Thematic catalogue of research topics on Swiss parks

With the implementation of the new parks legislation, Switzerland has experienced a boom in the establishment of parks of national importance. From a scientific point of view, this presents a unique opportunity to accompany these new parks and to establish long-term evaluation in order to assess the changes in and the impact of these areas. From a management point of view, parks depend on scientific results in order to take adequate measures for valorization and development of their areas. It is important to foster the dialogue between science and practice and to develop research topics, which can be analysed comparatively across several parks. Commissioned by the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN), the coordination office Research on parks and its accompanying group of experts drew up a thematic catalogue of comparative research topics on parks and protected areas. This catalogue represents a first step towards formulating a research strategy and establishing a long-term impact assessment.