1. INTRODUCTION 
The high mountains form a unique and distinct environment which today 
gets more and more important as a prime source for various natural resour 
ces such as water, limber, forage and open space for recreation and conser 
vation etc.. For a compilation of comprehensive resources inventories as 
basis for a meaningful planning and management of the environment, a thou- 
rough functional and quantitative analysis of all non-biotic, biotic and 
cultural factors and processes and its integration into complex ecosystems 
is needed. 
To achieve this goal an integrated geoecological approach appears as 
the most promising method to provide a synoptic view of the combined effects, 
interactions and changes. TROLL (Lit. 1, p. 2) defines:"Geoecology is the 
science of the full and complex interrelations between the organisms of bio 
cenosis and their environmental factors'*. 
The assessment and monitoring of the changes taking place within vari 
ous ecological cycles depends on a continuous flow of data, which to a 
great extent can be acquired only by an application of several remote sen 
sing techniques from different platforms in combination with extensive 
ground measurements. 
Several smaller test sites were established in Switzerland for de 
tailed geoecological studies of the high mountain environment as discussed 
and at the same time to provide the necessary ground truth for our earth 
resources satellite programs. The test areas have been established during 
the last years and will be under permanent longterm observation. 
It is the objective of this paper to outline for two test sites in 
the Swiss Alps (Fig. l) 
- the data acquisition techniques for the collection of the various thematic 
groups of surface features using different remote sensors, 
- the interpretation methods for an inventory and a combination of the data, 
- the organization of the data in geographical information systems for its 
comparison and for a useful application in geoecological studies, 
- first results of data handling and data output. 
1.1. Dischma Valley test site 
The valley in the vicinity of Davos extends from about 1'500 m toward 
southeast over a distance of 15 km up to more than 5'000 m, forming a well 
enclosed watershed. Alpine meadows, pastures, forests, shrubs, dwarf-shrubs, 
rock-debris, rocks and glaciers are the dominant surface features. Some 
homesteads are situated on the sun exposed side of the lower valley bottom 
(up to 1'700 m), all other settlements are temporarily used for alpine 
pasturing.