The Caucasus region is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. Nature conservation and nature-based tourism are promoted to preserve the region's vulnerable mountain ecosystems. Understanding the cultural value of the ecosystems and the services they provide is essential for conservation efforts. In our study, we use the case of Dilijan National Park, Armenia, to develop a framework to assess the potential of cultural ecosystem services. This framework can be adapted into various assessment matrixes calibrated for local cases in mountain regions. To make the assessment more comprehensive and the results spatially interpretable, we developed a 5-level scoring system using a set of criteria for 2 river catchments in Dilijan National Park. We then conducted an assessment of the rivers' ecological statuses under the condition of no visitors as a reference for further comparisons. To avoid biases, the scoring system for some aspects of the spatial assessment, such as the preference for land use/land cover, was justified using participatory methods. The results highlight a significant potential for cultural ecosystem services in areas where recreational amenities and infrastructure are close to rivers. The mixed-methods approach used for the overall assessment of the cultural ecosystem services potential indicated that, while visitors do exert some pressure on ecosystems, the impacts observed in the 2 catchment areas under study remained relatively low and fell within the carrying capacity of these vulnerable ecosystems.

This article considers different governance structures, policies, and strategies that focus on the sustainable development of mountain areas in the European Alpine region and investigates how different countries integrate sustainable development into their mountain policies. Even though mountain areas cover around one third of European land, only a few countries have established place-based policies for their sustainable development. We analyzed 4 cases (Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland) to reveal extremely diverse systems in terms of policies and actions. Furthermore, we scrutinized the sustainable development governance frameworks in policies directed at mountain areas, comparing national legislation. We also performed 4 semistructured interviews with national experts in mountain governance. Our results show that interacting with different stakeholders is a precondition for place-based sustainable development processes. We conclude by providing evidence-based policy recommendations for the sustainable development of mountain areas.