Biocultural Landscapes

This book is devoted to the cultural and biological dimensions and values of landscapes, linking the concepts of biodiversity, landscape and culture and presenting an essential approach for landscape analysis, interpretation and sustainable dynamics. Early chapters explore the concepts and values of biocultural landscapes, before addressing the methodology to identify the relationship between biological and cultural diversity. The volume continuous with a series of case studies and with an exploration of the key role of biocultural diversity in contemporary landscape ecology. Readers will learn the importance of landscapes for different fields of natural and human sciences and are confronted to the trans-disciplinary nature of the landscape concept itself. A hierarchical approach to landscapes, in which they are composed of interacting (eco)systems, is shown to be essential in recognizing their emergent properties. In this work, the biocultural values of landscapes are explored through their diversity in geographical scopes, methodological approaches and conceptual assumptions. Authors from Asia, Europe and North-America present diverse research experiences and views on biocultural landscapes, their pattern, conservation and management. Landscape ecologists will find this work particularly appealing, as well as anyone with an interest in sustainable landscape development, nature conservation or cultural heritage management. This volume is the outcome of a symposium on “Biodiversity in Cultural Landscapes”, organized in the framework of the 8th IALE World Congress, held in Beijing in 2011.

This book presents perspective on the importance of natural and cultural relationships for conserving bio-cultural landscapes. It explores the approaches and concepts used to conserve bio-cultural landscapes in Malaysia and Indonesia. The book highlights the importance of bio-cultural landscape in sustainable development framework and its link to sustainable development goals are also included. It fills the gap in literature with special focus on this region. The book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, conservationists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also it serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of ecology, and environmental sciences. National and international environmental scientists, policy makers also find this to be a useful read.

The edited book highlights comprehensive studies on plant diversity dynamics, ecosystem processes, and best conservation practices from the interdisciplinary perspectives such as the botanists, ecologists, conservation biologists, geneticists, cell biologists, molecular biotechnologists, and social scientists. The main focus of the book is to address biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse amidst the escalating climate change problems, aggravated by anthropogenic activities in biocultural landscapes. The book describes the biocultural landscape of today, ecology of plant diversity, botany of keystone and other rare species of economic and pharmaceutical significance, ecosystem processes, conservation, and emerging frameworks to sustain biocultural landscapes in the Anthropocene. Biocultural landscapes are tracks of land in many parts of the world, shaped by unique human-nature interactions. Many of these landscapes are populated with indigenous peoples with a unique way of life including their interaction with plants and the environment. The relationship between humans and nature in biocultural landscapes used to be harmonious. However, as the human population surges, much pressure has been experienced by the landscape, hence, the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services that cascade to agricultural systems. The book is of interest to teachers, professors, policymakers, researchers, and advocates in the fields of botany, ecology, taxonomy, biodiversity conservation, environmental science, molecular biology and genomics, molecular ecology, agriculture, and Agri-tourism, forestry, social science, and climate change professionals. Also, the book serves as a good reference and additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students.

Climate change and the pressures of escalating human demands on the environment have had increasing impacts on landscapes across the world. In this book, world-class scholars discuss current and pressing issues regarding the landscape, landscape ecology, social and economic development, and adaptive management. Topics include the interaction between landscapes and ecological processes, landscape modeling, the application of landscape ecology in understanding cultural landscapes, biodiversity, climate change, landscape services, landscape planning, and adaptive management to provide a comprehensive view that allows readers to form their own opinions. Professor Bojie Fu is an Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chair of scientific committee at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Professor K. Bruce Jones is the Executive Director for Earth and Ecosystem Sciences Division at Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA.

The paper text is a conceptual introduction to the "INTERNATIONAL INVENTORY OF COMMUNITY CULTURAL AND BIOCULTURAL LANDSCAPES" ( for the moment, in digital form. The Inventory is an attempt to identify rural, pasture, forestry and coastal community spaces, still existing and observable in the landscape and identity dimension as stratified over the millennia, also in relation to the presence of management practices still existing, potentially subject to analysis and studies by agroecologists and naturalists. These spaces have been reviewed in approximately 1300 files, on an international basis, into 8 main typologies, divided into nations, departments, regions and localities, in relation to scientific reports and activities carried out by bodies, associations, universities and foundations as well as on the basis of personal direct observations in different continents. Anyone among the readers can find, in alphabetical order, in the Inventory sheets of different nations, the presence of areas of interest to them and inform me, if they believe, of the presence of other spaces of communities and landscapes, by email: debernardi@ager-landscape .org

The Routledge Handbook of Cultural Landscape Heritage in the Asia-Pacific revisits the use, growth, and potential of the cultural landscape methodology in the conservation and management of culture-nature heritage in the Asia-Pacific region. Taking both a retrospective and prospective view of the management of cultural heritage in the region, this volume argues that the plurality and complexity of heritage in the region cannot be comprehensively understood and effectively managed without a broader conceptual framework like the cultural landscape approach. The book also demonstrates that such an approach facilitates the development of a flexible strategy for heritage conservation. Acknowledging the effects of rapid socio-economic development, globalization, and climate change, contributors examine the pressure these issues place on the sustenance of cultural heritage. Including chapters from more than 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, the volume reviews the effectiveness of theoretical and practical potentials afforded by the cultural landscape approach and examines how they have been utilized in the Asia-Pacific context for the last three decades. The Routledge Handbook of Cultural Landscape Heritage in the Asia-Pacific provides a comprehensive analysis of the processes of cultural landscape heritage conservation and management. As a result, it will be of interest to academics, students, and professionals who are based in the fields of cultural heritage management, architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, and landscape management.

A marvelously illustrated reference to the natural wonders of one of the most spectacular places on earth Separated from Africa’s mainland for tens of millions of years, Madagascar has evolved a breathtaking wealth of biodiversity, becoming home to thousands of species found nowhere else on the planet. The New Natural History of Madagascar provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis available of this island nation’s priceless biological treasures. Now fully revised and expanded, this beautifully illustrated compendium features contributions by more than 600 globally renowned experts who cover the history of scientific exploration in Madagascar, as well as the island’s geology and soils, climate, forest ecology, human ecology, marine and coastal ecosystems, plants, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This invaluable two-volume reference also includes detailed discussions of conservation efforts in Madagascar that showcase several successful protected area programs that can serve as models for threatened ecosystems throughout the world. Provides the most comprehensive overview of Madagascar’s rich natural history Coedited by 18 different specialists Features hundreds of new contributions by world-class experts Includes hundreds of new illustrations Covers a broad array of topics, from geology and climate to animals, plants, and marine life Sheds light on newly discovered species and draws on the latest science An essential resource for anyone interested in Madagascar or tropical ecosystems in general, from biologists and conservationists to ecotourists and armchair naturalists

The book collects a selection of the papers presented at the meeting held in the context of the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (JP-BiCuD). Recognizing the inextricable link between biological and cultural diversity, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) joined forces, and in 2010 launched the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (JP-BiCuD). The first meeting for the implementation of the JP-BiCuD was held in Florence (Italy) in April 2014 and produced the UNESCO-sCBD Florence Declaration, which highlights the concept of biocultural diversity. The European rural territory is predominantly a biocultural, multi-functional landscape, providing a crucial and effective space for integration of biological and cultural diversity, suggesting the need to revise some of the current strategies for the assessment and management of biodiversity.