the future?
Our generation has to decide.
Conclusions and outlook
Especially the frst two contributions presented a signif-
cant step forward in landscape-change modelling tech-
niques. Both included construction of cause-effect chains,
explanation and evaluation of present change as well
as modelling future landscape. Methods have acquired
increasing scientifc value and are based on better data,
resulting in reliable forecasts. Both presentations also
evaluated landscape change in terms of its consequence
for landscape services (visual quality, biodiversity and C-
pool capacity). Although we tend to think of landscape
change as something prevailingly negative, the presenta-
tions showed some interesting results: expected landscape
change does not necessarily mean loss of biodiversity but
could be benefcial in terms of increasing C-pool capacity,
while negative visual effects would become neutral in
time due to human adaptive capacity.
This brings us to a challenging perspective of how to
use these methods to answer the important questions of
whether changes will bring us closer to desired landscape
or not; and of course, what landscape services will be
required in the future. It inevitably raises management
issues, i.e. how (and if) processes of change could be
managed. Mapping of the main trends shows that many
of them correlate to administrative borders. This indicates
that policies do affect certain change processes. But
detailed analysis of pilot areas often reveals a much more
complex picture of drivers and changes. In fact, ecological
analysis is mainly spatially based (habitat mapping) but
space is not considered as a major dimension of econo-
mic and social processes. We must therefore be aware of
impacts of urban pressures on the integrity of remarkable
ecosystems (recreational activities) and on the functiona-
lity of ecological corridors (ordinary nature consumption).
New indicators depicting socio-economical and socio-
ecological trends at a local scale have to be devised to
illustrate these transformation processes and their limits.
While the frst three contributions were science-oriented
and structured, the last presentation discussed lands-
cape change more from a design perspective, meaning
that experts are the actors of change rather than passive
observers and analysts. This slight antagonism was also
refected in the discussion, which raised the question of
whether this view is suitable only for man-made / urban
21
landscapes or could be appropriate for predominantly na-
tural and agricultural landscapes. This dilemma is related
to the key question of distinguishing between urban and
rural landscapes and changing concepts: ways of life in
Alpine cities and in marginal areas are no longer so diffe-
rent; physical processes are following in their wake. Land
abandonment for example, which we usually attribute to
remote areas, also occurs in urbanized areas, although
land use intensifcation still prevails. Therefore, answers in
the last presentation emerged not so much from traditio-
nal scientifc methods as from choosing and interpreting
examples that respond to challenges by a new, more
complex understanding of landscape typology, which
goes beyond an urban-rural distinction and traditional
categorisation by land use (agricultural, energy produc-
tion, industrial, natural landscapes). These answers also
consider multifunctional landscapes whose production of
goods and services is embedded in a dynamic view, i.e.
communication landscapes, transit landscapes, recrea-
tional landscapes, contemplation landscapes, valuable
intermediary places, changing landscapes, etc.
summaries
2.2.1. Land-use change in the European
Alps: effects of historical and future
scenarios of landscape development
on ecosystem services
Ulrike Tappeiner (Institute of Ecology, University
of Innsbruck, Austria & European Academy of
Bolzano/Bozen, Italy)
Keywords
Landscape-scale changes, biodiversity, agrarian structure
region
In the European Alps 41.4 per cent of farms ceased ope-
rations within the last 20 years (1980-2000). In addition,
almost 70 per cent of farms still in operation today are
run only as a secondary source of income (Tappeiner &
Bayfeld 2003). With regard to the land use issue, this
means that an average of about 20 per cent of the agricu-
ltural land of the Alps has been abandoned, and in some
areas as much as 70 per cent (Tappeiner et al. 2003).
These developments vary greatly in the different regions
of the Alps. Due to climatic, demographic and socio-cultu-
ral differences, the Alps are not a single, cohesive unit in
a natural, social and/or economic sense. There are certain
essential contrasts between the traditional Germanic and
Romanic Alpine agricultural methods of the northern Alps
(grassland farming with cattle husbandry) and Southern
Alps (mixed grassland-arable-farming, permanent crops
and sheep husbandry). In addition, the agricultural sector
in the Alpine Countries is also affected by the differences
between federal and more centralized forms of govern-
ment, the varying instruments of subsidy for mountainous
areas, and the issue of EU membership to the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Change of agricultural land use in the Alps in the past
50 years
Based on a set of 76 indicators, Tappeiner et al. 2003
showed that eight characteristic agrarian structure regi-
ons have developed in the Alps. Each region represents a
specifc type of agricultural settings in terms of socio eco-
nomic factors, in terms of population trends and in terms
of physical characteristics such as climate and altitude. In
past decades these differences still led to varying deve-
lopments in agriculture (fg. 4). In four of these agrarian
structure regions we analysed in detail the landscape
development in the last 150 years based on orthophotos
(1980-2002), aerial images (1950-80), and historical maps
(1869-87) (fg. 5).
22
has been reduced to about 30 per cent. Dwarf shrubs
and forests have replaced up to 70 per cent of the former
alpine meadows and pastures. Even the favourable areas
have undergone signifcant changes. Where 50 years ago
arable land spread across the hill slopes, we now fnd
highly used grassland or settlements instead. These land-
use changes have a massive effect on the above-ground
and below-ground phytomass-pools and the C-pool:
from 1865 to 2003 the total phytomass increased by
21.7 per cent, equivalent to 253886 t in the whole valley
(249 km
2
) (fg. 5). The growth of phytomass combines a
proportional increase of C-pool. Depending on the phy-
tosociological communities, the C-storage lies between
42 per cent and 47 per cent of the total phytomass. For
the period from 1865 to 2003, this means an increase of
total C-pool of 22.9 per cent (106171 t). However, our
studies showed highly differential developments along
the elevational gradient. While in the valley bottoms only
small changes in the pools can be seen, the subalpine belt
(1700-1900 m a.s.l.) experienced massive increases due to
natural reforestation.
In all future scenarios the aforementioned trend is assu-
med to continue. The transition matrices imply the deve-
lopment of the past 15 years and forecast a continuous
reduction of land use, particularly in the subalpine belt.
The stakeholders expect the settlements to grow consider-
ably over the next 30 years, but do not expect any major
changes in land use. According to the developed agro-
economic model, even more dramatic changes can be ex-
pected. As a simulation result we obtained that the most
unfavourable areas will be abandoned if milk support is
reduced by the EU. Assuming the subsidies will be further
cut down, even favourable areas in the valley bottom will
be abandoned. This will induce a dramatic reforestation.
Fig. 4: Classifcation of the Alps
by eight agrarian structure regions
as well as land abandonment
from 1865 (100 per cent) to 2000
in the South Tyrolean grassland
region Sdtiroler Berggebiet
(a), the alpine standard region
Innsbruck Land (b), the agricu-
ltural retraction region Carnia
(c), and in the South Tyrolean
wine and fruit cultivation region
Unterland / beretsch (d) (after
Tappeiner et al. 2003).
The general trend in landscape development moves
toward the decrease of agriculturally used areas. Win-
ners of this trend are the settlement areas on the one
hand and the forest on the other hand, while the main
losers constitute the traditionally used area of cultivation
(larch meadows and the lightly used meadows in the
subalpine and alpine belt). The magnitude of this trend
differs greatly between regions (fg. 4) as well as along an
altitudinal gradient (Becker et al 2007). With the excep-
tion of the agricultural retraction region Carnia, no area
was abandoned in the agricultural used valley bottom,
the agrarian most favourable region. The more diffcult
the conditions for agricultural use of the locations are, the
more obvious the tendency of farmers to abandon their
land. In steeper mountainsides of the valleys, agricultural
areas were increasingly taken out of cultivation. The main
areas abandoned were on the mountain pastures (-39 per
cent to -80 per cent).
Effects of likely future scenarios of landscape development
on the phytomass- and C-pools and biodiversity in the
Stubai Valley
In one of the investigated regions, the alpine standard
region (Innsbruck Land), we developed and tested a land-
scape model in order to analyse landscape-scale changes
of carbon pools and biodiversity in relation to historical
and current land use, as well as explorative scenarios of
future land use. This was achieved by integrating socio-
economic drivers and spatially explicit information, scaling
up C-pools and diversity from the ecosystem to the lands-
cape scale (fg. 5).
Results: Over the past 150 years, a massive reduction of
agricultural land use has taken place, particularly in areas
considered unfavourable, where traditional agriculture
23
Hence, a further increase in the C pool of 18.7 per cent
(95663 t C) over the next 50 years can be expected.
As another important ecosystem service we calculated the
changes in biodiversity at landscape level. It is well known
that shifts in vegetation, related to changing management
strategies, are often accompanied by changes in biodiver-
sity (e.g. Tasser and Tappeiner 2002, Tasser et al. in press).
Studies of changes in the diversity of ecosystems have
rarely been performed. Our analyses of the Stubai Valley
show, that species diversity and ecosystem diversity do
not always have to correlate regarding their development.
Between 1865 and 1970 the phytodiversity (mean species
number of vascular plants) decreased by 6.6 per cent,
while the ecosystem diversity (patch richness) increased by
12 per cent. From this point on the species as well as the
ecosystem diversity decreased. Future scenarios point out
a further slight decrease in both species and ecosystem
diversity (Tappeiner et al. 2007).
Fig. 5: Research approach to analyse landscape-sca-
le changes of carbon pools in relation to historical
and current land use, as well as explorative scenarios
of future land use on the example of the Stubai
Valley in Austria (region Innsbruck Land). The
approach combines: (i) historical and current land
cover, (ii) scenarios of land use as inferred from
stakeholder consultations, from a spatially explicit
land-use change model (transition matrices), from
an agro-economic model, and (iii) an estimation of
above- and belowground C-stocks in the phytomass
via a geo-statistical model (from Tappeiner and
Tasser 2004).
References:
Becker, A., Krner Ch., Bjrnsen Gurung A., Brun J, Guisan A.,
Haeberli W., Tappeiner U. and GLOCHAMORE participants 2007:
Altitudinal Gradient Studies and Highland-lowland Linkages in
Mountain Biosphere Reserves. Mountain Research and Develop-
ment, forthcoming
Tappeiner U. and Bayfeld N. 2002: Management of mountainous
areas. In Land Cover and Land Use - Land Use Management,
edited by W. Verheye, in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems
(EOLSS). Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss
Publishers, Oxford, UK, [http://www.eolss.net].
Tappeiner U., Tappeiner G., Hilbert A. and Mattanovich E. 2003:
The EU Agricultural Policy and the Environment. Evaluation of the
Alpine Region. Blackwell Science, Berlin, Germany.
Tappeiner U, Tasser E, Leitinger G, Tappeiner G 2007: Land-
nutzung in den Alpen: historische Entwicklung und zuknftige
Szenarien. In: Psenner R, Lackner R (eds) Die Alpen im Jahr 2020.
Alpine Space - Man & Environment Vol.1, pp.23-39. Innsbruck,
University Press.
Tasser, E. and Tappeiner, U. 2002: Impact of land use changes on
mountain vegetation. Applied Vegetation Science 5, 173-184.
Tasser E., Tappeiner U., Cernusca A. (in press):Ecological effects of
land-use changes in the European Alps. In: Huber, U. / Becker, A.
/ Bugmann, H. (ed.): Global Change and Mountain Regions A
State of Knowledge Overview. Springer.
24
2.2.2. Observed and simulated
transformation of Alpine landscapes:
driving forces and potential impact on
landscape functions
Felix Kienast & Janine Bolliger (Swiss Federal
Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf, Switzerland)
Keywords
Transformation, modeling, landscape functions, land use,
perception
Long-term economic changes as well as shifts in agricultu-
ral policies and management have been leading to large-
scale land-use changes throughout Europe. As a result
marginal regions (e.g. mountains) are at risk to experience
increasing land abandonment and spontaneous reaffore-
station. This trend could be accelerated by ongoing global
warming. In mountain areas in particular, the likely conse-
quence of this marginalization is an increasingly segrega-
ted land-use pattern. At higher elevations various stages
of spontaneous reafforestation are expected, replacing
formerly open-land habitats by closed forests, whereas at
lower elevations open land may be prone to increasing in-
tensifcation. Marginalisation and on-going intensifcation
might cause loss of cultural and social identity and will
certainly have decisive impacts on fauna and fora.
The paper elaborated on the above mentioned trans-
formation processes at three organizational levels, i.e.
regional (Surselva), national (Switzerland) and continen-
tal (Europe). Based on historical evidence we presented
analyses of past land-use change and showed how plant
and animal species react(ed) to these changes. Further-
more we showed new results on how people perceive
and remember changing land use. The fndings as well as
extensive literature reviews represent the knowledge base
for various predictive models aiming at simulating various
goods and services of landscapes (i.e. biodiversity, carbon
storage, landscape attractiveness).
These goods and services were discussed in the context of
landscape functions, a concept pushed forward by several
articles in the international literature. Landscape func-
tions measure to what degree landscapes fulfll societal
and ecological needs. Recently it has been suggested to
embed the landscape function approach in the ecosystem
millennium assessment (www.maweb.org). According
to this framework policy both the social/cultural and the
natural/cultivated capital of a society are affected, and
they both have decisive impacts on peoples well-being.
Within this framework, landscape functions act as a link
between land use (change) and an ecosystems goods and
services, which are assumed to be direct drivers of human
well-being.
Finally, the presentation concentrated on the potential
impacts of future land-use change on three landscape
functions, i.e. (a) the potential of a landscape to host
species; (b) the potential to store carbon (soil, above- and
below ground); and (c) the potential to be attractive for
the population.
Land-use predictions are derived from three scenarios
based on synergetically assessed drivers originating in
different disciplines (socio-economy, ecology). The three
scenarios are: (1) a business-as-usual scenario that relies
on trends of land-use change observed during the last 20
years; (2) a biodiversity support scenario that assumes op-
timal management strategies and subsidies for biodiversity
and conservation; and (3) a liberalisation scenario where
agriculture and conservation receive no public support.
2.2.3. Landscape under urban pressure:
agreement or divergence between
socio-economical and ecological
approaches
Nathalie Bertrand & Sylvie Vanpeene (CemagreF,
Grenoble, France)
Keywords
Urban pressure, sustainable development, ecosystem
and spatial sustainable development, land use function,
multidisciplinarity
Changes in regional landscapes due to urban pressure
raise questions regarding land use as well as economic,
social and environmental issues related to urban sprawl,
increasing daily commutes, and land consumption. On the
one hand, land use becomes more complex as competi-
tion between agriculture, urbanization, natural areas and
forests intensifes, and relates to space multifunctionality.
On the other hand, functional and structural urban inte-
gration of peripheral rural areas implies negative externa-
lities such as social segregation, or degradation of natural
environments subjected to human pressure (as tourist or
residential frequentations).
These changes and dysfunctions question the sustainabili-
ty of development in such areas. This point is all the more
critical in the Alps since it is a geographically constrained
space that is rich in unique biotopes and subject to highly
disparate human pressure, for example the French Alpine
Sillon with intense conurbation, or the Carpatians very
low population density. Sustainability calls for three pillars:
economical, sociological, environmental. However, what
does a landscape under urban pressure mean? How
to develop an analysis that takes into account the three
pillars of sustainability? How to go beyond disciplinary
approaches and offer an area of integrated analysis?
25
This paper is based on two years of work undertaken
by socio-economists and ecologists on the effects of
peri-urbanisation on landscape and the environment in
an alpine area. By crossing two disciplines ecology and
(socio-)economy it highlights dimensions that the ana-
lysis covers with such processes. The frst of them regards
space and how space is taken into account respectively
in the environmental, economic or social processes.
Ecological analysis is mainly spatially based. But space
has been a problem for a long time in economic analy-
sis, where space has not traditionally been considered a
dimension of economic (and social) processes. Thus, it
is around the confrontation of these differences that it
seems interesting here to underline some dimensions of
major processes that are current concerns in the alpine arc
and landscape changes, by confronting the differences of
the disciplinary approaches. This paper has this aim, and
includes three steps.
The frst step focuses on disciplinary questions. To socio-
economists, questions about landscape and its change
predominantly concern natural areas and land used by hu-
man beings, including settlement areas. Questions related
to urban pressure focus on spatial segregation, processes
of population and activity polarisation. In this sense,
landscape is closely related to the concept of regional
development. To ecologists, the environmental dimension
covers two types of concerns. One is related to unique
ecosystems while the other is related to ordinary nature
and its organization patterns. Remarkable ecosystems are
frequently included in protected zones or management
plans. This means that they may escape from urban pres-
sure even if they are affected by recreational activities. On
the other hand, urban pressure takes its full signifcance in
the evolution of space organization of ordinary nature.
This can infuence ecosystems or remarkable species when
urbanization destroys or damages corridors that used to
ensure the functionality of a whole landscape by connec-
ting ordinary and remarkable milieux.
Regarding landscapes, the two disciplines also ask
different questions. But they do converge on land use
and changes in land use, even if specifc concerns about
management or economic development belong to each
discipline. Thus, a study carried out in the French Alps
highlighted a common socio-economic and environmental
analysis by identifying indicators of land use: landscape
fragmentation, evolution of linear corridors for the en-
vironment; demographic trends and increase in building
permits for the economy. Other research in the European
context found the concept of land use functions (Sensor
IP, 2006).
The second part of the presentation dealt with scales of
analysis (temporal or spatial). Economics (or sociology) call
upon various scales, answering mainly to administrative
perimeters (area Nuts 2, Nuts 3, common Nuts 5 in the
French case...). It concerns statistical data available (or
not) at a pan-European dimension; more local analysis
makes it possible to highlight evolutions at fner scales
and calls for qualitative information collection revealing
the importance of institutional dimensions. Environmental
data can be overlayedwith these zonings, such as land use
cartographies (Corine Landcover), inventories of protec-
tion zonings, or cartography of the natUra2000 network.
However, this level of data is very global and not suitable
to areas of very complex landscape mosaic, as in the case
of mountain areas. For many ecological questions, it is ne-
cessary to go down to a fner level of information by habi-
tat mapping. These data are not generalized. To combine
the two disciplines requires working in a common area of
analysis that could be supplemented by fner approaches
carried out by each discipline.
The temporal scale of the two disciplines can be relatively
similar and requires less disciplinary adaptation than the
spatial scale. Indeed, over the 50 past years and in 10-year
sample steps, the two disciplines can combine their data,
for example of successive censuses (e.g., population and
agriculture) and land cover photos interpreted from aerial
photography.
Lastly, the question of indicators was addressed. The
nature and sensitivity of indicators able to refect a process
is questioned in the same manner for the two disciplines.
It is the same for indicator availability at a European scale.
As an example, analysis of the impact of a peri-urban land
use pressure in a Regional Natural Park (Parc Naturel Regi-
onal, PNR) was given. The analysis of its sustainability did
not lead to the creation of a mixed indicator but rather to
some joint indicators. For example:
analysis of municipal population growth rate related
to travel time to the city (this analysis being able to be
refned by social and economic category and age of
new residents);
percentage of change between two dates in land use,
which can be related to population growth rate.
At plot level, data overlay between land zoning (urbanised
classifed surfaces) and aerial photo interpretation of land
use makes it possible to quantify and locate areas actually
consumed by residential use, and available land reserves.
This also makes it possible to identify the type of land use
on which urbanization actually occurred. To identify the
rate and localization of land reserves that are still available
can help mediation between municipalities and PNRs,
and help build a vision of future land use if all currently
planned buildings were actually constructed.
The three pillars of sustainability require defning a
common feld on the level of temporal and space scales
26
and on the type of indicators. To go beyond requires
addressing the questions on a hierarchical basis, and
asking more ecological or more economic and/or social
questions, dropping the notion of a common interface in
favour of specifc disciplinary questions.
2.2.4. Shaping our future urban landscapes
experiences from Bavaria
Didier Vancutsem (IsoCarp & Vancutsem Stadtplaner
Landchaftsarchitekten, Mnchen, Germany)

In July 2005, the community of Fraunberg, in the Munich
region, made headlines: in a village that wants to keep its
identity, the council abolished traditional activity zones in
the land use development plan.
So kann das nicht weiter gehen (This cannot go on),
Mayor Wiesmaier declared two years ago, as his munici-
pality of 3400 inhabitants was again faced with the pro-
blem of peripheral urban extension. The council was sure
of its strategy as it decided to abolish all activity zones
in the periphery. In their place, an exchange platform of
buildings and plots was established. It became possible
for enterprises to use disused farmland; in comparison
with industrial zones, investment costs were reduced. The
urban structure of the community was preserved, and
most workplaces are still in the village centre.
Sustainable Landscape
Despite our cities urban transformations, problematic
economic growth and strict intervention of nature protec-
tion services, soil consumption is still very high. Today, the
Bavarian State has a daily consumption of 20 hectares.
The federal government goal to reduce current soil con-
sumption of 93 hectares to 30 hectares is utopian. Unless
current instruments are implemented forcefully, and new
ones are introduced, this goal will not be reached even if
economic growth should be slow.
The most recent demographic indicators for Germany
taking births, life expectancy and immigration into
account show a shrinking population. The German po-
pulation will drop from 82 million (in 2000) to 68 million
(in 2050). More important than this reduction, however,
is the populations average age. The number of people
over 60 will increase from 17.5 million (in 2000) to 28
million (in 2050). This defcit could be compensated by a
net immigration of 3.4 million, which, however, is not a
realistic assumption.
Our consumption of resources should allow sustainable
development. But land consumption is currently too high.
Conclusion: high land consumption cannot be tolerated.
Solutions must be found, in urban transformation and
planning methods.
Our landscapes: laboratories of urban transformation
and urban sprawl.
Our cities and regions are facing various paradoxical
challenges:
low income, higher social costs;
unused infrastructures, high maintenance costs;
more economic competition, social cohesion at risk;
disappearance of the European city, erosion of our
society.
How could our cities and regions react creatively to these
developments?
Today, 75 per cent of the European population lives in
urbanised areas. In 2020, more than 80 per cent of the
population will be urban and the phenomenon of urban
sprawl will be omnipresent all over Europe.
In the past, some cities opted for compact growth the
city of Munich is one example. The Munich development
strategy applied since 2000 has produced some impres-
sive results.
Urban landscape typology
Our landscapes mirror our society what types of lands-
capes will we have in the near future?
Our cultural landscape is undergoing a rapid and com-
plex transformation process. It is subject to increasingly
intense, global pressure; yet it is still considered as a
commodity. Locations loss of identity is common, points
of identifcation are fast disappearing.
Will our future landscapes be used for energy production,
monoculture, multi-functionality, transformation, or for
history and nature conservation? Our generation has to
decide.
27
summaries
2.3.1. Urbanisation: changes of the built
environment
Workshop 2/1
Moderator:
Manfred Perlik (Gebirgsforschung: Mensch und
Umwelt Forschungsstelle der sterreichischen
Akademie, Innsbruck, Austria & ETH Zrich,
Switzerland)
This conference was intended to show impacts of the
current urbanisation process on alpine landscapes, and to
discuss these changes in terms of land use, conformati-
on of the built environment, and regional development.
It is an especially signifcant topic for the following two
reasons:
cities and agglomerations are increasing, both within
and outside the alpine region. Hence, the number
of rural areas used by urban populations for leisure
and recreational purposes is also increasing. These
areas are slowly being transformed into urbanised
landscapes, although this often only shows on closer
inspection.
in spatial development circles, a debate on land use
for housing and transport is raging under the label
of land consumption. New architectural and design
disciplines have entered the fray disciplines that
primarily consider the aesthetics of landscape and
anthropogenic impacts.
1
They have a visual perception
of landscape change and use images to try and exert
some infuence.

It has therefore been the intention of this Workshop to
contrast aspects of the material basis and socio-cultu-
ral construction of landscapes, their interrelations and
underlying driving forces. Discussion was based on three
input presentations of case studies on alpine landscapes,
focusing on
economic interest of external and local actors, in
particular investors;
new socio-cultural housing, leisure and life-style
needs;
marketing, design and architecture as spatially rele-
vant actors.
Marie Wozniak (French ministry of environment, Paris /
Grenoble, France), discussed new demands on the built
environment in her input contribution.
From 1946 to 1977, skiing resorts of the stations in-
1 Schuler, M.,Dessemontet, P. et al. 2006: Atlas des rumlichen
Wandels der Schweiz. Bern. S. 8
tgres type were constructed according to French

regional policy goals for the economic development of the
snow-rich northern Alps; opportunities for extra-regional
investors; and urbanistic planning principles of a French
hue. The resorts were much criticised, especially their cen-
tral planning, lack of consideration of regional interests,
and monostructural character. In response to a shift in
demand, a slow transformation into villages has been
taking place since the 1980s, geared to destination ma-
nagement for the international market. International tou-
rism companies, such as Intrawest (Motto: The Worlds
Greatest Playgrounds), have been involved in marketing
these resorts, which is why alpine traditions using selected
features of local culture are being re-invented. Messages
focus on tradition, authenticit, convivialit.
In terms of the built environment, this meant that some
chalets were relocated and/or designed an international
pseudo-rural style that may meet consumer needs but has
nothing to do with what a Savoyard chalet would traditi-
onally have been like. This re-invented alpine tradition
is uniform, supplanting authentic local heritage. The result
is paradoxical: alpine resorts are increasingly changing
their aspect to resemble a clearly defned village; but
the villages local roots have been severed completely.
Tourists may arrive in search of local heritage, but their ex-
pectations refer to an imaginary world. The terms Alpine
resorts (for economically successful tourist destinations)
and Alpine wasteland (for unused and reusable lands-
capes and landscapes to be built up) have been thrown
into the architectural debate.
2

In Marie Wozniaks opinion, this raises not only the
question of whether a separate development of these two
regional types is desirable since tourists defnitely desire
some kind of Alpinity, however that may be defned,
but also of whether it is desirable to ignore the local
knowledge of underprivileged areas, and how links could
be established between resorts and their wasteland/
hinterland.

Tiziana Quaglia (Regione Veneto, Venezia, Italy) and
Viviana Ferrario (Universit IUav di Venezia, Italy) presented
experiences from the AlpCity Interreg IIIB project concer-
ning renovating and reusing traditional rural and produc-
tive alpine buildings, focusing on historic architecture in
small towns and villages. The Veneto regional govern-
ment explored the re-use of farmyard buildings, so-called
tabi, in Belluno province. Thousands of these buildings
exist, both in village centres and in scattered settlement
areas. They are a strong landscape feature and a cultural
heritage element that the regional government wants to
preserve. In village centres re-use is usually quite easy, but
scattered settlement areas are more problematic, espe-
2 Diener, R. et al. 2005: Die Schweiz ein stdtebauliches
Portrait. Basel.
28
cially if agricultural use is abandoned. Often it is only the
buildings that change hands while the actual land remains
the property of the erstwhile owners who, however, stop
looking after it. Buildings are re-purposed for housing and
leisure; the cultural and historic connection and informati-
on of buildings and their territories is lost. In other words,
preservation efforts lead to destruction; rural landscapes
are essentially transformed into leisure landscapes. It is a
process that has to be acknowledged.
Viviana Ferrario expressed the opinion that in the Italian
Alps the solution lies on the lower, local level rather
than with higher authorities. However, this aspect could
not be explored further during the discussion.
Sibylle Omlin (Hochschule fr Gestaltung und Kunst,
Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Basel, Switzerland)
focused on the social and symbolic elements of urbanisa-
tion processes.
Urbanism is not only a feld of urbanisation theories, ur-
ban planning and densely built-up space. The term is also
connoted with symbols (semiotics) and rhetoric, thereby
representing aesthetic qualities. However, urbanism is
concerned not only with landscape aestheticisation but
also with social qualities, such as life-style and ways of
life. On this background, the urbanisation of the Alps
must be considered as a change of landscapes due to a
mixture of rural and urban elements, and a re-construc-
tion of social life-worlds (in the sense of Henri Lefebvres
production of space).
Sibylle Omlin demonstrated this using the alpine towns
of St. Moritz and Davos, where returnees after years
of apprenticeship and training produce designer goods
for an urban clientele (e.g., the Freitag bags made in
Davos). Mountain regions adopt urban branding strate-
gies for their products, occasionally in the form of double
branding, i.e. the overlay of two brands from different
felds in order to attracte more than twice the attention.
Marketing experts also tap into local and rural traditions.
For example, Chesa Futura in St. Moritz, an apart-
ment building, was marketed using the double brands of
(Norman) Foster + Partners (the architects) and St. Moritz,
heavily drawing on Reto-Romansh roots. Current large
projects are also being planned along these lines. Sawiris
is an Egyptian investor who wants to build a resort (hotel,
golf course) at Andermatt in Uri, for example. It is being
positioned as a brand intended to eclipse Davos and St.
Moritz.
Discussion
The ensuing discussion addressed two questions:
1. Why should we not deliberately design museal land-
scapes? The frst input presentation made a plea for a
deliberate development of mountain areas as museums.
It was inspired by the city of Venice, whose inhabitants
and tradespeople are fully aware that they live in and off
a museum. This contribution chiefy referred to negative
outcomes of re-using so-called tabi in Italys Veneto
region, and to the branding strategies mentioned in the
section above. At the same time, the input presentation
addressed the notion that we might be able to distin-
guish between artifcially constructed landscapes and
landscape with a territorial identity, which should make
it possible to renounce artifcial landscapes.
Various participants objected, frstly, because it is a well-
known fact that the very inhabitants of mountain areas
themselves have repeatedly expressed their objection to
being forced to live in a museum; secondly, because
this position would contradict the opinion that landscapes
are products of values and valuations related to specifc
material and cultural contexts. The presenters themselves
had expressed this opinion in their input presentations.
Accordingly, it was argued that any (perception of)
landscape is a construct by society and individuals alike,
and that, therefore, the term artifcial missed the point
entirely.
2. Will the transformation processes that have been
described provide for stable regional development in
mountain areas? This question referred to the material
function of mountain regions as providers of resources
and as territories within which the local population try to
counteract the encroaching loss of signifcation. One of
the participants in the discussion demanded that no irre-
versible changes in the alpine space must be made. This
opinion met with some strong objections from a cultural
perspective and considering observable cultural dynamics,
noting that stability was neither achievable nor desirable.
Time constraints made it impossible to explore this issue
in greater depth, however.
Conclusions
Landscapes are socio-economic and cultural constructs.
Their perception and use is the result of traditional and
the starting-point of new territorial relationships entered
into by regional actors and incoming user interests subject
to bio-physical environmental conditions. This corresponds
to the double function of landscape identifed in the
Synthesis Report of the National Resarch Programme 48
of the Swiss National Fund.
In Europe, traditional, materially constituted signifcan-
ce of landscape (agricultural cultural landscape; water
reservoir; industrial landscape) has been losing value. In
the event of structural change in peripheral areas, tradi-
tional territorial relationships are not easily supplanted by
equivalent new ones. This is particularly true for new uses,
which are less stable and can be more easily and more
29
quickly relocated than centureis-old, traditional produc-
tion systems.
From a socio-cultural perspective, the crucial question
arises whether it is realistic to expect this kind of stability,
no matter how transient. From a sustainability perspective
social costs, energy consumption, irreversible land-use
changes, etc. however, any change of use that proves to
be instable and short-lived must be criticised.
Some twenty participants attended this workshop. Evi-
dently, it is a polarising issue. The predominant partici-
pant profle meant that the focus was on socio-cultural
construct aspects of landscape. The ensuing discussion
showed that it is diffcult to link the two aspects of
materially constituted perception of landscape and an
image-based cultural construct, and that depending
on the participants respective scientifc disciplines views
tend to veer exclusively in the one or the other direction.
2.3.2. Agriculture, Alpine landscapes and
biodiversity (NRP 48 synthesis 2)
Workshop 2/2
Moderator:
Jrg Stcklin (Botanisches Institut, Universitt
Basel, Switzerland)
Starting point and aim of the workshop
The alpine landscape is particularly fne-structured, rich
in habitats and may be considered as a refuge of biodi-
versity on the European continent. Alpine landscapes and
biodiversity have been shaped by centuries of human
land use. Socio-economically motivated changes in recent
decades signifcantly affect landscape quality, habitats and
biodiversity.
The aim of this workshop was to present results of re-
search focus II of the research programme NRP 48, Land
Use and Biodiversity in the Alps, of the Swiss National
Foundation SN, and to explore, a) how changes affect
agriculture, forestry and policy in Switzerland as regards
landscape quality and biodiversity, and b) the pros and
cons of signifcant expansion of forest areas in Alpine
regions all over Europe.
Markus Fischer (Institute of Plant Sciences, University
of Berne, Switzerland) gave a summary of the recently
published (May 2007) syntheses of research in Switzerland
on the roles of agriculture and forestry for landscapes and
biodiversity in the Swiss Alps. He showed that from the
mid-20
th
century on, positive impact of human land use
on species and landscape diversity increasingly reversed
into a negative aspect. The main causal factors were
mechanisation and intensifcation of landscapes, and
uncontrolled spread of human settlements. On the other
hand, steep or ill-accessible areas were increasingly exclu-
ded from agricultural use. In Switzerland forest areas have
expanded by up to 100 per cent in the past 150 years.
From a biodiversity perspective this is negative, since reaf-
forestation primarily affects dry meadows and species-rich
pastures. Markus Fischer showed that Swiss agricultural
policy with its system of direct payments to farmers is
particularly suited to reversing negative effects on land-
scapes and biodiversity. As a consequence and based on
insights gained by the projects of the NFP 48 and from
further sources, recommendations are made to modify
the present system of direct payments to the agricultural
sector insofar as public, non-marketable services (ecolo-
gical payments and landscape protection) are to receive
consistent compensation. To a large extent, current direct
payments are not directly linked to such services. As food
for discussion Markus Fischer proposed fve theses:
landscape quality and biodiversity in alpine regions are
no longer guaranteed by-products of land use;
high biodiversity in the Alps is decreasing rapidly due
to intensifcation, land-use change, abandonment;
negative trends are augmented by global change;
the current sitution deviates from constitutional and
legal obligations in Switzerland, and runs counter to
population and tourist preferences;
landscape quality and biodiversity can be maintained
and restored by a combination of suitable measures;
this requires joint efforts and breaking some taboos.
Georg Grabherr (Department of Conservation Biology,
Vegetation- and Landscape Ecology, University of Vi-
enna, Austria) summarized the consequences of forest
expansion in the Alps. Abandonment of land use would
lead to a recovery of forests in large parts of the Alps. He
claimed that the rich vascular biodiversity of the Alps with
ca. 2500 out of a total of ca. 12000 European vascular
plants could be particularly affected by forest expansion.
70 out of 291 alpine habitats depend on human land use.
As an example, the alpine fagship of rural diversity, i.e.
the mountain hay meadow is now particularly threatened
by land-use changes. On the other hand, remote wil-
derness areas may be valuable habitats for population
expansion of large carnivores, such as lynx, wolves and
brown bears. As a conclusion, Georg Grabherr proposed
the following fve theses for discussion:
although they maintain pleasant sceneries, recent
agricultural practices do not necessarily guarantee the
maintenance of alpine rural biodiversity;
maintenance of land-use dependent biodiversity
requires professional landscape and biodiversity
management based on deep knowledge; optimal
practices would be integrated into production cycles
that are economically effective but at the same time
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
1)
2)
3u
support biodiversity;
biodiversity must have a value apart from its economic
value;
maintaining alpine wilderness is as important as
maintaining rural landscapes, and land-use dependent
biodiversity; wherever possible wildernesses should be
restored, especially in remote areas.
Discussion was lively and covered various issues of landuse
practices and biodiversity protection in the Alps as well as
differences in agricultural policy among European coun-
tries. Participants agreed that it is important to maintain
rural landscape in order to preserve existing biodiversi-
ty. However, regional differences should be taken into
account more than is currently the case in Switzerland
and other countries. Some participants agreed that forest
expansion is negative from a biodiversity perspective, but
others mentioned opportunities for wilderness areas. It
was questioned whether biodiversity is an attractive issue
for farmers, and a participant wondered if in the future
there will be enough state subsidies to maintain agricu-
ltural use in high mountain areas. The critical comment
that we should not aim to convert alpine landscapes into
an open-air museum was contradicted by the argument
that a consequence of a general retreat of agricultural
land use from the Alps would be that alpine ecosystem
services could no longer be maintained. This might cause
much greater costs to society than maintaining land use.
Particularly for tourism, it is crucial that open landscapes
be maintained. In wilderness areas hiking paths will soon
have vanished altogether.
Outlook
The maintenance of alpine landscapes, habitats and
biodiversity is an important issue for all alpine countries.
Despite large differences in policy and farming condi-
tions, positive experiences and the success of appropriate
policies in different regions are highly valuable to support
efforts in preserving the rich alpine landscape and biodi-
versity.
Reference:
Stcklin J., Bosshard A., Klaus G., Rudmann-Maurer K:, Fischer
M. 2007: Landnutzung und biologische Vielfalt in den Alpen:
Fakten, Perspektiven, Empfehlungen. Synthesebericht NFP 48.
Zrich.
3)
4)
2.3.3. Changing climate changing
landscape
Workshop 2/3
Moderator:
Thomas Probst (Alpenforschungsinstitut AFI,
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)
Especially as a consequence of recent foods and extreme
summer temperatures, climate change has become a
major issue in political, scientifc and public debate in the
Alpine Space. At present, the focus of interest is no longer
limited to temperature rise and precipitation change,
but has shifted to ecological and economic impacts. The
workshop particularly dealt with impacts of climate chan-
ge on landscape and land use in the Alps, addressing the
following questions:
in what way has climate change affected landscape?
What changes are expected in the next decades?
what are current reaction / adaptation strategies of
policy, the private sector and other stakeholders?
Are these strategies adequate to cope with future
challenges?
what efforts have to be made to maintain and further
develop landscape in the Alpine Space as a basis for
living, working and recreation?
Introduction
Various recent and current studies show an increase in
annual mean temperature since 1860. On the global
level, this increase is about +0.8C, in Alpine Space up to
+1.6C (Lebensministerium 2006). The warming trend has
grown more intense over the past three decades. 1994,
2000, 2002, 2003 were the warmest years on record in
the Alps. With regard to precipitation, there is no distinct
long-term trend over the past 500 years. Nevertheless,
a slight decline in mean regional precipitation can be
observed in the Alps since the 1970s (oecd 2007). Until
2100, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(Ipcc) predicts a likely range of further global warming
from +1.1C to +6.4C, depending on socio-economic
development.
The Alpine Space will be massively hit by global change.
Data processing in the context of the Interreg III B project
ClimChAlp for Austria shows an increase in annual mean
temperature until 2055 of between +1.0C and +2.5C,
until 2085 between +2.5C and > +5.0C (echam5/remo
model, A1B scenario). Summer precipitation will decrease
signifcantly, while it will increase in winter. Thus, climate
change will have massive consequences on the Alpine
Space in terms of ecosystems, water management, natu-
ral hazards, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and settlement
and infrastructure development.
1)
2)
3)
31
Sergeja Praper (Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of
Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia) presented an input contri-
bution on climate change impacts on settlements. As she
stated, it is expected that the majority of signifcant long-
term impacts of climate change on settlements will occur
in 30, 50, or 80 years from now, and that future impacts
will not be different in type from what we know today
(e.g. foods, droughts, storms, landslides, rock falls), but
that we will observe differences as regards their severity
and recurrence periods. The Alpine space comprises very
heterogenous spatial units, which even today experience
natural hazards to differing degrees. Settlement types
also vary a great deal, from scattered mountain villages
to large cities. It is thus impossible to speak of a genera-
lized pattern of climate change impacts on settlements.
Therefore, two aspects have to be considered. Firstly, the
consequences of different climate-related factors (which
include increased mean temperatures and higher extremes
and heat waves, droughts and water scarcity, extreme
events and natural hazards), secondly, driver-dependency
relations between key variables of climate change in the
urban system. The main drivers include, for example,
higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns,
wind and urban densifcation. Dependency variables, on
the other hand, have shown to be health, biodiversity,
vegetation and building integrity. As a conclusion, it
seems necessary to link mitigation and adaptation efforts
with current activities towards sustainable development in
settlement areas.
Ulrike Prbstl (University of Natural Resources and Ap-
plied Life Sciences BokU, Vienna, Austria) addressed the
subject of climate change impacts on winter tourism and
consequences for landscape development in her input
contribution.
In the past 20 years, many destinations in the Alps focus-
sed their tourism business mainly on the winter season.
For these destinations, climate change has negative
effects on snow security and snow cover. To investigate
the possible consequences for mountainous areas, two
web-based surveys one on down-hill skiing and one
on cross-country-skiing were conducted. Each study
involved some 500 respondents. The main motivation for
both groups is physical activity and experience of snow in
winter. Using a two-step choice experiment, the majority
of ski-enthusiasts were found to prefer a higher-altitude
destination with better prospects for snow cover in the
future. However, by increasing the attractiveness of
destinations with extra services such as spa-facilities and
childcare, a signifcant proportion of respondents (up to
40 per cent) would remain in lower-lying destinations.
Thus, concerning trends in winter sport tourism, it has
to be taken into account that artifcial snow can ensure
skiable conditions, but is less preferred than areas with
natural snow at higher altitudes, and that creative (leisure)
services can contribute to a shift from winter to summer
holidays. Finally, the consequences for agriculture and
forestry have to be considered, as small-scale farming is
often closely linked to tourism and an expansion of forests
in mountainous areas is to be expected.
Wilfried Haeberli (Institute of Physical Geography, Uni-
versity of Zrich, Switzerland) focused on climate-driven
landscape and geosystem changes in high mountain-re-
gions in his input contribution, where he presented an
integrated case study in the eastern Swiss Alps.
An integrated spatio-temporal (4D) geo-information
system (gIsalp) was developed as a tool for communica-
tion, analysis, participatory planning and management in
the highest parts of the Alpine landscape. Regional data
and spatial models relating to key variables concerning
climate-driven landscape evolution were compiled for
analysing the current situation and for modelling poten-
tial future development scenarios. Special emphasis was
placed on glaciers and permafrost as well as expanding
periglacial surfaces, soil evolution and pioneer vegetation
where the strongest change is known to occur in the mid
to long term. A system analysis was carried out in order
to defne the most important drivers, indicators, buffers
and ambivalent elements concerning relevant processes
and phenomena. Climate change and forward-looking
local policy are dominant long-term drivers. As expected,
the highest belts of high mountains, especially perennial
ice (glaciers, permafrost), are subject to the most drama-
tic changes in scenarios of potential future atmospheric
temperature rise. Closely connected to the corresponding
evolution, natural hazards and landscape attractiveness
are most likely to be subject to striking changes, as well.
One consequence is the decline in landscape attrac-
tiveness where glaciers once were visible, i.e. also in the
main valleys.
Conclusions from the discussion and outlook
The following discussion shows that most participants
consider climate change one of or even the mostessential
future challenges for the Alpine space. Generally spea-
king, most climate change impacts on landscape and land
use are regarded as negative. Especially the increasing na-
tural hazard potential is seen as a serious threat for peo-
ple, settlements, infrastructure and economy in the Alps.
In the worst case, certain valleys will no longer be ade-
quate places to live in. As far as impacts of climate change
on land use are concerned, both positive and negative
aspects are mentioned. In winter tourism, a twofold trend
can be assumed: while skiing infrastructure could be given
up in several regions at low altitudes, concentration and
intensifcation could take place at high-altitude winter
resorts. In low altitude areas, artifcial snow production
32
could contribute to maintaining winter tourism, but it will
not be the only solution; diversifying services seems to be
the required option. On the other hand, summer tourism
could generally beneft from climate change: if summer
seasons get too hot in southern Europe and overseas des-
tinations, the Alpine space could be preferred due to its
more moderate climate. As far as agriculture is concerned,
longer vegetation periods and more favourable growing
conditions could be an advantage.
In the last part of the discussion, a strong need for action
at different levels became obvious. The current policies
were felt to be far from adequate, and do not seem to be
suitable to cope with expected climate change impacts,
increasing natural hazards in particular. Therefore, the
most urgent challenges were seen in counteracting
adverse impacts by intensifying mitigation and adaptation
measures while preventing an even larger extent of cli-
mate change. In terms of prevention, not only the public
and private sectors and science were seen to have to
make strong efforts; each individual person also bears cer-
tain responsibilities. Thus, one basic requirement was felt
to be to raise awareness for potential impacts of climate
change and overall social responsibility to take adequate
measures. In this context, it was deemed necessary to
pursue discussion on climate and landscape change in the
Alps. This workshop was a frst step; further ones should
follow in order to deepen the debate. In addition, a net-
work of experts in this feld could bring the issue forward.
References:
Lebensministerium 2006: Klimawandel im Alpenraum. Wien.
OECD 2007: Climate Change in the European Alps. Paris.
2.3.4. Land-use changes in the Carpathians
and in the Alps
Workshop 2/4
Moderators:
Jacek Kozak (Institute of Geography and Spatial
Management, Jagiellonian University, Krakow,
Poland)
Franci Petek (Geographical Institute Anton Melik,
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Art, Ljubljana,
Slovenia)
The aim of the workshop was to compare land-use and
land-cover changes in the northern Carpathians and in
the Alps. Understanding the determinants of change
requires considering multiple scales, historic backgrounds
and development scenarios of the regions under con-
sideration. Inter-regional comparisons allow to identify
problems shared as well as similarities and differences.
In particular, one of the questions discussed during the
workshop was whether the current state of the Alps
can be considered one of many possible futures of the
Carpathians. If yes, then setting Carpathian land changes
in the Alpine context may be of practical importance for
land-use policies and decision making.
During the workshop, three case studies related to land
changes on high mountain pastures were presented, from
the Slovenian Alps, the French Alps and the Carpathians,
respectively:
Overview of Alpine pasture development in the Slove-
nian Alps and development of pastures on common
land of Velika planina, the Slovenian Alps, by Franci
Petek, Matej Gabrovec, Mimi Urbanc (Anton Meliki
Geographical Institute ZRC sazU, Ljubljana, Slovenia).
Evolution of common pastures: two examples in Savoy
(Northern French Alps), by Amaia Legaz, Dominique
Baud, Christophe Gauchon (Universit de Savoie,
France).
Land use changes on high mountain pastures in the
Chornohora Range, the Carpathians, by Izabela Sitko,
Mateusz Troll, Jacek Kozak (Institute of Geography
and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University,
Krakow, Poland).
The Carpathians and the Slovenian Alps share a similar
history over the past centuries (part of the Austro-Hunga-
rian Empire, communist regimes after World War II). Now
these two regions face rapid political and socio-economic
changes due to ongoing transformation to market-orien-
ted economies and accession to the European Union. The
transformation has triggered a widespread land chan-
ge. Several examples, such as conversion of mountain
pastures into recreational areas, or land abandonment
and forest expansion were shown in the case studies from
Slovenia and Ukraine. The problem of land change in
post-socialist countries, its impacts on cultural landscapes,
biodiversity and ecosystem services were the topic of the
concluding presentation:
Post-socialist land change and impacts on ecosystems
and habitats in the Carpathians by Patrick Hostert &
Tobias Kuemmerle (Institute of Geography, Humboldt-
University of Berlin, Germany), Per Angelstam (Faculty
of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences, Ume, Sweden), Marina Elbakidze (Institute
of Geography, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv,
Ukraina)
In the open discussion following the four presentations,
workshop participants exchanged information and expe-
riences derived from research or visits, both in the Carpa-
thians and in the Alps. Several comments referred to data
availability and reliability in the Carpathian area, with a
33
particular concern on the Ukrainian part. This issue was
further discussed during Workshop 3/4 of Forum Alpi-
num: Cooperation in European Mountains the example
of the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions.
2.3.5. Soil system services in mountain
environments
Workshop 2/5
Moderators:
Christine Alewell (Institut fr
Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universitt Basel,
Switzerland)
Eva Spehn (Botanisches Institut, Universitt Basel,
Switzerland & Global Mountain Biodiversity
Assessment gmba)
Introduction
Changes in climate and land use practices affect alpine
biodiversity and the stability of alpine soils. The integrity
of alpine ecosystems is crucial to sustain important ecosys-
tem services such as drinking water production, food
prevention and slope stability. Thus, the stability of alpine
soils has a high ecological and economic value for todays
society. The workshop explored the likely effects of global
change on soil stability in the Alps and its consequences
for the lowlands.
Erich Tasser (European Academy, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy)
discussed in his input presentation the effects of land-
use changes on vegetation rooting and soil stability.
Erika Hiltbrunner (Botanisches Institut, Universitt Basel,
Switzerland & Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment
gmBa) presented a contribution addressing global change
impacts on alpine soils.
Further, contributions by the following workshop par-
ticipants are included in this report: Katrin Meusburger
(University of Basel, Switzerland) Ludwig Braun (Commis-
sion for Glaciology of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences,
Munich, Germany), Roland Psenner (Institute of Ecology,
University of Innsbruck, Austria), Jean-Jaques Brun, cemag-
reF, St. Martin dHres, France).
Outcome of the workshop
The stability of alpine soils is infuenced by multiple factors
(e.g. global warming, nitrogen deposition, land use chan-
ge), interacting and reinforcing each other.
Land use change effects on soil stability:
The present situation in the Alps leads partly to an aban-
donment of high alpine lands and partly to an inten-
sifcation of easily accessible areas. Loss of agricultural
land in the Swiss Alps between 1979/85 and 1992/97
amounted to approx. 18000 ha, with most of the land
being changed to bushes, forests and woods (Areastatistik
Schweiz, BFS). Simultaneously, animal numbers increa-
sed, tripling livestock density on the remaining land from
1950 until today. For example, livestock in the Urseren
Valley (Meusburger & Alewell in prep) shows an increase
of 1000 to nearly 8000 sheep, and 800 to 1500 cattle
since the 1960s. This increase in livestock has important
consequences on soil stability and thus, on the water and
nutrient cycles. Changes in vegetation composition and
rooting leads to a change of erosion risk. A comparison
of aerial photographs from 1959 and 2004 showed a
dramatic increase of eroded area by 92% over 45 years.
This was caused mainly by changes in land use practice
rather than the mere increase in animal numbers, e.g. no
herded summering but uncontrolled grazing in grasslands
with low soil stability.
What determines erodibility of alpine soils?
In the Passeier Valley (South Tyrol) and Stubai Valley (Tyrol),
important factors which infuence erodibility in alpine soils
were exposition (East, South-East), slope inclination, soil
depth, land use type (abandoned land), rooting depth and
root density (Tasser et al 2003). Biodiversity of alpine land
decreased with intensifcation as well as with abandon-
ment, but was highest in traditionally managed meadows.
The latter also had the higher root densities (up to 120
km/m
2
) than intensively used meadows and abandoned
land with dwarf shrubs (20-40 km/m
2
).
In the study of Hiltbrunner on the Furka Pass (central
Swiss Alps), erosion rates (runoff and sediment loss)
where correlated to vegetation cover but not to diversity
of alpine grasslands. Dense plant cover is key against
erosion in steep slopes, whereas species number/plant
diversity is not directly linked to runoff or sediment loss
due to high variability (Hiltbrunner).
The presence of different plant functional types (e.g.
dwarf shrubs) has a major impact on surface water runoff.
As dwarf shrubs signifcantly increased soil erosion and
decreased slope stability at the Austrian site, Tasser recom-
mended that abandoned areas on steeper slopes should
be reafforested as rapidly as possible to avoid the suc-
cession stage dominated by dwarf shrubs. Dwarf shrubs
were also found to decrease surface runoff (Hiltbrunner).
However, evaluation of aerial photographs of the Urseren
Valley (Switzerland) showed that landslide susceptibility
was reduced with higher dwarf shrub cover (Meusburger,
Univ. of Basel). These different results of the two sites led
to a discussion of the infuence of dwarf shrub effects on
stability/erosion of soils and therefore of their role during
succession after abandonment of managed grasslands.
We conclude that the effect of dwarf shrubs depends on
the specifc invading dwarf shrub species (e.g. Rhodo-
dendron ferrugineum seems to have a positive effect on
34
soil stability), and on the soil type. Land slides and surface
erosion are caused by two different processes: overland
fow causes surface erosion, whereas the retention of
overland fow (e.g. by soil compaction due to heavy gra-
zing) increases subsurface fow, which triggers landslides
and thus, increases landslide risk. Brun reported a case of
induced soil erosion by forest encroachment on aban-
doned slopes on schist soil in the French Alps. Forested
parts were exposed to soil erosion, as trees were too
heavy and induced soil slips. Foresters had to cut trees
out (forest thinning) to reduce weight.
Climate change effects on alpine vegetation, hydrology
and soils
Warming (in the range of +1K) leads to predominantly
negative plant responses (biomass). Snow bed species
were most negatively affected. None of the plant species
was stimulated under warmer conditions. Soluble ni-
trogen deposition exerts signifcant plant responses at
rather low deposition rates (25 kg N ha y). Herb species
were negatively affected by experimental trampling. Most
responses increased with time. Trampling often intensifed
the negative warming impact. Fine root density increased
under warming, but only in combination with N-addition
(Hiltbrunner).
In the discussion, Braun showed that water yield from
catchments with glaciers is enhanced during dry and
hot summers due to excessive ice melt. However, this
compensating effect will be lost once the glaciers are
gone. With further global warming, the solid fraction of
precipitation will diminish at all elevation levels. However,
maximum snow depths are expected to increase at high
elevations (above 2500 m) due to higher precipitation
in winter (glowa-Danube study, www.glowa-danube.
de). This will lead to more runoff in winter and spring,
but less in summer. Processes during snow melt will gain
importance in the future, as higher melt intensitites are
predicted. This will alter the timing and velocity/intensity
of nutrient release from snowpack, changing the concent-
ration and seasonality of nutrients (Psenner). Nitrogen fux
models predicted 10-15 kg ha
-1
y
-1
, but measurements at
2500 m asl showed only 3-5 kg ha
-1
y
-1
in the Central Alps
(Hiltbrunner). 1-3 kg N ha
-1
y
-1
is assumed to be added by
mineralization. As indicated in some areas in the Central
Alps, forest soils started to release signifcant amounts of
nitrate (Psenner).
Climate warming and carbon in alpine soils
C-mineralization showed highest temperature sensitivity
under low incubation temperature, therefore climatic
warming will lead to higher C-mineralization rate in alpine
soils (Wthrich and Hiltbrunner). Since carbon pools
will change over time, the feed-forward mechanism of
increased carbon mineralization at increased temperatures
probably will not persist, but lead to a new equilibrium
over time. The time to reach a new equilibrium depends
on a variety of factors, such as the total carbon pool, the
labile fraction, soil humidity, and permafrost.
Outlook
Tassers data refect the nail and screw concept of the
Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (gmBa) of dIver-
sItas (fg. 6) indicating that a greater variety of roots and
rooting patterns with higher plant diversity increases soil
stability on steep slopes. Tassers data not only showed a
signifcant increase of root density when more grass spe-
cies were present in the vegetation, but also an increase
in soil stability. Roots in alpine grasslands are like a mat of
felt with high mechanical stability reducing gravitational
forces acting on the soil layer (Hiltbrunner). Lets call them
the underground web (Psenner).
Fig. 6: Roots and rhizomes, natures diverse screws and nails for
mountain soils. Mountain ecosystem services depend on slope
stability, which in turn depends on a diverse and intact vegetation
cover with associated animal and microbial life (Krner 2002).
References:
Tasser E., Mader M., Tappeiner U. 2003: Effects of land use in al-
pine grasslands on the probability of landslides. Basic and Applied
Ecology 4: 271-280.
Krner C. 2002: Mountain Biodiversity: its causes and function:
an overview. In: Krner C and Spehn E. (eds): Mountain Biodi-
versity: a global assessment. The Parthenon Publishing Group,
London, New York
35
Cooperation and
decision-making in
landscape management
3.1. Summary
Moderators:
Sandra Luque (CemagreF, St. Martin dHres, France)
Norbert Weixlbaumer (Institut fr Geographie und
Regionalforschung, Universitt Wien, Austria)
The central goal of this session was to analyse the state
of the art on research that would help directly to promote
the understanding among rural regions of how relati-
onships function in ecosystems and to render relevant
processes in landscape management visible. The session
stressed the link between ecological science and decision-
making in theory and practice. A fundamentally different
model of knowledge transfer is required, i.e. a network
rather than a linear model, so that scientists may learn
from practice how to insert local knowledge into their
generic tools.
The session addressed the following topics:
theoretical frameworks regarding aims in decision-ma-
king and realisation of goals in rural development;
tools to improve communication paths between biodi-
versity and ecosystem services and stakeholders;
development of methods to increase cooperation
and communication between conservation scientists,
decision-makers and citizens;
increased research on the understanding of public
attitudes and views on biodiversity and biodiversity
management to develop and present arguments for a
comprehensive approach for socially and environmen-
tally effective ecological outcomes.
With reference to these topics, the frst two presentations
(by G. Wiesinger and M. Coy) concentrated on theoreti-
cal frameworks and methods focusing a socio-economic
approach. The third one (by M. Zebisch & M. Hirschmugl)
discussed the usefulness of technological tools to promote
cooperation and decision-making in landscape manage-
ment.
Georg Wiesinger (Bundesanstalt fr Bergbauernfra-
gen, Vienna, Austria):
The importance of social capital in rural development,
networking and decision-making in rural areas
Rural decline is frequently explained in economic
terms by unfavourable conditions and by missing re-
sources or support. Hence this link is not entirely clear
and does not apply in all regions. Recent discussions
of this issue have emphasized the importance of social

ties and shared norms for societal well-being and
economic effciency. The concept of social capital has
been widely used in the study of social inequality and
hierarchical social structures. Several authors attemp-
ted to capture the non-economic aspects of society
that promote economic growth, among other positive
effects; thus, social capital may affect a communitys
performance and competitiveness, as well as its social
cohesion.
This presentation addressed the question of whether
the concept of social capital could indeed lead to a
better understanding of these patterns. The role of
social capital was demonstrated by means of a model
connecting it with rural development, multifunction-
ality, local governance, environmental perception and
national policies.
Since this presentation clearly pointed out the
importance of social capital in rural development dy-
namics, it was suggested both by the author and the
plenary that social capital should be better recognized
by policy-makers as a key factor in rural development
processes a factor that hampers when weak, but
helps when strong and well-rooted, the implemen-
tation of rural development policies and, specifcally,
those policy measures aimed at counteracting margi-
nalization processes and, to some extent, land aban-
donment. Thus, creation of social capital should be a
deliberate goal of any rural development policy, even
though the downside of social capital and its territo-
rial imperative (e.g. excluding incomers and obstruc-
ting innovation) must also be critically considered.
The debate showed that awareness is required that
social capital is just one of a number of soft factors
of rural development, and that without functioning
hardware (e.g. infrastructure, local services), the story
of social capital will not be a successful one.
Martin Coy (Institut fr Geographie, Universitt Inns-
bruck, Austria):
The perception of landscape management the exa-
mple of the Groes Walsertal Biosphere Reserve
Although success stories were not on the agenda of
Session 3, this presentation dealt with one. Five years
after the proclamation of the Groes Walsertal Bios-
phere Reserve (Vorarlberg, Austria), an analysis was
carried out to ascertain acceptance and early regional
economic effects in the context of the so-called Sevilla
36
strategy. Biosphere Reserves are expected to contri-
bute substantially to the sustainable and well-adapted
socio-cultural, ecological and economic development
of both region and population. In this context, it is
of great relevance to consider local potentials and
restrictions, to fully involve regional stakeholders, and
to consider regional production chains and economic
cycles. Multiplier effects and the success of innova-
tive project ideas rely fundamentally on the ability of
motivating or integrating respective target groups on
a broad basis. Further conducive factors are ongoing
enhanced acceptance by creating awareness and pro-
ving the (economic) feasibility of project ideas.
Results of the analysis fve years post-initiation showed
that successful landscape management, as well as
innovative regional development strategies depend on
the positive perception of spatial planning instruments
such as biosphere reserves. Sustainable innovative
strategies are more easily realised in large protected
areas where the gap between inside and outside
perspective is not too great. The study showed that
expectations of local residents and their assessment of
concrete implementation measures concerning the Bi-
osphere Reserve policy should not diverge. The author
pointed out that, in accordance with the integrative
paradigm of nature conservation, it is essential to
accompany evaluation and acceptance-enhancement
of Biosphere Reserve as a mental construct both on
the inside and from outside. Discussion and positive
results of this study have shown that perception of
landscape management can be a useful instrument
for evaluating landscape development projects. An
important point raised by the plenary was the need
to implement a truly participative process in order to
achieve truly bottom-up management. Taking into
consideration the needs of the local population and
local agents was found to be a key step towards ge-
nuinely sustainable conservation management.
Marc Zebisch (Institute for Applied Remote Sensing,
European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Italy) & Manuela
Hirschmugl (Institute of Digital Imaging Processing,
Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria):
How can remote sensing support landscape planning
and landscape management in mountain regions?
A joint presentation by Marc Zebisch and Manuela
Hirschmugl focused on Remote sensing and its appli-
cation for monitoring at the landscape level to use a
different approach and explore state of the art tech-
niques that may help to promote our understanding
of relationships in ecosystems and to visualise relevant
processes in landscape management as outlined in the
objectives of this conference.
Remote sensing has a long tradition in landscape
planning and landscape management. Particularly the
use of aerial photography for land-cover and lands-

cape-element mapping is a widespread approach and
an excellent supplement of feld work. In actual fact,
mountain regions are very dynamic landscapes whose
elements change rapidly due to natural hazards such
as landslides, avalanches or storm events. Even if they
are often remote areas, human activities infuence and
determine mountain ecosystems. While anthropogenic
landscape dynamics have traditionally and prima-
rily been driven by settlements, infrastructure and
land-use activities, climate change and its impacts are
becoming increasingly important. Retreating glaciers,
vegetation changes and a rising snow line are just
some of the felds that could be addressed by remote-
sensing applications.
The presentation focused on how satellite-based
sensors offer new opportunities for remote-sensing
applications in various spatial and temporal sca-
les. High-resolution sensors provide imagery with
a ground resolution of less than 1m; radar sensors
allow weather and daylight-independent surveys; lidar
explorations yield digital elevation data with the preci-
sion of decimetres. Moreover, a series of new metho-
dologies and software tools for image processing and
interpretation enhance and enlarge remote-sensing
applications.
The presentation provided a good overview of potenti-
al applications of remote sensing in mountain regions
in the context of landscape planning and landscape
management. A series of case studies from the Alpine
Space were used to illustrate the applications.
The discussion chiefy focused on the use of the right
tools for the right purposes. In that sense, it was
stressed that aerial photographs are still an important
tool for temporal studies and mapping in certain
cases. Not only remote sensing but also the use of Ge-
ographic Information Systems (GIS), were highlighted
as important approaches to work in processes related
to decision making. In particular remote sensing capa-
bilities in tandem with GIS were seen to be good tools
for rapid assessment methods that allow to take rapid
management decisions if required.
37
summaries
3.2.1. The importance of social capital in
rural development, networking and
decision-making in rural areas
Georg Wiesinger (Bundesanstalt fr
Bergbauernfragen, Vienna, Austriaa)
Keywords
Social capital, rural development, networks
Rural decline is frequently explained in economic terms
by unfavourable conditions and by missing resources or
support. But this link is not entirely clear and does not
apply in all regions: some particularly remote rural regions
with a very sparse population, a lack of policy support,
poor economic performance and unfavourable climatic
conditions prove more viable than some regions with
more plentiful economic resources and more support.
Recent discussion on social capital has emphasized the
importance of social ties and shared norms for societal
well-being and economic effciency, and the concept has
been widely used in the study of social inequality and
hierarchical social structures. In particular, Robert Putnam
(1993 and 2000) linked the idea of social capital with the
importance of civic associations and voluntary organisa-
tions, emphasising the positive aspects of social control.
More recently, rnason et al. (2004) applied the concept
of social capital in the context of rural development. Using
this concept, they attempted to capture non-economic
aspects of society that promote economic growth, among
other positive effects; thus social capital may affect a
communitys performance and competitiveness, as well as
its social cohesion.
The presentation discussed the question whether the
concept of social capital could indeed lead to a better
understanding of these patterns. The role of social capital
was demonstrated by means of a model connecting it
with rural development, multifunctionality, local gover-
nance, environmental perception and national policies.
Since social capital is immanent in, and created by the
people living in a given area, the ways in which people
perceive the socio-economic, cultural and environmen-
tal situation in their area seem of crucial importance.
Peoples perception was shown to differ according to age,
gender, profession, education and life experience. Thus
people brought up or permanently living in a region, and
incomers may have extremely divergent attitudes towards
their shared social and natural environment. Although
part-time dwellers, summer cottage owners, short-time
visitors and tourists do not tend to contribute to social ca-
pital, they do infuence the attitudes of local people. We
can also observe the impact of the economic, social and
environmental situation in a rural region on social capital.
Rural decline may cause a weakening of social capital
while wealth and prosperity might facilitate the further
enhancement of social capital.
In current neo-liberal discourse it is often argued that
social capital could act as a remedy to strengthen civic so-
ciety and local cohesion, substituting for services formerly
organized by government while public infrastructures
and institutions are being cut. However, these tendencies
might destroy social capital by placing too heavy demands
on peoples solidarity and on social safety nets. On the
other hand, strong social capital can strengthen local go-
vernance and its negotiating capacity in decision-making.
The fndings of several case studies within the eUrolan
project (Strengthening the Multifunctional Use of Land:
Coping with marginalisation) suggest that social capital
should be more recognized by policy makers as a key
issue in the rural development process, hampering (when
weak) or supporting (when strong and well-rooted)
the implementation of rural development policies. The
creation of social capital should be a conscious aim of any
rural development policy. However, the downside of social
capital and its territorial imperative has to be critically
considered, too. Much as local communities involve their
citizens and assist people in need, their close ties also ac-
count for the dynamics of excluding those who are unable
or unwilling to comply with the strict norms of a particu-
lar traditional community. Young people with different
cultural lifestyles, people whose political opinions deviate
from the norm and those who do not belong to local
associations or religious congregations may experience
social exclusion. Strong social capital can also produce
hostility towards incomers and thus prevent innovation in
local communities.
Summing up the debate, one should be aware that social
capital is just one among many software package for
rural development. We also require functioning hard-
ware in terms of local employment, infrastructure and
services. Any further reductions in those facilities might
mean that the software can no longer be successfully
installed.
38
3.2.2. The perception of landscape
management the example of the
Groes Walsertal Biosphere Reserve
Martin Coy (Institut fr Geographie, Universitt
Innsbruck, Austria)
Keywords
Biosphere Reserve, Regional Sustainability, Regional Eco-
nomic Effects, Perception, Austria, Vorarlberg
According to the so-called Sevilla strategy Biosphere
Reserves have to fulfl a development function in order to
guarantee regional sustainability. In this sense, the design
of future development strategies for a Biosphere Reserve,
which may be understood as a typical case of landscape
management, has to be based on regional economic
and perceptional analyses. Following the principle of
sustainability, development projects within the framework
of the management strategies of a Biosphere Reserve are
expected to contribute substantially to a lasting and adap-
ted socio-cultural, ecological and, above all, economic de-
velopment of both region and population. In this context,
it is highly important to take local/regional potentials and
restrictions into account, to fully involve regional stake-
holders, and to consider production chains and economic
cycles which are specifc for the region. Multiplier effects
and the success of innovative project ideas rely funda-
mentally on the ability to motivate or integrate respective
target groups. Further conducive factors are increased
awareness to enhance acceptance, and producing proof
that project ideas, in particular economy-related ones, are
feasible.
Moreover, successful landscape management and inno-
vative regional development strategies depend on the
perception of spatial planning instruments like Biosphere
Reserves as mental constructs. Sustainable innovative ap-
proaches can be realised in large protected areas provided
the divide between inside and outside perspectives is not
too great. On the other hand, local residents expectations
and their assessment of specifc implementation measures
concerning the Biosphere Reserve policy should not
diverge. In accordance with the integrative paradigm of
nature conservation, it is essential to accompany evalua-
tions and to improve inside and outside acceptance of the
Biosphere Reserve.
November 2005 was the ffth anniversary of the Bios-
phere Reserve Groes Walsertal in Vorarlberg (Austria),
and therefore a convenient time for an appreciation and
a frst regional economic effect analysis. This paper gave
an overview of the objectives and the main results of a
research project which was conducted in 2005 / 2006
by working groups of the Institute of Geography of the
University of Vienna (Norbert Weixlbaumer) and the Insti-
tute of Geography of the University of Innsbruck (Martin
Coy) in close cooperation with the management of the
Biosphere Reserve Groes Walsertal, fnanced by the Aus-
trian Academy of Sciences in the context of the Man and
Biosphere Programme.
As part of a general assessment of landscape manage-
ment strategies, the study mainly focused on the concrete
development projects of the Biosphere Reserve Groes
Walsertal with respect to their strategy, implementation
and regional stakeholder-acceptance, and regarding their
contribution to a regional sustainable development. The
image of the park, the qualities of the social construct of
a Biosphere Reserve as perceived by the population were
examined.
Four levels of analysis were of particular importance for
the specifc research design:
embedding the projects initiated or supported by the
Biosphere Reserve, in the general regional economic
development trends of the study area;
an inside view of stakeholders participating in these
projects (e.g. regarding motivation for participation,
assessment of implementation, evaluation of success,
future perspectives);
an outside view of non-participating stakeholders
and of target groups addressed by the projects;
inside and the outside perspectives of the Biosphere
Reserve Groes Walsertal in general, with the main
focus on establishing a perception profle of the local
population.
Against this general background, the analysis of regional
economic effects of the Biosphere Reserve should provide
answers to the following questions:
what economic potentials are there in the region
Groes Walsertal and how are these potentials incor-
porated in the strategies of the Biosphere Reserve?
how well do the projects initiated by the Biosphere
Reserve Groes Walsertal and other regional stakehol-
ders stimulate a sustainable economy in the region,
and how are they integrated in superior initiatives and
politics of regional development?
in what ways do both interest and acceptance rates
of the regional population / craftsmen / the political
decision-makers change with respect to the projects
promoting sustainable economic activities within the
framework of the Biosphere Reserve?
Our perceptual analysis also focussed on the following
questions:
against what background has the Biosphere Reserve
developed so far (landscape potential; population
and socio-demographic developments; policies for
regional development and construction of corporate
identity; the Biosphere Reserve as a protected area in
39
the international context e.g., as role model for rural
regions)?
what is the outside perspective of the Biosphere Reser-
ve Groes Walsertal? Does this view conform to the
paradoxical perception internationally typical for pro-
tected areas (outside ones own settlement area they
are rated essential, while they are rated non-essential
in ones own surroundings)?
What kind of inside perspective exists in the region after
the frst fve years of the Biosphere Reserve? What do the
local populations mental maps look like and what recom-
mendations can be deduced for the future development
of the Biosphere Reserve in combination with the results
at different research levels?
3.2.3. How can remote sensing support
landscape planning and landscape
management in mountain regions?
Manuela Hirschmugl (Institute of Digital Imaging
Processing, Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria)
Marc Zebisch (Institute for Applied Remote Sensing,
European Academy Bozen/Bolzano, Italy)
Keywords
remote sensing, landscape planning, monitoring, scale
Remote sensing has a long tradition in landscape planning
and landscape management. Particularly the use of aerial
photography for mapping land cover and landscape ele-
ments is a widespread approach and an excellent supple-
ment of feld work. Today, recent satellite-based sensors
offer new opportunities for remote sensing applications in
various spatial and temporal scales.
One beneft that satellite data can offer is the opportunity
for semi-automatic image interpretation. Satellite data
not only provide visual images of landscapes but contain
quantitative physical information about the refectance
of landscape objects. Only this digital and quantitative
information enables the interpretation and classifcation
of satellite data with semi-automatic, computer-assisted
processes that are reproducible, time and cost effective,
and allow the integration of additional data as well as
expert knowledge.
The very short update intervals of satellite data constitute
a second advantage. Depending on resolution and type
of the sensor, data are available typically every 1 30
days. In combination with semi-automatic interpretation
methods, this allows monitoring dynamic landscape pro-
cesses, a point which is becoming increasingly important
in landscape planning. Impacts of climate change, i.e.,

retreating glaciers, vegetations changes and rising snow
lines, are just some of the examples for such monitoring
tasks.
A third advantage is the opportunity to work across sca-
les. Todays satellites can provide high-resolution data on
objects smaller than 1 meter, across an area of some one-
hundred square kilometres; they can also supply medium-
resolution data (250m resolution) that cover areas such
as the whole alpine range. The combination of such data
allows cross-scale applications and the development of
nested methods, an approach of increasing interest, par-
ticularly in the context of global change research. Studies
on biodiversity, for instance, are now being conducted
from local to global scales.
Apart from optical sensors, other types of sensor also
offer new opportunities. Radar sensors, for instance, are
not weather and daylight-dependent, and allow the iden-
tifcation of very slight changes in terrain, such as mass
movements or subsidence, which is important in particular
to monitor glaciers, land-slides and areas with instable
terrain. lIdar data, a technology based on airborne laser
scanners, provide very high resolution digital terrain as
well as advanced vegetation models.
Furthermore, a series of new methodologies and software
tools for image processing and interpretation enhance
and enlarge remote sensing applications.
The following applications illustrate the range of remote
sensing possibilities in the context of landscape planning.
They concern projects in forestry, natural disaster ma-
nagement, habitat mapping and visualisation. The forestry
projects provide important information, for example for
protection forest planning. The frst application concerns
the classifcation of forest parameters such as crown clos-
ure, tree species and age classes important information
for planning measures in protection forests. The classifca-
tion was performed on spot satellite data and carried out
for the whole province of Salzburg and for parts of Carin-
thia in Austria. A second application in the feld of forestry
is the assessment of storm damaged areas, also based on
spot data. The third application is a project dealing with
avalanche modelling. The role of remote sensing was to
classify individual trees and their volume as an important
input for the avalanche model samos. The results of such
a model are important for protection forest planning, but
also for risk zonation planning.
The project assIst that deals with disaster management is
also situated in the context of natural hazards. This pro-
ject includes the concept of rapid information fow from
aerial image data-acquisition, the derivation of landslide
susceptibility maps for prevention and preparedness, as
well as a disaster management system employing web-
4u
based service nodes and mobile devices.
Remote sensing tools can assist habitat mapping. Point-
wise terrestrial information is linked to land-use classi-
fcation and other remote sensing data, such as terrain
information, i.e., slope, aspect or surface roughness. This
project shows one main advantage of remote sensing
particularly well, i.e., the regionalisation of information.
Finally, a project was presented which deals with land use
changes in mountain environments and their visualiza-
tion. Based on old topographic maps, classifcation based
on historic aerial imagery and recent satellite data, the
change of forest cover in the Mll valley in Carinthia was
visualized with 3D tools. The animation showed changes
over time and gave an excellent impression of how land
cover affects the way a region looks.
Conclusion:
Satellite remote sensing is a valuable tool to broaden
approaches of traditional landscape planning with its
focus on local to regional applications and long update
intervals, and helps to bridge gaps between long-term
planning processes and continuous monitoring require-
ments, and between local applications and trans-regio-
nal, European and even global planning and monitoring
activities.
This kind of expansion of ideas of landscape planning
seems particularly important in the light of European
planning and monitoring activities, such as the water
framework directive, the natUra2000 network, or even
global efforts like the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In that way remote sensing may help to promote the
understanding of interdependencies of local requirements
and global change in the sense of the well-known saying
think global, act local.
summaries
3.3.1. Shaping future landscapes:
negotiation processes and best
practices (NRP 48 synthesis 3)
Workshop 3/1
Moderator:
Johannes Heeb (seecon international, Wolhusen,
Switzerland)
Alpine development is increasingly characterized by larger
numbers of potential negotiating parties; by growing
information needs regarding administrative, economic
and political contexts and developments; by an increasing
complexity of the economic and political contexts and
developments, and by growing coordination needs. In this
context, the following challenges or needs for future land-
scape processes can be identifed: a) regional negotiation
capabilities, b) networking activities, c) information fow
and processing, d) improvement of organisational know-
ledge (Pfefferkorn et. al., 2006). This workshop refected
on this situation and discussed best practice examples in
landscape development negotiation processes by high-
lighting several cases in Switzerland and Austria.
Experiences with new participative methods in Swiss NRP
48 projects
In his input presentation, Felix Walter (ecoplan, Berne,
Switzerland) discussed whether participative processes
resolve the confict of interests concerning alpine lands-
capes. His presentation was based on synthesis report III
of the Swiss NRP 48, where several participative methods
were applied and analysed. Apart from classic methods
such as voting, consultation procedures etc., a great
number of more recently developed participative methods
were tested, i.e. conferences on future development,
stakeholder-workshops and open-space conferences.
Overall, respective NRP 48 projects have confrmed the
signifcance and value of participation processes and have
also demonstrated transferability to other situations.
The project socIety showed that a participative ap-
proach as in the case of the conference on future
development can lead to a convergence of the diffe-
rent stakeholders positions. Various projects concerning
natural parks also showed that the choice of organisatio-
nal forms and participative methods to be applied has a
distinct infuence on project outcomes.
Participation is not a guarantee for sustainable solutions.
However, participative methods often contribute to more
effcient confict resolution with longer-lasting results. In
many cases, participants suggestions prove to be more
41
comprehensive. Suggestions are also received better and
debates become more factual. Participative methods
sometimes have a preventative effect in the sense that
they can anticipate conficts. In landscaping, participative
methods are the necessary prerequisite for different popu-
lation groups to contribute their ideas.
Given the increasing complexity of problems concerning
the alpine region e.g. migration, structural change,
climate change, increasing dependence on resources from
outside the area etc. utilisation conficts in alpine lands-
capes are likely to intensify. Therefore, (new) participative
methods in landscape development in alpine regions will
most likely continue to gain greater relevance.
Austrian natura2000 management plans
implementation aided by mediation
Wolfgang Pfefferkorn (Rosinak&Partner ZT GmbH, Vien-
na, Austria & cIpra International, Schaan, Liechtenstein)
presented the case of the natUra2000 area of Verwall
(Montafon valley in Vorarlberg / Austria), which had been
subject to conficts among landowners, users and public
authorities.
With the instrument of natUra2000, the EU wanted to
create, protect and develop a network of particularly
valuable habitats in Europe. In doing so, not only aspects
of nature conservation, but all the current uses as well
as regional and local particularities were to be taken into
account. Implementing the natUra2000 guideline had
already caused commotion in Austria as well as in other
member states of the EU. Since then, representatives
of agriculture, forestry, hunting and tourism as well as
private-sector companies have protested against the res-
triction of utilisation options.
The nomination of the Verwall natUra2000 area and
particularly its designation as a nature protection area led
to insecurities and strong opposition among landowners.
Communication between local authorities and the people
affected became increasingly diffcult. Finally, the provin-
cial government of Vorarlberg agreed to the environmen-
tal lawyers suggestion to arrange a mediation procedure,
carried out by the consulting frm, Rosinak&Partner. The
aim was for landowners, users, various interest groups
and local authorities to formulate agreements on the
future use of the area.
A negotiating team of 33 was appointed, representing
the interest groups involved; if necessary, further experts
were consulted. After negotiating terms of procedure and
providing participants with the necessary information on
the EU natUra2000 guidelines, related laws and regulati-
ons, several negotiating rounds took place. First, existing
conficts had to be analysed; next, the most important
application areas were addressed in detail. Finally, agree-
ments were drawn up, discussed and negotiated.
Within eighteen months, the mediation process resulted
in a written agreement on the monitoring of the area,
including the defnition of future uses. This became
effective in form of a natUra2000 decree in October 2003.
Moreover, an advisory committee was appointed for
further cooperation and tasked to deal with an additio-
nal protocol containing all positions and suggestions on
which no agreement had been reached.
The procedure has shown that various factors combined
towards a successful participation process:
timely start;
involvement of everyone concerned;
clear rules of procedure encouraged participants
confdence in the process;
clarity about aims and limitations of participation;
identical information for everyone;
clarity about roles in the procedure;
intensive preparation and post-processing of every
round of negotiations;
adequate time frame for the entire process; in this
case, eighteen months;
mediators expertise and cultural competence (langu-
age!);
mediators in charge of open and respectful communi-
cation style among everyone involved;
adequate fexibility in terms of content and organisati-
on of the procedure;
binding character of results: a decree, in this case.
It was found that further integration of people concerned
in the implementation process was required, which is why
an advisory committee was appointed.
When it comes to allocations, a win-win situation may be
illusory. What is more important is to ensure that public
and private costs and benefts are allocated fairly.
3.3.2. Virtual worlds real decisions:
modelling the Alps
(NRP 48 Synthesis 5)
Workshop 3/2
Moderator:
Eckart Lange (Department of Landscape, University
of Sheffeld, UK)
Introduction
A model is an abstraction of the real world. We use
models quite frequently, not just in a scientifc context but
also in our everyday lives. They include traditional maps.
In recent times, it has also become possible to access
3D-visualisations of the real world (Lange 2001) on the
42
Internet, for example via Google Earth. In a decision-ma-
king context, models are not only used to represent an
existing situation, they are also used to predict and assess
the effects of potential changes (Bishop & Lange 2005).
In his framework for landscape planning, Steinitz (1990)
distinguishes between representational models (e.g.
maps, visualisations), process models (e.g. climate change
models), evaluation models (e.g. evaluation of landscape
qualities), change models (e.g. scenarios), impact models
(e.g. evaluation of impacts of proposed changes) and
decision models (e.g. how to reach a decision).
The modelling process itself can involve modelling both
visible and invisible features and processes. Modelling
outputs can be communicated in abstract (e.g. tables) or
realistic format (e.g. 3D visualisation).
Landscape modelling and visualisation as instruments for
planning and decision-making (Swiss National Research
Programme Landscape and Habitats of the Alps, NRP 48)
In order to show the potentials and limitations of model-
ling applications in planning and decision-making in the
synthesis phase of the NRP 48, all contributions in the
feld of landscape modelling were reviewed and assessed
in terms of their potential for application to decision-ma-
king in planning processes (Walz et al. 2007). Modelling
contributed to a wide range of aspects of landscape re-
search, e.g., driving forces, patterns and processes as well
as impacts of landscape change, and also when it came to
linking models and techniques (fg. 7).
Micro-simulation of alpine landscape transition due to
local agent behaviour and climate change experiences
to support qualitative foresight scenarios from the
Montafon Region, Austria (proVIsIon research programme)
Modelling land-use change often refers either to areas in
which change turns out to be related to human activi-
ties, or related to environmental changes without human
interference.
The approach applied on the Montafon region tried to
cope with these issues through simulating landscape
transition by an agent-based model. Agents (households,
farmers, entrepreneurs) change land use actively through
construction activities or passively through extensifcation
of agriculture in steep or remote terrain. The gIsmo model
(fg. 8) further adds some mapping and GIS-functionality
to the authors Repast-ABM environment (http://repast.
sourceforge.net) developed earlier (Loibl & Peters-Anders
2003, Loibl et al. 2007). The actor-agents are here hidden
below the model surface but occur as activity results the
agents on the models landscape are visible as additional
buildings due to home-building and tourism activities,
and as additional forest patches due to decline of cattle
breeding. The transition of land use is thus triggered by
land-use change probability surfaces out of a set of topo-
graphic and topologic criteria. Climate change in general
directly contributes to landscape changes by increasing
the frequency of natural disasters, shifting the timberline
and changing economic conditions for (winter) tourism,
which relies on certain climate conditions.
Fig. 7: Frame from an animated virtual walk towards the propo-
sed Schatzalp building (Walz et al. 2007)
Fig. 8: User interface for the gIsmo model showing the Montafon
model site (Loibl, proVIsIon)
Points for discussion
The two examples from Davos by Ariane Walz (Insti-
tut fr Schnee- und Lawinenforschung slF/wsl, Davos,
Switzerland): Landscape modelling and visualisation as
instruments for planning and decision-making) and the
Montafon region by Wolfgang Loibl (Umweltplanung,
ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH, Seibersdorf, Austria):
Micro-simulation of alpine landscape transition due to
local agents behaviour and climate change experiences
The actual synthesis phase extended existing approaches
by implementing a modelling procedure including the
formulation of use cases by transferring the application
of an existing agent-based model (Cavens et al. 2005,
Gloor et al. 2003) to a new use case in Davos. Further-
more, through stakeholder involvement, expectations
and thoughts on modelling applications in planning and
decision-making were identifed.
43
to support qualitative foresight scenarios from the Mon-
tafon Region, Austria) to which landscape modelling was
applied generate a number of questions such as
what are the specifc modelling tools needed in plan-
ning practice and for decision-making?;
what is the role of modelling and visualization in
decision-making?;
should modelling be linked stakeholder involvement?;
what level of accuracy is required in an often time-
constrained decision-making process?
Conclusions
Experimental approaches via landscape modelling can
help to increase our knowledge base in the feld of spatial
and landscape planning and can assist in decision-making.
Simulation models can be represented as virtual worlds
where experiments can be conducted and the effect of
alternative scenarios demonstrated.
Modelling fulfls functions such as knowledge genera-
tion, communication and information, evaluation and
also helps in understanding systems to improve decision
making.
In a participatory planning context, it is of particular
importance that the modelling output can be understood
by the end-user. It must also be rememberd, however,
that models are often characterised by a (high) degree
of uncertainty due to underlying base data or the actual
modelling process itself. However, data availability and
accessibility has been improving and the functionality
and interfaces of models are becoming more sophisti-
cated. The question should also be raised why models
and resulting data are typically not made available to the
public even though many research projects are fnanced
by publicly-funded research agencies.
Outlook
Models will become increasingly important in assisting
complex decision-making processes in landscape and envi-
ronmental planning. However, models are often designed
for a specifc purpose. That is why it is often quite a com-
plex task to transfer models to different regions and / or
scales and to integrate them with other models that were
most likely created for a different purpose, region and
scale. Improved data availability and modelling function-
ality, wider accessibility as well as easier-to-use interfaces
will help to overcome these obstacles.
References
Bishop, I. & E. Lange 2005 (eds.): Visualization in Landscape and
Environmental Planning. Technology and applications. Taylor &
Francis, London, New York.
Cavens, D., C. Gloor, E. Lange, K. Nagel & W. A. Schmid 2005:
Using Autonomous Agent Simulation as an Integrative Approach

to Landscape Modelling. In: E. Lange & D. Miller (eds.) Our
shared landscape. Integrating ecological, socio-economic and
aesthetic aspects in landscape planning and management. NSL,
Zrich, 26-27.
Gloor, C., D. Cavens, E. Lange, K. Nagel & W. Schmid 2003: A
Pedestrian Simulation for very Large Scale Applications. In: A.
Koch & P. Mandl (eds.): Multi-Agenten-Systeme in der Geogra-
phie. Klagenfurter Geographische Schriften, 23, 167-188.
Lange, E. 2001: The limits of realism: perceptions of virtual lands-
capes. Landscape and Urban Planning 54, 163-182.
Loibl, W. & J. Peters-Anders 2003: Transition von suburbanen und
lndlichen Landschaften und deren Simulation mittels Agenten.
A. Koch & P. Mandl (Eds.): Multi-Agenten-Systeme in der Geogra-
phie. Klagenfurter Geographische Schriften, 23, 89-122.
Loibl, W., T. Ttzer, M. Kstl & K. Steinnocher K. 2007: Simulati-
on of polycentric urban growth dynamics through agents Mo-
del concept, application, results and validation. In: E. Koomen,
J. Stillwell, A. Bakema & H. Scholten, (eds.), Modelling Land-Use
Change Progress and applications. Springer, Dortrecht, 219-
235.
Steinitz, C. 1990: A Framework for Theory Applicable to the Ed-
ucation of Landscape Architects (and other Environmental Design
Professionals). Landscape Journal, vol.9, No. 2, 136-143.
Walz, A., C. Gloor, B. Allgwer, P. Bebi, A. Fischlin, E. Lange &
K. Nagel 2007 (in press): Virtuelle Welten Reale Entscheide?
NFP48 Synthese V. VDF, Zrich.
3.3.3. Strategic Environmental Assessment
and Alpine landscape development
Workshop 3/3
Moderators:
Benedetta Castiglioni & Massimo De Marchi
(Dipartimento di Geografa, Universit di Padova,
Italy)
EU Directive 2001/42/CE introduced the SEA (Strategic
Environmental Assessment) in EU legislation. Prior to
adoption, plans and programmes should be accompanied
by an Environmental Report and submitted for consulta-
tion; results of consultation and observations have to be
considered in fnal decisions. SEAs also defne monitoring
and evaluation provisions to be put in place during pro-
gramme implementation.
Countries and regions in the EU have been adopting SEA
directives, defning guidelines to evaluate sectorial or
territorial plans and programmes. In this context, many
questions arise concerning the relationship between SEAs
and landscape:
Is the SEA a suitable evaluation process for alpine
landscape issues?
How can SEA performance be improved by inser-
ting landscape critical analysis and evaluation in SEA
processes?
Considering the role of territorial agents (insiders
44
and outsiders) in alpine landscape decision making,
is the SEA a suitable tool to take this dimension into
account?
Benedetta Castiglioni provided in her input presentation
(SEA and regional planning: the place of landscape chan-
ge in the alpine region) some reference points concer-
ning both SEA and landscape (frstly from the European
Landscape Convention), in order to point out the context
in which to consider their relationship.
In particular, landscape-change evaluation plays a very
important role in a strategic assessment aiming at
sustainability. The presentation drew attention to how
different approaches to landscape evaluation arise from
different theoretical and methodological approaches
to landscape (in synthesis: landscape as a sectorial or a
holistic concept; landscape in its strictly visual aspect or as
an empirical manifestation of territory; exceptional place
or ordinary landscape; conservation and protection or
change management; lite or democratic landscape;
landscape as a commodity or as a resource for living). The
presentation underscored that landscape critical analysis
and evaluation could usefully be inserted in SEA processes
because it is a useful tool to ensure coherence among
various aspects (i.e. in the Environmental Report); it
strengthens the possibility of including and making visible
different agents points of view; it encourages imaginative
scenarios; and, fnally, it can help placing territorial and
environmental analysis and participatory processes into
useful relationships.
The second input presentation was held by Viviana
Ferrario (Universit IUav di Venezia, Italy) on Post-rural
landscapes in the Alps in contexts of abandonment,
mountain agriculture and leisure Evaluation: perceptions
and decision-making. She presented a case study in the
alpine region concerning an ongoing process of landscape
change and its evaluation.
Researchers are well aware of the fact that the rural Alps
are at the intersection of two global processes, i.e., the
decline of mountains as life spaces and the decline of
agriculture as an economic activity. The decline of the tra-
ditional alpine agro-pastoral economic system has visible
consequences, i.e. in the guise of slope abandonment,
reafforestation, urbanisation of the valley foor, industriali-
sation of agriculture.
In the Veneto mountains (and in many other parts of
the Alps), this process expresses itself particularly in the
aspects of abandonment and transformation of rural
sloped areas and of historic rural buildings considered no
longer useful to rural activity. Planners usually approach
the issue of abandoned rural buildings in the context of
heritage conservation of the traditional rural landscape.
However, such buildings are not only relicts of a dead
world. Their increasing re-use as weekend homes and
mostly the transformation of their rural context into leisu-
re landscapes seems to suggest the existence of a new
way to relate to rural mountain territories. This may be
refected by major landscape changes, often creating local
conficts (between the different agents involved local
inhabitants, owners, tourists, local administration, etc.
but also with the environment and heritage conservati-
on agencies), and a demand for specifc policies for these
new territories. The creation of such policies requires
a refned assessment effort in which landscape changes
must be considered not only as regards their physical
components, but also as regards the transformation of
public perceptions, ideas and the different aspirations of
the public concerning landscape, in the new sense given
by the European Landscape Convention. A case study in
the Veneto mountains (Comelico Valley) was presented in
this workshop to simulate a possible use of the landscape
notion in the assessment process.
Landscape evaluation group gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. Shared
criteria 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 list
Local identity 14 4 1 3 6 1 1 4 5 7 2 1 2 2 1
Biodiversity 1 5 12 2 15 9 3 2 1 1 4 4 4 5 2
Cultural heritage conservation 4 3 3 9 5 5 2 3 6 6 14 7 5 6 3
Hydro-geological stability 6 6 11 1 1 10 8 1 9 2 3 6 9 11 4
Participation of stakeholders 3 10 10 5 13 3 9 6 10 10 5 2 11 1 5
Social impact 5 11 5 7 4 7 11 9 3 8 15 8 10 3 6
Aesthetics 7 1 4 11 16 2 4 11 8 13 13 13 1 4 7
Information of stakeholders 2 9 9 4 14 10 10 5 4 9 6 3 13 12 8
Demographic stability 12 12 2 6 11 6 13 8 7 11 1 5 10 7 9
Panorama 9 2 6 12 9 4 7 13 11 3 16 16 3 10 10
Noise 11 7 7 13 2 8 6 16 15 4 10 14 8 15 11
Tourist attractiveness 8 15 15 10 12 13 12 7 9 14 8 12 6 8 12
Smell 15 8 8 14 3 12 5 15 16 5 11 15 7 16 13
New jobs 13 16 14 8 7 14 14 10 12 12 12 11 16 9 14
Income increase 10 13 16 16 8 16 16 14 13 15 7 10 15 13 15
Land rent increase 16 14 13 15 10 15 15 12 14 16 9 9 14 14 16
Fig. 9: Scale of Obliged Priority
45
After the two input presentations, participants were
involved in the creation of a SoOP (Scale of Obliged Pri-
ority) concerning landscape evaluation criteria. They frst
proposed a theoretical, graded list of priorities arising
from the discussion of small groups and summarised in
a shared list. In the table (fg. 9) the different columns
present the opinion of the small groups and the shared
list (assigning 1 to the most, 16 to the least important
criteria).
In the ensuing discussion the list was applied and com-
pared with the hypothetical lists (priorities hypotheti-
cally given by different local territorial agents) standing
beneath the different landscape-change choices presented
by V. Ferrario for the case study.
The workshop discussion focused on the general question
of landscape evaluation rather than on technical aspects
of the SEA; different positions arose concerning lands-
cape evaluation criteria, probably linked also to different
landscape contexts in the alpine region each participant
referred to.
In this sense, it would probably be very useful to have a
wider discussion on these topics, not to force a standar-
dization of criteria, but to achieve a higher and shared
awareness of the complexity of landscape issues, both in
their theoretical and applied aspects.
3.3.4. Cooperation in European mountains
the example of the Alpine and
Carpathian Conventions
Workshop 3/4
Moderator:
Harald Egerer (Interim Secretariat of the
Carpathian Convention, United Nations
Environment Programme, Vienna, Austria)
Leading questions
What are the main substantive (research) areas in need
of / with potential for cooperation, within the Carpathi-
ans and between the Carpathians and other mountain
ranges? How can research partnerships between moun-
tain regions be encouraged? What are possibilities for
public-private partnerships and possible funding sources?
These questions were discussed by a panel with con-
tributions by Regula Imhof (Permanent Secretariat of
the Alpine Convention, Innsbruck, Austria), Gianfranco
Tamburelli (Institute for International Legal Studies IsgI,
National Research Council CNR, Rome, Italy), Marc Ze-
bisch (European Academy eUrac, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy) and
Jacek Kozak (Jagellonian University, Krakow, Poland).
Conclusions
The Workshop was organized at the ForumAlpinum 2007,
which is the leading symposium on research in the Alps
organized by Iscar (International Scientifc Committee on
Research in the Alps). The Workshop was mainly attended
by some of the leading European institutions for remote
sensing, satellite imagery and 3D modelling in the Alps,
who express a major interest in becoming active in the
Carpathian mountain range.
A frst consideration was that there is a lack of Pan-Car-
pathian, and of panalpine mountain research as well. As
there is a growing interest in research in the Carpathians,
there is considerable potential for research cooperation
between the Alps and the Carpathians. In the case of the
Carpathians, it seems currently easier to strengthen re-
search cooperation between mountain ranges than within
one mountain range.
Political processes (including e.g. Alpine and Carpathian
Conventions, Conventions under development) should
aspire to defne main needs of research and coordinate
research efforts. For this, a research agenda needs to
be defned by the Conventions. Convention secretariats
cannot keep large databases but could act as spiders
in the web and maintain minimum harmonised data-
sets. Research agendas for mountain ranges should be
mutually interlinked and never loose sight of the pan-Eu-
ropean agenda (InspIre etc.). Research networks need to be
enhanced, e.g. a research network for the Carpathians is
required and cooperation with the Forum Alpinum for this
purpose should be sought.
Recommendations
create a research mailing list for the Carpathians,
organize a meeting in Vienna, link it to upcoming ESF
and cost research workshops;
build up a Carpathian Network of Scientists by or-
ganising an open science meeting on research in the
Carpathians (ForumCarpaticum);
prepare a Carpathian Research Agenda;
develop the idea of a Carpathian or Alpine-Carpathian
Research summit (e.g. in conjunction with COP2);
create a voluntary informal partnership aiming at
enhancing the Carpathian research agenda and its
interrelations with the Alps, with other mountains in
Europe, and with the rest of the world;
create a complete baseline of the Carpathians
before transition (e.g. 2005) based on remote sensing
/ satellite imagery / 3D modelling of, in particular, land
cover information of the Carpathian mountain range;
used this baseline to analyse mid and long-term
changes of land cover in the Carpathian Mountains,
a major indicator for almost all sectors concerning a
territorial Convention.
46
47
Landscapes role in a
changing society
4.1. Summary
Moderator:
Hans Karl Wytrzens (Institut fr nachhaltige
Wirtschaftsentwicklung, Universitt fr
Bodenkultur boku, Vienna, Austria)
The concluding Plenary Session focused on interactions
between landscape development and societal change.
From a socio-economic perspective, this focus was an
essential complement. While, in the course of the forum,
numerous contributions addressed on valuation and
analytical tools to monitor landscape development in
mountain areas, specifc societal objectives as such were
not explored. A more rounded and more easily compre-
hensible impression of how to qualify landscape changes
can only emerge if societal values and needs related to
landscape become part our considerations. The Plenary
Session therefore specifcally examined interrelations
between the demand for landscape and land(scape)-use.
In doing so, a shift in temporal perspective occurred, from
more retrospective analyses towards a primarily forward-
looking view. Accordingly, presentations used various
approaches to explore landscape as an object of societal
demands, as a negotiable resource and, fnally, as a multi-
functional space.
Using results from research projects such as the EU-fun-
ded sensor Project for the development of sustainability
impact assessment tools for environmental, social and
economic effects of multifunctional land use in Europe-
an regions, and using results of integral research pro-
grammes such as the Swiss National Research Programme
48 Landscapes and Habitats in the Alps, presenters
traced, analysed and projected current trends in landscape
development. Their ultimate goal was to fnd answers to
the perhaps somewhat dramatic key question of the signi-
fcance of mountain landscapes in future societies.
In this context and in a process of free association, various
subordinate questions imposed themselves:
Does our society actually perceive landsape primarily
as that proverbial stage on which the great play of
the world is enacted?
Is and will landscape remain a record of all human ac-
tivities that was not originally or deliberately shaped or
perceived, and that has its own very strong dynamics?
Is landscape increasingly being transformed into a
designable resource?
Will the mountains in the heartland of Europe be re-
duced to forming a mere backdrop for fun and leisure

activities?
Will the Alps be reduced to becoming a refuge for the
ageing upper class?
Is landscape slowly turning into a luxury commodity
for the overfed, affuent masses, subject to constantly
changing fads, fashions and designer spleens?
The diversity of answers provided by the social and econo-
mic sciences demonstrate the complexity inherent in the
very term landscape, a complexity that also emerges
from the questions raised above.
Bernard Debarbieux (Dpartement de Gographie,
Universit de Genve, Switzerland):
Social demand for landscapes
This presentation proposed an analysis of the con-
temporary status of landscape in European societies
whose collective and institutional territorialities are
undergoing major transformations.
The analysis drew on Hannah Arendts essay, The
Human Condition (1958), which, admittedly, does
not deal with landscape. However, it relies on a clear
distinction between three kinds of human activities
labour, work and action which can be used to
understand conceptions and the social relevance of
landscape in various contexts. The analysis argued that
landscape, whose main signifcance for centuries has
been landscape-as-labour and landscape-as-work, is
increasingly conceived as action, especially when in-
troduced in collective debate and formal participation.
To Arendt action was the source of defnition of the
subjects political identity and, at the same time, the
modality through which men and women in society
defned what they had in common and what they
placed at the core of public space.
Debarbieuxs fndings, i.e. that pluralistic societies
generate ever more sweeping, heterogeneous and
occasionally contradictory demands on landscapes,
extend to various levels: they are as true for work and
working-out in landscapes in response to physiological
needs, as for the production of landscape as a cultu-
ral, more or less stable artefact, and even for lands-
cape as a result of human interaction in public space.
48
Bernard Lehmann (Institut fr Agrarwirtschaft IAW,
ETH Zrich, Switzerland):
Landscapes: from by-product to resource selected
conclusions from the Swiss NRP 48 Landscapes and
Habitats of the Alps
Similarly, Lehmann discerned two contrasting sides to
the phenomenon of landscape, whose position seems
to be shifting from scarcely registered by-product
to separately appreciated resource whose valuation
prompts new questions, in particular that of who shall
own what rights in this complex landscape-generating
system. In the course of the discussion, the funda-
mental question was raised of whether the concept of
landscape as merely a construct of the human mind
might not overlook the fact that landscape develop-
ment occasionally escapes human infuence, with
natures own dynamics imposing itself.
Norbert Kruchi (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest,
Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf,
Switzerland) & Katharina Helming (Leibniz-Centre for
Agricultural Landscape Research ZalF, Mnchenberg,
Germany):
Assessing land-use impacts on landscape goods and
services the specifc case of mountain landscapes
The principle of multifunctionality simultaneously con-
siders a variety of social, economic and environmental
goods and services related to land use. It is thus a key
to sustainable development of land and rural areas.
Land-use planning and policy-making seek to sup-
port the economic competitiveness and sustainable
development of rural areas. Effcient Impact Assess-
ments require policy makers to be given tools for
assessing anticipated policy impacts on a wide range
of sustainability issues across European regions. The
EU-funded Integrated Project sensor develops ex-ante
Sustainability Impact Assessment Tools (sIat) to support
decision-making on policies related to multifunctional
land use in European regions. This paper provides an
overview on the analytical approach in sensor and
documents preliminary results focusing specifcally on
mountain landscapes. Special attention will be paid to
identifed shifting key issues in mountain regions and
the need for better coordination and dissemination of
experiences between regions and countries.
Kruchi and Helming addressed impacts on sustaina-
bility that society should expect from various land-use
options. They presented the main features of a model
that permits running through various impact parame-
ters to assess their landscape-changing effects. The
model provides information for decisions on future
landscape development, information that is required
more and more urgently because of a notable shift in
the fundamental relationship between humans and
landscape, insofar as a casual co-product is trans-
forming into an autonomously perceived object of

political action.
The forum has shown that a wide range of scientifc
fndings on mountain landscape development is already
available. Nevertheless, changes in societal demands on
landscapes are expected to continue, which means that
ongoing, targeted research will be required also.
49
summaries
4.2.1. Social demand for landscapes
Bernard Debarbieux (Dpartement de Gographie,
Universit de Genve, Switzerland)
Keywords
Landscape, work, social representations, political meaning
If political approaches take the lions share in the analysis
of territory and territoriality, they are proportionately less
numerous when it comes to landscape. Moreover, most
political analyses of landscape, often inscribed within a
historiographical project and cultural studies, have focus-
ed on the staging of monarchical and aristocratic power
and on landscapes emblematic of national imageries and
texts devoted to the contemporary political dimension of
landscape in modern or hyper-modern societies are less
numerous. This paper proposes an analysis of the contem-
porary status of landscape in European societies which are
experiencing major transformations of their collective and
institutional territorialities.
The analysis strongly draws upon an essay by Hannah
Arendt, The Human Condition, written in 1958. While it
does not deal with landscape, and only marginally with
territoriality, it does evoke, here and there, national terri-
tories among the products of modernity. It also proposes
a refection on the vita activa and the different forms of
activities which characterise the human condition; with re-
gard to these activities, it is possible to question the status
of landscape. One of the advantages of this exercise lies in
the fact that it allows to emphasise the diverse meanings
of the notion of landscape and to highlight the contem-
porary notably political stakes of its practices.
In The Human Condition, Arendt, sceptical of any abstract
statement concerning human nature, strives to defne
the human condition as it is conditioned by our existence
on earth and our material environment: The earth is the
very quintessence of the human condition (2). Her pro-
ject aims more specifcally to investigate those general
human capacities which grow out of the human conditi-
on (6); in other words, mens [and womens] embedded-
ness within the terrestrial world, within a world of objects
and interactions. If this project could be described as
philosophical anthropology, it also emerges as a political
philosophy of action. Indeed, Arendt proposes to distingu-
ish three categories of human activity:
labour, a response to the basic physiological needs of
man especially food. Labour satisfes those needs in
an ever-ephemeral way and necessarily needs to be
continuously renewed in order to ensure the survi-
val of the individual and of the species; Arendt links

labour to the animal laborans activity;
work, product of homo faber, which corresponds to
enduring artifcial objects transmitted from individual
to individual, from generation to generation, and
whose sum constitutes a range of cultural artefacts;
and, fnally, action, which goes on directly among
men (7) and relates them to each other through acts
and words: Speech and action reveal this unique
distinctness [of man]. Through them, men distinguish
themselves instead of being merely distinct; they are
the modes in which human beings appear to each
other, not indeed as physical objects, but qua men.
This appearance, as distinguished from mere bodi-
ly existence, rests on initiative, but it is an initiative
from which no human being can refrain and still be
human (176). Thereby, Arendt considers action simul-
taneously the source of the defnition of the subjects
political identity and the modality through which men
in society defne what they have in common and what
they place at the heart of the public space.
Arendt anchors her analysis of modernity in this ternary
conception of human activity. According to her, modernity
marks the triumph of homo faber and of the animal labo-
rans over the political identity of the subject, which was
essential in classic antiquity. She sees this triumph as the
outcome of many factors, in particular the priority given
in our modern civilization to economic production, and to
the constitution of nation-states and national societies.
Though apparently remote, at frst sight, from the questi-
on of landscape, Arendts proposition presents analytical
advantages which permit to apprehend landscape under
the different status it was endowed with in Western
modernity. I begun by presenting landscape in its status of
landscape-as-labour and landscape-as-work; their comple-
mentarity and simultaneity are at the heart of the modern
conception of landscape. I then pursued the question of
the complex status of landscapes in contemporary socie-
ties and identifed a landscape-as-action which, though
not complying entirely with Arendts historiographical
perspective, appears to have emerged, under some peculi-
ar circumstances, in recent decades.
Taking into account the academic context of this con-
ference, all case studies presented were alpine or related
to mountain landscapes.
5u
4.2.2. Landscapes: from by-product to
resource selected conclusions from
the Swiss NRP 48 Landscapes and
Habitats of the Alps
Bernard Lehmann (Institut fr Agrarwirtschaft,
IAW, ETH Zrich, Switzerland)
Keywords
Land use and adding value, change, perception, policies,
virtual representation
NRP 48 was launched in 2000 with fve main topics to be
developed simultaneously in order to
show and understand processes of change affecting
landscapes and habitats; and identify main reasons
and drivers [change];
show and understand how landscapes and habitats
are perceived; and identify reasons for differences in
perception among various segments of the population
[perception, appreciation];
show and understand what institutional frameworks
can identify needs for action and design collective
goals of landscape development; and how approp-
riate policies can be implemented in a participatory,
consensual process [policies, incentives];
show and understand what potentials of adding value
have existed, and continue to exist, considering the
increased relevance of landscape [land use and adding
value];
show existing possibilities of predicting variations in

landscape development based on computer simulati-
ons that take various parameters into account (land-
scape use, incentives, climate change, etc.) [virtual
representation].
It was a further objective of NRP 48 to achieve a systemic
view of landscapes, their relevant actors and sub-systems
(fg. 10):
human use of natural resources available in specifc
areas (use, protection);
primary use of natural resources resulting in cultu-
ral landscapes as a by-product which, over the past
decades, has itself become a resource of further forms
of land use;
settlement areas very strongly impact on and (mis-)use
both natural and cultural landscapes;
tourist use of landscape (natural and cultural land-
scapes) represents an important economic factor in
the alpine area; the tourist sector particularly needs
to address sustainability issues and principles (com-
plementary and substitutional relationships between
added value and estimated quality of landscape);
public use of landscape as use value, option value
or existence value. The more society is affected
and the greater the value attributed by society, the
stronger public desire grows to control changes and
implement appropriate policies;
a further result from the above is a particular chal-
lenge facing those involved in the process of ad-
Potential resources for

Primary production
Processes of use in
Primary production
Available products and
services, Primary
production
Market
valuation of
services,
Primary sector
Cultural landscape,
potential resource of
by-product of primary
production
Spatial distribution of
natural resources
Impact of tourism (in
general) on land-use
processes
Available products and
services, Tourist sector
Market valuation of
services, Tourist
sector
Added value,
Tourist sector
Added value,
Primary production
Work and capital,
Tourist sector
Work and
capital, Primary
sector
Societies in and outside the
alpine space
Perception
Images of ideal
landscapes
Reasons for
images
Non-market valuation
(target v. performance)
Institutions of collective goal
identification and decision
making
Collective policies
(spatial development,
ecology, agriculture,
land-use/landscape)
Societal
appreciation/valuation
Use of local resources in
process of value-adding
process and housing
Market valuation
Added value, Housing
& Trade/Commerce
Settlement landscape
Natural landscape
Work and capital,
Housing &
Trade/Commerce
Fig. 10: systemic view of landscapes, their relevant actors and sub-systems
51
and environmental effects of any land use action simulta-
neously and interactively, to include those of commodity
production and those of negative and / or positive exter-
nalities. These effects are linked to functions or goods
and services in the landscape context, which cover
aspects of production, regulation, habitat and information
(Costanza et al., 1997, De Groot et al. 2002). The multi-
functionality of any land use action then lies in the degree
to which it affects each of these functions as well as their
interactions. Based on the knowledge on these functional
relationships stakeholders and the civil society will have to
negotiate targets and achieve trade-offs for land use deci-
sion making in order to best ft their specifc priority list of
demands for landscape goods and services. According to
this defnition, multifunctional land use is not an absolute
term describing the outcomes of any land use in a specifc
bio-geo-physical setting, but is rather a description of the
relation between functional performance of land use on
the one hand, and of societal demands for these func-
tions on the other hand (Barkmann et al., 2004; Potschin
and Haynes-Young, 2005).
For competent decision making, stakeholders require
knowledge on possible sustainability impacts of any
land use option. This type of ex-ante knowledge can be
generated by scenario-based land-use change models
that generate data relevant to ecological, economical and
socio-cultural landscape functions (Zander et al., 2007).
By using indicators that translate land-use model para-
meter measures into simple and meaningful data on the
likely outcomes on environmental, social and economic
sustainability issues, stakeholders may obtain information
on the likely results of particular decisions.
This paper reports on the conceptual design and prelimi-
nary research results of the EU Integrated Project sensor
(www.sensor-ip.eu), which develops ex-ante Sustainability
Impact Assessment Tools (sIat) to support decision making
on policy options related to multifunctional land use in
European regions (Helming et al., 2006). sIat is based on 3
key assessment approaches:
Europe-wide, model and indicator-based impact ana-
lysis of land use driving force scenarios and optional
policy interventions for projection years 2015 and
2025;
region-specifc problem, risk and threshold assessment
making use of spatial reference systems and participa-
tory processes; and
case-study-based sensitive area studies using detailed
information on sustainability issues. sIat operates on a
regional scale for the countries of the European Union
and is based on existing, pan-European data.
sensor considers policy-driven land-use activities with a
spatial dimension. These include agriculture, forestry,
tourism, nature conservation, transport, and energy
1)
2)
3)
ding economic value, which is to achieve a balance
between the production of private / public goods and
the provision of private / public services.
The results of these studies have been published in various
scientifc journals. Moreover, in 2006/2007, the NRP pub-
lished fve thematic synthesis reports:
Alpenlandschaften Von der Vorstellung zur Hand-
lung (Alpine landscapes from image to action)
Landnutzung und biologische Vielfalt in den Alpen
(Land use and biodiversity in the Alps)
Landschaften gemeinsam gestalten Mglichkeiten
und Grenzen der Partizipation (Shaping landscapes
together potentials and boundaries of participation)
Den Wert der Alpenlandschaften nutzen (Using the
value of alpine landscapes)
Virtuelle Welten, reale Entscheide Die Alpen in der
Modellwelt (Virtual worlds, real decisions modelling
the Alps)
In autumn of 2007, the Steering Committee will publish a
fnal document entitled Landschaften und Lebensrume
der Alpen zwischen Wertschpfung und Wertschtzung
Refexionen zum Abschluss des nationalen Forschungs-
programms 48 (Landscapes and Habitats of the Alps:
appreciating and valuating/adding value refections on
the completion of NRP 48).
4.2.3. Assessing land-use impacts on
landscape goods and services the
specifc case of mountain landscapes
Norbert Kruchi (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest,
Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmenssdorf,
Switzerland)
Katharina Helming (Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural
Landscape Research ZalF, Mnchenberg, Germany)
Keywords
Land use impact assessment, landscape goods and ser-
vices, sustainable development, multifunctional land use,
mountain landscapes, global change
Land use is one of the key pressures translating economic,
political and other driving forces into environmental and
social impacts on landscapes. The motivation of planners
and policy makers to interact with land use is devoted to
the principle of sustainable development, which in turn is
considered to be intrinsically linked to the concept of mul-
tifunctionality (Wiggering et al., 2003). The basic principle
of multifunctional land use is to consider social, economic,
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
52
infrastructure. The list of regional sustainability issues
addressed, include spatially explicit environmental func-
tions (abiotic and biotic resources including soil, water, air,
biodiversity), societal functions (social welfare, migration,
cultural heritage, recreation, aesthetics) and economic
functions (employment, growth).
European mountain regions are one of the sensitive areas,
studied within sensor. They are of vital importance to the
continents population in many ways, and have been
described as the undervalued ecological backbone of
Europe (EEA, 1999). 9 relevant changing key issues have
been identifed for Europes mountain regions (fg. 11):
outmigration and overageing;
tourism and recreation;
traffc networks governed by needs outside moun-
tains;
jeopardised sustainability of land use;
climate change impacts;
mountains as a natural and cultural heritage;
mountains as watertowers of the lowland;
mountain soils sensitive to degradation;
living with risks natural hazards in mountains.
ge in precipitation patterns (Frei et al. 2006). If this trend

continues, a strong shift in environmental conditions is to
be expected, which will signifcantly affect the sustaina-
bility of ecological services through changes in organism
performances and ecosystem functioning, with important
socio-economic implications (Stern, 2007).
Different sectoral policies concerning, e.g., agriculture,
forestry, tourism and water management, as well as other
political institutions, will affect future land use and socio-
economic impacts that result from ecological changes.
Thus, an evaluation of policy trends will be required and
new policy options will have to be identifed that may
mitigate negative social, economic and ecological effects
of changes described, and to promote more sustainable
land-use patterns. These policy options may well require
a reallocation of competencies among political actors, the
use of new and innovative policy instruments, as well as
an integration of different sectoral policies.
In terms of national and European policy implications,
many mountain areas have opportunities for develop-
ment as a result of new information and communication
technologies. There is also potential for development
Dr ivers and
Pr ess ur es
Tour ism and recreation
Popu lation
Tr affic
Changes in land use
Natur al heri tage
Water r esourc es
Soil
Natur al hazards
St ate and
Imp act
Respon se
Road pr icing
Guidelines for
sustainable tour ism
Definition of new
urb an-mount ain
relation
Management of
catchm ent areas
New tasks tour ism agro -
environm ent renewable
energy for estry
Prot ect ion of species
and landscapes
Fig. 11: dprsI scheme interactions of
key issues in mountain areas (EEA,
1999)
Specifc national and European Commission policies focu-
sed on Europes mountain areas have primarily tended to
consider agricultural production, which remains an essen-
tial element of mountain economies and cultural identity
(Nordregio, 2004). The vertical topographic dimension as
the basic and characteristic element of mountains intro-
duces specifc features relating to global change issues.
Mountain regions such as the Alps have experienced a
higher than global average temperature shift and a chan-
as centres of recreation for urban dwellers, although
this must be managed in a sustainable way that ensures
nature protection. Given the great diversity in national ap-
proaches to mountain issues, there is much to gain from
better coordination and dissemination of experiences
between regions and countries. Networking between vari-
ous players (institutions, communities, enterprises) is the-
refore important in cross-border co-operation at different
levels within as well as between countries. International
53
cooperation is essential not only for the mountain areas
themselves, but also for the lowland areas they separate
(Hallenbarter et al., 2006).
The concept of multifunctional land use is key to under-
standing the complex interactions of commodity produc-
tion with the rural economy, with rural communities and
rural environments. Political systes, policies and gover-
nance structures play a crucial role in mitigating the im-
pact of such changes and enhancing sustainable manage-
ment practices which are economically and ecologically
effcient, and socially and institutionally feasible.
References:
Barkmann, J., K. Helming, K. Mller, H. Wiggering 2004:
Multifunctional landscapes: towards an analytical framework for
sustainability assessment of agriculture and forestry in Europe.
Final Scientifc Report. EU FP5 Project EVK-CT-2002-80023.
Cairol, D., E. Coudel, D. Barthlmy, P. Caron, E. Cudlinova,
P. Zander, H. Renting, J. Sumelius, and K.H. Knickel 2005:
Multifunctionality of agriculture and rural areas: from trade
negotiations to contributing to sustainable development. New
challenges for research. Summary of main results from the mUlta-
grI project. 23 pp. www.multagri.net
Costanza, R., C. Folke 1997: Valuing ecosystem services with
effciency, fairness and sustainability as goals. In: G. Daly (ed.):
Natures services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems,
Island Press, Washington, DC.
De Groot, R. S., M. Wilson, and R. Boumans 2002: A typology for
the description, classifcation and valuation of Ecosystem Func-
tions, Goods and Services (p. 393-408). Ecological Economics 41:
367-567.
Dilly, O., C. Roga, C. Drrie, B.U. Schneider, G. Siebielec, T.
Stuczynski, R. Korzeniowska-Puculek, P. Koza, P. Kowalik , R.
Lopatka, R. Pudelko,D. Hallenbarter, N. Kruchi, Z. Imrichov, F.
Putzhuber, H. Hasenauer, T.A. Oja, A. Kull, . Mander, S. Mon-
cada, M. Camilleri, S. Formosa, R. Gale, R.F. Httl (in prep.): Key
sustainability issues and the spatial classifcation of sensitive regi-
ons in Europe. In: Helming, K., Tabbush, P., Perez-Soba, M. (eds.):
Sustainability Impact Assessment of Multifunctional land use.
European Environment Agency (EEA) 1999: Environment in the
European Union at the turn of the century. Environmental assess-
ment report No 2, Offce for Offcial Publications of the European
Communities, Luxembourg.
Frei C., R. Scholl, S. Fukutome, R. Schmidli,P.L. Vidale 2006: Fu-
ture change of precipitation extremes in Europe: Intercomparison
of scenarios from regional climate models. Journal of Geophysical
Research-Atmospheres 111: D06105.
Hallenbarter, D., N. Kruchi, Z. Imrichov, F. Putzhuber 2006: Eu-
ropean Mountains in a changing Environment. sensor Deliverable
6.1.
Helming, K., L. Firbank, D. Wascher, M. Perez-Soba, S. Sieber, H.
Bach, O. Dilly, P. Tabbush, K. Tscherning 2006: sensor frst annual
report, public part. In: Helming, K. and H. Wiggering (eds.) sensor
Reporting Series 2006/1. zalF, Germany.
Nordregio 2004: Mountain areas in Europe, Analysis of mountain
areas in EU Member States, acceding and other European coun-
tries, Nordregio Final Report 2004:1, Stockholm, 271 pp.
Potschin, M. and R. Haynes-Young 2005: Multifunktionale
Landschaften Zum Verstndnis der nachhaltigen Landschafts-
entwicklung. Regio Basiliensis Basler Zeitschrift fr Geographie
46/1: 21-32 (in German).
Stern, N. 2007: The economics of climate change. The Stern
review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 692 pp.
Wiggering, H., K. Mueller, A. Werner and K. Helming 2003: The
concept of multifunctionality in sustainable land development. In:
Helming, K. and H. Wiggering (eds) 2003: Sustainable Deve-
lopment of Multifunctional Landscapes. Springer-Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg New York. 286 pp. ISBN 3-540-00008-9. 3-18.
Zander, P., A. Knierim, J. Groot, W. Rossing 2007: Multifunction-
ality of agriculture: tools and methods for impact assessment and
valuation. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. In press.
54
55
5. Project & Programme
Fairs

In the frst part of the Project & Programme Fairs, the fol-
lowing input contributions were presented (no abstracts):
Thomas Schaaf (MAB-Programme, unesCo, Paris,
France):
A world-wide network for global change research in
Unesco-Mountain Biosphere Reserves
Information: http://www.unesco.org/mab/
Harald Bugmann (Environmental Sciences, ETH
Zrich, Switzerland):
Activities of the Mountain Research Initiative MRI
Information: http://mri.scnatweb.ch/
Eva Spehn & Christian Krner (gmba & Institute of
Botany, University of Basel, Switzerland):
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment gmBa by
dIversItas
Information: http://gmba.unibas.ch
Georg Grabherr (Faculty of Life Sciences, University of
Vienna, Austria):
The glorIa-Initiative (Global observation research initia-
tive in alpine environments)
Information: http://www.gloria.ac.at/
Silvia Jost (Federal Offce for Spatial Development
ARE, Ittigen, Switzerland):
European Territorial Cooperation: Outlook on the
Alpine Space Programme 2007-2013
Information: http://www.alpinespace.org/
5.1. Project networking in European
Mountains (FP 6, Interreg III and Cost)
Project & Programme Fair 1
Organiser:
Axel Borsdorf (Institut fr Geographie, Leopold-
Franzens-Universitt Innsbruck, Austria)
It was the objective of the Project and Programme Fairs to
provide insights into the application of, the participation
in and even the management of internationally funded
projects. These insights are based on my own experience
in leading a 5
th
Framework Programme project (comet)
and an Interreg IIIb Alpine Space project (dIamont), on my
participation as an Austrian delegate to the Management
Committee of two cost Actions (C 10, A 26), and as an
expert or partner institution in several EU-projects (sUper,
Viadventure) and as a member of the Steering Committee
of other projects.
The input presentation focussed on the cost programmes
(Actions and Strategic Workshops), the Interreg A and
B strand, the Framework Programmes of the European

Commission and several other programmes, such as Marie
Curie and espon, to which researchers in the Alpine realm
might want to apply.
cost (European Cooperation in the Field of Scientifc and
Technical Research) was restructured in 2006 to encom-
pass nine domains, of which at least six encourage appli-
cations by Alpine researchers. The presentation included
the internal structure of cost as well as practical hints for
application and participation.
Based on the example of the quite successful cost Action
C 10, the internal structure and the possible results of
such actions were demonstrated. Delegates from 14
countries, organized in four working groups (Methods,
Structures, Dynamics, Governance), visited the peripheries
of European city regions and discussed their fndings at
length. Eleven case studies produced new knowledge
based on inductive and explorative logic. The results were
structured in a comparative matrix, instructive sketches
and maps, and published in four volumes. An internatio-
nal audience attended the fnal conference in the Grande
Arche of La Dfense, Paris.
The Interreg programme is part of the eFre initiative of the
European Union. It is structured in three strands: Strand
A is dedicated to cross-border cooperation between two
European countries. Strand B is made for transnational
cooperation involving national, regional and local aut-
horities. It aims to promote better integration within the
Union through the formation of large groups of European
regions. With programme period IIIb, a proper Alpine
space programme was created, in which 51 projects were
founded. Strand C is dedicated to interregional coope-
ration and aims to improve the effectiveness of regional
development policies and instruments through large-scale
information exchange and sharing of experience (net-
works). As a rule, only administrative units can participate
in strand C.
Interreg IV period begins in 2007. Interreg IVa projects are
quite open, and it is not too diffcult to obtain funding for
projects. About two thirds of the total funds go to Strand
A.
For research projects located in the Alpine arc and
including more than two countries, Strand B is rather
more challenging. The presentation was based on the
example of Interreg IIIb Alpine Space project dIamont (Data
Infrastructure for the Alps. Mountain Orientated Network
Technology), coordinated by the Institute of Geography,
University of Innsbruck, to demonstrate proposal, internal
structure, research questions, methods and frst results
56
of such a project. It should be mentioned that within the
IVb Strand, the cadses and the Western Mediterranean
programme are suitable for mountain research as well.
The Interreg IVb Alpine Space programme is focussed on
the thematic priorities of Competitiveness and attrac-
tiveness of Alpine space, Accessibility and connectivi-
ty, and Environment, resources and risk management.
Another Interreg project area is espon (European Spatial
Planning Observation Network). Its objective is to improve
the knowledge of spatial development trends at EU level
that affect the development of the Union, to encourage
the harmonious development of the entire Community,
as laid down in Article 158 of the EC Treaty, and to clarify
the concept of territorial cohesion referred to in Article 16
of the Treaty. In particular, espon seeks to study the spatial
dimension of economic and social cohesion policy and
other EU policies in view of ensuring better co-ordination
of decisions which have an impact on spatial planning.
The 5 espon 2013 programme priorities are:
Applied research on territorial development, compe-
titiveness and cohesion: Evidence of territorial trends,
perspectives and policy impacts;
Targeted analyses based on user demand: a Europe-
an perspective to development of different types of
territories;
Scientifc platform and tools: Territorial indicators and
data, analytical tools and scientifc support;
Capitalisation, ownership and participation: Capacity
building, dialogue and networking;
Technical assistance, analytical support and communi-
cation.
The presentation also included a short introduction to the
Interact programme.
Finally, the 7
th
Framework Programme of the European
Commission was presented. It is the European Unions
main instrument for funding research in Europe between
2007 and 2013, and supports research in selected priority
areas. It represents a 41 per cent budget increase from
FP6 at 2004 prices.
The programmes internal structure and its thematic
areas were presented. Within the four sections of the 7FP,
Cooperation and People may be of special interest
for Alp-wide research and cooperation. The Marie-Curie
programme is now integrated in the People section,
including network building in the Marie Curie Research
and Training Network programme.
As an example of an FP project, comet (Competitive
Metropolises) was presented in order to demonstrate the
proposal, fnancing, structure, methods and results of an
FP project.
The discussion focused on quite practical questions regar-
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
ding all programmes presented in the input presentation.
It became very clear that there is great interest among
Alpine researchers to participate in international pro-
grammes and projects.
5.2. Global change research in European
mountains: Implementation of the
gloChamore Research Strategy and
Research Agenda in the multi-annual
working programme of the Alpine
Convention among the scientifc
community
Organisers:
Astrid Bjrnsen Gurung (The Mountain Research
Initiative MRI, Zrich, Switzerland)
Heinz Veit & Thomas Scheurer (International
Scientifc Committee on Research in the Alps IsCar,
Berne, Switzerland)
Summary
Research coordination can enhance the effciency of the
participating research partners and add value to their fn-
dings. Larger frameworks (e.g., the glochamore Research
Strategy) or treaties (e.g., the Alpine Convention) may
steer research projects and programs in the desired direc-
tion. Research coordination may enhance the effciency
of participating research partners and add value to their
fndings. The workshop identifed actions suitable to intro-
duce research frameworks to target audiences in science,
administration and NGOs.
Introduction and questions raised
glochamore (Global Change in Mountain Regions) has
been a specifc support action of the EUs FP6 aiming at
the development of an integrated research strategy to
gain a better understanding of the causes and conse-
quences of global change. The participation of 28 Unesco
Mountain Biosphere Reserves (MBRs) and the integration
of activities and knowledge from both natural and social
sciences was most critical to the development of the
strategy. The glochamore Research Strategy (see http://
mri.scnat.web) is the projects compiled and negotiated
product. Both the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)
and Unesco MAB are committed to working towards the
implementation of the strategy, taking into account local
specifcities of individual Mountain Biosphere Reserves
and other mountain areas.
The Multi-Annual Work Programme (MAP) of the Alpine
Convention 2005-2010 contains a wide range of targeted
political and administrative actions to implement the goals
57
of the Alpine Convention. The MAP has been analysed
from a scientifc point of view and transformed into 22
research topics to encourage scientists to provide strategic
and action-oriented knowledge. Each topic refers to the
actions of the MAP, thereby addressing potential stakehol-
ders in politicy-makers and the public administration. In
early 2007, the Research Agenda was still being develo-
ped.
The panel and open discussion of this Project Fair aimed
at exploring the factors determining whether or not, and
how, research recommendations such as the two presen-
ted above, are taken into account and implemented in
the feld. Experiences in research implementation were
analysed under three aspects:
Communication. What are effective and ineffective
communication tools to inform the research communi-
ty about research recommendations?;
Incentives. What factors enhance or hamper the
adoption of research priority themes by individual
scientists?;
Impact assessment. What instruments / indicators
are suitable to monitor the success of such research
implementation?
Results
1) Communication
A major challenge in communicating research recom-
mendations to the targeted audience lies in their extent
and complexity. Both amount and complexity need to be
reduced and tailored to the targeted audience (e.g., scien-
tists, Biosphere Reserve managers, administrations, media,
institutions). Professional translation of scientifc messages
into a language comprehensible to laymen and politicians
could profoundly infuence the uptake. Hardcopy publica-
tions are viewed as a necessary supplement to electronic
information accessible via the internet. Although the
target audience, i.e. the scientifc community working on
mountain topics, is very large, relevant information needs
to be personalized and highlighted in the specifc context
(vs. mass mailing of general messages).
Crucial to the promotion of research recommendations is
the involvement of stakeholders in the development of
such, i.e. through consultation and participation, before
the recommendations are elaborated. Involving stakehol-
ders in the process at an early stage, however, requires
adapted planning of research projects or programmes.
Stakeholder involvement requires resources (time and
money) are rarely available at an early project stage.
Face-to-face meetings in the form of national and
international meetings, thematic working groups, summer
schools, or exchange visits for practical feld experience
all aiming at research implementation are most
important to the promotion of research frameworks for
1)
2)
3)
Global Change research in mountains. Existing science
stakeholder networks and supportive legal and political
frameworks can accelerate the uptake of research recom-
mendations.
2) Incentives for implementation
Due to the long-term nature of Global Change research in
mountains, local and regional funding is most important
for sustaining research. Consequently, lobbying funding
schemes such as the EUs Framework Programmes to
consider research priorities such as those outlined in the
glochamore Research Strategy is one step towards imple-
menting mountain research. In the same vein, research
recommendations need to be conveyed together with
potential funding opportunities.
Apart from funding, implementation is encouraged if the
information package contains the technical or scientifc
advice necessary for the next step (e.g., methodology
handbook or feld guide). Similarly, stimulating thematic
and regional interest groups (e.g., the Meteorological
Network or the Snow Monitoring Initiative as a part of
the Global Change Research Network in European Moun-
tains, gcrn_em; the building of a Alp-wide network on
tourism research to take up topics from the MAP) could
be an effective and effcient means towards implementati-
on. However, this requires active and devoted members of
the scientifc network.
The implementation of specifc research recommendations
is more likely if recommendations are congruent not only
with government policies, but also with topics highly re-
levant to a specifc stakeholder group (e.g., water and
climate change for the Alpine Convention), and can
make use of existent research interests, infrastructure and
contacts with concerned communities.
3) Impact assessment
The degree to which research recommendations are suc-
cessfully implemented can be quantifed by numbers of:
project collaborations between universities and MBRs
or NGOs on recommended topics;
MBRs or bodies of the Alpine Convention imple-
menting recommended research;
EU projects and proposals (FP7, cost, Interreg, etc.)
using the glochamore Research Strategy or the MAP
Research Agenda as an orientation; and
research publications referring to glochamore or the
MAP of the Alpine Convention.
Active regional Global Change research networks and
projects such as initiated by the MRI (see http://mri.scnat-
web.ch/content/category/3/47/68/) are indicators that
the recommendations on paper are implemented in the
real world. Annual review meetings and/or a post-project
evaluation after 10 years, e.g., for glochamore, could serve
a)
b)
c)
d)
58
as both an incentive and assessment tools for monitoring
implementation of Global Change research in European
Mountains.
5.3. Ecological networks within and into
the Alps: from concepts to actions
Organiser:
Lisa Bose (Swiss Biodiversity Forum, Berne,
Switzerland)
Introduction: The Ecological Continuum Project
The four Alpine organisations alparc, cIpra, Iscar and
WWF are working together to contribute to the preser-
vation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Alps. The
aim of the Ecological Continuum Project is to concentrate
conservation efforts in order to implement an ecological
continuum by connecting regions with high biodiversity
values. The ecological continuum will allow the dyna-
misation of nature protection by allowing species to
migrate and at the same time develop their habitats. The
project will be divided into a pre-project phase of about
one year, and a subsequent main project with a duration
of at least three years. Within the pre-project the methods
of two already existing connectivity concepts (functional
approach of the WWF/alparc/alparc/Iscar consortium
and alparcs structural approach) will be assessed and, if
necessary, harmonised. An application for funding a pre-
project is currently under way.
Objectives
The objective of the Project Fair was to discuss key ele-
ments for establishing ecological networks within and into
the Alps, to gather existing experiences concerning the
most promising measures to improve ecological connec-
tivity, and to fnd important stakeholders when imple-
menting ecological networks.
Results
The main focus of the discussion was on the migrati-
on of large carnivores in the Alps. An important issue
for establishing ecological networks is the high public
awareness of problems concerning the migration of large
carnivores, e.g. wolves. Studies carried out by cemagreF,
Grenoble, showed that farmers will do almost anything to
prevent attempts to earmark areas where the wolves can
migrate. Hunters were also identifed as important sta-
keholders. With regard to the migration of brown bears,
beekeepers have to be involved, as brown bears can cause
considerable damage.
At the Project Fair the concept of networks in fragmented
landscapes was critically discussed. It was pointed out that
as their habitats are protected, the populations of large
carnivores will likely increase, which in itself will auto-
matically lead to the migration of sub-populations. The
quality of their habitats is therefore the main determinant
for the well-being of a species. Austria, for example, is
surrounded by areas where there are good habitats for
the lynx and the wolf. Now these populations have begun
to migrate to Austria.
Moreover, the question of enough existing space for es-
tablishing corridors was raised. In areas with dense human
settlements and activities, it could be almost impossible
to establish wildlife corridors, as the distance between
settlements might be less than 1 km. Studies have shown
that the Brown Bear chooses areas for migration that are
furthest from settlements.
For plants there would be no real need for connected
habitats. In the Alps, high species diversity of plants (e.g.
by endemic species) is the result of isolation. Studies
showed that genetic diversity hotspots differ from species
hotspots.
There is also the question of how to manage a system in
which every species can be found everywhere. Ecologi-
cal networks might suspend the often desired effects of
isolation.
Outlook
The concept of the Ecological Continuum Project will
be developed within the context of and in accordance
with the Alpine Convention. The IX Alpine Conference
(November 2006) decided on the establishment of an
ecological networkplatform, with representatives from
all contracting parties as well as concerned observers
and NGOs. The platform started its work in March 2007.
The Ecological Continuum project of the consortium will
contribute directly to the activities of the platform of the
Alpine Convention.
59
5.4. The Alpine Space Programme:
A successful approach to transnational
cooperation in the Alpine Space
Organisers:
Silvia Jost (Swiss Federal Offce for Spatial
Development ARE, Ittigen, Switzerland)
Magali Kirchgesser (Joint Technical Scretariat
Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Programme, Rosenheim,
Germany)
The enlarged European Union has challenging territorial
disparities, which the Cohesion Policy is aiming to reduce.
Since 1989 Interreg has been one of the funding instru-
ments supporting territorial cooperation among the 268
European regions. This Community Initiative has been
fnanced under the European Regional Development Fund
(erdF) offering fnancial support for crossborder, transnati-
onal and interregional cooperation projects.
During the period 2000-2006, the frst transnational
EU cooperation programme was launched for the Alps,
involving the partner states Austria, France, Germany,
Italy, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The Interreg
IIIB Alpine Space Programme funded forward-looking
cooperation projects searching for transnational solutions
within the three main working felds of Spatial planning
and competitiveness, Promotion of sustainable trans-
port systems and Management of natural and cultural
heritage and the prevention of natural disasters.
Through its cooperation projects, the programmes aim
was to foster sustainable spatial development in the
Alpine Space. The implementation of 58 projects in the
above-mentioned working felds provided an opportunity
to test strategies and approaches for European spatial
development and to develop transnationally effective
solutions. The cooperation projects have been co-fnanced
50:50 by the ERDF and by national funds. In total the
available budget for 2000-2006 was 118 million.
One of the key topics tackled by the programme is climate
change, which is affecting the Alps faster and rather more
severely than the rest of Europe. Coping with the effects
of climate change and its related impacts on settlements,
infrastructure, cultural heritage and human life is a major
challenge for the cooperation area. Transnational coope-
ration produces necessary joint solutions.
As a strategic project, ClimChAlp (Climate Chan-
ge, Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Alpine
Space) examines the potential impacts of climate
change in the Alpine Space, e.g. on the landscapes,
and intends to elaborate basic adaptation strategies.
Based on screening historical and future climate
change scenarios, the forthcoming impacts of and on
natural hazards, spatial development and key econo-
mic sectors (e.g. tourism, agriculture, forestry) are eva-

luated and assessed in four thematic work packages.
Strategic recommendations will be laid down in a
synthesis work package as an input for policy-makers
and public administrations on national and regional
levels.
The partner states also focused on the protection and
promotion of the Alpine cultural heritage. This was done
through diverse approaches.
The Alpine area is known worldwide for its natural
characteristics but not for its cultural heritage, which
actually deserves the same attention. This was the
starting point for the project CulturALP (Knowledge
and Enhancement of Historical Centres and Cultural
Landscapes in Alpine Space). The projects aim has
been to preserve and promote historic mountain sett-
lements. The historic settlement system of the Alpine
areas constitutes a heritage relevant to local cultures
and European identity alike. In order to safeguard this
cultural heritage and enhance its potential, the project
has taken into account natural aspects as well as
characteristics and qualities of historic, artistic, cultural
and territorial resources all in relation to Alpine
cultural heritage. Moreover, CulturALP is focused on
rules, regulations and instruments for integrated poli-
cies, to be able to combine sustainable and long term
protection with the enhancement and promotion of
cultural heritage in a far-fung territorial framework.
alpter (Terraced landscapes of the Alpine arc) deals
with a different aspect of cultural heritage, i.e. ter-
raced landscapes. Within this project synergies were
developed with the actions and programmes on terra-
ced landscapes by international organisations such as
Unesco and FAO. Terraced areas can be conceived as
intermediate landscapes from several points of view,
e.g. between artifcial spaces and natural environ-
ments, or between household horticulture and mecha-
nised monoculture. The current development of such
landscapes is a range of processes leading towards
opposite extremes: intensifcation versus abandon-
ment. The alpter project was developed to counteract
the abandonment of terraced areas in Alpine regi-
ons. It is a widespread phenomenon with negative
consequences in terms of loss of productive land and
biodiversity, increasing hydro-geological hazards and
depletion of cultural heritage. The project focuses
on three possible ways of managing terraced lands-
capes: productive recovery and promotion of regional
agrarian products; valorisation of tourist appeal by
enhancing tourist demand and supply; strengthening
their social value and the local communities sense of
territorial identity.
6u
Finding innovative and shared solutions to face socio-
economic decline and its consequences in peripheral
rural areas of the Alps is another challenge the Alpine
Space Programme has tackled effectively. The migration
of young and dynamic people and the resulting rising
proportion of ageing alpine populations, often leads to
the dismantling of public services and existing spatial
structures in many areas of the Alps.
The project AlpCity (Local endogenous develop-
ment and urban regeneration of small Alpine towns)
fosters the creation of a polycentric urban system and
a sustainable urban-rural relationship in fragile natural
environments of the Alps. It aims to raise awareness
of the revitalisation of small towns in the Alpine Space
area by sharing and improving common knowledge
and understanding on key issues. The project promo-
tes and supports local innovative actions and ap-
proaches by developing case-studies in the following
four topic areas: economic development, services and
quality of life, urban environment and cooperation
among towns. AlpCity endorses collection, exchange
and search of good and best practices in these areas.
Lessons learned represent the basis for the formulati-
on of recommendations and policy guidance.
Various projects, networks and institutions in the Alpine
Space are dealing with similar Alpine problems. In order to
bundle and make available existing data, knowledge and
best practice experiences, several projects have developed
shared indicators and tools for regional development.
In the context of DIamont (Data Infrastructure for the
Alps: Mountain Orientated Network Technology),
a network of specialists on Alpine development has
elaborated an Alp-wide information system, and per-
formed a selection of relevant Alp-wide indicators for
regional development. This process includes concrete
testing of the usefulness and relevance of selected
regional development instruments. In this perspec-
tive, workshops are held aiming to ascertain the main
stakeholders opinions on instruments provided. The
workshops promote public participation in policy ma-
king by involving stakeholders and citizens and thus
raising their awareness. These workshops are currently
being held within the test regions; the results will be
presented in autumn 2007.
The Alpine Space Programme 2007-2013
In the programming period 2000-2006, the partners and
regions developed stable networks, witnessing the strong
commitment of projects to fulfll the programmes major
target of a common sustainable development strategy.
The cooperation continues in the Structural Fund period
running from 2007 to 2013. The Interreg Community
Initiative has been upgraded to European Territorial
Cooperation Objective of the European Cohesion Policy,

which underlines the importance the European Commis-
sion and the Member States attach to the added value of
transnational cooperation.
The overall aim of the Alpine Space Programme 2007-
2013 is to increase competitiveness and attractiveness of
the cooperation area. The programme has identifed three
thematic working felds, competitiveness and attrac-
tiveness of the Alpine Space, accessibility and connecti-
vity and environment and risk prevention.
In the new programming period, the projects to be
approved will receive ERDF co-funding of no more than
76%. The programme budget national and EU funding
combined amounts to almost 130 million. Following
approval of the Operational Programme (the offcial pro-
gramme document and implementing framework setting
the programme strategy) by the Commission, a frst call
for project proposals will be launched end 2007/early
2008.
For further information, please contact the Joint Techni-
cal Secretariat, jts@rosenheim.de and visit the pro-
gramme website at www.alpine-space.eu.
61
6. Poster presentations
Sweet chestnut landscape development by
means of a traditional fruit tree in the Alps
Oliver Bender (Mountain Research: Men and
Environment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck,
Austria)
Keywords:
Alps, chestnut culture, cultural landscape, landscape con-
servation, sustainable development
Since Roman times vast areas of Southern and Western
Europe have been covered by groves and coppices of
sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa MILL.). Having re-
placed the original broad-leaved forest, they used to play
an important role in traditional agriculture. Chestnut culti-
vation was even more important as providing a substitute
for cereals (bread) than for the production of timber. With
changing economic conditions and the appearance of the
chestnut blight caused by Cryphonectria parasitica in the
20th century, particularly in south-western Europe, the
sweet chestnut lost almost all of its economic and cultural
signifcance.
In the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a renewed
interest in the preservation and re-planting of chestnuts.
This currently comprises marketing strategies, landscape
conservation and cultural history aspects (Chestnut
Festival). As chestnut cultivation is widespread, especially
in the Southern part of the Alps, it links cultural lands-
cape and regional geographic research with respect for
sustainable development. The poster describes different
aspects of the importance of the revaluation of an endo-
genous rural resource.

Remoteness in the southern Swiss Alps an
opportunity for hiking tourism
Florian Boller (Eidg. Forschungsanstalt fr Wald, Schnee
und Landschaft WSL, Berne, Switzerland)
Co-authors: Patrik Krebs (Swiss Federal Research
Institute WSL, Bellinzona, Switzerland); Marcel Hunziker
(Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf,
Switzerland); Hans Elsasser (Department of Geography,
University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Remote areas are defned as valleys that can only be
accessed and traversed by foot a rarity in the highly
developed Swiss Alps. This master thesis analysed the
supply and demand for hiking tourism in remote areas
of the southern Swiss alpine regions of Sopraceneri and
Moesano.
The frst step was to create a GIS-based inventory and
classifcation of all 67 remote areas larger than 5 km
2
. In
a second step, two case studies were carried out in the
moderately remote Val Cama (canton Grisons) and the
extremely remote Val di Lodrino (canton Ticino).
A questionnaire-based survey of hikers in these two areas
during summer 2006 provided 230 answers with 120
variables each.
According to 18 answers concerning attitudes towards
preferred extent of human infuence in remote areas,
hikers could be classifed into three types of visitors on a
purism scale (Stankey 1973, Fredman 2000): purists,
neutralists and non-purists. Purists prefer as little human
infuence as possible while non-purists are looking for
infrastructure and security rather than pure wilderness.
The share of purists in the extremely remote Val di Lodrino
was 45 per cent, signifcantly higher than in the modera-
tely remote Val Cama (24 per cent).
Looking at the visitors landscape valuation, it was
determined that elements of traditional cultural lands-
cape reach highest preference values. Reafforestation of
agricultural land is regarded as something positive only by
a minority of hikers (22 per cent), while as many as 67 per
cent regret this development. 11 per cent are ambiguous;
they do not have strong feelings either way.
For the management of remote areas it is important to
know that the preservation of existing infrastructures
(e.g. paths, huts, cultural landscape elements) and soft
measures (e.g. more information, better signposting) are
regarded positively by all types of visitors, whereas the
construction of new huts and tracks is very controversial;
construction of new road access is clearly refused by all
types.
Results also show that sensitivity towards over-use of
remote valleys is high: 74 per cent of visitors in Val di
Lodrino and 53 per cent in Val Cama prefer to encounter
fewer than 10 people a day.

Qualitative determination of erosion by
stable and radiogenic isotopes
Monika Brodbeck (Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften,
University of Basel, Switzerland)
Co-author: Christine Alewell (Institut fr
Umweltgeowissenschaften, University of Basel,
Switzerland)
Soil degradation and nutrient export severely affect moun-
tain slopes. An early warning tool to detect degradation
62
before it is visible is urgently required. This project aims to
determine soil degradation by analysing the deviation of
stable isotope signals in erosion source and sink sites in
comparison to non-degraded sites. The study area is loca-
ted in the Urseren valley in the southern part of Central
Switzerland (Canton Uri). Samples were collected at four
sites on a south exposed hillslope. The sites correspond in
altitude, exposition and land use, but differ in the intensi-
ty of visible soil erosion.
Transects in stable isotope dynamics of carbon and nitro-
gen were determined from upland soils (oxic environment
and erosion source) to lowlands (predominantly anoxic en-
vironments and sink of erosion material). Oxic upland soils
with a predominantly assimilatory metabolism differed
signifcantly from anoxic wetland soils and riparian zones
with dissimilatory metabolism. Differences are detectab-
le but are rather small, especially for
13
C. Soil erosion
could be traced in wetlands with
13
C and
15
N. However,
fertilizing with manure changes
15
N values and masks a
possible infuence of soil erosion on
15
N.
As a second approach, the same sites were tested on soil
erosion by Cs-137. Various studies applied Cs-137 to trace
soil erosion, mainly for agricultural areas. Measurements
of Cs-137 concentrations can provide important infor-
mation on soil erosion and redistribution processes of the
last 20 years (since deposition of Cs-137 following the
Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in 1986).

Vegetational succession on abandoned
terraced land in the Valle de la Roya (Alpes-
Maritimes, France) and its perception by local
people
Conradin Burga (Physical Geography, University of
Zrich, Switzerland)
Co-authors: Sbastien Boillat (Institute of Integrative
Biology, ETH Zrich, Switzerland), Andreas Gigon
(Agroecologia Universidad Cochabamba, Bolivia), Norman
Backhaus (Geographisches Institut, University of Zrich,
Switzerland)
Keywords:
Terraced land, secondary vegetation succession, abandon-
ment, limestone grassland, olive groves, depopulation,
landscape perception, neo-rurals, Alpes-Maritimes
The study aims to show the connection between the
ecological state of abandoned terraced land in the middle
section of Roya valley and socio-cultural values linked
thereto.
Fourteen vegetation types were identifed and grouped in
a succession model. At present, maintained terraces are
characterised by olive groves or limestone grasslands. If
left unused, the terraces have been colonised by Brachy-
podium pinnatum grassland, to be followed by scrubland
(maquis), and fnally by forest. Spatial mapping of diffe-
rent vegetation types show that the largest percentage
of maintained terraces is to be found in regions with the
highest population density and easy access to terraces.
Interviews with 21 inhabitants allowed for information to
be collected on local opinions concerning land aban-
donment and future prospects of the valley. The opinion
spectrum ranges from neo-rurals, who consider the
rediscovery of traditional agriculture as a development
perspective, to local villagers who see industry and tourist
development as the only realistic prospects for the future.
Based on these results, four scenarios for the valleys
future were elaborated and discussed, with particular at-
tention being paid to the consequences of each scenario
for the preservation of terraced land.

Experiencing landscape Climate Change and
Austrian farmers risk perception
Hemma Burger-Scheidlin (Department of Sustainable
Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and
Applied Life Sciences boku, Vienna, Austria)
Co-authors: Anja Christanell and Christian Vogl
(University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences
boku, Vienna, Austria)
Changes in weather and climate lead to changes in
landscape, which can be observed by farmers. Questions
arising are whether these landscape changes lead to a
different use of landscape and/or a different attitude
towards climate change. Objectives of our work are to
present
farmers perception of landscape changes caused by
climate change;
associations, relations and reactions to these lands-
cape changes;
climate-related use of landscape; and
risk perception of weather and climate change.
To analyse the perception of landscape and climate chan-
ge a 15-month feld study was conducted in the regions
Groes Walsertal and Western Styria, Austria. This poster
is based on interviews with 36 farmers / 7 experts (Groes
Walsertal) and 38 farmers/ 3 experts (Western Styria) and
participant observation. Results from the feld study were
analysed according to different approaches, such as land-
scape research (Hirsch & OHanlon 1995), risk & hazard
studies (Boholm 2003) and ethnoclimatology (Strauss &
1)
2)
3)
4)
63
Orlove 2003) to obtain a wide range of fndings.
Farmers observe various changes in weather and climate.
Hot temperatures, strong winds, les rain and less snow
lead to decreasing soil moisture and soil erosion, diminis-
hed headstreams and changes in vegetation, fora and
fauna. Farmers slowly adapt land-use to the changing
climate. For example, cattle-grazing periods in the Groes
Walsertal are extended, farmers cut hay earlier on the
shady side more frequently than they used to, on the
sunny side less. Further, the observation of climate change
causing less snow and more rain in winter-time is slowly
leading to a change in risk perception and behaviour
towards avalanches. In Groes Walsertal, only recently
were new houses constructed in (former?) avalanche-pro-
ne areas.
Extreme weather events such as storms and heavy rainfalls
also leave their footprints in landscape through uprooted
trees and landslides, for example. Although the impact of
climate change is visible in the landscape and farmers are
confronted with it every day, farmers do not really refect
upon own their own contribution to climate change. As
local explanations for climate change are dominated by
prevailing media discourses and rarely based on farmers
own conclusions, farmers rarely relate climate change to
their own actions.
While climate change leads to different land-use, and
landscapes serve as a mirrors of human impact on climate,
risk perception concerning climate change is very low and
does not lead to re-thinking possible own responsibilities.
It rarely leads to active, self-initiated commitment to miti-
gating climate change impacts.

Biological agriculture, rural tourism,
participatory approach. The case of Gresta
Valley Trentino (Italy) in preserving
traditional cultural landscape
Mirtis Conci (Centro di Ecologia Alpina, Garniga Terme,
Italy)
Co-author: Alessandro Grettler (Centro di Ecologia
Alpina, Garniga Terme, Italy)
Italy is the worlds fourth largest producer of organic
products, and is Europes leader. In Italy organic agricu-
lture has gained importance in past years, not only for
commercial but for conservation reasons as well. The
case presented here recalls this function of agriculture,
applying organic and organic-dynamic approaches to the
preservation of a traditional landscape.
The Gresta valley is renowned for open-feld cultivation
of fresh vegetables (22 species from cabbage to carrot) in
a unique location. Fields are cultivated between 700 and
1300 m asl. This became possible through the intro-
duction of organic agriculture by some young farmers
in 1980 and widely adopted in 1986, with small-scale
enterprises working under a brand promoted by a co-
operative. In the Gresta Valley, where there are four times
as many part-time farmers as there are full-time ones,
and agriculture is culturally perceived as part of landscape
preservation, there is a need for alternative activities to
enable people to earn a sustainable income.
For the past few years, preservation of traditional lands-
cape has been supported by an administrative and fnan-
cial tool of participation called Patto Territoriale (Pact of
territorial development). During 7 years, in an area of
only 1300 hectares, over 30 million was invested, of
which 17 million directly fnanced by private stakehol-
ders. The latter chiefy invested in rural tourism (the deve-
lopment projects key area) and upgrading of agricultural
frms and infrastructures.
Apart from the large private fnancial involvement and the
capacity of working with different stakeholders, the in-
volvement and commitment of young people and women
is the main achievement of this Pact
The Territorial Pact has helped to increase awareness and
involvement of the local population in the management
and development of its native land (even if the percentage
of delegation is still high), turning a marginal area into
a highly attractive part of the valley, and into a living
space.

Dating of soils and high Alpine landscape
evolution in Val di Sole (Trentino, Italy)
during the Holocene based on charcoal, soil
chemistry and mineralogy
Filippo Favilli (Physical Geography, University of Zrich,
Switzerland)
Co-authors: Markus Egli (Geographisches Institut,
University of Zrich, Switzerland), Paolo Cherubini
(Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf,
Switzerland), Aldo Mirabella (Institute for Soil Study
and Conservation, C.R.A., Firenze, Italy), Giacomo
Sartori (Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento,
Italy), Daniele Giaccai (Institute for Soil Study and
Conservation, C.R.A., Firenze, Italy)
The investigation of the Holocene period gives precise
insight into the sensitivity of Alpine areas regarding fast
changing environmental conditions. Alpine areas are
highly sensitive to climatic change. Corresponding effects
can be seen in soil evolution. Our investigation generally
focuses on dating selected Alpine sites of distinct land-
form surfaces with numerical and relative methods. The
64
aim is to establish an absolute chronology of surfaces. The
investigation area of Val di Sole (Trentino, northern Italy)
was covered by ice during the last glaciation. Soil evolu-
tion began as soon as glaciers retreated. We investigated
5 soil profles, located short distances apart, developed
in subalpine and alpine zones on different morphological
aspects with respect to the development of clay minerals
and the determination of well and poorly crystallised Al
and Fe phases. The investigated soils developed on similar
parent materials (granitic, paragneiss). Two soils were on
a morainic deposit under a natural Larix decidua forest
at 2100 m asl, one on an alpine moraine at 2380 m asl,
and two on different inactive rock glaciers at 2230 and
2370 m asl, respectively. Soil chemistry and mineralogy
already provided relative age estimation.
These results were further compared with radiocarbon
dating of old and stable organic matter (SOM) and of
naturally buried charcoal fragments. In the oldest soil,
radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments produced
increasing ages with soil depth, from 3300 y calBP in the
upper horizon to 10500 y calBP in the lower one. Ex-
traction and dating of the oldest and most stable organic
matter, carried out in one of the most developed pro-
fles by oxidation of fresh OM by 10 per cent NaOCl,
followed by dissolution of minerals by 10 per cent HF and
radiocarbon dating of the residues, showed ages between
5000 y calBP and 9000 y calBP, confrming the chemical
and mineralogical data.
Vegetation and soil development show that the surface
can be attributed to an Egesen equivalent. The eluviation
and illuviation of Fe and Al, typical for podzolisation pro-
cess, were greater in the soils near the timberline and in
the soil developed on the rock glacier at 2230 m asl. Soil
development was also confrmed by the ratio Al
d
/Fe
d
in
the B horizon. The older the soil, the higher this ratio. The
development of clay minerals and especially of smectite,
investigated with XRD and drIFt, also refects weathering
intensity. Smectite was discernible in surface horizons at
all sites, however in different quantities, except for the soil
developed on the rock-glacier in the alpine zone (2370 m
asl). This profle showed a buried soil with a repetition in
the sequence of soil horizons. This could be due to a re-
cent activity of the rock glacier (Little Ice Age?), or erosion
and accumulation processes. The clay mineral assemblage
(hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite and mica) indicated a
very young stage of weathering.
The landforms were analysed by means of relative age
dating methods based on soil chemical and mineralogical
aspects and by the
14
C technique. The radiocarbon dating
of charcoals in the subsoils provided a good estimate of
the surface age. This age was confrmed by extraction of
the oldest possible organic matter in soils (tightly bound
to soil minerals and consequently protected from biologi-
cal decay). Together with soil chemical and mineralogical
analyses, a differentiation of surface ages is rendered
possible. The oldest surfaces developed for about 11000
years (since the Egesen equivalent). Chemical and minera-
logical analyses, however, showed the dynamics of Alpine
landscape within a relatively small area where permafrost
activities locally disturbed the evolution until recently.

Geoheritage and geomorphosites in the
Blenio valley (Ticino, Switzerland)
Georgia Fontana (Institut de Gographie Igul, Universit
de Lausanne, Switzerland)
Co-authors: Sibilla Ambrosetti-Giudici & Cristian
Scapozza (Institut de Gographie Igul, Universit de
Lausanne, Switzerland)
Within the context of landscape and nature degradation,
a new interest in their management has developed in
Switzerland since the 1960s. Several laws and protection
instruments have been adopted, but they often focus on
ecological and aesthetic values. The value of geoheritage
in general and of geomorphosites in particular is not
much considered.
This situation has pressed us to study geoheritage ma-
nagement in the context of a project for the creation of a
new Swiss National Park, the Parc Adula. Attention was
concentrated on the Blenio valley. Only few recent studies
concerning the geomorphology of the region have been
realized and the importance of geoheritage is not empha-
sised. An inventory of geomorphosites was therefore car-
ried out to make information on geomorphology available
to the Parks promoters. The inventory was realized accor-
ding to the assessment method developed at the Institute
of Geography of the University of Lausanne. This method
allows the integration of scientifc and additional (ecologi-
cal, cultural, aesthetic, economic) values in the assessment
of a geomorphosite (Reynard et al. 2007).
The assessment allowed the selection of 20 geomor-
phosites that represent the diversity of major processes
(glacial, karstic, periglacial, fuvial, gravitative, organic
and anthropic) that have left their marks on the Blenio
landscape. The localisation of the geomorphosites in the
Blenio valley is quite uniform. In general, the dominant
additional value is ecological in the upper part of the
valley (Lucomagno and Greina regions), while it is cultural
on the valley foor where human presence is of greater
relevance.
In conclusion, this realisation of a geomorphosites
inventory has allowed us to demonstrate that the Blenio
valley has an interesting geoheritage that merits to be
better conserved and promoted. The presence of geo-
morphosites with high ecological value is interesting in
65
the context of the creation of a protected area to show
connections between abiotic and biotic domains (Reynard
et al. 2007); the cultural value of some geomorphosites is
also of interest in the context of the regions promotion as
a tourist destination.

Biotic and abiotic interactions on short-term
recruitment of larch and spruce in a subalpine
pasture: a feld experiment
Franois Frelchoux (Wetland Research Group,
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf,
Switzerland)
Co-authors: Sibilla Ambrosetti-Giudici & Cristian
Scapozza (Institut de Gographie Igul, Universit de
For several decades, decrease in grazing pressure at the
subalpine belt has been followed by a natural reaffore-
station in the central Swiss Alps. We hypothesised that
a sudden decrease in grazing intensity strongly favoured
establishment of larch (a pioneer species) followed by
spruce (a successional one). Indeed, recruitment of larch is
favoured by gaps in the feld layer, while negative effects
of cattle disappear. By a factorial sowing experiment, we
tested how the canopy of larch (shade under canopy vs
full light) and the presence of herbaceous neighbours
(with neighbours vs neighbours removed) infuenced seed
germination and seedling survival of two tree species
(larch vs spruce). Light and soil water content were
measured in sowing places. We also tested the effect of
cattle activity on seedling survival after one growing sea-
son. Light was reduced by 40 per cent under larch and by
57 per cent in presence of herbaceous neighbours.
Because the spring of 2006 was dry and hot, germinati-
on of both species was higher under larches than in the
full light, higher without neighbours for larch (trade-off
between humidity and light / competition), but higher
with neighbours for spruce (higher humidity, tolerance
to shade). Survival decreased from 56.5 per cent without
cattle to 19.4 per cent due to cattle activity. Without catt-
le, survival of larch was strongly reduced in presence of
neighbours, stressing that larch does not tolerate compe-
tition in the feld layer. In subalpine pastures, in open and
well lit environment, reduced competition from herbs due
to trampling by cattle and a sudden decrease in grazing
intensity can strongly accelerate larch establishment and
forest dynamics.

Impacts of Climate Change on ecosystems in
mountain landscapes
Rdiger Grote (Institute for Meteorology and Climate
Research, Research Center Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany)
The poster presents a new project submitted for funding
as a large-scale collaborative project within the EU 7
th
Fra-
mework Programme. Research institutes, NGOs, private
and public organizations from Germany, Austria, Switzer-
land, France, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, the United Kingdom,
Finland, and Norway have combined their expertise in
order to present a scientifcally sound basis for adaptation
to climate change impacts to be expected in mountainous
regions.
The project will contribute to the mitigation of disastrous
impacts and evaluation of economic opportunities under
new environmental conditions. This will be done for
the socio-economic sectors Agriculture and Forestry,
Nature Preservation Management, Civil Protection,
Water and Hydropower-Management, and Tourism.
Vulnerability of ecosystem services such as yield, biodiver-
sity, protection of infrastructure, water and energy supply,
as well as recreational potential will be investigated for 6
regions in 4 European mountain areas (Eastern, Central,
and Western Alps, Central Norway, High Tatra, and Sierra
Nevada). Changes will be quantifed throughout the
21
st
century with special emphasis on the period up to
2030. The strong points of this proposal are innovative
approaches to determine climate and land use scenarios
accounting for small-scale heterogeneity in mountain
landscapes, integration of different sectors for considerati-
on of feedbacks, and strong stakeholder participation.
The project is presented because it will provide valuable
decision support not only for explicitly assessed regions,
but also for other mountainous regions in Europe, espe-
cially the Alps, and worldwide.

Dry grasslands of Switzerland: an overview
Christian Hedinger (Atelier fr Naturschutz und
Umweltfragen UNA, Berne, Switzerland)
Co-author: Christine Gubser (Federal Offce for the
Environment Foen, Berne, Switzerland)
On behalf of the Swiss Federal Offce for the Environment
(Foen), dry grasslands are being surveyed in Switzerland.
The aim is to preserve and promote sites of national
importance within the framework of a biotope inventory.
From 1996-2006, 23712 ha of dry grassland have been
valuated as of national importance. Implementation of
this inventory is based on a sustainable form of agricul-
66
ture. Land management subsidies provide farmers with
the motivation for appropriate land use. The legal base,
the ordinance of dry grassland, will be decided in 2008.
Further information: www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/tww

Investigating and analysing spatial patterns
of site-related factors in mountainous areas
based on remote sensing
Kati Heinrich (Gebirgsforschung: Mensch und Umwelt,
sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Innsbruck,
Austria)
Mountainous landscapes are characterised by specifc
small-scale changes of sites. The objective of this thesis
is to survey such spatial patterns by means of remote
sensing including airborne and terrestrial laser scanning as
well as aerial photography. The pattern represents a speci-
fc interaction especially between the factors of relief, soil
and vegetation. By assigning typical distribution patterns
in combination with expert knowledge and modelling
approaches, it is possible to deduce characteristics of
individual geo-factors. Survey of soil properties therefore
seems to be feasible, for which to date extensive mapping
was required. Soils can be defned as a function of the
soil-forming factors, i.e. parent material, relief, climate,
vegetation, human presence and time. In a frst step,
these factors are ascertained by means of remote sensing
and GIS. In a next step, data are used to defne/deduce
soil properties. Test sites are various distinctive areas in
mountainous regions of Tyrol.

Finding methods for the quantifcation of
soil erosion in an Alpine environment in
Switzerland
Nadine Hohwieler (Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften,
University of Basel, Switzerland
Co-authors: Volker Prasuhn (Swiss Federal Research
Station for Agrorcology and Agriculture, Agroscope
Reckenholz, Switzerland); Christine Alewell (Institut
fr Umweltgeowissenschaften, University of Basel,
Switzerland)
Because soil degradation in mountainous regions has
been of increasing concern to scientists, policy makers
and society, this project aims at quantifying soil erosi-
on on plot scale at different land use sites in an Alpine
ecosystem. Reliable information on soil erosion rates is an
essential prerequisite for the design of targeted erosion
and sediment control strategies.
To quantify soil erosion in alpine environments with
different land use types, two methods were applied in
the Urseren valley. Erosion measurements with sediment
traps at nine plots (three different land use types with
three replications each) were compared with Cs-137
measurement along transects. The land use types inves-
tigated were meadow, pasture with dwarf shrubs, and
pasture without dwarf shrubs. With sediment traps it is
possible to detect short term erosion (two weeks up to a
few months) whereas the Cs-137 measurements provide
medium-term soil erosion and redistribution rates for the
last 20 years.
From July to November 2006 the average erosion rate
measured by sediment traps was 51 g/ha for grassland,
70 g/ha for pasture with bushes and 83 g/ha for pasture
without bushes. Thus, our preliminary results indicate
that land use signifcantly infuences erosion. However,
for reliable results, a measuring period of several years is
necessary because of high temporal heterogeneity. Our
frst results of the measured erosion seem to be very low
in comparison to visible damages.
Our frst working hypothesis at the moment is that the
maximum erosion takes place in springtime during snow-
melt. Furthermore, high infltration rates might be the re-
ason for the low erosion rate during the summer of 2006.
A second working hypothesis is that the visible damages
are the results of the accumulation of erosion over several
years. This hypothesis can be confrmed by measurements
that were done in the Austrian Alps.

Alpine research in Austria
Gnter Kck (sterreichische Akademie der
Wissenschaften, Vienna, Austria)
The Austrian Academy of Sciences (AW) Alpine Re-
search programme is aimed to promote Alp-wide and in-
terdisciplinary cooperation in the felds of alpine research
and the transfer of scientifc results into practice and to
the public. The programme administered by a national
committee established at the AW is fnanced by the
(Austrian) Federal Ministry for Science and Research. Ele-
ven research projects are currently running in the context
of this programme, on a wide range of basic and applied
research topics.
Additional alpine research projects are also funded by the
AW programmes Global Change, Man and Biosphere,
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (Isdr), Inter-
national Geoscience Project (IgBp), Hydrology of Austria
and Geophysics of the Earths Crust. Research topics for
the period of 2007-2009 are: effects of climate warming
on alpine permafrost; global change impacts on species
67
composition of mountain biota; the impact of neobiota;
land use change (the impact of agro-industrial practices
on traditional mountain farming/Almnutzungen); hydrolo-
gical processes in a changing environment, predictability;
and global change effects in alpine and Arctic areas (as
contribution to the IPY-International Polar Year). Further
details can be found at http://www.oeaw.ac.at/deutsch/
forschung/programme/programme.html.
Alp-related online publications and project reports can be
downloaded from the homepage of the Austrian Acade-
my of Sciences Press. (http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/forschungs-
programme).

Long-term development and spatial
differentiation of agriculture in Austria,
with particular regard to the alpine space.
Essential characteristics of regional changes
in rural and forestry populations and
enterprises, as well as cattle rearing
Elisabeth Lahn Grtner (Institut fr Geographie,
University of Innsbruck, Austria)
Agricultural production has increased over the past
50 years (1951-2001), while the rural population, the
total number of agricultural, forestry and cattle-rearing
enterprises has seen a continuous decrease. Agricul-
ture that had remained unchanged over centuries has
changed beyond recognition due, on the one hand, to
technological innovations introduced since the 1950s.
Productivity has increased signifcantly; workers became
free for employment in other sectors. Another reason is
that agricultural policies have favoured large-scale farming
over small and medium-sized farms, which has forced
numerous farms out of business for purely economical
reasons. Flourish or perish (Wachsen und Weichen) was
the infamous 1970s motto.
In Austria a great many small farms without cultivation
handicaps (Bearbeitungserschwernis) in favourable areas
of the alpine foreland and inner-alpine basins and valleys
were affected, as well as alpine farms with reduced cul-
tivation handicaps in areas of West Tyrol and Vorarlberg
with traditionally equal land inheritance practices (Real-
teilungsgebiete). Farms with great cultivation handicaps,
however, were able to hold out well, especially in eastern
Tyrol and western Salzburg, as well as farms with extreme
cultivation handicaps in the Realteilungsgebiet. Prior to
accession to the EU, Austrian mountain farmers allo-
wances, and EU income support as well as the Austrian
Environmental Programme (pUl) since Austrias acces-
sion to the EU, have been targeted policies of Austrian
ecosocial agricultural policy that have provided effective
support to mountain farmers with high handicaps and
low incomes. These policies are intended to prevent farm
abandonment and depopulation of mountain areas. By
farming and managing extremely sensitive mountain
ecosystems, the mountain populations provide valuable
services to the general public, such as avalanche and land-
slide protection, as well as tourist services.
If in the future, neo-liberal tendencies as proclaimed in
Agenda 2000 gain the upper hand over against ecosocial
concerns, it will become diffcult to provide the kind of
support to mountain farming areas they have received
so far. These tendencies will reinforce agrarian structural
change (Flourish or perish), the number of mountain ag-
ricultural and silvicultural enterprises will decrease further,
which will entail all the negative regional, ecological and
social impacts and aspects. Abandonment will critically
threaten a unique cultural landscape, a traditional bios-
phere for local populations and a recreational area for hu-
mans from agglomerations north and south of the Alps.

Meanings of nature in land use practices and
narratives
Karina Liechti (Centre for Development and Environment
CDE, Institute of Geography, University of Berne,
Switzerland)
Human beings act toward things on the basis of the
meanings that things have for them (Blumer 1969).
Based on this perspective, the study has refected on the
question of how human actions are infuenced and gui-
ded by certain understandings of nature and, therefore,
how a dynamic ecological system, associated with many
different meanings, guides land use practices. The diffe-
rent actors meanings of nature in the Sokuluk region in
Kyrgyzstan and in the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn World
Heritage Site (WHS) region in Switzerland were deduced
by highlighting narratives about the past and the present,
and future land use, and by focusing on current land use
practices. Semi-structured interviews, feld observations
and a detailed media analysis were carried out to gene-
rate relevant data.
First results have proved the importance to learn about
different meanings of nature underlying debates on
sustainable regional development. They directly infuence
positions taken by actors involved when negotiating land
use. In the context of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
WHS, we have learned that statements both by propo-
nents and opponents of the WHS might be similar to each
other in wording (e.g. to care for coming generations),
but that underlying meanings are diametrically oppo-
sed to each other. Similar patterns could be observed in
research carried out in Kyrgyzstan. In the case of pasture
68
issues, the narratives concerning degradation or non-de-
gradation of pastures are highly dependent on individual
meanings of nature (e.g. unlimited vs. limited availability
of resources), which in turn are related to former (Soviet),
current, or envisaged land use practices, and strategic
positioning in relation to other actors.

Interreg Project alpter terraced landscapes of
the Alpine arc
Luca Lodatti (Urban Planning Department, Regione
Veneto, Venezia, Italy)
Co-author: Laura Fagarazzi (University of Padua, Italy)
The alpter project, co-funded by the European Union in
the context of the Interreg IIIB Alpine Space programme,
was conceived to counteract terraced farmland abandon-
ment in alpine regions, a process with various negative
effects in terms of loss of productive land and biodiver-
sity, increasing hydro-geological hazards and depletion
of cultural heritage. The disregard often shown towards
this particular issue in the context of mountain landscape
development is mostly due to a lack of information on the
distribution and features of terraced landscapes.
This is why detailed mapping is of fundamental im-
portance to acknowledge the pivotal role of terraced
sites and to plan effective intervention strategies targeted
at such sites. The alpter project aims at developing and
testing a methodology able to provide regional maps
showing extent, distribution and density of terraced sites.
This methodology implies four main steps:
simple localization of terraced sites;
detailed monitoring and gathering of historical and
current data by means of specifc data-forms designed
by project partners;
implementation of a GIS structure for terraced lands-
capes;
classifcation of terraced landscape units.
Such a methodology is being applied in the alpter pilot
areas throughout the Alpine arc. The poster reports some
of the results so far obtained, with particular regard to the
Venetian (Brenta River Valley), the Austrian (Ulrichsberg)
and the Slovenian (Gorika Brda) study areas.
For further information please visit the project website
www.alpter.net .
1)
2)
3)
4)
Sustainable development processes in the
marginal Alpine communities of Trentino
Claudia Marchesoni (Centro di Ecologia Alpina, Garniga
Terme, Italy)
Co-authors: Michela Zucca & Alessandro Gretter (Centro
di Ecologia Alpina, Garniga Terme, Italy)
Keywords:
Alps, depopulation, marginal communities, cultural identi-
ty, fragmented society

In recent years, alpine populations have faced the challen-
ge of balancing quality of life with preservation of cultural
identity. Most rural settlements have a small number of
inhabitants, whose income level is lower than that of
urban areas, and entrepreneurship is weak. In addition,
self-esteem of rural people is generally low; hence, they
tend to emigrate from their birthplaces.
To study in depth the phenomenon of depopulation, we
have conducted anthropological feldwork in socio-eco-
nomically peripheral alpine communities. In particular, the
focus has been on negative aspects more likely to induce
residents to emigrate. From a methodological point
of view, we have opted for participatory action-based
research.
Problems almost invariably associated with mountain
communities are not merely of an economic nature. By
and large, what is most conspicuous is the widespread
distrust towards the territory itself, and the unravelling
of family networks. As a result, local services close down,
which increases the marginality of these areas as it be-
comes increasingly diffcult for both residents and local
administrations to venture into new business enterprises.
Therefore, the original contribution of our project lies in
its focus on procedures to detect, analyse, and diagnose
experiences of marginality in alpine communities, and to
identify a combination of elements and conditions most
likely to ensure a self-sustaining process of development
based on local values and opportunities.

Interreg IIIB Alpine Space, DIamont project:
instruments for regional land resource
management
Stefan Marzelli (Ifuplan, Munich, Germany)
Why is land resource management an issue at regional
level?
There are two main developments which call for effcient
land resource management:
69
Regions / settlements with an increasing conversion of
agricultural areas into settlement and traffc infrastruc-
ture due to population increase, increasing demand
of living space per person, changing economic needs
and household patterns (more singles young people
and seniors; fewer two-parent-families; more single
parents; etc.). The challenge is to mitigate land con-
version and push inner-urban development instead.
Regions / settlements with population decline, over-
aged populations or declining agricultural sector face
the problem of increasing inner-urban vacancies of
buildings, and buildings in various phases of decay,
with various negative effects on the economic value of
the whole quarter and, occasionally, even on the social
sphere. The challenge is to fnd ways to revitalise
inner-urban land resources to escape a vicious circle of
decline.
Individual municipalities are often overly challenged to
deal with dynamic changes in land resource demand
and development. Solutions might often be more easily
achieved at regional level, offering win-win situations for
all municipalities in the region.
What instruments are available for land resource
management?
dIamont focuses on instruments to be implemented auto-
nomously by municipalities and regions.
In a frst step, instruments available in Austria, Switzer-
land, France, Italy, Slovenia and Germany are collected
and documented in a database. This establishes a plat-
form of exchange for project partners and will be an out-
come of the dIamont project. To enrich this collection of
instruments, best practice examples will also be presented
and made available through the database.
In a second step, collected instruments will be analysed
in terms of feasibility, transferrability between Alpine
countries, success factors and also estimation by stakehol-
ders derived from an alpine wide questionnaire of mayors,
conducted by eUrac.

Nutritive value and herbage selection by
suckler cows on subalpine pastures
Marco Meisser (Agroscope RAC Changins-Wdenswil
ACW, Nyon, Switzerland)
Co-author: Franois Frelchoux (Swiss Federal Research
Intitute WSL, Laboratory of Ecological Systems ECOS, EPF
Introduction
Because of decreasing grazing pressure, land use changes
often lead to reafforestation, which is especially visible in
the subalpine belt. In order to maintain an open lands-

cape with high biodiversity, it is important to improve our
knowledge of the nutritive characteristics of the pastoral
resource and to better understand the feeding behaviour
of cattle.
Materials and methods
Grazing management
The experiment was conducted in 2006 on the pastures
of Le Larzay, above Sembrancher (Valais, Switzerland). The
herd comprised 9 suckler cows with their calves, and 9 dry
suckler cows. All animals grazed together in a rotational
system on a total surface of 27 ha. Two complete rota-
tions were made during the grazing season.
Vegetation survey and herbage selection
Botanical composition of the vegetation was determined
according to Daget & Poissonets (1969) point-quadrant
method along 34 transects distributed in 4 paddocks. The
relevs were made two or three days after the animals
arrived in each paddock. A Correspondence Analysis was
performed with the relative species frequency recorded
in all 34 relevs in order to visualise the main vegetation
gradients. The mean ecological indicator values for each
relev were calculated by weighting the Landolt values
(1977) of each specie according to its relative frequency.
To assess herbage selection by the animals, we recor-
ded hit species as browsed or not browsed at each
contact point. The selection index of a certain functional
group was obtained by dividing its proportion among all
consumed plants by its proportion in the herbage.
Herbaceous biomass and digestibility of standing herbage
Standing crop samples were collected in 42 small
exclosures located close to the transects on the same
day that we carried out the vegetation survey. During
the frst rotation, samples were taken in all 4 paddocks.
During the second rotation, samples were collected only
in the paddocks located on the northern aspect because
regrowth in the paddocks on the western aspect was nil.
For each exclosure, biomass was determined by harvesting
vegetation of 1 m
2
and drying the herbage samples du-
ring 18 hours at 60 C. Digestibility was assessed accor-
ding to Tilley and Terrys (1963) method. Mean values for
herbaceous biomass and digestibility were calculated for
each CA analysis group of relevs.
Results
Ordination of the 34 transect relevs along the two frst
axes indicated three main vegetation types. Passive projec-
tion of ecological values revealed that the frst axis could
be explained by nutrient (N) and humidity (F), and the
second axis by light (L) and temperature (T).
Selection index of graminoids was always higher than 1.
Surprisingly, it was lower than 1 for legumes.
Herbaceous biomass was virtually identical for North 1+2
7u
and West 2, which was in a shady location, under larches.
Exposed to full light, West 1 was less productive. The frst
early use of the lower paddocks made it possible to obtain
a good regrowth, both in terms of quantity and in terms
of quality.
Conclusions
Our results confrm that early grazing helps to draw the
best advantage from the pastoral resource. Selection
indexes reveal that the most browsed species are often
not those regarded as more palatable. Further research is
needed on other herbage characteristics, such as chemical
composition (volatile organic compounds), in order to
better understand cattles selection processes on species-
rich pastures.

The effect of land use change on soil stability
of an alpine catchment
Katrin Meusburger (Institut fr
Switzerland
Co-author: Christine Alewell (Institut fr
Switzerland)
Even though changes in climate and land-use pose a risk
to stability of alpine soils, recent studies rarely considered
these dynamic factors but concentrated on quasi-static
catchment characteristics such as geology, soil type or
topography. The underlying assumption of multivariate
statistical approaches to predict landslide risk is that catch-
ment characteristics leading to landslides in the past will
also trigger landslides in the future. The latter approach
neglects the temporal variability of landslide triggering
factors, which may result in erroneous risk predictions
(Guzzetti et al., 1999).
In this study, we explicitly considered the infuence of dy-
namic factors such as precipitation characteristics, avalan-
che density and land-use change on stability of slopes and
the quality of risk prediction. We chose the Urseren Valley
in the Central Alps as investigation site for two reasons:
1) the valley is dramatically affected by soil erosion and 2)
land-use history is well documented.
Our hypothesis was that if changes in land-use and
climate have a signifcant infuence on the occurrence of
landslides, we would see a change over time. Time series
(for 45 years) of precipitation characteristics, avalanche
density, cattle stocking and pasture maps were com-
pared to a sequence of seven landslide investigation
maps between 1959 and 2004. We found that the area
affected by landslides from 1959 to 2004 increased by 92
per cent. The progression of the increase could only partly
be explained by the rise of cattle stocking and increased
frequency of torrential rain events. Detailed spatial analy-
sis of the land-use with GIS and interviews with farmers
confrmed the strong infuence of land-use management
practises on slope stability.
We set up a logistic regression model based on the lands-
lide inventory map of the year 2000 to assess the risk
caused by static factors. Of 21 static variables, the most
signifcant were geology, slope and stream density, which
could correctly classify 70.4 per cent of the validation da-
taset. In addition, the resulting risk zones were compared
to the inventory map of 2004 to assess quality and limita-
tion of the model for future predictions. Overall classifca-
tion was still good. However, many of the new landslides
in 2004 occurred in zones which the model only classifed
as medium risk. The latter were also zones where we
assumed the highest infuence of changed land-use ma-
nagement practices. We visualised spatial information on
where erosion risk increased due to land-use change by
comparing regressions of 1959 with 2000. The result was
a parameter map for land use that could predict the new
landslides of 2004. Consequently, natural susceptibility
to landslides was decisively infuenced by land use, which
highlights the urgent need for sustainable management
guidelines for alpine regions.

Landscape perceptions in alpine valleys
of the Valais central what landscape
preservation? For whom? For what purpose?
Valrie Miville-Ott & Yalle Berrebi (agrIdea, Lausanne,
Switzerland
The decrease of farming activities is a real problem in
the Alpine region. It induces bush and forest progression
in abandoned surfaces. Project pasto aims to test and
develop an extensive breeding system in order to link two
functions: beef meat production and landscape preservati-
on. Study area is the central Valais (Switzerland).
Generally, the notion of landscape preservation is poorly
developed and analysed. More often, it tends to be asso-
ciated with cultivated, well-kept and humanised lands-
cape, and to be a consensual notion, i.e. a social expecta-
tion shared by everyone, assessments are not validated by
sociological studies. Our aim is precisely to investigate this
notion, answering the following questions:
Is landscape preservation a shared and univocal noti-
on?
What does a well-kept landscape mean? How is a
well-kept landscape perceived according to the diffe-
rent profles of survey participants? What functions of
a well-kept landscape are prioritised (leisure, habitat,
71
production, etc.)?
Where is it necessary to maintain a well-kept lands-
cape?
In addition to analysing the notion of landscape preserva-
tion, we will also identify landscape preferences now and
in a prospective trend.
Our approach combines two methods: a questionnaire
and qualitative interviews with a representative sample
of the population (farmers, foresters, residents, tourists,
administrative people, members of NGOs, etc.). Some
prospective points will also be discussed in focus groups.
Theoretically speaking, we consider the landscape as a
relative notion. It results from an interaction between
a subjective view and perceived physical space. There
is no one landscape but several landscapes, weighted
with emotions, values and projections. How landscape is
weighted varies according to social background and indi-
vidual identity. But in order to analyse how landscape is
perceived, qualifed and expected, it is necessary to refne
the notion of social group. Landscape representations
depend on the complex identity of social actors. Every
individual alternates between different identity contexts
and cannot be reduced to one of them. The notion of
attitude expresses this identity fexibility better. Landscape
representations depend on mobilised attitudes and on
values that inform them. Everybody sees different stakes
and values in one landscape according to his or her own
experience, competencies and social identity. For example,
residents very highly value the identity and habitat values
of a landscape. On the other hand, biologists attribute
greater importance to a landscapes environmental and
spiritual values.
Our objectives are to more precisely defne values inherent
in the different attitudes, more particularly in relation with
landscape preservation. We will also analyse compatibi-
lity or exclusivity between these different values. Finally,
we will propose different landscapes scenarios to the
appreciation of a representative sample of the population.
These different results aim to foster public debates about
landscape management, and to provide valid elements to
facilitate decision making by public authorities.

The CulturALP Project knowledge and
enhancement of historical centres and
cultural landscapes in Alpine space
Luisa Pedrazzini (Regione Lombardia, Milano, Italy
Today, living in mountains territories is no easier than in
the past and the historical settlement system mirrors the
adaptation of local communities, who by choice or from
necessity have lived in these territories during by trying to

improve quality of life in the face of diffculties presented
by these areas.
The Alpine area is known worldwide for its natural
characteristics, but the same is not true for its cultural
heritage, which should deserve the same attention. This
is the starting point for the CulturALP project, which aims
to promote the importance and the enhancement of the
mountain historical settlements.
The project is addressed to the historical settlements
system of the Alpine areas, which constitute an heritage
of importance for both local culture and for European
identity.
In order to safeguard cultural heritage values, the pro-
ject has taken into account the nature, characteristics
and quality of historical, artistic, cultural and territorial
resources incorporated as a whole in the alpine cultural
heritage.

Connecting mountain and Alpine people:
collective identity and cultural heritage
Mathieu Petite (Dpartment de Gographie, Universit de
Genve, Switzerland)
This study seeks to analyse forms of cooperation between
mountain communities for the promotion of cultural
heritage. It is based on four feld cases: construction and
social use of a Bhutanese suspension bridge in Valais
(Switzerland); renovation of hamlets in Val dHrens (Va-
lais); an ecologist NGOs dismantling of obsolete installa-
tions in some mountain regions; and the construction of a
Walser cultural network throughout the Alps.
First, this study explores the symbolic role of cultural and
natural heritage and its importance in the process of
collective identity building. Numerous traditional buildings
or natural/cultural landscapes tend to be considered as a
heritage by local communities in the Alpine regions.
Second, we observe that numerous mountain communi-
ties (municipalities or associations) are engaged in social
networks (oriented, for instance, in cultural exchange or
know-how transfers) linking distant communities, occa-
sionally in an interregional and/or international context.
Thus, this study aims to show that the cultural and natural
heritage should enable social groups to be connected
with other communities.
Generally speaking, this study tries to understand how
cultural and natural heritage is constructed and used by
different social groups. Analysing written and oral texts as
well as pictures and images, the study deals with pro-
cesses in which these groups give meanings to heritage
72
objects. Particularly, it shows that the latter are conceived
as emblematic representations of Mountains, the Alps,
Nature and Tradition.

Infuence of policy instruments on landscape
development in the Bavarian Alps: a case
study of the Isarwinkel
Thomas Probst (Alpenforschungsinstitut gGmbH,
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)
The study, an ongoing dissertation at the University of
Erlangen-Nuremberg (D), examines the infuence of
policy instruments in the felds of spatial planning, nature
protection, agriculture and forestry on cultural landscape
development from 1950 to 2000 in the Isarwinkel region
(7 municipalities in the Bavarian Alps, 37000 inhabitants,
530 km
2
). The main intention is to clarify whether these
instruments have achieved their formal objectives which
are intended to preserve scenery and specifc landscape
elements such as mountain forests, food plains etc., while
seeking to steer and reduce settlement and infrastructure
development. The policy instruments analysed in detail
are the Regional Development Programme on Bundes-
land level (Landesentwicklungsprogramm Bayern); the
subordinate Regional Plan for the study region; the Forest
Management Plan on regional level (Waldfunktionsplan);
the Bavarian Cultural Landscape Programme kUlap and
compensatory allowances for agricultural enterprises in
disfavoured regions (Ausgleichszulage); as well as nature
conservation areas.
These instruments specifc landscape objectives concer-
ning the Isarwinkel were extracted from legal documents
and then contrasted with actual landscape develop-
ment in 5 selected parts of the study region. Landscape
development was analysed by means of a Geographic
Information System (GIS) based on aerial photos from
1959, 1975 and 1999 (scale 1:25000). The comparison
of formal objectives and real development showed that
the examined instruments were unable to prevent partially
signifcant landscape changes, especially settlement
expansion and urban sprawl in the central valley areas, or
forest growth in the mountainous areas. However, some
characteristic landscape elements (e.g. hedgerows) as well
as peripheral areas have been preserved quite compre-
hensively. Thus, these instruments play an important role
within the complex system of landscape development, but
they have to be adapted and improved, especially in terms
of implementation in order to better fulfl their steering
function.
A master program on Alpine environments at
the University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Emmanuel Reynard (Institut de Gographie Igul,
Universit de Lausanne, Switzerland)
Since 2006, the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment
of the University of Lausanne has provided a master pro-
gram in Geography, specialised on alpine environments.
The program is organised by the Institute of Geography
and its duration is 3 semesters (beginning in September).
The full program (90 credits ects) is organised in three
modules of 30 credits each: a module common for all stu-
dents of the master of Geography that has a second spe-
cialisation in urban studies; a specialised module on alpine
environments; a master thesis. The Alpine environment
module is divided in three blocks of 10 credits each. The
frst block, called Periglacial environments is oriented
on the study of regions of high mountains, especially the
sectors concerned with permafrost. The block aims at gi-
ving the students skills for studying the relationships cli-
mate change morphogenesis and specifc methods for
studying ice and permafrost, as geophysics, GPS, thermal
measurements, etc.). The second block, called Quaterna-
ry geomorphology, concerns the evolution of geomor-
phology during the last millennia in the Alps. It aims at
giving the students a basis for understanding the complex
deposition and erosion processes that have modelled the
alpine landscapes. The last block, called Landscape and
resource management is dedicated to the study of the
profound transformations that have concerned the alpine
landscapes and environments during the two last centu-
ries. A large part of the courses are organised in the feld.
The public targeted by this master is made of persons that
want to work in public administration and private com-
panies active in the Alps and in the alpine development.
Language of the master is French.

Local and scientifc perspectives on the
management of natural hazards
Franziska Schmid (Centre for Development and
Environment CDE, Geographisches Institut, University of
Bern, Switzerland)
Hazard assessment and evaluation provide the basis for
so-called hazard maps. Experts consider these analyses as
indispensable elements of dealing with natural hazards.
The Swiss cantons and communes are legally obliged
to have this instrument and to consider it in land-use
planning. After the disastrous foods of August 2005,
the Federal Council confrmed its prevention strategy by
claiming that these hazard maps have to be produced and
implemented in all regions soonest.
73
However, actual implementation has been found to
be fraught with diffculties. At the community level,
where the policies have to be applied, various forms of
knowledge confict with each other: objective, analytical
knowledge displayed in hazard maps clashes with local,
context-based knowledge and experience.
The research project thus focuses on various perspectives
and forms of knowledge in the feld of natural hazards
with the aim to contribute to building an effective and
successful risk dialogue. It explores local conceptions and
meanings of natural hazards, and protection strategies as
well as the importance of scientifc expertise for the local
situation. A further focus is set on power relations: What
form of knowledge, what kinds of interpretation will
prevail? Who possesses normative power?
Qualitative interviews are conducted with experts, with
local decision makers and with other inhabitants of
alpine municipalities. Preliminary results indicate that
authorities do not suffciently communicate the need
for risk-management instruments. Although local actors
are aware of the existence of hazard maps, they hardly
know its content or function and therefore demonstrate
little ownership. This may be illustrated by the statement
that practical knowledge and experience of hazards is
available on the spot because we live here and see if
something happens. A hazard map therefore is seen to
be unnecessary and perceived as an imposition by the
state. Experts, on the other hand, assume that science-ba-
sed risk information can be transferred into practice and
lead to appropriate actions. They are often unaware that
communication efforts are required that meet the specifc
local context.

Landscape-perception by local populations
in two Alpine landscapes: Diemtigtal valley
(Switzerland) and Krakau valley (Austria)
Sonja Vller (Vienna, Austria)
For the sustainable development of landscapes in the Alps
it is important to consider the needs and perceptions of
local inhabitants towards their landscape. Understanding
local communities perceptions will thus help to involve
local people and foster their participation in further plan-
ning processes, including nature conservation projects.
This poster illustrates the results of two diploma theses
exploring the relation of local inhabitants to their lands-
capes as studied in two different Alpine landscapes: in the
Diemtigtal valley in Switzerland, and the Krakautal valley
in Austria. The results illustrate that landscapes are more
than just the arrangement of their physical components.
There is a complex and individual relatedness of inter-
viewees with particular landscape features or locations
in the valleys. Inhabitants attribute different meanings to
landscape features, ranging from usage values such as ag-
riculture, tourism and recreation, ownership and cultural
esteem to personal experiences, feelings or childhood me-
mories. Landscape elements and features bear different
values and meanings, experiences and memories, both
collectively and individually.
These elements and meanings connect to detailed mind
maps and help produce a strong sense of place and
identity within the respondents. Landscape changes in
the past were not perceived as numerous and did not in-
terfere with this sense of place. However, the inhabitants
fear that foreseeable changes in the future might harm
their identifcation with their living space.

Agriculture in Ursern (Switzerland) during
the second half of the twentieth century
Rahel Wunderli (Niederlenz, Switzerland)
Using a broad historical approach, the dissertation on
Agriculture in Ursern during the second half of the twen-
tieth century intends to study the agrarian sector in the
Ursern Valley (located between the Gotthard, Furka and
Oberalp passes and the Schllenen Gorge). The project
asks how agriculture in this alpine valley, greatly affected
by tourism and Swiss military facilities, has changed du-
ring the past 60 years.
Political, economic, ecological, technical and social aspects
will be examined, and both internal and external factors
analytically brought into a relationship with each other.
The conclusion and synthesis address the question of
how material status and functional importance of Ursern
agriculture have been altered.
The corpus of available sources consists of archival records
and oral history interviews with contemporary witnesses.
74
75
List of participants and contributors
Albrecht Max Amt der Vlbg Landesregierung, Rmerstrasse 16, A-6901 Bregenz; max.albrecht@vorarlberg.at
Alewell Christine, Prof. Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universitt Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel
christine.alewell@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 04 77
Altorfer Jrg Frauenfelderstrasse 101, CH-8252 Schlatt; joerg_altorfer@gmx.ch; +41 (0) 76 422 94 93
Amstutz Marc, Dr. ITW Institut f. Tourismuswirtschaft, Hochschule fr Wirtschaft , Rsslimatte 48, CH-6002 Luzern
mamstutz@hsw.fhz.ch; +41 (0) 41 228 41 49
Anselmetti Flavio, Prof. Geologisches Institut, ETH Zrich, ETH Zentrum NO, Sonneggstr. 5, CH-8092 Zrich;
favio.anselmetti@erdw.ethz.ch; +41 (0) 44 632 65 69
Atmanagara Jenny, Dr. Geographisches Institut Kulturgeographie, Universitt Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, CH-3012 Bern
atma@giub.unibe.ch, +41 (0) 31 631 88 38
Bacher Andreas, Dr. Amt fr Wald und Raumentwicklung, Flelistrasse 3, CH-6060 Sarnen
andreas.bacher@ow.ch; +41 (0) 41 666 63 28
Bchler Martha Gemeinde Engelberg, Engelbergerstrasse 44, CH-6390 Engelberg; baechler.m@gde-engelberg.ch
Backhaus Norman, PD Dr., Geographisches Institut Human Geography, Universitt Zrich, Winterthurerstr. 190 - Irchel,
CH-8057 Zrich; backhaus@geo.unizh.ch; +41 (0) 44 635 51 72
Baud Dominique Universit de Savoie, F-73376 Le Bourget du Lac; dominique.baud@univ-savoie.fr
Bender Oliver, Dr. Mountain Research: Men and Environment, sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Technikerstr. 21a,
A-6020 Innsbruck; oliver.bender@oeaw.ac.at, +43 (0) 512 507 49 45
Bernbaum Edwin, Dr. Sacred Mountains Program, The Mountain Institute, 1846 Capistrano Ave., USA-Berkeley, CA 94707
ebernbaum@mountain.org, +1 (0) 510 527 12 29
Berrebi Yalle agrIdea, Av. des Jordils 1, CH-1000 Lausanne 6; yaelle.berrebi@agridea.ch; +41 (0) 21 619 44 39
Berthoud Anne-Claude, Prof., sagw, Hirschengraben 11, CH-3001 Bern; anne-claude.berthoud@unil.ch; +41 (0) 31 313 14 40
Bertrand Nathalie, Dr. Division DTM, cemagreF, F-38402 St. Martin dHres; bertrand@lsv.ens-cachan.fr; +33 (0) 1 47 40 75 40
Bin Sara Dipartimento di Geographia, Universit degli Studi di Padova, Via del Santo, n. 26, I-35123 Padova
sarabin76@gmail.com; +39 049 827 40 90
Bissig Graldine Institut de Gographie IgUl, Universit de Lausanne, Btiment Anthropole, CH-1015 Lausanne
geraldine.bissig@unil.ch; + 41 (0) 21 692 36 12
Bjrnsen Gurung Astrid, Dr., The Mountain Research Initiative, ETH Zentrum CHN G71, CH-8092 Zrich
bjoernsen@env.ethz.ch; +41 (0) 44 632 55 62
Blatter Michael, Dr. Historisches Seminar, Universitt Luzern, Kasernenplatz 3, PF 7455, CH-6000 Luzern 7;
michael.blatter@unilu.ch; +41 (0) 41 228 78 07
Blttler Richard Tiefbauamt Nidwalden, Breitenhaus, CH-6370 Stans; richard.blaettler@nw.ch; +41 (0) 41 618 72 20
Boesch Martin, Prof. Forschungsstelle fr Wirtschaftsgeographie und Raumordnungspolitik, FWR, Universitt St. Gallen,
CH-9011 St.Gallen; martin.boesch@unisg.ch; +41 (0) 71 224 25 82
Boller Florian WSL, Greyerzstr. 50, CH-3013 Bern; forian.boller@wsl.ch; +41 (0) 31 331 56 42
Bollier Regula Scuol Tourismus, Stradun, CH-7550 Scuol; r.bollier@engadin.com; +41 (0) 81 861 24 28
Bni Rosa Fllmisstrasse 35, CH-8832 Wilen; rosiboeni@yahoo.com; +41 (0) 44 784 59 07
Borsdorf Axel, Prof. Institut fr Geographie, Leopold-Franzens-Univ. Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck
axel.borsdorf@oeaw.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 512 507 54 00
Bose Lisa Swiss Biodiversity Forum, Schwarztorstrasse 9, CH-3007 Bern; lisa.bose@scnat.ch; +41 (0) 31 312 02 75
Botta Johanne 14 Faubourg Reclus, F-73000 Chambry; jocat.b@wanadoo.fr
Braun Ludwig , Dr. Kommission fr Glaziologie, Bayerische Akademie d. Wissensch., Alfons-Goppel-Strasse 11, D-80539 Mnchen
ludwig.braun@kfg.badw.de; +49 (0) 89 230 31 1196
Braun Valerie, Dr. Institut fr Geographie, Universitt Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck
valerie.braun@uibk.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 54 12
Brendt Irene Habichtsweg 4, D-93180 Deuerling; irene_brendt@yahoo.de; +49 (0) 9498 90 68 90
Brodbeck Monika Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universitt Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel
monika.brodbeck@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 04 82
Brun Jean-Jacques, Dr. Equipe Ecologie Spatiale et Fonctionelle, cemagreF, 2, rue de la papeterie, Domaine Universitaire BP 76,
F-38402 Saint Martin dHres; jean-jacques.brun@cemagref.fr; +33 (0) 4 76 76 27 79
Buffa Federica Universit degli studi di Trento, Via Inama 5, I-38100 Trento; federica.buffa@economia.unitn.it; +39 (0) 461 8821 46
Bugmann Harald, Prof. Departement Umwelt wissenschaften, ETH Zrich Universittsstrasse 22, CH-8092 Zrich
harald.bugmann@env.ethz.ch, +41 (0) 44 632 3239
Bundi Ulrich eawag, berlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Dbendorf; bundi@eawag.ch; +41 (0) 44 823 50 21
Burga Conradin, Prof. Geographisches Institut Physical Geography, Universitt Zrich, Winterthurerstr. 190 Irchel, CH-8057 Zrich
conradin.burga@geo.uzh.ch; +41 (0) 44 635 51 68
Burger-Scheidlin Hemma, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Greger-
Mendelstrasse 33, A-1180 Wien; hemma.burger-scheidlin@boku.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 476 543 771
Buzzi Giovanni Studi Associati SA, Via Zurigo 19, CH-6904 Lugano; buzzi@sasa.ch; +41 (0) 79 405 08 29
Caprez Riccarda Botanisches Institut Pfanzenkologie, Universitt Basel, Schnbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel
riccarda.caprez@stud.unibs.ch
76
Carestiato Nadia Dipartimenteo di Geografa, Universita di Padova, Via del Santo, I-35100 Padova; nadia.carestiato@unipd.it
Castiglioni Benedetta, Dr., Dipartimento di Geografa, Universit di Padova, Via del Santo, 26, I-35123 Padova
etta.castiglioni@unipd.it; +39 049 827 42 78
Clivaz Christophe, Dr. Institut Economie & Tourisme, Sierre University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, TechnoArk 3,
CH-3960 Sierre; christophe.clivaz@hevs.ch; +41 (0) 27 606 90 06
Conci Mirtis, Dr. Centro di Ecologia Alpina, Viote del Monte Bondone, Loc. Caserme n. 2, I-38060 Garniga Terme
euronet@cealp.it; +39 0461 939 573
Coutaz Denise NFP 48, Wildhainweg 48, CH-3012 Bern; dcoutaz@snf.ch; +41 (0) 31 308 23 45
Coy Martin, Prof. Institut fr Geographie, Universitt Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck
martin.coy@uibk.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 54 20
De Nardi Alessia Dipartimento di Geografa, Universit di Padova, Via del santo, 26, I-35123 Padova; alessia.denardi@unipd.it
Debarbieux Bernard, Prof., Dpt. de Gographie, Universit de Genve, 40, bd Pont-dArve, CH-1211 Genve 4
bernard.debarbieux@geo.unige.ch; +41 (0) 22 379 83 38
Decrausaz Brigitte Offce fdral de lagriculture, Mattenhofstrasse 5, CH-3003 Bern, brigitte.decrausaz@blw.admin.ch
De Kegel Rolf, Dr. Stiftsarchiv, Benediktinerkloster Engelberg, CH-6390 Engelberg; stiftsarchiv@kloster-engelberg.ch; +41 (0) 41 639 61 61
Del Barba Oscar Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dellAmbiente / CIPRA Italia, Viale Francesco Restelli 3/1, I-20124 Milano
o.delbarba@arpalombardia.it
Diamantini Corrado, Prof., Universit di Trento, Via Mesiano 77, I-38050 Trento; corrado.diamantini@ing.unitn.it; +39 0461 88 26 63
Dusi Marco, Dr. Naturforschende Gesellschaft Ob- und Nidwalden, Sonnenbergstrasse 13, CH-6060 Sarnen
dusi@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 41 660 11 41
Eberle Joachim Institut fr Geographie, Universitt Stuttgart, Azenbergstrasse 12, D-70174 Stuttgart
eberle@geographie.uni-stuttgart.de; +49 (0) 711 685 8 1474
Egerer Harald Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention; United Nations Environment Programme Vienna International Center,
A-1400 Wien; harald.egerer@unvienna.org; +43 (0) 1 260 604 545
Ehinger Jacques Gymnase de Burier, Route de Brent 25, CH-1817 Brent; famille.ehinger@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 21 964 35 22
Ehringhaus Barbara ProMont-Blanc, Mountain Wilderness CIAPM European Mountain Forum, CH-1299 Crans
barbara.ehringhaus@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 22 776 57 22
Eulitz Christine ConTrac Berlin, Kpenicker Strasse 48/49, D-10179 Berlin; info@contrac-berlin.de; +49 (0) 30 275 939 65
Fagarazzi Laura, Dr. University of Padua, Via del Sano 26, I-35100 Padua; laura.fagarazzi@alpter.net; +39 (0) 349 533 51 02
Fassi Driss, Dr. Institut Agronomique et Vtrinaire Hassan II, BP 6202-Instituts, MA-10101 Rabat
idrissfassi@yahoo.fr; +212 (0) 377 60102
Favilli Filippo Geographisches Institut Physical Geography, Universitt Zrich, Winterthurerstr. 190 Irchel, CH-8057 Zrich
favilli@geo.unizh.ch; +41 (0) 44 635 52 28
Ferrario Viviana Universit IUav di Venezia, via Piave 10, I-30123 Venezia; ferrario@iuav.it; +39 (0) 348 310 67 71
Ferret Florence Boulevard de Grancy 5, CH-1006 Lausanne; foferret@hotmail.com; +41 (0) 21 601 58 88
Finsterwald Marco Abt. Nationale Forschungsprogramme, SNF, Wildhainweg 21, CH-3012 Bern
Fischer Markus, Prof. Institut fr Pfanzenwissenschaften, Universitt Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern; markus.fscher@ips.unibe.ch
Flckiger Bernadette Roschistrasse 6, CH-3007 Bern; williblond@hotmail.com; +41 (0) 78 602 61 58
Fleler Elsbeth Mountain Wilderness Schweiz, Postfach 1622, CH-8040 Zrich
elsbeth.fueler@mountainwilderness.ch; +41 (0) 44 461 39 00
Flury Christian, Dr. Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tnikon, CH-8356 Ettenhausen
christian.fury@art.admin.ch; +41 (0) 52 368 32 36
Fontana Georgia Institut de Gographie IgUl, Universit de Lausanne, Btiment Anthropole, CH-1015 Lausanne
georgia.fontana@unil.ch; +41 (0) 21 692 30 77
Frelchoux Franois, Dr. Reserach Unit Ecosystem Boundaries, WSL, c/o epFl Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne
francois.frelechoux@wsl.ch; +41 (0) 21 693 57 50
Gabrovec Matej, Dr. Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Scientifc Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Novi trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana; matej@zrc-sazu.si; +386 (0) 1 4706 364
Ganguin Jean-Jacques Gymnase de Burier, Rte de Chailly, CH-1814 La Tour-de-Peilz; jjganguin@hotmail.com; +41 (0) 21 921 08 10
Gauchon Christophe Universit de Savoie, F-73376 Le Bourget du Lac; christophe.gauchon@univ-savoie.fr; +33 (0) 479 75 81 38
Geiger Willy, Dr. BaFU, Papiermhlestrasse 172, CH-3063 Ittigen; willy.geiger@bafu.admin.ch; +41 (0) 31 322 24 96
Gelinek Michael ConTrac Berlin, Kpenicker Strasse 48/49, D-10179 Berlin; info@contrac-berlin.de; +49 (0) 30 275 939 65
Genoud Mathieu Universit de Lausanne, Couchirard 5, CH-1004 Lausanne; +41 (0) 77 413 47 36
Gentizon Caterina Gymnase de Burier, rte de Chailly, CH-1814 La Tour-de Peilz; caterina.gentizon@hepl.ch; +41 (0) 21 316 93 37
Giorgetti Caroline Sites & Paysages, 4 rue Bucle, F-38130 Echirolles; sites.paysages@wanadoo.fr; +33 (0) 476 231 466
Golobi Mojca, Dr. Urbanisticni institut RS, Trnovski pristan 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana; mojca.golobic@uirs.si; +386 (0) 1 420 13 22
Grabherr Georg, Prof. Faculty of Life Sciences, Universitt Wien, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Wien
grab@pfaphy.pph.univie.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 4277 54 370
Grt-Regamey Adrienne, Dr., Landscape and Environmental Planning LEP, ETH Zrich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 15, CH-8093 Zrich
gret@nsl.ethz.ch; +41 (0) 44 633 30 02
Grote Rdiger, Dr. Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Research Center Karlsruhe GmbH, Kreuzeckbahnstr. 19,
D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen; ruediger.grote@imk.fzk.de; +49 (0) 8821 183 124
Guli Andrej Urban Planning Institute RS, Trnovski pristan 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana; andrej.gulic@uirs.si; +386 (0) 142 01 317
77
Gurtner Thomas Geographisches Institut Centre for Development and Environment CDE, Universitt Bern, Steigerhubelstrasse 3,
CH-3008, Bern; thomas.gurtner@gmx.ch; +41 (0) 78 743 77 87
Haber Wolfgang, Prof. Lehrstuhl fr Landschaftskologie, Technische Universitt Mnchen, in Weihenstephan, D-85350 Freising
wethaber@aol.com; +49 (0) 81 61 714 140
Haeberli Wilfried, Prof. Geographisches Institut Physical Geography, Universitt Zrich, Winterthurerstr. 190 Irchel, CH-8057 Zrich
haeberli@geo.unizh.ch; +41 (0) 44 635 51 20
Hagedorn Horst, Prof. Geographisches Institut, ,Universitt Wrzburg, Am Hubland , D-97074 Wrzburg
horst.hagedorn@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de; +49 (0) 931 888 55 55
Haltmeier Katrin Am Zopfbach 4, CH-8804 Au; katrinha@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 79 720 24 66
Haug Roman Markt Bad Hindelang, Marktstrasse 9, D-87541 Bad Hindelang; rathaus@hindelang.net; +49 (0) 8324 892 31
Hausner Isolde, Dr. Institut fr sterreichische Dialekt- und Namenlexika, sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Postgasse 7,
A-1010 Wien; isolde.hausner@oeaw.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 515 81 34 96
Hedinger Christian Atelier fr Naturschutz und Umweltfragen, UNA, Mhlenplatz 3, CH-3011 Bern
hedinger@unabern.ch; +41 (0) 31 312 29 37
Heeb Johannes, Dr. seecon international, Bahnhofstrasse 2, CH-6110 Wolhusen; johannes.heeb@seecon.ch; +41 (0) 79 366 68 50
Heinrich Kati Gebirgsforschung: Mensch und Umwelt, AW, Technikerstr. 21a, A-6020 Innsbruck
kati.heinrich@oeaw.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 49 47
Herzog Felix, Dr. ART Standort Reckenholz, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tnikon ART, Reckenholzstr. 191, CH-8046 Zrich
felix.herzog@art.admin.ch; +41 (0) 44 337 74 45
Hiltbrunner, Erika, Dr. Botanisches Institut Pfanzenkologie, Universitt Basel, Schnbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel
erika.hiltbrunner@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 35 11
Hirschmugl Manuela Institute of Digital Imaging Processing, Joanneum Research , Steyrergasse 17, A-8010 Graz
manuela.hirschmugl@joanneum.at; +43 (0) 316 876 1707
Hohwieler Nadine Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universitt Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel
nadine.hohwieler@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 36 31
Hostert Patrick, Prof. Institute of Geography, Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, D-10099 Berlin
patrick.hostert@geo.hu-berlin.de; +49 (0) 30 2093 6905
Husi Stefan, Dr. SNF, Wildhainweg 21, CH-3012 Bern; shusi@snf.ch; +41 (0) 31 308 22 22
Imhof Regula Stnd. Sekretariat der Alpenkonvention, Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck
regula.imhof@alpconv.org; +43 (0) 512 58 85 89
Jiricka Alexandra Universitt fr Bodenkultur BokU, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Wien; alexandra.jiricka@boku.ac.at
Jost Silvia Internationales, Bundesamt fr Raumentwicklung ARE, Mhlestrasse 2, CH-3063 Ittigen;
silvia.jost@are.admin.ch; +41 (0) 31 322 40 60
Kaufmann Vera Geschftsstelle Icas & Iscar, Kommission Alpenforschung, Schwarztorstrasse 9, CH-3007 Bern
icas@scnat.ch; +41 (0) 31 318 70 18
Kaufmann-Mattli Susy Stiftung Lebensraum Gebirge, Herrenhaus Grafenort, CH-6388 Grafenort; info@grafenort.ch; +41 (0) 41 639 53 3
Kienast Felix, PD Dr. Abt. Landschaft, WSL, Zrcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf; felix.kienast@wsl.ch; +41 (0) 44 739 23 66
Kirchgesser Magali Joint Technical Scretariat Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Programme, D-83013 Rosenheim
magali.kirchgesser@rosenheim.de; +49 (0) 8031 36 27 73
Kiser Karl, Dr. Prsidium Plattform KRG, Landenbergstrasse 11, CH-6060 Sarnen
Kissling-Nf Ingrid, Dr. scnat, Schwarztorstr. 9, CH-3007 Bern; kissling@scnat.ch; +41 (0) 31 310 40 30
Kocherhans Yvonne Fhnw Institut Architektur, Grndenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz; yvonne.kocherhans@fhnw.ch; +41 (0) 78 825 86 09
Kck Gnter, Dr. Nationale und internationale Forschungsprogramme, sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften AW,
Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2, A-1010 Wien; guenter.koeck@oeaw.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 515 81 271
Kohli Lukas, Dr. Hintermann & Weber AG, Marzilistr. 8a, CH-3005 Bern; kohli@hintermannweber.ch; +41 (0) 31 312 82 72
Kohte Maya Institut fr Landschaftsarchitektur, ETH Zrich, ETH Zentrum, HIL H 57.2, CH-8092 Zrich
kohte@forumlandschaft.ch; +41 (0) 44 633 29 89
Kozak Jacek, Dr. Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30-387 Krakow
jkozak@gis.geo.uj.edu.pl; +48 (0) 12 664 53 00
Kruchi Norbert, Dr. Forschungsprogramm target Forstwirtschaft und Klimawandel, WSL, Zrcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
norbert.kraeuchi@wsl.ch; +41 (0) 44 739 25 95
Kretz Stephanie Expert EC, Grosser Kesselweg 25, D-75223 Niefern; mail@stephaniekretz.eu; +49 (0) 72 33 94 38 35
Kuss, Patrick, Dr. Institut fr Pfanzenwissenschaften, Universitt Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern
fhpk1@uaf.edu; +41 (0) 31 631 49 92
Lahn Grtner Elisabeth Institut fr Geographie, Universitt Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck
elisabeth.gaertner@uibk.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 54 16
Lange Eckart, Prof. Department of Landscape, University of Sheffeld, Floor 3, Arts Tower, Western Bank, GB-Sheffeld S10 2TN
e.lange@sheffeld.ac.uk
Lauber Guido Niederlassung Spiez, Emch + Berger AG, Seestrasse 7, CH-3700 Spiez
guido.lauber@emchberger.ch; +41 (0) 33 650 75 71
Legaz Amaia Universit de Savoie, F-73376 Le Bourget du Lac; amaya.legaz@univ-savoie.fr
Lehmann Bernard, Prof. Institut fr Agrarwirtschaft IAW, ETH Zrich, Sonneggstr. 33, CH-8092 Zrich; lehmann@ethz.ch; +41 (0) 44 632 53 91
Lenhard Vera Christine, Dr., Altweg 18, CH-8047 Zrich; vera@freesurf.ch; +41 (0) 43 811 41 68
Liechti Karina Geographisches Institut Centre for Development and Environment CDE, Universitt Bern, Steigerhubelstrasse 3,
CH-3008 Bern; karina.liechti@cde.unibe.ch
78
Lienert Peter Amt fr Wald und Raumentwicklung, Flelistr. 3, CH-6060 Sarnen; peter.lienert@ow.ch
Linke Armin via Curio Dentato 1, I-20146 Milano; armin@arminlinke.com; +39 02 47 27 03
Lintzmeyer Klaus, Dr. Verein zum Schutz der Bergwelt e.V. Mnchen, Von-Kahr-Strasse 2-4, D-80997 Mnchen
info@vzsb.de; +49 (0) 89 14 00 327
Lock Susan WSL, Zrcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf; susan.lock@wsl.ch; +41 (0) 44 739 25 16
Lodatti Luca, Dr. Urban Planning Department, Regione Veneto, Cannaregio 99, I-30121 Venezia
luca.lodatti@alpter.net; +39 041 279 2374
Loibl Wolfgang, Dr. Umweltplanung, ARC Seibersdorf research GesmbH , A-2444 Seibersdorf
wolfgang.loibl@arcs.ac.at; +43 (0) 50 550 3875
Luque Sandra, Dr. UR Ecosystmes Montagnards (Grenoble), cemagreF , 2, rue de la papeterie, F-38402 Saint Martin dHres
sandra.luque@cemagref.fr; +33 (0) 47 676 28 27
Lscher Andreas, PD Dr., Agroscope Reckenholz-Tnikon, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zrich
andreas.luescher@art.admin.ch; +41 (0) 44 377 72 73
Maillard Gilbert Gymnase de Burier, Rte de Chailly, CH-1814 La Tour-de-Peilz; gilbert.maillard@vd.ch +41 (0) 21 316 93 37
Marchesoni Claudia, Dr., Centro di Ecologia Alpina, Viote del Bondone, Loc. Caserme n. 2, I-38060 Garniga Terme
marchesoni@cealp.it; +39 04 61 939 573
Marti Rahel Zeitschrift Hochparterre, Ausstellungsstrasse 25, CH-8005 Zrich; marti@hochparterre.ch; +41 (0) 44 444 28 76
Marzelli Stefan ifuplan, Schleissheimerstr. 156, D-80797 Mnchen; stefan.marzelli@ifuplan.de
Mathieu Jon, Prof. Historisches Seminar, Uni Luzern, Kasernenplatz 3, CH-6000 Luzern 7; jon.mathieu@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 41 228 35 38
Matos Maria Joao Ecole Nationale dArchitecture de Paris-La Villette, 144, avenue de Flandre, F-75019 Paris; marjmatos@gmail.com
Mattiucci Cristina Dica-Universit di Trento, Via Mesiano 77, I-Trento; cristina.mattiucci@ing.unitn.it; +39 0328 744 7934
Meisser Marco Service herbages et systmes pastoraux, Agroscope RAC Changins-Wdenswil ACW, CP 1012, CH-1260 Nyon
marco.meisser@acw.admin.ch; +41 (0) 22 363 47 42
Messerli Bruno, Prof. em., Geographisches Institut Physische Geographie, Universitt Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, CH-3012 Bern
bmesserli@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 31 819 33 81
Messerli Paul, Prof. Geographisches Institut Kulturgeographie, Universitt Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, CH-3012 Bern
mep@giub.unibe.ch; +41 (0) 31 631 88 86
Meusburger Katrin Institut fr Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universitt Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel
katrin.meusburger@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 04 83
Miville-Ott Valrie agrIdea, Jordils 1, CH-1010 Lausanne 6; valerie.mieville@agridea.ch; +41 (0) 21 619 44 58
Monard Denis, Prof. Friedrich Miescher Institut, Maulbeerstr. 66, CH-4058 Basel; denis.monard@fmi.ch; +41 (0) 61 697 66 58
Mller Eduard Bro fr Denkmalpfege, Eidgenssische Kommission fr Denkmalpfege EDK, Treibstrasse 10, CH-6377 Seelisberg
denkmalpfege@msn.com; +41 (0) 41 820 68 50
Mller Wahl Priska, Dr. Abt. Umwelt und Natrliche Ressourcen, Hochschule Wdenswil, Grental / Postfach 335, CH-8820 Wdenswil
p.mueller@hsw.ch; +41 (0) 44 789 95 82
Neuenschwander-Gindrat Sylviane, Sozialanthropologisches Institut, Universitt Bern, Jubilumsstr. 43, CH-3005 Bern
sylviane.neuenschwander@hispeed.ch; +41 (0) 31 352 59 10
Niederberger Beat Naturforschende Gesellschaft Ob- und Nidwalden, Zrichstr. 9, CH-6004 Luzern; beat@speleo.ch
Odermatt Martin Gemeinde Engelberg, Engelbergerstrasse 44, CH-6390 Engelberg; odermatt.m@gde-engelberg.ch
Omlin Sibylle, Prof. Offenburgerstrasse 1, CH-4057 Basel; sybille.omlin@fhnw.ch; +41 (0) 61 666 61 12
Panizza Mario, Prof. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universit degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Largo S. Eufemia 19,
I-41100 Modena; pit@unimore.it; +39 059 20 55 840
Pecci Massimo, Dr. Imont, Piazza dei Caprettari 70, I-00186 Roma; massimo.pecci@imont.gov.it; +39 066 819 23 66
Pedrazzini Luisa Regione Lombardia, piazza IV Novembre, 5, I-20124 Milano; luisa_pedrazzini@regione.lombardia.it; +39 02 67 653 735
Perlik Manfred, Dr. Gebirgsforschung: Mensch und Umwelt, Forschungsstelle der sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften ,
Technikerstr. 21a, Otto Hittmair-Platz 1 , A-6020 Innsbruck manfred.perlik@oeaw.ac.at; +41 (0) 61 693 43 65
Petek Franci, Dr. Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Scientifc Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg
2, SI-1000 Ljubljana; franci.petek@zrc-sazu.si; +386 (0) 1 470 63 51
Petite Mathieu Dpt. de Gographie, Universit de Genve, 40, bd Pont-dArve, CH-1211 Genve 4
mathieu.petite@geo.unige.ch; +41 (0) 22 379 98 96
Pfefferkorn Wolfgang Rosinak&Partner ZT GmbH, Schlossgasse 11a, A-1050 Wien; pfefferkorn@rosinak.at; +43 (0) 1 544 07 07
Powell-Joss Margret Powell-Joss Translations, Muesmattstrasse 28, CH-3012 Bern; info@powelltrans.ch; +41 (0) 31 302 61 62
Praper Sergeja Urbanisticni institut RS, Trnovski pristan 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana; sergeja.praper@uirs.si
Preiswerk Christian scnat, Schwarztorstrasse 9, CH-3007 Bern; preiswerk@scnat.ch; +41 (0) 31 310 40 22
Probst Thomas Alpenforschungsinstitut AFI, Am Kurpark 21, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
probst@alpenforschung.de; +49 (0) 8821 943 16 30
Prbstl Ulrike, Prof. Institute for Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning, BokU University of Natural Resources and
Applied Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Wien; ulrike.proebstl@boku.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 476 54 72 07
Pruckner Gerald, Prof. Sozial- und wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultt, Johannes Kepler Universitt Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, A-4040 Linz
gerald.pruckner@jku.at; +43 (0) 70 2468 82 13
Prutsch Andrea Department fr Raum, Landschaft und Infrastruktur, Universitt fr Bodenkultur BokU, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82,
A-1190 Wien; andrea.prutsch@boku.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 476 54 72 47
Psenner Roland, Prof. Institut fr kologie, Leopold-Franzens-Universitt Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck
roland.psenner@uibk.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 61 30
79
Quaglia Tiziana Regione Veneto, Cannaregio 99 Pal. Linetti, I-30123 Venezia; tiziana.quaglia@regione.veneto.it; +39 0412 792 086
Rampl Gerhard, Dr. sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften AW, Postgasse 7, A-1010 Wien
gerhard.rampl@the-offce.at; +43 (0) 650 9381 789
Reynard Emmanuel, Prof., Institut de Gographie IgUl, Universit de Lausanne, Btiment Anthropole, CH-1015 Lausanne
emmanuel.reynard@unil.ch; +41 (0) 21 692 30 65
Rinaldi Renato Localit lesizza 94, I-33040 San Leonardo; oreledigneur@libero.it; +39 0432 723 537
Risi Marius Seminar fr Kulturwissenschaft und Europische Ethnologie, Universitt Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel
marius.risi@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 05 28
Rthlisberger Markus Rechtsdienst, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds SNF, Wildhainweg 3, CH-3001 Bern
mroethlisberger@snf.ch; +41 (0) 31 308 22 55
Samuel-Eckerle Eva Kommission fr Glaziologie, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, c/o Geographisches Institut, Universitt Wrz-
burg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wrzburg; eva.samuel-eckerle@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de; +49 (0) 931 888 55 55
Savelli Nicolas Faubourg Reclus, F-73000 Chambry; nicolas.savelli@free.fr
Schaaf Thomas, Dr. Man and the Biosphere Programme MAB, Unesco, 1, rue Miollis, F-75732 Paris Cedex 15
t.schaaf@unesco.org; +33 (0) 1 45 68 40 65
Schaffner Ruth, Dr. U.+R. Schaffner & Associates, Allmendweg 15, CH-3653 Oberhofen; ruth.schaffner@gmx.ch; +41 (0) 33 243 49 73
Schenker Franz, Dr. Geologische Beratung, Schenker Korner & Partner GmbH, Bttenenhalde 42, CH-6006 Luzern
franz.schenker@fsgeolog.ch; +41 (0) 41 375 61 00
Scheuerer Silvia Liestalerstrasse 15, CH-4145 Gempen; silvia.scheuerer@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 692 92 81
Scheurer Thomas, Dr. Geschftsstelle Icas & Iscar, Kommission Alpenforschung, Schwarztorstrasse 9, CH-3007 Bern
scheurer@scnat.ch, +41 (0) 31 318 70 18
Schlumpf Hans-Ulrich, Dr., Mhlegasse 5, CH-8001 Zrich; info@flm-schlumpf.ch; +41 (0) 44 251 86 68
Schmid Franziska Geographisches Institut Centre for Development and Environment CDE, Universitt Bern, Hallerstrasse 12,
CH-3012 Bern; fschmid@giub.unibe.ch; +41 (0) 31 631 83 90
Schmid Christian Professur fr Agrarwirtschaft, ETHZ, Sonneggstrasse 33, CH-8092 Zrich; christsc@ethz.ch; +41 (0) 44 632 79 30
Schnellmann Michael, Dr., Geologisches Institut, ETH Zrich, ETH Zentrum NO, Sonneggstr. 5, CH-8092 Zrich
Schpbach Ursula Managementzentrum, Unesco Weltnaturerbe Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn, Jungfraustrasse 38, CH-3800 Interlaken
ursula.schuepbach@weltnaturerbe.ch; +41 (0) 33 821 61 76
Senn Maria Sektion Siedlung und Landschaft, ARE, Mhlestrasse 2, CH-3063 Ittigen
maria.senn@are.admin.ch; +41 (0) 313 22 33 82
Sgard Anne Institut de Gographie Alpine, Laboratoire Pacte-Territoire, 14 bis avenue M. Reynoard, F-38000 Grenoble
anne.sgard@upmf-grenoble.fr; +33 (0) 4 76 82 20 70
Sitko Izabela Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30-387 Krakow
isitko@gis.geo.uj.edu.pl; +48 (0) 12 664 53 02
Smoliner Christian, Dr. Bundesministerium fr Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur, Rosengasse 4, A-1010 Wien
christian.smoliner@bmbwk.gv.at; +43 (0) 1 531 206 353
Spalinger Nika, Prof. Sentimatt 1, CH-6003 Luzern 5; nspalinger@hgk.fhz.ch; +41 (0) 41 228 57 70
Spehn Eva, Dr. Botanisches Institut Pfanzenkologie, Universitt Basel / gmBa, Schnbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel
gmba@unibas.ch, +41 (0) 61 267 35 11
Spiegelberger Thomas, Dr., cemagreF Grenoble, 2, rue de la Papeterie BP 76, F-2800 Saint-Martin-dHres cedex
thomas.spiegelberger@cemagref.fr, +33 (0) 4 76 76 28 19
Spielmann Max, Prof. Fhnw/HGK Institut HyperWerk, Totentanz 17, CH-4057 Basel; max.spielmann@fhnw.ch; +41 (0) 79 321 72 79
Stalder Andreas Natur und Landschaft, BaFU, Worblentalstr. 68, CH-3063 Ittigen; andreas.stalder@bafu.admin.ch; +41 (0) 31 322 93 75
Stalder Ulrich Abt. Kantonsplanung, Amt fr Gemeinden und Raumordnung AGR, Nydeggasse 11/13, CH-3011 Bern
ueli.stalder@jgk.be.ch; +41 (0) 31 633 73 05
Stuble Sabine Institut de Gographie IgUl, Universit de Lausanne, Btiment Anthropole, CH-1015 Lausanne
sabine.stauble@unil.ch; +41 (0) 21 692 30 77
Steiger Urs Pilatusstrasse 30, CH-6003 Luzern; u.steiger@bluewin.ch; +41 (0) 41 220 06 76
Stcklin Jrg, PD Dr. Botanisches Institut Pfanzenkologie, Universitt Basel, Schnbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel;
juerg.stoecklin@unibas.ch; +41 (0) 61 267 35 01
Stremlow Matthias, Dr. BaFU, Papiermhlestrasse 172, CH-3063 Ittigen; mstremlow@freesurf.ch; +41 (0) 31 324 84 01
Strobl Margit, Dr. Kulturverein Grand Hotel Toblach, Beda Weberstr. 3b/8, I-39100 Bozen; margitstrobl@web.de; +39 0333 676 97 00
Stucki Silvio Birdlife CH Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS, Wiedingstrasse 78, CH-8036 Zrich
silvio.stucki@birdlife.ch; +41 (0) 444 57 70 27
Tamburelli Gianfranco Institute for International Legal Studies ISGI, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR, Via dei Taurini, 19,
I-00185 Roma RM Lazio; gtamburelli@pelagus.it; +39 064 993 76 60
Tappeiner Ulrike, Prof. Alpine Environment, Europische Akademie Bozen, Drususallee 1, I-39100 Bozen
ulrike.tappeiner@uibk.ac.at; +39 04 71 055301
Tasser Erich, Dr. Europische Akademie Bozen, Drususallee 1, I-39100 Bozen; erich.tasser@uibk.ac.at; +39 04 71 055 311
Troll Mateusz, Dr. Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, PL-30-387 Krakow
mtroll@gis.geo.uj.edu.pl; +48 (0) 12 664 53 00
Ullrich Aurelia cIpra International, Im Bretscha 22, FL-9494 Schaan; aurelia.ullrich@cipra.org; +423 (0) 237 40 33
Urbanc Mimi Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Scientifc Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Gosposka ulica 13, SI-1000 Ljubljana; mimi@zrc-sazu.si; +386 (0) 1 470 63 54
8u
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sylvie.vanpeene@cemagref.fr; 33 (0) 4 7676 2787
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Vller Sonja Oskar-Spiel-Gasse 6/2/1, A-1190 Wien; sonja.voeller@gmx.de; +43 (0) 1 924 07 55
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CH-3008 Bern; astrid.wallner@cde.unibe.ch; +41 (0) 31 631 30 59
Walser Urs Wasserbau, Amt fr Wald- und Raumentwicklung Obwalden, Flelistr. 3, CH-6060 Sarnen
urs.walser@ow.ch; +41 (0) 41 666 62 86
Walter Felix ecoplan, Thunstr. 22, CH-3005 Bern; walter@ecoplan.ch; +41 (0) 31 356 61 61
Walter Franois, Prof. Dpt. dHistoire gnrale, Universit de Genve, 5, Rue St. Ours, CH-1211 Genve 4
francois.walter@lettres.unige.ch; +41 (0) 22 705 70 93
Walz Ariane Institut fr Schnee- und Lawinenforschung, SLF, WSL, Flelastrasse 11, CH-7260 Davos Dorf
walz@slf.ch; +41 (0) 81 417 02 83
Weber Thomas Schweiz. Stiftung fr Alpine Forschung ssaF, Stadelhoferstr. 42, CH-8045 Zrich; mail@alpinfo.ch; +41 (0) 44 253 12 00
Weber Michael, Dr. Institut fr Agrarwirtschaft IAW, ETH Zrich, Sonneggstr. 33, CH-8092 Zrich; miweber@ethz.ch
Weber Sandra Kantonsschule Oerlikon, Birchstrasse 107, CH-8050 Zrich; s.weber@ksoe.ch
Weck-Hannemann Hannelore, Prof., Institut fr Finanzwissenschaft, Universitt Innsbruck, Universittsstrasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck
hannelore.weck@uibk.ac.at; +43 (0) 512 507 71 53
Weissen Andreas Termerweg 22, CH-3900 Brig; +41 (0) 44 297 22 53
Weixlbaumer Norbert, Prof., Institut fr Geographie und Regionalforschung, Universitt Wien, Universittsstrasse 7, A-1010 Wien
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Werlen Iwar, Prof. Institut fr Sprachwissenschaften, Universitt Bern, Lnggassstrasse 49, CH-3000 Bern 9
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Wozniak Marie 7 av. M. Berthelot, F-38100 Grenoble;marie.wozniak@wanadoo.fr
Wunderli Rahel Wildeggerstrasse 4, CH-5702 Niederlenz; rahel.wunderli@stud.unibas.ch; +41 (0) 62 891 16 12
Wytrzens Hans Karl, Dr., Institut fr nachhaltige Wirtschaftsentwicklung, Universitt fr Bodenkultur BokU Wien, Feistmantelstrasse 4,
A-1180 Wien; wytrzens@boku.ac.at; +43 (0) 1 476 54 35 72
Zanini Piero Via Romana 6, I-38016 Messocorona; pierozanini@wanadoo.fr; +39 0339 124 21 29
Zbinden Marlis sagw, Hirschengraben 11, CH-3001 Bern; marlis.zbinden@sagw.ch; +41 (0) 31 313 14 40
Zebisch Marc Area Sustainable Development, eUrac.Research, Drususalle 1, I-39100 Bolzano
marc.zebisch@eurac.edu; +39 0471 055 312

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i

dena e Reggio Emilia (Italy) supplemented the discussion

senting different points of view. Starting from the initial

tion of Alpine areas favouring conservation of traditional

fact that research approaches of an integrated, syste-

that is an undercurrent of Swiss history.

The physical pole refers to the view of natural science,

Fig. 1: Landscapes connect people with

1.3.4. Toponymy and Geoheritage in the Alps

sed operations and an average of about 20 per cent

tgres type were constructed according to French

of this issue have emphasized the importance of social

use of aerial photography for land-cover and lands-

in landscape planning. Impacts of climate change, i.e.,

Using Autonomous Agent Simulation as an Integrative Approach

duced to forming a mere backdrop for fun and leisure

forming into an autonomously perceived object of

val of the individual and of the species; Arendt links

show existing possibilities of predicting variations in

Potential resources for

ge in precipitation patterns (Frei et al. 2006). If this trend

B strand, the Framework Programmes of the European

mic sectors (e.g. tourism, agriculture, forestry) are eva-

Cooperation Objective of the European Cohesion Policy,

the subalpine belt. In order to maintain an open lands-

necessity have lived in these territories during by trying to

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