Articles
Network of municipalities: new approaches to climate change mitigation
Over the next two years twenty climate change mitigation projects are to be co-financed with around EUR 280,000 by the Alliance in the Alps local authority network. The strategies adopted by local authorities to deal with climate change vary greatly. Read More…
Publication: land management in mountain areas
The current issue of the bilingual Journal of alpine research is running a feature on land management. It is a subject on which scientific research is sparse, even though it is of increasing concern for Alpine local authorities. Read More…
Powerline poles: a serious danger for the eagle-owl
Whereas populations of eagle-owl in many parts of Europe slightly increase, they stagnate or slightly reduce in Switzerland. The situation is especially critical in Valais, where only approximately ten breeding pairs are living. In the last twenty years this population has barely changed. According to a new study only ten percent of eagle-owls in Valais survive the first year of their lives. One fourth dies of electric shock when trying to sit on obsolete powerline poles, which do not correspond to current security standards. Read More…
Journal "Conservation Biology" about ecological connectivity and corridors
The April 2010 virtual issue of the journal Conservation biology contains several articles on connectivity and corridors.The articles address phenomena and actions that affect movement of genes, organisms (including humans), and ecological processes. Read More…
TransEcoNet: Comprehensive inventory of ecological networks in Central Europe finished
The TransEcoNet project strives for a better connection of protected and less or unprotected landscapes across national borders in Central Europe. One focus of the project during its first half of implementation has been the analysis of existing transboundary ecological networks, their status of biodiversity and the detection of gaps in these networks. Read More…
Fragmentation of Stelvio National Park management
A committee composed of members of the Italian government, the region Lombardy and the automous provinces of Trento and Bolzano has decided that the Stelvio national park/I should be run directly by local authorities. It foresees that the park will be managed by the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano and the Region Lombardy, in collaboration with the municipalities concerned. According to WWF Italy, this could lead to an unnecessary and potentially damaging administrational fragmentation of the Park. Read More…
Wild cat back in Austrian forests
After more than fifty years, the wild cat returned to Austrian forests. To contribute to protection and a better acceptance of this shy animal among people, the Platform on Wildcats was founded in 2009. Read More…
Methodological guide of the hierarchical ecological networks
The pilot region Isère has published a guide presenting various experiences they led since ten years in different areas and the methods being used. The publication "Methodological guide of the hierarchical ecological networks - Ten years of experiments in Isère" is available in English and French. Read More…
Renewed website Ecological Networks in the European Alps
The Ecological Continuum Initiative has launched its renewed webpage. Apart from the new appealing graphic design the website is also richer in information in German, French, Italian and Slovenian language such as publications, links, events and news. Therefore the website is more attractive for a wide public. Read More…
"The Wall": Less barriers, more life!
Stop - no way through! On 20th of October 2010 a giant wall blocked the way of pedestrians in Zurich/CH, Vienna/A, Munich/D, Ljubljana/SI, Milan/I and Lyon/F. For animals, it's the same every day: streets and settlements increasingly fragment their migration routes. Read More…
Dear colleagues and friends of the Ecological Continuum Initiative,
The international year of biodiversity is coming to an end. 2010 represented a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of biodiversity conservation. The topic had a large echo in the media, thanks to numerous events, new publications, TV reports etc. The year was also fruitful for ecological connectivity - a not so simple topic that received unprecedented media attention. In 2010 the Ecological Continuum Initiative's main focus was on communication. Many articles were published in specialized media. However our main achievement was "The Wall" event. Its aim was to bring home our message on the need for ecological connectivity, carrying it across the whole Alpine space, across administrative, language and cultural boundaries. We succeeded. Pedestrians in six Alpine cities were confronted with a big barrier blocking their paths: an obstacle much like those encountered by animals and plants every day. The public had therefore a chance to experience first hand the problem of habitat fragmentation. The event attracted the attention of local and national media in the Alpine countries. Thanks to "The Wall" the topic of ecological connectivity has reached many more people than is normally the case for such "technical" subjects. It is an important achievement in which we intend to build further awareness-raising initiatives. Read More…
A media house for the Alps
The Alps are to have their own multilingual media platform. This ambitious idea was launched by the Rhaeto-Romanic department of Switzerland's public radio broadcaster. Las-Alps-Infoteca is to become "a competence centre for media in the Alps, providing news and information from the Alps and about the Alps". Read More…
Natural hazards: an incalculable risk for road and rail?
Time and time again avalanches, debris-flows and rock falls result in roads being blocked and railway tracks being swept away, causing fatalities. The Alpine Space Project PARAmount is looking to bridge the gap between society's demands on transportation routes and the outline conditions defined by nature. Read More…
Olympic Games: no benefit to the national economy
Switzerland is once again discussing its candidacy for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Environmental organisations are warning against the ecological and economic repercussions. Even Marco Blatter, former CEO of Swiss Olympic, has been quoted on Swiss radio, saying that he was glad the 2006 Games were not held in the Valais. He added that in Turin/I the Games had grown out of all proportion. "With all the infrastructure investments Turin cost around CHF 4.5 bn; Vancouver is costing around CHF 6 bn; and Sochi 2014 is officially budgeting for CHF 13 bn," reports Switzerland's SonntagsZeitung. Read More…
Biodiversity in times of climate change: management or wilderness?
The concrete impact of climate change on biodiversity is still uncertain. However it is expected to be visible particularly in the behaviour of the flora and fauna in the Alps and also to be different for each species. The habitat of butterflies such as the marbled ringlet (Erebia montana) is set to shrink, alike the grouse's. But in a different way, because the grouse is more severely impacted by land use than by climate change. Read More…
Conference on demographic change in the Alpine region
The Alpine Space Forum, to be held in Innsbruck/A from 22 to 23 February 2011, focuses on coping with demographic change in the Alpine region. The Alps are particularly affected as settlement areas are limited and many Alpine communities are located in the peripheries. Read More…
MontagnaLibri is looking for books on mountains
Preparations for the 2011 international mountain book fair MontagnaLibri are well underway. Authors and publishers are now invited to submit any books, magazines or studies published between 2007 and 2010. Read More…
55 questions on alpine ecological connectivity
A joint research project of Econnect, the Platform Ecological Network under the Alpine Convention and the Ecological Continuum Initiative aims to identify "The 55 most urgent questions concerning ecological networks in the Alps" by bringing together all "alpine actors" such as national administrations, protected areas, researchers, stakeholders and various NGOs. Read More…
The shreds of Turin
Mountain regions are footing the bill for the Winter Olympics - the Winter Olympics bring fame and glory and an economic revival to the regions. For a fortnight. Leaving behind an oversized infrastructure, debts and empty beds. That, in a nutshell, is Turin four years after the 20th Olympic Winter Games. Read More…
ForumAlpinum 2010: proceedings now online
The 9th edition of the ForumAlpinum was held in Munich/D in early October. Titled Metropolises and "their" Alps it explored from scientific and political angles the relationship between the Alps and large cities along the Alpine Arc Further on the plenary talks and workshops focused on the relations between large cities and climate change, biodiversity, geo risks, and the European macro-region "Alpine Space". Read More…
Legal barriers and potentials for a pan-Alpine ecological network
A synthesis report from the international technical seminar in the frame of the "legal barrier" work package of Econnect, which took place on 6 May in Grenoble/F, is now available. In the focus of the seminar was the question "How can legal instruments contribute to the objectives of ecological connectivity in the Alps?". Read More…
Publication on the challenges facing mountain regions
The Institute for Mountain Research at Innsbruck University/A has published a book on man and the environment in mountain areas under the English original title Challenges for Mountain Regions - Tackling Complexity. Besides the Alps it also examines mountain areas in the Andes and Patagonia. Read More…
