Margins, environment, landscapes

The team's research focuses on territories that have long remained on the bangs of anthropic development and that are marked by geographic isolation and/or environmental and societal constraints that determine their territorial development. Thus, the research targets three main types of environments: mountain territories, arctic terrains and arid regions. The research questions concern both the dynamics of the socio-ecosystems of these constrained environments (water, biodiversity, geodiversity) and the way in which human societies inhabit them through their experiences, actions, practices, and individual and collective uses; whether these collectives are human or non-human (for example, a particular interest is shown in the "humanimality" of these constrained environments).

The team's research aims to identify, understand and analyze formal and informal management practices that contribute to the protection and conservation of landscapes. The aim is to study different forms of landscape conservation. This can range from landscape myth (questioning the European wilderness for example) to more formal protection such as the adoption of legislation for protected areas. This axis also questions conservation through recreational and tourist development (geo-patrimonial development, wildlife tourism). Participatory approaches are favored, with the co-construction of research programs in conjunction with territory managers.

The climatic and hydrological constraints are strong in the territories of margins studied. They are approached from the angle of climatic and hydrological field measurements and statistical data analysis, which aim to characterize the functioning of topoclimatic systems and hydrosystems and to detect situations of water stress. They are applied to societal problems such as flood or drought risk management, or agricultural production in constrained environments. The institutional and societal aspects of water management are also addressed (water security, participatory management, hydro-social cycle, urban water cycle) as well as in relation to infrastructures or developments (bisses, dams, hydroelectric power plants).