The Emergence of Landscape Stewardship in Practice, Policy and Research

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Emergence of Landscape Stewardship in Practice, Policy and Research

AU - Plieninger, Tobias

AU - Bieling, Claudia

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - Traditional cultural landscapes - century old terraced olive groves, cultivations of spectacular carob trees and extensive almond orchards - shape the foothills of the Sierra de Tramuntana of Mallorca (Spain) (Fig. 1.1). But although these landscapes are greatly appreciated by visitors and locals for the nature experiences that they offer, more and more of the fields are facing land abandonment. Recently, estate owners and tourism representatives teamed together in a land management network assisted by environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public funds in order to support traditional agriculture and pastoralism and so be able to contribute to sustainable rural development. Landowners create access to their estates and practice land management that enhances the qualities of the landscape, while the tourism sector helps to channel funds towards these activities, e.g. by developing and commercialising local landscape products such as premium olive oil. Joint activities include conservation of protected flora and fauna, repair of dry stonewalls and other forms of rural heritage, development of rural trails for ecotourism and creation of educational materials for visitors. The result is a lively ‘working landscape’ where biodiversity conservation, low intensity agriculture and sustainable tourism are complementary to each other and rural outmigration is consequently relatively low, compared to other parts of the Mediterranean. An ever increasing number of people live in cities and urban inhabitants frequently lack direct and accessible exposure to nature in outdoor settings. Such ‘extinction of experience’ has led to a loss of connections between society and the environment, which has been frequently deplored. In the city of Roskilde (Denmark), citizens have deliberately created interactions with nature by establishing local ‘grazing associations’ that manage cattle, sheep and - individually - horses (Fig. 1.2). These associations are run by local neighbours, most typically families, who are fully responsible for taking care of the livestock. Organisation in a group enables exchange, learning and development of responsibility for animals, and facilitates such experiences particularly to children. Grasslands are managed without use of pesticides, with the soils being fertilised with human waste from a nearby housing development. These activities assure that the area will be preserved as open space and surrounding inhabitants and visitors enjoy the open vistas.

AB - Traditional cultural landscapes - century old terraced olive groves, cultivations of spectacular carob trees and extensive almond orchards - shape the foothills of the Sierra de Tramuntana of Mallorca (Spain) (Fig. 1.1). But although these landscapes are greatly appreciated by visitors and locals for the nature experiences that they offer, more and more of the fields are facing land abandonment. Recently, estate owners and tourism representatives teamed together in a land management network assisted by environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public funds in order to support traditional agriculture and pastoralism and so be able to contribute to sustainable rural development. Landowners create access to their estates and practice land management that enhances the qualities of the landscape, while the tourism sector helps to channel funds towards these activities, e.g. by developing and commercialising local landscape products such as premium olive oil. Joint activities include conservation of protected flora and fauna, repair of dry stonewalls and other forms of rural heritage, development of rural trails for ecotourism and creation of educational materials for visitors. The result is a lively ‘working landscape’ where biodiversity conservation, low intensity agriculture and sustainable tourism are complementary to each other and rural outmigration is consequently relatively low, compared to other parts of the Mediterranean. An ever increasing number of people live in cities and urban inhabitants frequently lack direct and accessible exposure to nature in outdoor settings. Such ‘extinction of experience’ has led to a loss of connections between society and the environment, which has been frequently deplored. In the city of Roskilde (Denmark), citizens have deliberately created interactions with nature by establishing local ‘grazing associations’ that manage cattle, sheep and - individually - horses (Fig. 1.2). These associations are run by local neighbours, most typically families, who are fully responsible for taking care of the livestock. Organisation in a group enables exchange, learning and development of responsibility for animals, and facilitates such experiences particularly to children. Grasslands are managed without use of pesticides, with the soils being fertilised with human waste from a nearby housing development. These activities assure that the area will be preserved as open space and surrounding inhabitants and visitors enjoy the open vistas.

U2 - 10.1017/9781316499016.002

DO - 10.1017/9781316499016.002

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 9781107142268

BT - The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship

A2 - Bieling, Claudia

A2 - Plieninger, Tobias

PB - Cambridge University Press

CY - Cambridge

ER -