Stelvio National Park

Stelvio National Park is located in the very heart of the Alps and is considered one of the most extensive and varied protected areas in Europe. It covers 134,620 ha in the middle of the Central Alps and embraces the mountain massifs of Ortler-Cevedale and their valleys. Stelvio National Park is partly in the region of Lombardy and partly in the Autonomous Province of Trento and Bolzano. In the north-west, it borders directly on Switzerland's Engadin National Park.

European Academy, Bolzano

The European Academy of Bolzano was founded in 1992 and is the leading research centre in South Tyrol. The research programme of the Department of Alpine Environment focuses on sustainability in mountain habitats and their protection. The department's research and teaching include environmental impacts, the ecology of land-use changes, and the role of protected areas.

University of Innsbruck

The Department of Economic Theory, Economic Policy and Economic History, the Department of Statistics and the Section Ecology at the Botanical Institute of the University of Innsbruck share one main common research field: analysis of interactions between human beings and nature in alpine habitats. Those interactions appear particularly distinct in rivalling utilisations of space as well as resulting spatial structures and their temporal dynamics. Among others, the research places the emphasis on modelling economic mechanisms subject to ecological conditions.

Organising Committee

• Roberta Bottarin (European Academy Bolzano, Italy)
• Verena Grüner (European Academy Bolzano, Italy)
• Christoph Hauser (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
• Wolfgang Platter (Stelvio National Park, Italy)
• Janette Walde (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
• Delia Gramm (University of Innsbruck, Austria)