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WS 26.102

Plural Natures and Contested Cultures in Alpine Conservation

Session status: Accepted

Content last updated: 2026-04-16 00:06:27

Online available since: 2025-12-17 09:43:38

Details

Full Title
Plural Natures, Contested Cultures: Critical Reflections and Pluriversal Approaches to Alpine Conservation
Scheduled
TBA
TBA
Chair
Balling, Jessica
Co-chair(s)
No co-chair(s) nominated
Thematic Focus
Conservation, Culture, Sustainable Development, Tourism
Keywords
Conservation, Human-nature relations, Socio-ecological transformation, Cultural and political dimensions of conservation

Abstract/Description

The content was (partly) adapted by AI

The production of nature protection and cultural conservation in Alpine regions, for instance in protected areas, shapes – on the one hand – a diversity of understandings and imaginaries of human-nature-relations (e.g. human and nature as a dichotomy, as well as relational worldviews). On the other hand, their management, implementation and (re-)presentation, for example through tourism or education, creates a wide range of social, political, ecological, and cultural dynamics that extend beyond conservation objectives (and vice versa). These dynamics include, among others, the reinforcement or contestation of cultural and political configurations, such as the construction of social groups, notions of belonging, and socio-spatial understandings of national identities. In practice, understandings of nature(s) and its relationship with humans, as produced through conservation, are deeply interwoven with broader societal implications, making both these dimensions and their interplay the central concern of this session.

Against this background, this session brings together perspectives of researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of environmental protection, cultural conservation, and their broader cultural, political, economic, and societal (side-) effects. The workshop seeks to assemble both critical examinations of how conservation ideals and practices shape human-nature relations and societal configurations, as well as contributions that explore and propose alternative approaches aimed at fostering plural, democratic, and socially just worlds and advancing socio-ecological transformation.

The session aims to encourage critical reflection on how we perceive of conservation and to inspire pathways for rethinking the production, management, and presentation of nature protection and cultural conservation in Alpine regions. Furthermore, it seeks to identify key knowledge gaps, emerging methodologies, and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches that can inform future research, as well as conservation practice and its (re-)presentation.

Registered Abstracts

ID: 3.90

Resonant Human–Nature Relationships: The Emergence of Connectedness through Sensory Encounters in the Großglockner Region

Natalie Kerschhofer
Erpeldinger, Sam

Abstract/Description

Whether individuals perceive connectedness between humanity and the more-than-human environment is central to sustainability discourse. Personal experiences in ‘nature’ support recognition of mutual interdependence, fostering well-being and consideration for the environment and others. Resonance theory conceptualizes the body and senses as a membrane-like interface between self and world. Yet research on nature connectedness remains anthropocentric, neglecting environmental participation. This study foregrounds sensory encounters between humans and ‘nature’ as the relational emergence of resonant moments. Using a case study in the Großglockner region within Hohe Tauern National Park, experiences of connectedness in a vulnerable conservation area are examined. A multi-method design combines participatory photography and soundscape recording at sites selected through the AlpLakeChange visitor survey. Analysis entails qualitative inductive coding and a more-than-representational approach, focusing on situated meaning, sensory qualities, and relational interactions. The study contributes on multisensory and socio-material conditions shaping connectedness in protected areas.

ID: 3.97

Shifting Grounds: Co-Constitution of Human–Nature Relationships and Environmental Values in an Austrian Agricultural Peatland

Sara Matthee
Haider, Jamila

Abstract/Description

Peatlands are priority conservation and restoration areas due to their high biodiversity and carbon storage. In the Alpine foothills of Europe, however, many peatlands have been drained for agriculture and peat extraction. Recent EU Nature Restoration targets put pressure on the need for restoration and rewetting measures in agricultural peatlands. At the same time, research has highlighted the necessity of including relational aspects of nature(s) in restoration policies.

To show how these relational aspects are practiced, the paper provides an empirical case study of the human-nature relationships and environmental values found in land-users in the Oichtenriede, in Salzburgerland in the Austrian Alps. The Oichtenriede is a drained peatland characterized by diverse land use practices, ranging from Natura 2000 protected Streuwiesen (litter meadows) to more intensive grassland areas and forestry.

Through walking interviews with land-users (farmers, a conservation manager, a hunter, a drainage company) in the Oichtenriede, the study elicits place-based relationships and values. Our analysis focuses on the co-constitution of human-nature relationships and environmental values as shaping, enabling and limiting each other. These processes lead to synergies and tensions in farming and conservation practices.

Our results show that land-users do not hold static positions (e.g. a farmer as a steward or a manager) but rather move through different configurations of human-nature relationships and mobilize a plurality of values in different situations. The mobilization of these values leads to diverse societal configurations with broader societal implications, for example with actors supporting or opposing new rewetting measures or plural views of the ‘ideal landscape’ that should be maintained. Moreover, farmers described partnership-oriented relationships that could not be practiced due to inflexible policy requirements such as the mowing regime. We reflect on how conservation policies can unintentionally constrain relational farming practices on the ground, but discuss how alternative approaches can hold the potential to enable more plural and context-sensitive forms of protection and restoration.

ID: 3.151

Towards convivial conservation of alpine grasslands

Svea Busse

Abstract/Description

Extensive agricultural practices are widely recognized for their positive contributions to alpine biodiversity and rural livelihoods. Nevertheless, their integration into contemporary conservation policies remains limited. Current measures, such as agri-environmental subsidies have proven insufficient to halt the abandonment of alpine grasslands.

In recent years, conservation (shep)herding initiatives in turn mobilize pastoral practices as technical tools to meet ecological targets. While these initiatives achieve short-term ecological goals, they risk failing to sustain knowledge transmission and the place-based commitment necessary for guaranteeing long-term positive ecological and social outcomes, especially outside of core conservation areas.

In this contribution, I argue that maintaining alpine biodiversity, strengthening rural livelihoods, and fostering social cohesion require a relational approach to conservation. Rather than framing conservation as the prevention of ecological loss, I follow calls to understand it as sustaining reciprocal human–other-than-human relations. By discussing emerging alternatives, such as shepherding schools which ensure the continuation of traditional and place-specific knowledge, this contribution investigates potential pathways toward convivial conservation in alpine cultural landscapes.

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WS 26.102

Plural Natures and Contested Cultures in Alpine Conservation

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