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FS 26.120

Open Poster Session

Session status: Accepted

Content last updated: 2026-06-21 19:23:36

Online available since: 2026-01-21 21:30:42

Details

Full Title
Open Poster Session
Scheduled
Posters:
2026-07-06, 18:00 - 19:00 (LT), Hochwilde
Posters:
2026-07-06, 18:00 - 19:00 (LT), Hochwilde
Chair
Gurgiser, Wolfgang
Co-chair(s)
Mayr, Stefan
Thematic Focus
No focus defined
Keywords
Mountains, Open topics, Multidisciplinary

Abstract/Description

This poster session invites contributions on all topics that are relevant to the European Alps, including but not limited to natural sciences, environmental change, regional development, cultural landscapes, tourism, biodiversity, climate impacts, hazards, and socio-economic transformations. The session aims to provide an open platform for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders to present current work, exchange ideas, and stimulate interdisciplinary discussion. Presenters will have the opportunity to briefly introduce their posters to the audience. If feasible, depending among other factors on the total number of submissions and available space, the posters will be displayed throughout the entire conference, allowing participants ample time to engage with the presented research and to discuss it directly with the authors.

Registered Abstracts

ID: 3.20

“Illud est certe optimum hospitium” Medieval Tyrolean Taverns and Inns as Spaces of Everyday Life, Interaction and Power

Carmen Mair

Abstract/Description

The historical region of Tyrol has always been a transit area. In particular during the Middle Ages, transalpine traffic of people and goods played a major role. This fostered — compared to other regions — an above-average development of the hospitality industry, which became one of the most important economic sectors in many towns. As central sites of provision, communication, and the exercise of power, inns and hospices also shaped the social fabric of medieval Tyrol, both in urban and rural contexts. Despite their significance, the taverns of medieval Tyrol have so far been insufficiently studied.

This dissertation systematically examines, for the first time, the taverns and hospitality sector of the Middle Ages in the central Alpine region, thus addressing a major research gap. Its aim is a comprehensive analysis from social, cultural, economic, and legal-historical perspectives. The first part traces the diachronic development of taverns. The second part focuses on the operator groups as well as the function of inns as sites of everyday practices, positioned between encounter and conflict. In addition, their economic significance, the legal framework of the trade, and selected aspects of cultural history are examined.

Methodologically, the study is based on the combined analysis of different types of sources, including travel reports, registers, and normative texts, especially Weistümer. Taverns are interpreted as complex, multifunctional spaces, making visible both structural developments (spatial dynamics) and concrete contexts (spaces of action and regulation).

By focusing on innkeepers and taverns as independent social and economic actors, the study opens new perspectives on previously under-researched areas, particularly rural spaces and non-noble population groups, and broadens the view of everyday, social, and economic history.

ID: 3.25

“Illud est certe optimum hospitium” Die Gaststätten im mittelalterlichen Tirol als Orte von Alltag, Austausch und Herrschaft

Carmen Mair

Abstract/Description

The historical region of Tyrol has always been a corridor of transit. Particularly in the Middle Ages, transalpine passenger and freight traffic was of great importance. This fostered – compared to other regions – a disproportionately well-developed hospitality sector, which in many towns became one of the most significant economic factors. As central sites of provisioning, communication, and the exercise of power, inns and hospitals also shaped the social life of medieval Tyrol in both urban and rural contexts. Despite their importance, the inns of medieval Tyrol have so far received insufficient scholarly attention.

This dissertation is the first to systematically examine inns and the hospitality trade in medieval Tyrol, thereby addressing a major research gap. It aims to provide a comprehensive analysis from social, cultural, economic, and legal-historical perspectives. The first part traces the diachronic development of inns. The second part focuses on the groups who operated them and on the function of inns as sites of everyday practices, situated between social interaction and conflict. In addition, the study investigates their economic significance, the legal frameworks governing the trade, and selected aspects of cultural history.

Methodologically, the study is based on the combined analysis of diverse types of sources, including travel accounts, Urbare, and normative texts, especially Weistümer. The integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, together with microhistorical case studies, makes it possible to illuminate both structural developments and specific local contexts.

By focusing on innkeepers and inns as independent social and economic actors, the dissertation opens up new perspectives on previously understudied areas – particularly rural regions and non-noble population groups – and broadens our understanding of everyday life, social history, and economic history.

ID: 3.26

Sustaining the Summit: An Analysis of Nutritional Strategies and Eating Habits in Julius Payer’s High-Altitude Expeditions in the Italian Alps

Sara Marcolla

Abstract/Description

This paper aims to analyse the provisioning, food consumption, and nutritional strategies of the Austro-Hungarian explorer Julius Payer during his pioneering expeditions in the Italian Alps (specifically the Ortler Alps and Adamello-Presanella ranges) in the 1860s-1870s. It highlights the intersection of 19th-century food preservation technology, alpine cultural practices, and the physiological demands of high-altitude exploration, arguing that Payer’s foodways approach was a critical, yet understudied, factor in his successes and hardships.

ID: 3.13

“Biennialisation” of the alpine landscape – a cultural approach to sustainable regional development?

Chantal Magnin

Abstract/Description

In alpine regions of Switzerland, so-called biennials – mostly in the form of outdoor art exhibitions – are enjoying increasing popularity. Visiting them is often combined with walks through the landscape, during which the distinctive character of the surroundings also becomes a topic of engagement. The promises associated with the biennial format are manifold: They include hopes for transformative change initiated by these events and extending beyond them, as well as an increase in tourist appeal or identity-forming effects for the local population. Unlike their urban counterparts, these biennials do not position themselves solely within a rich art scene but rather depend on the support of a wide range of local stakeholders. Curatorial programs and artistic projects take this circumstance into account by placing engagement with the local context at the center of their initiatives. This includes artistic explorations of local living conditions and cultural traditions.

ID: 3.19

Assimilation of satellite-based snow cover data into the snow-hydrological model openAMUNDSEN: A pilot study from the Rofental, Austria

Franz Wagner
Rottler, Erwin; Strasser, Ulrich

Abstract/Description

In this study, we present first results of snow simulations using the snow-hydrological model openAMUNDSEN including the ensemble-based assimilation of satellite-based snow cover data. Our ensemble-based snow modelling operates in a sequential prediction–update cycle and is based on a particle filter, enabling repeated integration of different type of snow observations. The snow model ensemble is generated by the perturbation of meteorological forcing variables. The assimilation framework is developed as a Python toolkit with a high-performance software architecture focusing on parallelization, supporting efficient regional-scale ensemble simulations. In a first model experiment, we assimilate wet snow maps based on Sentinel-1 data and fractional snow cover maps from Sentinel-2 imagery. Test site is the alpine headwater catchment Rofental, Tyrol, Austria (98.1 km2). Preliminary results point out that distributed snow cover simulations using openAMUNDSEN benefit from the ensemble-based assimilation of satellite-based snow cover data. Further testing of the assimilation framework is required to optimize existing assimilation parameters and facilitate regional-scale applications.

ID: 3.4

The melting glacier as a witness to the First World War

Melanie Platzer

Abstract/Description

Italy’s declaration of war on the Dual Monarchy on May 23, 1915, led to the creation of the 600 km long southwestern front. The westernmost and highest section in the monarchy’s war strategy was also known militarily as Rayon I. The front line started at the Dreisprachenspitze, where the borders of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Swiss Confederation met. In 1914, the War Ministry in Vienna still only planned to occupy the Stelvio Pass for defense purposes, stating that “the entire remaining terrain – rocks, glaciers, and precipices between 3,100 and 3,900 meters above sea level – is completely unsuitable for military operations of any kind.” When the monarchy collapsed in 1918, all the peaks in the Ortler region and all the passes between them were permanently occupied by one of the two warring parties.

Due to global warming and the associated melting of glaciers, barracks and caverns are emerging from the ice in the Ortler region. These “time capsules” contain finds such as gas masks, snow equipment, field post letters, votive offerings, glass bottles and cans, bone remains, and even lemons, as well as technical equipment in the form of field telephones and homemade lamps. Research into these remains provides important insights into aspects of work, leisure, family, nutrition, religion, and, of course, the war itself.

By comparing historical and modern images, one can clearly see the reduction and change in glaciers. With the help of the findings, the flow velocity and movement of the ice masses can be traced. The natural sciences help to understand the history of these findings, document climate change, and research the effects on the environment and society.

ID: 3.43

Steppe plants in the Alps: Evolutionarily distinct but under severe pressure!

Roman Müller
Maylandt, Clemens; Schmiderer, Corinna; Kropf, Matthias; Tremetsberger, Karin

Abstract/Description

Eurasian steppe plants occur in the dry valleys of the Alps, in often south-exposed rocky steppes and dry, nutrient-poor meadows and pastures. The project, funded by the Biodiversity Fund, investigated the intraspecific genetic diversity of steppe plants in Austria. The results demonstrate the independence of the evolutionary lineages of Linum flavum, Onobrychis arenaria, Oxytropis pilosa, Pulsatilla styriaca, P. oenipontana and Stipa capillata in the alpine region. Compared to the Pannonian populations, those in the alpine region are typically smaller and genetically less diverse. In view of these findings and given the dramatic declines in the populations of these species across many parts of the Alps, greater efforts are needed to preserve them for the future. Among the most important measures is the provision of suitable habitat by recognising and promoting nature-oriented and traditional farming methods.

ID: 3.37

Myth 1809. Didactic reconstruction of the Tyrolean hero Andreas Hofer.

Laimböck Günther

Abstract/Description

The figure of Andreas Hofer remains a defining element of Tyrolean commemorative culture to this day. The Tyrolean ‘struggle for freedom’ of 1809, embedded in the European coalition wars, was condensed into a heroic narrative during the 19th and 20th centuries, in which Hofer appears as a freedom fighter and identity-forming father of the nation.

This dissertation project examines the concepts and ideas that children aged eight to nine develop about Andreas Hofer and the Tyrolean struggle for freedom before they encounter the topic at school.

The study follows the model of didactic reconstruction and focuses on the reconstruction of children’s pre-concepts as a basis for a professionally sound didactic structure in history-related general studies. Methodologically, the study is based on the grounded theory methodology according to Strauss/Corbin, which enables an open, theory-generating analysis. Data is collected through guided, problem-centred individual interviews; the evaluation involves a multi-stage coding process.

In addition, an analysis of school, museum and digital materials on the Tyrolean struggle for freedom in 1809 and the figure of Andreas Hofer is carried out. This material analysis serves to reconstruct the historical and cultural interpretations and narratives that children encounter in school and public history spaces, and forms a frame of reference for classifying the empirically collected preconcepts. The aim is to develop a subject-based core theory on children’s ideas about Andreas Hofer and the Tyrolean struggle for freedom in 1809, which will also contribute to the theoretical foundation of historical learning in general studies and provide impetus for the future didactic preparation of the topic.

ID: 3.120

Turbulent Latent Heat Flux Prediction over Snow-Covered Areas Using Meteorological and Satellite Data in the European Alps

Katharina Scheidt
Pimentel, Rafael; Marin, Carlo; Barella, Riccardo; Polo, María José; Notarnicola, Claudia

Abstract/Description

Evaposublimation of snow – the direct transition of water from solid or liquid phases to vapor through turbulent heat flux exchange with the atmosphere – can significantly influence snowpack energy balance. In low- and mid-latitude mountain regions, sublimation losses can account for 10–90 % of winter snowfall, with important implications for spring meltwater availability. Accurate modeling of turbulent latent heat fluxes is challenging due to violations of the law of the wall and Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, as well as uncertainties in aerodynamic roughness length that vary spatially and temporally. Remote sensing provides a valuable tool to monitor snow surface properties – including snow cover fraction, albedo, grain size, and land surface temperature – which, together with meteorological conditions, control turbulent latent heat fluxes between the snow surface and the atmosphere.

We present a machine learning regression framework to predict turbulent latent heat fluxes over snow-covered areas in the European Alps, combining satellite-derived snow products and meteorological data. The model is trained and validated using eddy-covariance measurements from alpine stations, providing high-quality flux observations for evaluation. Our approach captures spatio-temporal variability in evaposublimation rates, integrating satellite and meteorological data to estimate turbulent latent heat fluxes across heterogeneous mountain terrain.

ID: 3.127

Vernagtferner: Long-term glaciological, meteorological and hydrological observations from a medium-sized alpine glacier

Anja Wendt
Mayer, Christoph; Siebers, Matthias; Lambrecht, Astrid; Hofmeister, Florentin

Abstract/Description

Vernagtferner in the Ötztal Alps is one of approximately 3900 glaciers in the Alps strongly affected by climate change. The first geodetic survey of the glacier was conducted in 1889 and observations intensified in the early 1970s with the construction of a hydro-meteorological observatory in the glacier forefield. Thus, time series of more than 50 years are available for seasonal glacier mass balance, meteorological conditions and runoff. The glacier is one of about 60 reference glaciers of the World Glacier Monitoring Service. The gauging station (2640 m) on its proglacial stream about 2 km downstream of the glacier tongue is probably the highest permanently-operated discharge gauge in the Alps.

These long-term observations document the continued glacier decline mainly due to increased summer ablation caused by rising temperatures. Years of extremely negative mass balance, like 2003 and 2022, seem to significantly change the melt conditions, with lasting consequences for subsequent years. The increase in summer melt also influences the characteristics and magnitude of runoff. The combined analysis of the variety of hydro-meteorological observations available at this site provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state and evolution of this high-alpine glacierized catchment.

ID: 3.136

A coupled snow-energy balance and glacier evolution model in the Alpine environment

Sohaib Baig
Goldberg, Daniel; Recinos Rivas, Beatriz; Essery, Richard

Abstract/Description

Glacier evolution modelling employs either temperature-index (TI) or energy-balance

formulations. Temperature-index requires only air temperature to simulate melt. However, the

parameters on which it depends (e.g. the Degree-Day factor) do not have any physical basis and

arise simply from calibration – and are expected to vary on a glacier-by-glacier basis, forcing

any projections made to rely on a curve-fitting exercise that may not apply in the future.

Energy-balance modelling takes account of transfer of heat through radiation and convection,

and in general processes within the snowpack such as refreezing. The former is very

computationally inexpensive and is used far more widely; while the latter is computationally

more expensive and requires more atmospheric inputs (often at higher frequencies) but is more

physically-based and more likely to apply to future scenarios.

This study integrates a energy-balance snow/glacier column model, factorial snowpack model

(FSM), with a glacier evolution model, the Open Global Glacier Model (OGGM). Typically,

OGGM uses temperature-index technique (i.e. TI-OGGM) while this study replaces it with

FSM. Both are extremely computationally efficient. Additionally, FSM-OGGM generates

output at daily scale (instead of monthly outputs of OGGM), which is beneficial to hydrological

modelling. Here we carry out a comparison between TI-OGGM and FSM-OGGM applied to

the Rofental catchment, Austria. Climate data from the GSWP3-W5E5 are used as reference

from 1980 to 2020; TI-OGGM is calibrated to the region while FSM-OGGM is not. Both

models agree well with glacier-wide mass balance over this period, but both show large

deviations from observations when mass-balance profiles are considered, and this has impact

on modelled retreat. The results indicate shortcomings in the FSM-OGGM, but ones which can

be addressed by improved calibration; this is a subject of ongoing effort.

ID: 3.160

Designing to engage stakeholders with water related environmental data: Preliminary evaluation of a digital decision support prototype

Côme Brocas
Collaud, Romain; Baez Lugo, Sebastian; Henchoz, Nicolas

Abstract/Description

Climate change is already affecting Swiss mountain areas (droughts, mudslides, earlier snowmelt, etc.) while water is of strategic dimension for the country and Europe. In the Alpine canton of Valais, there is a need for more efficient, informed and transparent decision-making and stronger involvement of stakeholders in water management. We aim to identify key factors enabling better engagement with environmental data within a digital platform. Current digital tools include professional water network monitoring interfaces, rather technocratic Decision Support Systems, publicly available data visualization of Switzerland or personal consumption tracking apps. However, no existing tool has been designed for the general public to facilitate a dialogue on climate change adaptation by reconnecting people to the mountain and enabling a common view on water data.

We designed an interactive prototype alongside participatory research (semi-structured interviews, workshops, etc.). It presents three interconnected sections: real-time indicators, crowdsourced field observations and potential solutions. We conducted an online evaluative study with 32 potential end-users (farmer, municipal councilor, hydrogeologist, etc.). They accomplished tasks followed by open questions. We collected behavioral and attitudinal insights using a think aloud protocol and standardized questionnaires (UEQ-S, UES-SF, TAM3).

Results indicate a positive interactive experience generating deep emotional engagement. UEQ-S’s hedonic quality is rated high, more than the pragmatic one. Reward and Aesthetic Appeal of the UES-SF (M > 4/5) are higher than the Focused Attention and Perceived Usability. The app is perceived as intuitive (81% agreed) and the main functionalities useful and informative. However, the overall target audience and the users’ scope of action remain unclear. While the intention to use and recommend the app is very high, its perceived professional efficiency is low. Participants reported difficulties in projecting themselves using historic graph and expressed a need for forecast data (desired by 44% of people). They requested the moderation of observations (59%), solutions (47%) and the management of the later by specialists (38%).

The data collected will support improvements to the prototype and design recommendations for similar climate change adaptation solutions beyond water. This study, which is designed to be replicated, will enable comparison with the final tool.

ID: 3.154

Sediment susceptibility index: a new methodology to measure the sediment torrential transit capacity in Alpin whatershed.

Anaïs Fichot

Abstract/Description

Cryosphere degradation in Alpine headwaters increases sediment supply, which can pose a hazard to valley bottoms only if sediments are both available for transport and effectively mobilized. Torrential systems play a crucial role in upstream-downstream sediment transfer. By re-establishing the torrent’s central role in propagating disturbances, we aim to assess a watershed’s susceptibility to transmitting sediments downstream. These processes are analyzed through sediment cascades, which characterize sediment fluxes and storage across catchment units. While sediment connectivity is often reduced to topographic parameters and fluxes are mesured by liquid flow estimations hat take little account of solid fluxes, a more comprehensive approach is required.

This study proposes a susceptibility index of sediment connectivity designed to quantify the efficiency of sediment cascades in Alpine watersheds. The objective is to compare and hierarchize catchments according to their capacity to transmit sediments downstream, within a hazard-oriented perspective. The approach combines regional-scale spatial analysis with local-scale process-based investigations.

At the regional scale, a semi-automated GIS-based methodology is applied to approximately 250 watersheds in the northern French Alps. Basin-scale morphometric and hypsometric parameters are used to characterize structural predisposition to sediment transfer. At the local scale, the analysis focuses on torrential reaches subdivided into longitudinal sections corresponding to functional channel segments. Within each section, indicators describing liquid and solid flow processes are quantified within the active channel band, defined as the full-bank activity zone.

Sediment connectivity is assessed using a pixel-based accumulation framework, whereby downstream conditions result from the cumulative influence of upstream sections. Spatial variability between successive sections allows the identification of functional discontinuities in sediment transfer, distinguishing sediment storage zones from efficient transport corridors. The resulting index integrates topographic controls, sediment stock availability, cryosphere-related sediment sources, and vegetation effects.

By explicitly restoring the role of torrential systems in controlling sediment cascade efficiency, this approach provides a quantitative and spatially explicit tool for assessing watershed susceptibility to upstream-to-downstream sediment transfer in Alpine environments.

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FS 26.120

Open Poster Session

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