From depopulation to rural repopulation in mountain areas

Abstract

Rural depopulation has profoundly modified European mountain landscapes, with important changes in the functioning of ecosystems, their biodiversity and their dynamics. Sometimes these changes translate into major environmental problems. The recovery of traditional uses of the territory, supported by a repopulation of rural mountain areas, could be a sustainable solution to these problems. In fact, there is a growing social demand for a return to rural life. In recent decades, various social initiatives have made their way to achieve a slow repopulation of rural mountain areas in Spain. However, ecological studies aimed at generating knowledge to guide sustainable rural repopulation are scarce. Nor is it known to what extent the incipient process of rural repopulation is impacting on mountain ecosystems. However, rural repopulation is a reality that deserves to be studied and guided from ecological knowledge. This contribution is a call to fill a knowledge gap that, if continued, may further affect mountain areas in coming decades.