Abstract
An intact landscape has not only an esthetic value, but it also increases the quality of life for the
resident population and attractiveness for tourists. The landscape also provides essential ecological services for society, such as soil conservation, preservation of biodiversity, and provision of
clean water. The typical cultural landscape in Tyrol and South Tyrol was developed in the 15th
century. Cultural-landscape differences arose from different legal traditions between East and
West and from a changed legal situation after the affiliation of South Tyrol to Italy. Moreover,
the opening of the markets during the 19th century had the following consequences: Favourable
locations were increasingly intensified while peripheral locations became less important and
were partly abandoned. Since succession processes proceed slowly in the landscape, the extent
of the consequences of land-use changes,such as forest re-growth, are only observable after
many decades. This study presents an integrative methodical approach that allows comparisons
between diverse geographical regions. The applied indicators enable an accurate monitoring of all
major features of landscape change including changes in land use, landscape structuring, habitat
settings, and urban sprawl. They further provide high-quality and realistic results for our study
areas of Tyrol and South Tyrol.