High Mountain Areas Research Articles

The mobility of shepherds in the Upper Pyrenees: A spatial analysis of pathways and site-location differences from medieval times to the 20th century

This paper investigates ancient pastoral mobility in a high mountain area of the Pyrenees. Firstly, modern transhumant routes were analysed using GIS tools in order to understand possible determinant factors (such as terrain slope and altitude, water courses and possible nodes) in the layout of a route used for seasonal livestock movements. The observations obtained were then used to model optimal paths which may have been used by ancient shepherds. Subsequently, an analysis was made of the spatial relationship between the simulated paths and the dispersion pattern of archaeological sites in two time periods: Late Antiquity-Medieval (3rd-14th centuries AD) and Modern-Contemporary (18th-20th centuries AD). The results show significant differences in the spatial distribution of the sites throughout both periods in terms of accessibility and proximity to possible pathways. This variability provides information concerning historical changes in the social structure of pastoral alpine landscapes over long periods of time.

The first elements of contemporary architecture in the Albanian Alps

The Albanian Alps, with an elevation ranging from 285 m to 2694 m above sea level, like all the high mountain areas, have experienced isolation until recently and consequently, time has stood still there, maintaining a slow development. Until the 1990s, settlements in the mountainous areas were in complete harmony with a cultural landscape and architecture entirely traditional for the time. After the fall of totalitarianism, these areas underwent massive migration due to the difficulties in lifestyle and the lack of services and roads. It was precisely the 50-year totalitarian isolation and the abandonment during the 25-year transition that caused a “pause” in the development of the region, which is also reflected in the architecture of the area. With the exception of 4-5 buildings that try to bring a more contemporary architectural style, the rest remains a continuation of ‘Vernacular Mountain Architecture’. Stone kullas, Albanian term for dwelling in mountainous areas, with their typical vernacular Alpine style, minimalist in form and in perfect harmony with nature, vastly dominate the cultural landscapes of the settlements in the Alps. Sometimes they are found in ruins and degraded by time and sometimes they are grouped together in hamlets or neighborhoods.

Performance evaluation of CLM5.0 in simulating liquid soil water in high mountainous area, Northwest China

Performance evaluation of CLM5.0 in simulating liquid soil water in high mountainous area, Northwest China

Potential Rockfall Source Identification and Hazard Assessment in High Mountains (Maoyaba Basin) of the Tibetan Plateau

Potential rockfall source areas are widely distributed in the high mountain areas of the Tibetan Plateau, posing significant hazards to human lives, infrastructures, and lifeline facilities. In a combination of field investigation, high-precision aerial photogrammetry, and numerical simulation, we took the Maoyaba basin as an example to explore a rapid identification method for high-altitude rockfall sources. An automatic potential rockfall source identification (PRSI) procedure was introduced to simplify the process of rockfall source identification. The study revealed that rockfall sources are concentrated in areas with intense frost weathering. Our identification results were validated using rockfall inventory data detection from remote sensing images and field investigation. Of the rockfall source areas identified by the PRSI procedure, 80.85% overlapped with the remote sensing images result. The accuracy assessment using precision, recall, and F1 score was 0.91, 0.81, and 0.85, respectively, which validates the reliability and effectiveness of the PRSI procedure. Meanwhile, we compared the rockfall source distribution of five DEMs with different resolutions and four neighborhood areas. We discovered that, in addition to high-resolution DEMs (i.e., 1 m and 2 m), medium-resolution DEMs (i.e., 5 m, 12.5 m) also perform well in identifying rockfall sources. Finally, we conducted a hazard assessment based on Culmann’s two-dimensional slope stability model and rockfall hazard vector method. Appropriate protective measures should be taken at high-hazard sections to safeguard pedestrians, vehicles, and related infrastructure from rockfalls.

Milk and meat exploitation, autumn lambing and use of forest resources in Neolithic Corsican sheep farming systems (fifth to third millennia cal BC)

Corsica has been inhabited since the ninth millennium BC, but it is only from the sixth millennium BC onwards, that Neolithic societies originating from Italy settled mostly along coastal areas but also inland, in high mountainous areas. By then, Corsica was already experiencing some Mediterranean climate trends and was covered with dense forests. In order to assess how these Neolithic societies sustainably occupied this new insular territory, we need to understand how the local environment and resources were incorporated in the pastoral system. Osteological and isotopic analyses on remains from the sites of Araguina Sennola (late fifth – early third millennia cal BC) and Montlaur (4100–3600 cal BC) investigated the key parameters of these husbandry systems. Sheep mortality profiles from dental remains suggest mixed meat and milk exploitation. Modelled intra-tooth variations of oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) revealed extended birth season, including autumnal lambing. Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) showed high seasonal variation, involving forest resources in winter, as well as high-δ13C summer plant resources, possibly C4 plants from coastal salt marshes. This raises the question of the seasonal mobility of herds. Great inter-individual variability in δ13C values reflects variable degrees and patterns of mobility, suggesting that herders adapted to the conditions of the contrasted Mediterranean landscape.

Estimating the Evolution of a Post-Little Ice Age Deglaciated Alpine Valley through the DEM of Difference (DoD)

Since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA, ~1830), the accelerated glaciers’ shrinkage along mid-latitude high mountain areas promoted a quick readjustment of geomorphological processes with the onset of the paraglacial dynamic, making proglacial areas among the most sensitive Earth’s landscapes to ongoing climate change. A potentially useful remote-sensing method for investigating such dynamic areas is the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) of Difference (DoD) technique, which quantifies volumetric changes in a territory between successive topographic surveys. After a detailed geomorphological analysis and comparison with historical maps of the Martello Valley (central Italian Alps), we applied the DoD for reconstructing post-LIA deglaciation dynamics and reported on the surface effects of freshly-onset paraglacial processes. The head of the valley is still glacierized, with three main ice bodies resulting from the huge reduction of a single glacier present at the apogee of the LIA. Aftermath: the glaciers lose 60% of their initial surface area, largely modifying local landforms and expanding the surface of the proglacial areas. The DoD analysis of the 2006–2015 timeframe (based on registered DEM derived from LiDAR—Light Detection and Ranging—data) highlights deep surface elevation changes ranging from +38 ± 4.01 m along the foot of rock walls, where gravitative processes increased their intensity, to −47 ± 4.01 m where the melting of buried ice caused collapses of the proglacial surface. This approach permits estimating the volume of sediments mobilized and reworked by paraglacial processes. Here, in less than 10 years, −23,675 ± 1165 m3 of sediment were removed along the proglacial area and transported down valley, highlighting the dynamicity of proglacial areas.

Optimization method of power supply mode and connected to external power grid of CZ railway traction station

Aiming at the problem of long slopes and weak power grids along the railway in high altitude mountainous areas, an optimization method of power supply mode and access to external power grid of CZ railway traction station is proposed. First, combined with the terrain and altitude along the railway and the characteristics of the regional power grid, a sample library of the power supply mode and access to external power grid of CZ railway traction station is designed. Secondly, combined with the train operation diagram and line ramp parameters, the full-day periodic load of each power supply arm is simulated. Then, according to the sample library, a “source-net-load” integrated simulation model is constructed in Simulink. Then, the three-phase voltage unbalance evaluation model of the power system is constructed in combination with relevant standards. Finally, the optimal wiring scheme is selected by using the evaluation model and the simulated voltage unbalance index.

Estimation of Real-Time Rainfall Fields Reflecting the Mountain Effect of Rainfall Explained by the WRF Rainfall Fields

The effect of mountainous regions with high elevation on hourly timescale rainfall presents great difficulties in flood forecasting and warning in mountainous areas. In this study, the hourly rainfall–elevation relationship of the regional scale is investigated using the hourly rainfall fields of three storm events simulated by Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. From this relationship, a parameterized model that can estimate the spatial rainfall field in real time using the hourly rainfall observation data of the ground observation network is proposed. The parameters of the proposed model are estimated using eight representative pixel pairs in valleys and mountains. The proposed model was applied to the Namgang Dam watershed, a representative mountainous region in the Korea, and it was found that as elevation increased in eight selected pixel pairs, rainfall intensity also increased. The increase in rainfall due to the mountain effect was clearly observed with more rainfall in high mountainous areas, and the rainfall distribution was more realistically represented using an algorithm that tracked elevation along the terrain. The proposed model was validated using leave-one-out cross-validation with seven rainfall observation sites in mountainous areas, and it demonstrated clear advantages in estimating a spatial rainfall field that reflects the mountain effect. These results are expected to be helpful for flood forecasting and warning, which need to be calculated quickly, in mountainous areas. Considering the importance of orographic effects on rainfall spatial distribution in mountainous areas, more storm events and physical analysis of environmental factors (wind direction, thermal cycles, and mountain slope angle) should be continuously studied.

Neolithic livestock practices in high mountain areas: A multi-proxy study of pastoral enclosures of Molleres II (Eastern Pyrenees)

This paper presents the results of the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental investigation carried out at Molleres II site located at 2.425 m a.s.l. in the area of Puigpedrós-Malniu (Meranges, La Cerdanya, Eastern Pyrenees). A high-resolution multi-proxy research is proposed combining landscape archaeology, soil micromorphology, anthracology, biomolecular analysis, and radiocarbon dating. This work allowed us to characterize the site's functionality, providing new insight into the occupation dynamics of high mountain spaces starting from the Neolithic onwards. Based on this research Molleres II has been interpreted as a complex and wide open-air site built up by the end of the Middle Neolithic (3636–2701 cal. BC) and consisting of large enclosures entirely dedicated to seasonal animal husbandry and located at an exceptionally high altitude. These unique settings make the site a primer for this period and in the Eastern Pyrenees, revealing the considerable intensity of the animal presence since the Prehistory in these uplands.Following the Neolithic, a second phase of more intense occupation likely occurred during Middle Ages (1179–1434 cal. AD). However, the animal presence in this mountain sector had never been exhausted, even in other historical periods. Palaeoenvironmental data also suggest that such intense and long-term animal presence and possibly fire use could be at the origin of stable grassland-dominated environments and open landscapes maintained almost continuously until nowadays.

Origin and diversification of a Himalayan orchid genus Pleione

Pleione is an orchid endemically distributed in high mountain areas across the Hengduan Mountains (HDM), Himalayas, Southeast Asia and South of China. The unique flower shapes, rich colors and immense medicinal importance of Pleione are valuable ornamental and economic resources. However, the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the genus have not yet been comprehensively resolved. Here, the evolutionary history of Pleione was investigated using single-copy gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and chloroplast genome datasets. The data revealed that Pleione could be divided into five clades. Discordance in topology between the two phylogenetic trees and network and D-statistic analyses indicated the occurrence of reticulate evolution in the genus. The evolution could be attributed to introgression and incomplete lineage sorting. Ancestral area reconstruction suggested that Pleione was originated from the HDM. Uplifting of the HDM drove rapid diversification by creating conditions favoring rapid speciation. This coincided with two periods of consolidation of the Asian monsoon climate, which caused the first rapid diversification of Pleione from 8.87 to 7.83 Mya, and a second rapid diversification started at around 4.05 Mya to Pleistocene. The interaction between Pleione and climate changes, especially the monsoons, led to the current distribution pattern and shaped the dormancy characteristic of the different clades. In addition to revealing the evolutionary relationship of Pleione with orogeny and climate changes, the findings of this study provide insights into the speciation and diversification mechanisms of plants in the East Asian flora.

Crucial, But Not Systematically Investigated: Rock Glaciers, the Concealed Water Reservoirs of the Himalayas: An Opinion

The current article is an opinion on the sensitivity of high mountain regions which are the most fragile, sensitive and vulnerable to ongoing climate change. Its impacts are especially severe on the high mountain communities owing to their weak socio-economic profile, limited livelihood resources and agricultural land. The melting of glaciers and changes in the snow cover under the climate change scenario is leading to the scarcity of freshwater supplies, affecting both local and downstream communities. Changes in the precipitation patterns have been suggested to cause droughts, impact restricted agriculture, and limit the availability of water for domestic use. Additionally, the high mountain areas contain distinct flora and fauna, and climate change is not just altering them, but also has resulted in biodiversity loss as species are unable to adapt to the changing climate. Because of its higher altitudes and semi-arid to arid climate, the consequences of climate change are more evident in the higher Himalayas. Climate change is affecting the availability of key resources, such as freshwater and agriculture and pasture lands, resulting in food and water insecurity and their reliance on imports from other regions. As a result, high mountain communities in the Himalayas are progressively shifting to higher glacier valleys in search of suitable cultivable land with adequate irrigation. People are engaging in agro-pastoral activities around thermokarst lakes (Oasis) atop rock glaciers as part of this endeavour. Such actions underscore the crucial role of rock glaciers in dealing with and adjusting to the consequences of climate change. Despite its relevance, rock glacier research in the Himalayan region is still in its infancy. The purpose of this work is to emphasise the significance of these major climate-resilient water resources, as well as the methodology that must be adopted for their systematic and compressive investigations.

Performance of Frequency-Corrected Precipitation in Ungauged High Mountain Hydrological Simulation

Accurate precipitation data are essential for understanding hydrological processes in high mountainous regions with limited observations and highly variable precipitation events. While frequency-corrected precipitation data are expected to aid in understanding hydrological processes, its performance in ungauged high mountain hydrological simulation remains unclear. To clarify this issue, we conducted a numerical experiment that used reanalysis precipitation, frequency-corrected precipitation, and gridded precipitation to drive a distributed cold region hydrological model. We selected an ungauged basin in high mountain Asia (Manas River Basin in China) as the study area and employed a statistical parameter optimization method to avoid subjectivity in parameter selection. Our findings indicate that the frequency information from the few existing stations can aid in correcting the reanalysis precipitation data. The frequency correction approach can reduce the total volume of errors in the reanalysis precipitation data, especially when severe biases occur. Our findings show that frequency-corrected precipitation performs better in modeling discharge, runoff depth, and evaporation. Furthermore, the improvement in precipitation using frequency correction bears clear altitude differences, which implies that having more stations at different altitudes is necessary to measure precipitation accurately in similar areas. Our study provides a feasible flow for future precipitation preparation for similar ungauged high mountain areas. Frequency correction, instead of direct interpolation, may be a viable option for precipitation preparation. Our work has reference implications for future hydrological simulations in similar ungauged high mountains.

Spatial heterogeneity and attribution analysis of gravel particle size in northern Tibet Plateau.

It is of great significance to study the spatial differentiation of surface gravel in northern Tibet Plateau for regional ecological environment restoration. In this paper, the particle size and spatial position of the surface gravel are studied. On the basis of the impact factors of topography, vegetation, land use, meteorology, soil, social economy, etc., the quantitative attribution of the gravel particle size is studied in the geomorphological type areas of the northern Tibetan Plateau by using geographic detector and regression analysis. The experimental conclusions are as follows: Firstly, the explanatory power of each impact factor to gravel particle size and the coupling degree between factors are different in different geomorphological types. Among the impact factors, NDVI and land use types are the dominant factors that determine the spatial heterogeneity of gravel particle size. However, in extremely high mountain areas, the explanatory power of altitude factor gradually increases with the increase of topographic relief. Secondly, two-factor interaction is helpful to enhance the explanatory power of spatial heterogeneity of gravel particle size. Except for the interaction of altitude factor in the high relief but extremely high-altitude mountains, the interaction of NDVI and other important factors is mostly found in other regions. Among them, the interaction between NDVI and land use type is the most significant. Thirdly, the areas with high gravel particle size identified by the risk detector are mainly areas with high vegetation coverage and weak external erosion, such as shrubbery, wooded land, and high-coverage grassland. Therefore, the specific conditions of different regions should be fully considered in the study of the spatial heterogeneity of gravel size in the northern Tibetan Plateau.

Bryophyte diversity, composition and functional traits in relation to bedrock and tree species composition in close-to-nature managed forests

Bryophytes respond to a variety of environmental factors, including tree species composition and geological conditions, which are influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Bryophytes growing on a variety of substrates were identified in ICP Forests monitoring plots in a wide range of close-to-nature managed forests, from lowland to high mountain areas in Slovenia. Based on data on tree layer composition (broadleaves vs. conifers) and on bedrock and soil type (calcareous vs. siliceous bedrock), all study plots were classified into five groups representing forest types. Different ordination analyses and statistical tests were used to represent differences between forest types in bryophyte composition, richness and functional traits. Almost 200 bryophyte species were identified in managed forests, with the most common being Hypnum cupressiforme, Brachytheciastrum velutinum and Polytrichum formosum. Bryophyte species composition varied considerably along the tree species composition and edaphic gradients represented by the selected forest types. Bryophyte species richness was significantly higher on calcareous bedrock than on siliceous bedrock. The higher occurrence of rocks on the ground surface may significantly increase the availability of various microhabitats for bryophytes. Bedrock had a significant influence on the functional diversity and composition of bryophytes, while tree species composition had less influence. Bedrock and tree species composition are important drivers of bryophyte species composition and diversity at taxonomic and functional trait levels. The high diversity of bryophyte species in Slovenian forests can also be attributed to close-to-nature and sustainable forest management practices that preserve favourable microclimatic conditions in forest stands and maintain diverse substrates.

The Role of Landscape in Sustainable Tourism Development—A Study of Identification and Evaluation of Landscape Qualities of the Vrbanja Basin in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The concept of landscape has opened up a vast field of contemporary multidisciplinary research. Character identification, typology, digital presentation, protection and evaluation from the aspect of tourist suitability are some of the main topics. Unfortunately, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a very small number of complex studies that try to study landscapes in the function of tourism development. The main purpose of the research is the identification of landscape characters, the creation of their typology, and the assessment of their suitability for the development of sustainable tourism in the area of the Vrbanja river basin. The methodological procedure consisted of three steps. The first was a desk study, which included a review of data from the available literature and maps of hydrological, geological, pedological, geomorphological, and climate studies of this area. In this way, the geographical basis of the research was created in the form of four thematic maps (relief, hydrographic, pedological, and forest complex maps) using the ArcGIS 10.8 software. The second step was the spatial identification of landscape types in the area of the studied basin. This was done in ArcGIS 10.8 by overlaying and combining the obtained thematic maps of the basin. The result was a map with four general types and 14 subtypes within the Vrbanja basin. The third and final step was the evaluation and assessment of the suitability of each type of landscape for tourism activities. The assessment was made by scoring factors of anthropogenic influence, natural characteristics, and visual impression on a Likert scale of 1–4. The final results of the research show that the high mountain areas with forest and semi-rural type and the hilly areas with forest and rural landscape type have the greatest overall suitability for the development of tourism.

Vertical distribution differences of the understory herbs and their driving factors on shady and sunny slopes in high altitude mountainous areas

The vertical distribution understanding of undergrowth herbaceous plants in high altitude mountain areas is of great significance to reveal the environmental gradient change law of plant diversity. However, the species composition of herbaceous plants at different altitude gradients and the relationship between diversity and environmental factors is still vague. This study takes the Sejila Mountain in southeast Tibet at an altitude of 2,000–3,300 m as the study area to analyze the vertical distribution differences of the understory herbs and their driving factors on shady and sunny slopes. The results showed that: (1) The number of families, genera and species of herbaceous plants on sunny slope is greater than that on shady slope. Asteraceae on shady and sunny slopes has the largest number of species; (2) The α diversity index of the herbs on shady slope shows a U-shaped trend. The Cody heterogeneity index (βC) is negatively correlated with the β diversity index. The herb richness index (R) on sunny slope is unimodal. The β diversity index displays the same as that of shady slope; (3) Different environmental factors have different effects on herb diversity. The correlation between environmental factors and diversity indicators indicates that there is a certain degree of clustering among samples. The environmental factors of shady slope and sunny slope are separated; and (4) The difference of water and heat conditions caused by altitude and slope aspect is an important driving factor for the diversity of herbage species, followed by soil clay content, silt content and slope gradient. This study will help to understand the species diversity and ecosystem characteristics of the region, and provide a reference for the study of plant community structure and function and rational utilization of understory plant resources in high-altitude mountain areas.

The Late Bronze-Early Iron Age Monument in the High Mountain Area of the Little Caucasus: Chovdar Necropolis

Our research is dedicated to the archaeological research conducted in the territory of Chowdar village, Dashkasan region of Azerbaijan. Here, 214 stone box graves were involved in scientific research.

Rhodiola rosea L. в Українських Карпатах: структурна організація популяцій, основні тенденції змін і здатність до відновлення

It has been established that the rare arctic-alpine species Rhodiola rosea L. constitutes a vulnerable component of the flora of the Ukrainian Carpathians in modern conditions of the high-mountain areas. Under the influence of climate factors changes are taking place in important components of the species populations to ensure its ability to recover and survive. Hence, the field of research covers the study of the modern state of populations Rhodiola rosea and changes in the basic parameters of structure organization, which determine the prospects for their development and adaptation. Input characteristics of the population status diagnostics is analysis of perennial data on the number of species individuals, reproductive ability and the nature of manifestation of dynamics trends due to the influence of environmental factors. Taking into account the ecological and biological features of the species and, in particular, the attraction to wet and cool habitats with low temperatures, the ambiguous response of populations to changes in climatic conditions is followed. It was found that populations of the species are sensitive to stress situations which lead to considerable violations in the structural organization and, in particular, in changes in demographic, sexual, spatial and reproductive indicators. Of importance for assessing the status of the species populations and for indicating the environmental conditions must be availability of generative individuals and their functional relations with the environment. Population degrading is manifested through reduced number of individuals, disruption of the correlation between different-sex, weakening of reproductive development functions, fragmentation and spatial disintegration of individuals with low renewal activity. Hence, Rhodiola rosea populations are sensitive to environmental changes, in particular, warming, which fact testifies to non-correspondence of current climatic conditions to the ecological needs of the species. At the same time, negative trends are also strengthened by the mechanical destruction of the natural habitats of populations, which significantly slows down the processes of their regeneration ability. Therefore, changes occurring in populations Rhodiola rosea actively affect their structural organization and ability to recover. Based on the application of complex ecological-demographic and reproductive approaches, a number of indicators of the structural organization of populations, their changes during different periods of vegetation and the ability to recover in changed environmental conditions were obtained. The obtained results are important in solving issues related to the preservation of populations of arcto-alpine species, assessment of their development and behavior in modern high-mountain conditions.

Water resources system vulnerability in high mountain areas under climate change

Influencing socio-economic development and ecological environment, water resources system vulnerability (WRSV) is becoming increasingly prevalent in high mountain areas, which are strongly affected by climate change. In this study, the Upper Yangtze River (UYZ) located in hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau was selected for assessing spatiotemporal variations in WRSV, predicting future WRSV and identifying the main influencing factors of WRSV. The spatiotemporal variations in WRSV were estimated based on a framework including sensitivity, exposure, hazard and adaptability, which considered impact of both natural and human activities on WRSV. Moreover, the main influencing factors of WRSV and its future evolution were obtained based on SPHY (Spatial Processes in Hydrology) model, GCMs (General Circulation Models) and attribution analysis. The average WRSV of the UYZ corresponded to medium-low grades during 2001–2019. Overall, the value and increasing trend of WRSV in downstream areas were higher than that of upstream areas. Under various scenarios (SSP 1–2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) with global warming of 1.5 °C and 2 °C, the average WRSV would continue to be of medium-low grade. However, the average WRSV of the basin and the area ratio for medium vulnerability and medium-high vulnerability would increase. As the main influencing factor, the hazard level contributed to more than 93% of the change in WRSV during both the historical and future periods. The results indicated that climate change may increase the WRSV of the UYZ and suitable countermeasures would be required to better cope with the impact of climate change on the water resources system. These findings provide a scientific basis for designing adaptive strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and achieve social and economic sustainable development.

The Role of E-Bike in Discovering Geodiversity and Geoheritage

This study analyzed the challenges and benefits of the identification and promotion of a long-distance cycleway in high mountain areas with the aim of promoting Alpine eco- and geo-tourism. We also investigated the role of e-biking in discovering local geodiversity and geoheritage in a sustainable way. In particular, we focused on the path from Bormio to the Forni Glacier (Upper Valtellina, Italy), analyzed within the framework of the “E-bike” Interreg project. We performed a detailed analysis to select the points of environmental–geological interest (POIs), with a focus on geoheritage sites to increase the knowledge of the natural heritage of the area. Since these sites are widespread in the study area, within the frame of the “E-bike” project, we selected only the most exemplary ones, covering a wide spectrum of attractions, from a moving geosite (i.e., landslide) to a paradigmatic example of the effects of climate change (glacier). The “E-bike” path represents in its entirety a great opportunity to visit mountain and high-mountain landscapes, even for inexperienced mountain bikers, and to enjoy places rich in naturalistic and cultural values. Our interdisciplinary approach allows visitors to identify the sites of interest and export the structure of the project in different environmental and human contexts.