Integrated long-term monitoring of European mountain systems: From process insights to improved predictions and societal action
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Edited by James Thornton, Carolina Adler
Europe’s complex and diverse mountain systems are subject to profound climatic and anthropogenic pressures, threatening their ecological functioning and associated ecosystem services. As elsewhere, long-term multi-disciplinary observations from these environments can enhance our understanding of the various processes and feedback mechanisms involved, inform forward-looking model predictions, and ultimately contribute to effective decision-making and action (e.g. adaptation measures). Consistent long-term observations spanning both the bio-physical and social sciences are especially valuable in the quantification and management of the changing risks associated with extreme climate-influenced phenomena. While conducting long-term mountain monitoring often remains challenging due to factors such as landscape heterogeneity and remoteness, mountainous sites belonging to eLTER and similar networks are increasingly yielding data that can support the “from monitoring to action” value chain. As such, this session seeks contributions whereby holistic and/or long-term monitoring activities (using in situ methods, remote sensing, citizen science, paleoenvironmental proxies, etc.) have led to discernible improvements in our conceptual understanding of, and ability to simulate, aspects of mountain social-ecological systems. Since 2025 has been designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, submissions dealing with glacier monitoring and interactions between glaciers and other system components are particularly sought. Contributions describing approaches to compare trends across individual mountain sites and/or upscale data and information across elevation gradients and wider mountain regions, for instance using common “Standard Observations” or “Essential Mountain Variables”, are likewise welcome. Finally, we look forward to receiving practice-oriented contributions which demonstrate how monitoring data, understanding, and predictions can inform urgently needed policy formation and interventions.