Landscape evolution – insights from the Research Symposium SNP+ 2025

The second edition of the Research Symposium SNP+, organized on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Swiss National Park (SNP), explored landscapes as a multidimensional phenomenon. Far from being a static physical structure, a landscape embodies ecological, cultural, historical, perceptual, and political dynamics. The symposium contributions highlighted ambiguities in landscape perception, the potential of landscape in mediating tensions between nature and society, and show-cased a variety of approaches for investigation and research. This article synthesizes key insights from the symposium, focusing on four topics: (1) landscape as a multidimensional experience, (2) contested use of landscape,(3) potential for up-scaling, and (4) methodological diversity in landscape research. Longterm datasets from the SNP underscore the critical importance of historical perspectives for understanding landscape evolution driven by different factors, from climate change to biodiversity loss. Ultimately, the symposium emphasized that research not only generates knowledge but also enables landscapes to act as bridges between disciplines, practices, and societies.