Editorial

This article explores how small mountain tourism destinations (MTDs) in the European Alps are beginning to translate climate change adaptation strategies into concrete, context-specific measures. Drawing on the strategies of 5 Pilot Working Areas (PWAs)—Ala di Stura and Balme (Italy), Werfenweng (Austria), Bohinj (Slovenia), Sattel-Hochstuckli (Switzerland), and Balderschwang (Germany)—of the Interreg Alpine Space project “BeyondSnow,” the study includes one of the first structural analyses of adaptation measures of MTDs. By applying the framework method for applied policy research, a matrix for the structural assessment of these measures was developed, including 3 analytic dimensions: overarching objectives, structural categories, and the distinction between implementation instruments (means) and the destination elements addressed (targets). Regarding overarching objectives, Year-round tourism emerged as the primary objective, followed by Destination cooperation and Sustainable development. Regarding structural categories, Product/concept development predominated as the implementation means, followed by Communication & marketing and Intradestination cooperation, with targets concentrated on Activity infrastructure and Activities & entertainment and complemented by Accommodation & gastronomy, Mobility & accessibility, and Destination community. Reading across the PWAs, means, and targets revealed 3 recurring implementation pathways: offer-led diversification, cooperation-led system alignment and portfolio extension, and distributed activation centered on specific audiences, placing low-barrier actions ahead of selective capital-intensive steps. The article concludes that, due to tourism's multidimensional, cross-sectoral nature, effective adaptation in small MTDs requires systemic approaches spanning products, community participation, and enabling infrastructure. Sequencing feasible, scalable measures, aligned with challenges identified, local governance, and sustainability visions, lays the groundwork for the broader systemic changes that are necessary for the creation of robust adaptation pathways, aimed at safeguarding both the competitiveness and viability of MTDs.

Polylepis forests, growing up to 4800 m above sea level in the Peruvian Andes, have been severely decimated by human encroachment in the last centuries, causing declines in ecosystem services In the last 2 decades, restoration projects in Polylepis forests have started to embrace local community needs. However, so far, these restoration projects are patchy, small scale, and poorly documented, hindering scaling and knowledge sharing across the mountain range. Here, we present the restoration procedures, outcomes, and success factors in a model restoration project in Aquia (Ancash, Peru). This project was part of a regional Polylepis corridor restoration project implemented by Instituto de Montaña between 2004–2009. We combined a document analysis of the archive of this nongovernmental organization (NGO) with 12 postproject semistructured interviews held in 2022 (with 10 community members and 2 NGO project managers) to give a long-term view of project outcomes and sustainability. The project restored 16 ha of Polylepis forest and improved 41.6 ha of mountain pastures. It reduced grazing pressure on forests by facilitating the creation of community conservation reserves in existing forests, offering farmers alternative farming livelihoods, and addressing needs highlighted by interviewees (improved livestock breeds, pasture seeds, and tools). A participatory design centered on improving livelihoods and formalizing restoration commitments in local conservation agreements, which allowed for long-term project persistence, ecological implementation, and social uptake. Prior socioecological diagnostic work, such as identifying community needs and designing viable restoration strategies appropriate to the challenging mountain context, made it possible to set up the project sustainably and codesign it in line with the community's needs and ways of living. Lessons learned highlight the need for: (1) formalization of conservation agreements, (2) incorporation of in-depth local knowledge, (3) purposeful participation and collaboration, (4) external agency support, (5) creation of local capacity, (6) monitoring of sustainability outcomes, and (7) development of medium- and long-term plans.

Natural springs are the main water source for more than 100 million people living in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. In Nepal, 10 million people in the mid-hills and mountains depend on them. These sources are under stress due to factors such as climate change, infrastructural development, and socioeconomic changes. To combat this trend, spring revival activities have been carried out across the Hindu Kush Himalaya in the last few years. Considering 2 study sites in Nepal, this work attempts the first benefit–cost analysis for spring revival in rural settings. First, using literature and community consultations, a cause–effect map was drafted. Second, the benefits and costs were estimated quantitatively using 4 scenarios: 2 based on the study sites and 2 on more generic situations. Positive (.1) benefit–cost ratios were found in 3 scenarios, showing that spring revival has potential but local conditions (households served, presence of other water sources, usage) are important factors to be considered.

Mountain areas are defined by their high relief energy, dynamic nature, and diverse geo-, hydro-, eco-, and anthroposystems. They are significantly affected by climate change and globalization, presenting complex research challenges from local to global scales (Klein et al 2019). Since 2006, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences, has focused on human–environment relations, with long-term monitoring in areas such as biodiversity, population and settlement, glaciers, protected areas, natural hazards, digital landscapes, and social–ecological transformations. Over the past year, IGF's team has identified the main challenges of mountain research through a series of workshops. The 3 Ds—Drivers, Diversity, and Dynamics—emerged as central factors for gaining new knowledge and promoting sustainability transformations in mountain regions. New ways of conducting research and activities, including long-term living labs and the integration of artificial intelligence for data-based multi- and transscalar analyses, are being implemented to support this research.

The Caucasus region is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. Nature conservation and nature-based tourism are promoted to preserve the region's vulnerable mountain ecosystems. Understanding the cultural value of the ecosystems and the services they provide is essential for conservation efforts. In our study, we use the case of Dilijan National Park, Armenia, to develop a framework to assess the potential of cultural ecosystem services. This framework can be adapted into various assessment matrixes calibrated for local cases in mountain regions. To make the assessment more comprehensive and the results spatially interpretable, we developed a 5-level scoring system using a set of criteria for 2 river catchments in Dilijan National Park. We then conducted an assessment of the rivers' ecological statuses under the condition of no visitors as a reference for further comparisons. To avoid biases, the scoring system for some aspects of the spatial assessment, such as the preference for land use/land cover, was justified using participatory methods. The results highlight a significant potential for cultural ecosystem services in areas where recreational amenities and infrastructure are close to rivers. The mixed-methods approach used for the overall assessment of the cultural ecosystem services potential indicated that, while visitors do exert some pressure on ecosystems, the impacts observed in the 2 catchment areas under study remained relatively low and fell within the carrying capacity of these vulnerable ecosystems.

Promoting the consumption of mountain products could contribute to the sustainable development of mountain areas, as it enables the preservation of traditional production methods while yielding positive socioeconomic outcomes. Labeling is an important marketing tool that supports mountain food supply chains and sustainable mountain development, since it guarantees the origin and specific quality attributes of the mountain product to consumers and thereby supports producers in marketing mountain food products. The European Union (EU) quality term “mountain product” was created for these reasons. However, so far, using this new labeling scheme for wine has not been allowed. The aim of this study is to contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding the possible extension of the EU quality term to the wine sector from a consumer perspective. An online auction was conducted to identify whether Italian consumers are willing to pay more for a wine with an EU mountain product logo on the label. Furthermore, a cluster analysis was run to segment the market of potential customers of mountain wine based on the “greenness” of their lifestyle. While the results of the online experiment did not indicate any significant difference between the prices paid in presence or in absence of the mountain product logo, our findings revealed the existence of clusters of consumers characterized by a green lifestyle who value mountain wines and are willing to pay a price premium for the EU mountain product logo. This is an encouraging signal for wine growers in the mountains who have already started investing in wines that are produced in a more sustainable way and who want to stay competitive.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.