I am a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Geography. Trained as a sociologist and social ecologist, I am interested in aspects related to the multiple interactions between society and nature. In particular, I work on the social, economic and cultural aspects that drive and shape human (land-use) decisions, and the land-use patterns that emerge from these decisions. I am also interested in the links with risk and socio-ecological resilience in times of global change and climate change, and how mountain communities can contribute to climate change mitigation while adapting to increasing natural hazards and a rapidly changing environment.

I also work part-time at the Institute of social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Boku). My personal website can be found at https://boku.ac.at/en/wiso/sec/staff/mayer-andreas.

Research interests: society-nature interactions, risk, socio-ecological resilience, natural hazards, land use, ecosystem services

Regions: Alps, Eastern Austria, Europe

Methods: biophysical modelling, agent-based modelling, semi-structured interviews, expert interviews