Biocultural conservation systems in the Mediterranean region: the role of values, rules, and knowledge

Abstract

The Mediterranean Basin is a global biodiversity hotspot, but formal conservation approaches have not been wholly effective to halt species and ecosystem losses in this world region. There is wide agreement that maintaining traditional and diverse land-use systems is key to conserving biodiversity across the Mediterranean region. Biocultural approaches provide a perspective to understand and manage the interplay of nature and culture in various contexts. To develop biocultural systems as positive alternatives to unsustainable land-use systems requires an understanding of the decision-making contexts that enable such approaches. The aim of this synthesis study is therefore to compare how four biocultural conservation systems in the Mediterranean are shaped by values, rules, and knowledge. Our study is based on a synthesis of the literature published on agdal (Morocco), communal forests (Spain), sacred natural sites (Greece), and hima (Lebanon). Our synthesis shows that instrumental, intrinsic, and relational values are all fundamental components of the systems studied. Instrumental values, such as the provision of fodder or firewood, are central, and are often the result of a careful adaptation to the uncertainty inherent to Mediterranean climatic conditions. Systems like agdal and hima have originally been shaped by informal rules (often with the primary motivation to ensure equitable resource use and frequently involving taboos) and were then formalized to varying degrees. All four systems are strongly driven by local knowledge. We conclude that biocultural systems in the Mediterranean represent “people and nature” approaches that support linkages between nature and human well-being. Fostering biocultural conservation in the Mediterranean requires navigating multiple interlinkages between values, rules, and knowledge in decision-making.

Missing Landscapes: A Geohistory of Parkland Landscapes in Northwestern Morocco

“…Other more ordinary landscapes of trees outside of forests, landscapes which are less esthetically interesting or whose production is more marginal, are also threatened or have already disappeared [4,[12][13][14]17]. These landscapes represent, nonetheless, an intergenerational legacy where much is at stake, both ecologically and economically [55], but most especially, on a sociocultural and symbolic level [9,56]. On the other hand, the traditional agroforestry systems have received increasing attention in recent decades for their multifunctional role and as a sustainable development model in a world facing global changes [57].…”

A first assessment of community values, rules and knowledge of Mount Hermon, Lebanon: key perspectives towards biocultural conservation

“…The consideration of this knowledge in all decision-making structures and processes of the mount management strategy and implementation is necessary. Research and case studies from the Mediterranean and around the world illustrate that a biocultural approach that is inclusive of ecological local knowledge is a vital instrument to design culturally appropriate conservation contexts (Plieninger et al, 2023;Topp et al, 2021;Aziz et al, 2022;Nemogá et al, 2022). For example, while technical and scienti c knowledge are both necessary to develop grazing management and pasture improvement plans, local knowledge can serve in the identi cation of important forage plants and their impact on production and health of livestock.…”

“…Ample evidence in literature illustrates the signi cant contributions of indigenous people and local communities to ecosystem management and creation of knowledge based on the diverse values of nature, which is key to inform decision-making (Brondízio et al 2021;Azzopardi et al, 2022). Despite this importance, values, rules and knowledge and the resulting practices of communities are, to date, most often poorly integrated in most conservation contexts nor fully recognized by society at large (Mishra et al, 2017;Montgomery et al, 2020;Brondízio et al, 2021) and which is particularly the case in Lebanon (Plieninger et al, 2023).…”

Governing Landscape Simplification in Rapid Commercialization Contexts – the Case of the Dike-Pond System in the Pearl River Delta, China

“…These institutions, consisting of both formal and informal rules, represent cultural frameworks for interpreting landscapes (Quinn et al, 2007). The institutions involved in governing landscape commons emphasize the preservation and transformation of the multi-function and biophysical characteristics of landscapes, and are closely related to the customs, equity, and values of the local people (Gerber & Hess, 2017;Plieninger et al, 2023;Vialatte et al, 2019). However, amidst the process of landscape change, institutions are also influenced by external socioeconomic shifts, and conflicts can arise among stakeholders involved in managing landscape commons, in which specific values and functions are stressed while others are ignored, consequently exerting pressure on landscapes (Bürgi et al, 2017;Evans et al, 2008;Ford et al, 2020).…”