Transformation rates of Alpine landscapes and surrounding areas: Potential threats and benefits to people and selected species

Introduction

Gossau

Wildhaus

Kriens

Alpnach

Landscapes change steadily. But changes do not proceed with the same speed everywhere. During the past century until nowadays, the Swiss Plateau has seen heavy building activities and an increase in farming intensities driven by the upcoming industrialisation and mechanisation. Such developments have, with a certain delay, also reached the Alpine valleys, where traditional farming systems have been drastically reduced, whereas tourist facilities increased heavily in number.

Project aims

It is the aim of this project to investigate landscape changes and their speed (transformation rate) during the last century in two selected regions, situated between the Swiss plateau and the Alps. Furthermore, we attach importance to the study of the reasons, effects and consequences of the landscape changes reconstructed in these regions. Therefore, our interdisciplinary team of three Ph.D. students investigates different aspects of the landscape change and finally compiles these results to achieve a new, holistic view.

• In her geographical and historical dissertation (work package 1) Nina Schneeberger looks for the rate of landscape change and the driving forces behind it.
• Patricia Felber Rufer investigates the attitude of the population towards changes in their district. In her
  social science dissertation (work package 2) she analyses how well people remember changes and how they assess them.
• Michael Lütolf investigates the reactions of animal and plant species to changes and transformation rates in his landscape ecological study (work package 3).

The project is part of the National Research Programme 48 'Landscapes and Habitats of the Alps', where different projects are focussed on a sustainable use of the Alpine environment. It is financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation an the WSL programme Land Resources Management in Peri-Urban Environments.

Team

PhD students working on the project:

• Dipl. Geographin Nina Schneeberger
• Dipl. Geographin Patricia Felber Rufer
• Dipl. Biologe Michael Lütolf

Project management and monitoring:

• PD Dr. Felix Kienast
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Ewald
• Prof. Dr. Doris Wastl-Walter
• Prof. Dr. Antoine Guisan
• Dr. Matthias Bürgi
• Dr. Nicole Bauer
• Dr. Thomas Wohlgemuth

Implementation for practical purposes:

• Dipl. Ing. Hans-Dietmar Koeppel
• Dipl. Geograph Nico Lehmann

Contact

• Felix Kienast