Matthias Bürgi
Biographic Data
| ID | 3708019 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Matthias Bürgi |
| GIVEN NAMES | Matthias |
| FAMILY NAME | Bürgi |
| SIGNATURE | BÜRGI M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9681-601X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 37 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 267 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 37 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Similar patterns, different processes: Persistence and change in path-dependent land systems
Large-scale land use changes can lead to a fundamental reorganisation of the land and corresponding socioecological regime. These regime shifts are notably hard to detect, predict or model, often arising from unprecedented changes in technology, markets or policies. In a remote rural region in Portugal, we tracked the land use history in three parishes between 1899 and 2018, capturing multiple disruptive socioeconomic and political circumstances,…
Repeat photography. Participatory research methods for sustainability ‐ toolkit #16
Repeat photography offers a simple but effective method for visualising changes in the landscape and can be employed in participatory scientific projects. It is used in geosciences and ecology to analyse long-term developments, in exhibitions and citizen science projects to raise awareness, and in transdisciplinary processes to open up new avenues for dialogue on sustainability and land use
Conceptualising and mapping polarisation trends in land systems
Polarisation is a key process in land systems, describing land-change trajectories within a region that simultaneously move in opposite directions, such as co-occurring agricultural intensification and abandonment. Land-system polarisation relates strongly to sustainability goals, with potentially positive or negative consequences depending on domain and context. Yet, we lack approaches for mapping polarisation, limiting our understanding of its …
Developing an Agricultural Futures Framework to explore the option space for agricultural change in Europe under alternative value perspectives
European agriculture must transform to confront the many challenges it faces, yet there are different sets of values that may underpin future agricultural change. However, we currently lack thorough understanding of the implications of operationalising these plural values for European land systems. In this article, we apply the IPBES Nature Futures Framework to develop a set of three land-change scenario narratives—the Agricultural Futures Framew…
Agroecological and technological practices in European arable farming: Past uptake and expert visions for future development
Agroecological and technological innovations are two important approaches in the transition towards agricultural sustainability. We lack knowledge about how current agricultural contexts may influence future development pathways and the relative importance of the two approaches. This study explores the alignment between past uptake of agroecological and technological practices and future visions of agricultural development in seven European arabl…
Forest Development and Changes in Stakeholders’ Demands in the High-Alpine Valley of Avers, Switzerland
Alpine forests have been part of a pastoral landscape in many regions for centuries. In the nineteenth century, a professional forestry service developed, and the local needs for specific forest uses were supplemented by non-local actors with their specific interests. Using the example of an Alpine valley in Switzerland, the development of the different demands of the stakeholders and their effects on forest development were analysed using an int…
Mapping lock-ins and enabling environments for agri-food sustainability transitions in Europe
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-024-01480-y
Divergent agricultural development pathways across farm and landscape scales in Europe: Implications for sustainability and farmer satisfaction
Current agricultural practices in Europe are increasingly aggravating societal and environmental safety concerns. This creates social and regulatory pressures on farmers, which can lead to declining material and social status of farmers, farmer discontent, and anti-regulation protests. These tensions are rooted in conflicting value systems for agricultural development, which can range from productivist pathways (i.e. valuing production above all …
The practice of historical ecology: What, when, where, how and what for
In recent decades, there has been a growing number of studies exploring the historical dimensions of the interconnectedness of human societies and the environment. A core approach in this field is historical ecology. We analyzed 544 historical-ecological papers to assess patterns and trends in the field. We found a high degree of interdisciplinarity with a focus on local case studies, of periods of fewer than 500 years, analyzing archival sources…
Oral history interviews (OHIs): Participatory research methods for sustainability ‐ toolkit #5
When addressing land use related sustainability issues, looking to the past can contribute an important layer of information. For this, oral history interviews are a useful approach, especially when written sources are not available or do not adequately reflect the views of certain relevant social groups, such as the practitioners directly involved in a certain land use. This toolkit provides an overview of how to use and implement oral history i…
Developing context-specific frameworks for integrated sustainability assessment of agricultural intensity change: An application for Europe
Agriculture plays a central role in achieving most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture has been proposed as a promising concept for safeguarding global food security, while simultaneously protecting the environment and promoting good quality of life. However, SI often leads to context-specific sustainability trade-offs. Operationalising SI thus needs to be supported by transparent sustainability a…
The geography of megatrends affecting European agriculture
A range of intensifying pressures is making the future of European agriculture dynamic and contested. Insights into these pressures are needed to inform debates about the future of the sector. In this study, we use a foresight approach to identify, quantify and map megatrends. Megatrends are long-term driving forces which are observable today and will likely have transformational potential in the future. By mapping these megatrends at the regiona…
Urban expansion and forest reserves: Drivers of change and persistence on the coast of São Paulo State (Brazil)
Landscapes changes are a result of a wide range of interactions between actors and driving forces (DFs). In this study, we quantify the contribution of different types of DFs to processes of land change in the Northern Coast of São Paulo State (NCSP), Brazil, an important region for tourism and the energy sector. We analysed the relationship between DFs and the processes of land change from 1985 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2015 with partial least sq…
Does landscape play a role in strategic spatial planning of European urban regions
Exploring Alpine Landscapes as Potential Sites of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (Giahs) Programme
Traditional agricultural landscapes give a distinct character to the European Alps and are considered part of their heritage due to their distinctive natural and sociocultural features. At a workshop jointly organized by the Swiss Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies (ICAS), the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), and the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), Ljubljana, ex…
From concepts to practice: Combining Different Approaches to Understand Drivers of Landscape Change
Kizos, T., P. H. Verburg, M. Bürgi, D. Gounaridis, T. Plieninger, C. Bieling, and T. Balatsos. 2018. From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change. Ecology and Society 23(1):25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09910-230125
The selection of suitable sites for traditional charcoal production: Ideas and practice in southern Switzerland
A century of change in coastal sedimentary landscapes in the Canary Islands (Spain) — Change, processes, and driving forces
The driving forces of landscape change in Europe: A systematic review of the evidence
Transitions in European land-management regimes between 1800 and 2010
Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: Recent progress in European landscape research
Plieninger, T., T. Kizos, C. Bieling, L. Le Dû-Blayo, M.-A. Budniok, M. Bürgi, C. L. Crumley, G. Girod, P. Howard, J. Kolen, T. Kuemmerle, G. Milcinski, H. Palang, K. Trommler, and P. H. Verburg. 2015. Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: recent progress in European landscape research. Ecology and Society 20(2): 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07443-200205
The abandonment of traditional agricultural landscape in Slovakia – Analysis of extent and driving forces
Fire regime shifts as a consequence of fire policy and socio-economic development: An analysis based on the change point approach
Feedback Loops in Conceptual Models of Land Change: Lost in Complexity
Hersperger, A. M., M. Gennaio, P. H. Verburg, and M. Bürgi. 2011. Feedback loops in conceptual models of land change: lost in complexity? Ecology and Society 16(2): r1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04204-1602r01
Evaluating a Forest Conservation Plan with Historical Vegetation Data – A Transdisciplinary Case Study from the Swiss Lowlands
Forest types shaped by humans host a specific set of plant species that may disappear subsequent to the abandonment of traditional uses of the forest. To improve the effectiveness of conservation management for plant species associated with traditionally managed forests, information on historical forest conditions and plant occurrence is vital. In the Swiss Canton Zurich, an action plan to promote light forests has been initiated by the state off…
Containing urban sprawl—Evaluating effectiveness of urban growth boundaries set by the Swiss Land Use Plan
Transitions in European land-management regimes between 1800 and 2010
Going beyond landscape change description: Quantifying the importance of driving forces of landscape change in a Central Europe case study
The abandonment of traditional agricultural landscape in Slovakia – Analysis of extent and driving forces
Driving forces and rates of landscape change as a promising combination for landscape change research—An application on the northern fringe of the Swiss Alps
Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: Recent progress in European landscape research
Plieninger, T., T. Kizos, C. Bieling, L. Le Dû-Blayo, M.-A. Budniok, M. Bürgi, C. L. Crumley, G. Girod, P. Howard, J. Kolen, T. Kuemmerle, G. Milcinski, H. Palang, K. Trommler, and P. H. Verburg. 2015. Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: recent progress in European landscape research. Ecology and Society 20(2): 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07443-200205
Linking Land Change with Driving Forces and Actors: Four Conceptual Models
Hersperger, A. M., M. Gennaio, P. H. Verburg, and M. Bürgi. 2010. Linking land change with driving forces and actors: four conceptual models. Ecology and Society 15(4): 1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03562-150401
The geography of megatrends affecting European agriculture
A range of intensifying pressures is making the future of European agriculture dynamic and contested. Insights into these pressures are needed to inform debates about the future of the sector. In this study, we use a foresight approach to identify, quantify and map megatrends. Megatrends are long-term driving forces which are observable today and will likely have transformational potential in the future. By mapping these megatrends at the regiona…
How Do Policies Shape Landscapes? Landscape Change and its Political Driving Forces in the Limmat Valley, Switzerland 1930–2000
Over the past few decades, urbanization, agricultural intensification, and greening have enormously changed the traditional cultural landscape of the study area in the Swiss lowlands. The aim of this research is to quantify the importance of political driving forces, to identify the most important ones, and to describe the landscape changes associated with them. The landscape changes were quantified based on the comparison of historical maps and …
Integrative methods to study landscape changes
Fire regime shifts as a consequence of fire policy and socio-economic development: An analysis based on the change point approach
Urban expansion and forest reserves: Drivers of change and persistence on the coast of São Paulo State (Brazil)
Landscapes changes are a result of a wide range of interactions between actors and driving forces (DFs). In this study, we quantify the contribution of different types of DFs to processes of land change in the Northern Coast of São Paulo State (NCSP), Brazil, an important region for tourism and the energy sector. We analysed the relationship between DFs and the processes of land change from 1985 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2015 with partial least sq…
The selection of suitable sites for traditional charcoal production: Ideas and practice in southern Switzerland
Developing context-specific frameworks for integrated sustainability assessment of agricultural intensity change: An application for Europe
Agriculture plays a central role in achieving most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture has been proposed as a promising concept for safeguarding global food security, while simultaneously protecting the environment and promoting good quality of life. However, SI often leads to context-specific sustainability trade-offs. Operationalising SI thus needs to be supported by transparent sustainability a…
Mapping lock-ins and enabling environments for agri-food sustainability transitions in Europe
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-024-01480-y
Divergent agricultural development pathways across farm and landscape scales in Europe: Implications for sustainability and farmer satisfaction
Current agricultural practices in Europe are increasingly aggravating societal and environmental safety concerns. This creates social and regulatory pressures on farmers, which can lead to declining material and social status of farmers, farmer discontent, and anti-regulation protests. These tensions are rooted in conflicting value systems for agricultural development, which can range from productivist pathways (i.e. valuing production above all …
From concepts to practice: Combining Different Approaches to Understand Drivers of Landscape Change
Kizos, T., P. H. Verburg, M. Bürgi, D. Gounaridis, T. Plieninger, C. Bieling, and T. Balatsos. 2018. From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change. Ecology and Society 23(1):25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09910-230125
A century of change in coastal sedimentary landscapes in the Canary Islands (Spain) — Change, processes, and driving forces
Technological driving forces of Lucc: Conceptualization, quantification, and the example of urban power distribution networks
Developing an Agricultural Futures Framework to explore the option space for agricultural change in Europe under alternative value perspectives
European agriculture must transform to confront the many challenges it faces, yet there are different sets of values that may underpin future agricultural change. However, we currently lack thorough understanding of the implications of operationalising these plural values for European land systems. In this article, we apply the IPBES Nature Futures Framework to develop a set of three land-change scenario narratives—the Agricultural Futures Framew…
Agroecological and technological practices in European arable farming: Past uptake and expert visions for future development
Agroecological and technological innovations are two important approaches in the transition towards agricultural sustainability. We lack knowledge about how current agricultural contexts may influence future development pathways and the relative importance of the two approaches. This study explores the alignment between past uptake of agroecological and technological practices and future visions of agricultural development in seven European arabl…
How Terms Shape Forests: Niederwald', 'Mittelwald' and 'Hochwald', and their Interaction with Forest Development in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
Changes in forests are influenced by, and themselves influence, such local conditions as soil, climate and exposure, and also the demands put on the forests by society. Forestry has played a crucial role, since the 19th century at least, in the way these demands are fulfilled through the use and management of forests. This paper describes a regional case study of the history of forestry practices in the north-eastern part of the central plateau o…
Die Biodiversitätsstrategie als Naturschutzkonzept auf nationaler Ebene
Die Geschichte des Naturschutzes in seinen ersten hundert Jahren gleicht einer endlosen Reihe von Feuerwehrübungen: Rettung von Tier- und Pflanzenarten vor dem Aussterben, Bewahren von Biotopen und Landschaften in Schutzgebieten, fast immer in Eile und als Reaktion auf Eingriffe der nutzsuchenden Menschen. Ist Naturschutz im großen und ganzen erfolgreich gewesen? Die Frage wird verschieden beantwortet und erinnert dabei an die Metapher vom halbvo…
How Terms Shape Forests: Niederwald', 'Mittelwald' and 'Hochwald', and their Interaction with Forest Development in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
Changes in forests are influenced by, and themselves influence, such local conditions as soil, climate and exposure, and also the demands put on the forests by society. Forestry has played a crucial role, since the 19th century at least, in the way these demands are fulfilled through the use and management of forests. This paper describes a regional case study of the history of forestry practices in the north-eastern part of the central plateau o…
Integrative methods to study landscape changes
Driving forces of landscape change – current and new directions
Driving forces and rates of landscape change as a promising combination for landscape change research—An application on the northern fringe of the Swiss Alps
Gedanken zum Weltagrarbericht aus historisch-ökologischer Sicht
Die Qualität des International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development müssen Landwirtschafts-expert(inn)en beurteilen. Aus Sicht der Historischen Ökologie stellt sich die grundsätzliche Frage, ob ein System wie die globale Landwirtschaft überhaupt einem geordneten, zielgerichteten Planungsprozess zugänglich ist. Erfahrungen aus der Vergangen heit geben Anlass zu Zweifeln
Historische Ökologie – ein interdisziplinärer Forschungsansatz, illustriert am Beispiel der Waldstreunutzung
Today, most ecosystems and landscapes worldwide are affected by human impacts. Consequently, studies about patterns and processes of and within anthropogenic ecosystems and cultural landscapes have to give proper consideration to human impacts and their historical development. Historical ecology is proposed as an interdisciplinary approach for studying interactions between humans and the environment. Three major objectives of historical ecology c…
Containing urban sprawl—Evaluating effectiveness of urban growth boundaries set by the Swiss Land Use Plan
Going beyond landscape change description: Quantifying the importance of driving forces of landscape change in a Central Europe case study
Evaluating a Forest Conservation Plan with Historical Vegetation Data – A Transdisciplinary Case Study from the Swiss Lowlands
Forest types shaped by humans host a specific set of plant species that may disappear subsequent to the abandonment of traditional uses of the forest. To improve the effectiveness of conservation management for plant species associated with traditionally managed forests, information on historical forest conditions and plant occurrence is vital. In the Swiss Canton Zurich, an action plan to promote light forests has been initiated by the state off…
Technological driving forces of Lucc: Conceptualization, quantification, and the example of urban power distribution networks
How Do Policies Shape Landscapes? Landscape Change and its Political Driving Forces in the Limmat Valley, Switzerland 1930–2000
Over the past few decades, urbanization, agricultural intensification, and greening have enormously changed the traditional cultural landscape of the study area in the Swiss lowlands. The aim of this research is to quantify the importance of political driving forces, to identify the most important ones, and to describe the landscape changes associated with them. The landscape changes were quantified based on the comparison of historical maps and …
Linking Land Change with Driving Forces and Actors: Four Conceptual Models
Hersperger, A. M., M. Gennaio, P. H. Verburg, and M. Bürgi. 2010. Linking land change with driving forces and actors: four conceptual models. Ecology and Society 15(4): 1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03562-150401
Fire regime shifts as a consequence of fire policy and socio-economic development: An analysis based on the change point approach
Feedback Loops in Conceptual Models of Land Change: Lost in Complexity
Hersperger, A. M., M. Gennaio, P. H. Verburg, and M. Bürgi. 2011. Feedback loops in conceptual models of land change: lost in complexity? Ecology and Society 16(2): r1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04204-1602r01
The abandonment of traditional agricultural landscape in Slovakia – Analysis of extent and driving forces
Transitions in European land-management regimes between 1800 and 2010
Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: Recent progress in European landscape research
Plieninger, T., T. Kizos, C. Bieling, L. Le Dû-Blayo, M.-A. Budniok, M. Bürgi, C. L. Crumley, G. Girod, P. Howard, J. Kolen, T. Kuemmerle, G. Milcinski, H. Palang, K. Trommler, and P. H. Verburg. 2015. Exploring ecosystem-change and society through a landscape lens: recent progress in European landscape research. Ecology and Society 20(2): 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07443-200205
The driving forces of landscape change in Europe: A systematic review of the evidence
The selection of suitable sites for traditional charcoal production: Ideas and practice in southern Switzerland
A century of change in coastal sedimentary landscapes in the Canary Islands (Spain) — Change, processes, and driving forces
Exploring Alpine Landscapes as Potential Sites of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (Giahs) Programme
Traditional agricultural landscapes give a distinct character to the European Alps and are considered part of their heritage due to their distinctive natural and sociocultural features. At a workshop jointly organized by the Swiss Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies (ICAS), the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), and the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), Ljubljana, ex…
From concepts to practice: Combining Different Approaches to Understand Drivers of Landscape Change
Kizos, T., P. H. Verburg, M. Bürgi, D. Gounaridis, T. Plieninger, C. Bieling, and T. Balatsos. 2018. From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change. Ecology and Society 23(1):25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09910-230125
Does landscape play a role in strategic spatial planning of European urban regions
Urban expansion and forest reserves: Drivers of change and persistence on the coast of São Paulo State (Brazil)
Landscapes changes are a result of a wide range of interactions between actors and driving forces (DFs). In this study, we quantify the contribution of different types of DFs to processes of land change in the Northern Coast of São Paulo State (NCSP), Brazil, an important region for tourism and the energy sector. We analysed the relationship between DFs and the processes of land change from 1985 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2015 with partial least sq…
Geography (30 works) · Ecology (22 works) · Environmental resource management (22 works) · Land Use and Ecosystem Services (20 works) · Environmental Science (18 works) · Political science (15 works) · Agriculture (11 works) · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management (11 works) · Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies (11 works) · Economics (11 works)