Around the world, mountain regions are affected especially strongly by global change; this is also true for the Alps. The consequences of globalization and the accompanying structural and economic development, as well as climate change, will be highly dynamic processes in the natural and cultural space of the whole Alpine region in the following decades which will affect land cover as well as structure and functioning of ecosystems and the landscape. This research project aims to analyze important aspects of ecological transformations and their drivers in mountain areas. Thereby, we will focus on landscape change and coupled ecosystem functions and processes such as biodiversity modifications, bio-chemical cycles or water balance induced by human management and climate change. The research approach combines field studies with remote sensing and simulation models.