Increasing affluence permits economically induced mobilities from mountain valleys in the European Alps downward to (urban) lowlands. Research on crosscurrents beyond economic constraints is still in its infancy, especially in the remote Eastern Alps. Hence, I studied 2 conscious lifestyle mobilities in 3 remote regions of Alpine Austria and Italy: those of lifestyle movers who relocated to a mountain community and lifestyle farmers who entered mountain agriculture without a farming background. I interviewed 25 movers and 24 farmers on their challenges and opportunities on site and their engagement with the local cultural landscape. The results show that their spatial or social mobility enables them to have a close-to-nature lifestyle; housing and land access are key challenges they experience. Due to sociocultural assimilation, lifestyle movers—mostly extra-Alpine urbanites—tend to reproduce the cultural landscape that motivated their relocation. Most lifestyle farmers are locals, which empowers them to rethink conventions and regenerate agriculture. By consciously maintaining the cultural landscape, both groups foster the preservation and development of local socioeconomic and cultural structures that are vital to surviving in the Alpine periphery—and thus key to the survival of the Alpine cultural landscape. Spatial and, even more so, social lifestyle mobility in mountain regions holds significant potential that is often neglected by demographic research and not clearly perceived by local policymakers.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed recreation patterns worldwide. Increases in protected areas' visitor numbers were reported along with associated challenges. Changes in visitor numbers, composition, and motivation remain mostly unrecorded due to a lack of baseline records for comparison. We aimed to fill this gap with a study in the Swiss National Park (SNP), an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) strict nature reserve in the European Alps, where visitor numbers strongly increased in 2020 and 2021 compared to previous years. In summer 2020, we repeated a visitor survey previously conducted in 2006 and 2012, complemented by assessments of COVID-19-related motivations. To deepen our understanding of the COVID-19 context, we conducted semistructured interviews with SNP visitors. In general, COVID-19-related factors were a strong driver of increased visitor numbers. A fifth of survey respondents indicated that they would not have visited the SNP but for the pandemic, with most of them being first-time or infrequent visitors. Furthermore, our data showed that more young, domestic, and less experienced visitors came to the park. We discuss impacts and implications for practitioners and researchers (ie the need to better sensitize newcomers to environmental issues) and argue that our study holds insights for park managers worldwide.

Livestock protection measures are necessary to protect livestock from wolf attacks but are highly controversial in the agricultural community. This qualitative study referred to the theory of planned behavior to explore the social elements that influence farmers' intention to use or reject livestock protection measures. Data were collected from 45 sheep farmers on 4 alpine pastures in the Alpine province of Bolzano, Italy, using semistructured interviews. Results show, first, a predominantly negative attitude toward livestock protection measures because of perceived technical constraints, excessive workload, and emotional stress. Second, family, friends, and other sheep farmers were the most important referent groups and could trigger social stress to support or hinder the use of protection measures. Third, perceived behavioral control was constrained by a lack of professional advice in the province regarding protection measures and a lack of funding for additional costs involved. Intentions to use these measures in the future were equally positive and negative, with the sheer inevitability of needing protection measures to allow continued grazing cited as the primary motivator. These findings underline the importance of considering social factors in management plans and conflict mitigation actions and serve as a basis for further, more detailed studies.

Andean social–ecological systems (SES) play a key role in the livelihoods of South American people by conserving biodiversity, providing natural resources, and regulating water supply. Long-term social–ecological monitoring (LTSEM) of Andean SES needs to be coordinated to inform sustainable management and increase resilience. We combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify the state of the art, knowledge gaps, and monitoring priorities for a research agenda targeted toward Andean LTSEM. We carried out participatory and transdisciplinary meetings to design a conceptual model of the functioning and monitoring of Andean SES. This was contrasted with the themes and labels of LTSEMs identified through an electronic survey and active searches of bibliographies and montane monitoring networks. Most LTSEM addressed biophysical issues, with a minor fraction addressing social aspects; participatory efforts were very rare. By combining both approaches, we identified research priorities that were grouped into 5 categories. Our main proposals advocate: (1) the development of integrated models of Andean SES to frame a transdisciplinary approach in long-term studies, (2) the coordination of independent LTSEMs to forecast the functioning of Andean SES under environmental change scenarios, (3) the inclusion of external dynamics and drivers on Andean systems, (4) the promotion of science–policy dialogue to attain a more effective governance of mountain SES, and (5) the increase of information accessibility to improve the adaptive management of Andean SES.

Citizen science is considered beneficial in improving the dialogue between researchers and nonacademic stakeholders and in supporting the transformation of regions toward greater sustainability. In this article, we discuss the challenges and benefits of the citizen science project Val d'Hérens 1950/2050—Lives, Images and Practices of a Changing Territory, which involves researchers, artists, and inhabitants of a Swiss valley.