Research concepts in protected areas in the Alps

Abstract

This article aims to identify differences in the research concepts within protected areas. To this end, scientific concepts of protected areas available on the internet from Germany, Switzerland and Austria were selected and compared. To begin with, I present the accepted international terms of global conventions and regional agreements into which the chosen protected areas are integrated. To compare the different concepts, the key themes introduced in each concept are grouped into 15 short topics. Topics on management measures, biodiversity and global & climate change appear in almost all concepts. Conceptual differences can be found in research themes relating to regional development. This is mainly an issue in biosphere reserves and nature parks.