ICAS
Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies
Kienast Felix
Transformation rates of Alpine landscapes and surrounding areas: potential threats and benefits to people and selected species
Project Number: 4048-064460
| Project Type: | Research_Project |
| Project Duration: | 1.2.2002 - 31.5.2005 project completed |
| Funding Source: | SNSF , |
| Project Leader: | PD Dr. Felix Kienast Abteilungsleiter Landnutzungsdynamik Landschaft WSL Zürcherstrasse 111 8903 Birmensdorf Phone: +41 (0) 44 739 23 66 ; +41 (0) 44 739 23 08 FAX: +41 (0) 44 739 22 15 e-Mail: felix.kienast@wsl.ch http://www.wsl.ch/ |
Disciplines:
| environmental sciences |
Keywords:
biodiversity
Abstract:
Abstract: Transformation rates of Alpine landscapes and surrounding areas: potential threats and benefits to people and selected species [Felix Kienast, Nicole Bauer, Matthias Bürgi, Klaus Ewald, Antoine Guisan, Hans-Dietmar Koeppel, Thomas Wohlgemuth, Patricia Felber, Michael Lütolf, Nina Schneeberger, (English)]
064460_Kienast.pdf
Concept Aim: This inter- and transdisciplinary project investigates landscape transformation and its potential impacts on people and biota in a historical and a predictive sense. Research questions: Our research will seek to answer the following major questions: a) What does landscape transformation mean in a historical, biological, cultural and demographic sense? b) How is the historical transformation of landscapes properly measured at various spatial levels (indicators)? c) How do people “remember” these transformations, i.e. what are the impacts (chances and risks) of various transformations on human behavior (self-identity, migration)? d) Which plants and animals did and do respond to the various rates of change and can thus be used as indicator species for tolerable (desirable) rates of change? and e) What must society do to “re-create” a dynamic cultural landscape that contains both societal opportunities and refugial habitats for biota? Theoretical background: We view landscapes in a biological sense as a mosaic of habitats, and in a historic-sociological context as a mosaic of places. Landscape transformation is the result of human and natural processes that govern the absolute quality (e.g. a dry meadow or a playground) and quantity (e.g. a few or many meadows or playgrounds) of habitats or places and their rate of change. These three parameters (abs. quality, abs. quantity and rate of change) are the transformation properties of landscapes. In the role of exogeneous forces they have a decisive influence on human behavior and determine species responses (which in turn govern landscape transformation). Depending on the individual species or people considered, endogeneous forces may also play an important role as drivers for human behavior and species response. Examples for exogeneous forces are slope, altitude, and, specifically for people, socio-economic drivers, e.g. jobs, a tree, a barn or a road. Endogeneous parameters are for example life history traits (fauna, flora) or person and culture related family tradition and bonding (people). Methods: In the landscape historical part common historical methods of document analysis and source comparison will be applied. Special emphasis will be given to the elaboration of an efficient method of landscape assessment. Landscape metrics programs will be used to derive optimal sets of indicators of landscape change through time. In the biological part we will use predictive spatially explicit models (static and dynamic) that calculate species abundance as a function of independent drivers such as (1)
habitat quality and quantity and transformation, and (2) species specific life history strategies, which in turn shall vary in time to account for adaptation processes. Special emphasis will be given to the methodological problems of historic species abundance data. In order to mimic dispersal processes we will use existing approaches e.g. cellular automation and implement them to habitat distribution models. People’s attitudes towards transformation (sociological part) will be evaluated by using the approaches of qualitative social sciences studies, i.e. we will perform qualitative interviews with persons from different target groups in the three test regions. The interviewees are selected according to the 'theoretical-sampling' strategy. This strategy allows us to investigate most of the existing attitudes without questioning a representative sample of thousands of persons. For the investigation of regional bonding and landscape transformation, additional methods (apart from the interview) consist in cognitive mapping of the home region and the perceived transformations and use of photomaterial (old photographies, simulated scenes according to oral descriptions). First results In the landscape historical part a sampling method was developed for generating spatially explicit habitat layers between 1850 and 2000 without digitizing the entire study areas. The method is tested in the Gonten region. In addition to the information that can be found on maps, different official statistics (i.e. agriculture statistics & catastral-based agricultural production data) have been processed. Both data sources allow a detailed and accurate evaluation of the driving forces during the last 100-odd yrs. A first framework of driving forces of landscape change has been elaborated and tested at the Gonten site. Planning-relevant documentation material was investigated at several sites. In the biological part we concentrated on both the local and the regional level. At the local level an effort was undertaken to select species with well documented historical records and exact localizations (Gonten, approx. 80 plant species from the 1900’s; repeated 2003; Pilatus habitat map early 1900’s; partially repeated 2003; St.Gallen butterfly inventory repeated 3 times since 1870). At the regional level we started with the digitalization of historical flora books (i.e. Pilatus region). This approach will continue over the next year. In the sociological part first interviews are conducted by using approaches of qualitative social sciences studies. Transformation processes of landscape elements that are known to create a sense of place (i.e. elements with a historical or cultural meaning) are perceived differently and the subsequent analyses will show what critical determinants drive the existing attitudes towards transformation. Rate of change is mentioned several times in the interviews and seems to be a sensitive response vaariable. Networking - Prof. D. Wastl, Universität Bern, Geographisches Institut; UFZ Leipzig; Alterra, Wageningen; Prof. Dr. H. Bugmann, ETHZ (Habitat modeling); Prof. Dr. H. J. Harloff, Berlin (environmental psychology); Prof. Dr. Joan Nassauer, Minneapolis Univ., USA (perception research); Dr. E. Russell, Rutgers Univ. (landscape history, meaning of places, sense of places); Prof. Dr. D. Foster, Harvard Univ., USA(landscape history) - Kulturlandschaftsprogramm Österreich - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft - Sonderforschungsbereich 417 Regionenbezogene Identifikationsprozesse
- IHDP, GLORIA - Biosphärenreservat Entlebuch; BUWAL; Naturforschungspark Schwägalp; CSCF, Neuchatel On-site Research places The study follows the case study design. We concentrate our studies on 3 - 4 regions along a gradient from high to low transformation, i.e. urban – periurban (St.Gallen, Horw, Kriens), agro-touristic (Gonten, Wildhaus, Pilatus, Schwägalp). The region Naturforschungspark Schwägalp will be one research area. Selection of sites depends heavily on the availability of historic data for species and habitats.
Publications:
Poster: Transformation rates of Alpine landscapes and surrounding areas: potential threats and benefits to people and selected species [Felix Kienast, (English)]
Poster (pdf))
Publication: Schlussbericht: Transformation rates of Alpine landscapes and surrounding areas: potential threats and benefits to people and selected species [F. Kienast, M. Bürgi, K. Ewald, A. Guisan, N. Bauer, T. Wohlgemuth, H.D. Koeppel, (English)]
Publication: Landschaftsveränderung in der Wahrnehmung und Bewertung der Bevölkerung Eine qualitative Studie in vier Schweizer Gemeinden. [P. Felber, (German)]
Publication: Landschaftsveränderungen und deren Auswirkungen auf das Tagfaltervorkommen von 1870 bis 1970 in der Gemeinde St. Gallen [Tessa Hegetschweiler, (German)]
Publication: Freiflächenentwicklung im periurbanen Raum der Stadt St. Gallen 1948 – 2003: Transformationsraten und treibende Kräfte [Christian Schwick, (German)]
Publication: Ortsidentität in verschiedenen Siedlungstypen [Gabriela Rothenfluh , (German)]
Publication: Veränderungen der Flora und Landnutzung im nordöstlichen Pilatusgebiet [Jon Gaudenz, (German)]
Source of Information: NF Import 2002
Last update: 19.11.2007
Update the data of project: CH-64460
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ICAS
Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies
Schwarztorstrasse 9
CH-3007 Bern
Tel +41 (0)31 318 70 18
Fax +41 (0)31 312 16 78
icas@scnat.ch
Präsident: Prof. Heinz Veit
Office: Dr. Thomas Scheurer