Species inventories are fundamental to understanding biodiversity and guiding conservation efforts. This study presents the first comprehensive butterfly (Papilionoidea) checklist for the Mont Avic – Mont Emilius Massif (Northwest Italy), a Special Protect-ed Area within the Natura 2000 network. The area includes four additional Special Areas of Conservation and the Mont Avic Natural Park. Data collected between 2019 and 2024 confirmed 140 taxa of butterflies out of 146 total for the area, these last representing 50.3% of the Italian fauna. The butterfly community includes: i) two new species for the Aosta Valley region (Apatura ilia and Neptis rivularis); ii) 17 newly recorded taxa for the study area; iii) four species of conservation concern listed in the European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC (Phengaris arion, Parnassius apollo, Euphydryas aurinia, Zerynthia polyxena); iv) a significant proportion of species endemic to the mountains of Southern Europe (11.6%), particularly within the genus Erebia (15 species). Additionally, we provide distributional, ecological or conservation insights for 28 taxa of particular interest.

Keywords: Alps, Alpine, Aosta, Erebia, Pollinators

Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) play a crucial role in driving rural and local development within their regions. Certain PNAs feature iconic mountain peaks that serve as major attractions for mountaineering tourism. While economic impact stands as a fundamental component within the triad of sustainable tourism, and mountaineering significantly propels economic growth in destination areas, a noteworthy gap exists in the available data concerning the impact and determinants of spending within this context. This study, conducted among mountaineering visitors in PNAs, aims to analyse the distribution of spending overall and by mountain peak and to identify the determinants influencing direct spending. The research involved a sample of 562 mountaineers who ascended five Spanish peaks during the summer of 2020. The investigation revealed an average expenditure of approximately €10.62 per mountaineer. Logistics regression identified a total of six variables influencing spending. Remarkably, the research revealed overcrowding as a substantial predictor of mountaineering expenditure; specifically, the perception of overcrowding correlated with decreased spending. Understanding how visitors perceive and react to crowded environments is crucial for devising strategies that foster local economies and protect the natural environment of these destinations. The study’s findings are relevant to mountaineering economic management in PNAs.

Keywords: mountaineering, spending, tourism, Protected Natural Area (PNA), emblematic mountain peaks, Spain

Many peripherally located Alpine regions have faced decades of depopulation and infrastructure decline. In response, protected areas (PAs) such as biosphere reserves and regional nature parks are increasingly seen as instruments to integrate nature conservation and regional development. Yet public acceptance remains limited due to concerns over potential economic restrictions. This study analyses the structural conditions shaping the actions of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Mont Viso in the Cottian Alps, framing PAs as strategic corporate actors by triangulating structuration theory and actor-centred institutionalism. It conceptualizes territorial agency as the capacity of PAs to initiate and sustain structural transformation. Findings show that such an agency critically depends on access to legal authority and financial resources.

Keywords: Biosphere Reserves, sustainable economic development, endogenous regional development, territorial governance, transnational collaboration, Cottian Alps, peripheral regions, case study, La Riserva della Biosfera transfrontaliera del Monviso, La Réserve de biosphère transfrontière du Mont Viso

Monitoring biodiversity is crucial for comprehending the status and distribution of species, thereby aiding in the management and conservation of protected areas. Malá Fatra National Park, renowned in Slovakia for its natural richness and environmental diversity, has undergone biodiversity monitoring for decades, with data consolidated in the Comprehensive Information and Monitoring System. This study assesses mapping efforts across various taxonomic groups within the park and highlights characteristics of adequately mapped groups. It presents heat maps depicting biodiversity hotspots generated through QGIS, analysing 48,995 observations and 1,558 mapped plant and animal species by the end of 2022. Findings indicate that plants represent the most mapped organism group, while animals record the highest number of observations. Mapping levels vary significantly across taxonomic groups, with Tracheophyta, Aves and Mammalia relatively well-mapped, contrasting with poorly mapped groups such as Bryophyta and Invertebrata. Geographically, Rozsutec and Suchý Nature Reserves are the best-mapped areas, with Rozsutec identified as a significant hotspot. These results underscore the necessity for intensified mapping efforts to enhance understanding of the area’s biodiversity and species distribution.

Keywords: Biodiversity, monitoring, protected area, hotspot, conservation management

High Andean wetlands play a strategic role in water provision, climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. Located in the Valparaíso Region of the Central Andes of Chile, Parque Andino Juncal encompasses part of a hydrological network composed of rivers, ravines, glaciers, high Andean peatlands (vegas) and springs. Established in 2004 as a privately led conservation initiative open to the public, the park was designated a RAMSAR site in 2010. Since 2017, it has gained greater visibility as a sustainable tourism project, drawing visitors primarily from the Valparaíso Region, but also from other parts of Chile and abroad. This initiative integrates tourism with passive restoration practices. Considering the alarming vulnerability of the vegas due to climate change – particularly glacial melt and prolonged drought periods – it is essential to consider both the climatic and the anthropogenic factors threatening these ecosystems to develop climate adaptation and resilience strategies. Parque Andino Juncal offers one such alternative. However, its development may be hindered by the installation of mining projects in the area. In this context, our objective is to highlight the importance of maintaining private protected areas such as the one presented here, as they serve as strategic spaces for monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change on fragile and vital ecosystems.

Keywords: wetlands, Juncal glacier, conservation, Climate change

Managing multiple interests in landscape and land use management is an element critical to sustainable economic and social development. Structuring and visualizing conflicting interests in a such a way as to drive the constructive engagement of multiple stakeholders is, however, a difficult task. With the aim of addressing this challenge, an initial concept on how to benchmark different landscape management models based on their ability to minimize trade-offs was presented in 2020 at the Swiss Landscape Congress, using the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch (UBE) as case example. During 2021–2022 the author further developed the methodology and framework to assess trade-offs, updating and complementing the UBE characterization with new data and insights. This paper describes the results and conclusions of this deep dive work. The UBE exercise indicated that since its creation there has been a simultaneous improvement of various social, economic and environmental aspects at the biosphere region, with a visible minimization of trade-offs and a fair distribution of the value created. It remains open how many of these positive developments can exclusively be attributed to the UBE model. Comparisons with similar areas are therefore key to allowing a better interpretation of mechanisms and achievements and this paper is an invitation to other parks to participate in a similar exercise.

Keywords: Biosphere, Entlebuch, trade-off, landscape, land use, conservation, agriculture, value distribution, Sustainable development

The second edition of the Research Symposium SNP+, organized on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Swiss National Park (SNP), explored landscapes as a multidimensional phenomenon. Far from being a static physical structure, a landscape embodies ecological, cultural, historical, perceptual, and political dynamics. The symposium contributions highlighted ambiguities in landscape perception, the potential of landscape in mediating tensions between nature and society, and show-cased a variety of approaches for investigation and research. This article synthesizes key insights from the symposium, focusing on four topics: (1) landscape as a multidimensional experience, (2) contested use of landscape,(3) potential for upscaling, and (4) methodological diversity in landscape research. Longterm datasets from the SNP underscore the critical importance of historical perspectives for understanding landscape evolution driven by different factors, from climate change to biodiversity loss. Ultimately, the symposium emphasized that research not only generates knowledge but also enables landscapes to act as bridges between disciplines, practices, and societies.

Keywords: landscape research, Swiss National Park, UNESCO Biosfera Engiadina Val Müstair, Biosfera Val Müstair, interdisciplinarity, long-term monitoring, perception, Biodiversity, Climate change