The Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Europe and the Mediterranean: A Gordian Knot?

Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion regarding the effective conservation of the European natural heritage. First it is argued that there are intrinsic difficulties in defining the terms 'conservation ', 'natural heritage' and 'cultural heritage', particularly in cultural landscapes. In the second part, keeping to the common, intuitive understanding, a simple schematic diagram is used to demonstrate that it is impossible to define the natural heritage in Europe decoupled from a simultaneous reference to the cultural heritage that co-created it. Next, the tools that the EU presently uses to conserve its natural heritage are discussed. It is emphasised that mere lists of species and habitats must not be misperceived as comprising the whole natural heritage of Europe, the conservation of which cannot be achieved solely within protected areas. A critical gap is pinpointed; despite its primary role, the intangible cultural heritage of the practices of farming and forestry that have forged the European natural heritage for centuries is not systematically recorded, recognised or conserved. The Mediterranean is simply treated as the most diverse area of Europe both in terms of natural and cultural heritage. Finally, it is suggested that the effective way to support conservation of the European natural heritage is to channel through the agriculture sector, a large part of the subsidies to support such practices in farming and forestry, or their closest modern applications.

Omens from the Mediterranean: Conservation Nostrums inMare Nostrum

“…Nature and culture patently intertwine in the deeply humanized Mediterranean. Survival of the lesser kestrel depends on traditional roofs for nesting and of old-style farming in Thessaly and Lemnos [66]. Survival of Florentine art and Venetian architecture calls for ecological control of the Arno and the Adriatic.…”

Increase of forage dryness induces differentiated anatomical response in the sheep rumen compartments

“…Apennine grasslands are largely used for ovine semi‐extensive breeding whose environmental and socio‐economic sustainability allows for the conservation of one of the European biodiversity hot spots. Thereby the loss of farming sustainability due to the worsening of forage quality and quantity shall lead to the disappearance of a pivotal cultural and natural heritage (Catsadorakis, ). For these reasons, the deepening of our knowledge about rumen‐pasture interaction is a key issue from biodiversity, physiological, socio‐economic, and cultural viewpoints.…”

Natura 2000 and the narrative nature of nature: a case for critical discourse analysis

“…4 By itself alone, conservation science will never be able to define the goals of ecosystem management because there is no benchmark situation to return to (Lawton 1997). And even if this were possible, this would not depend on the will of communities alone, but on a much wider combination of factors ''at various spatio-temporal scales, such as values, economy, markets, technology, science, necessities, global balances, politics, customs and tradition, religion, stochastic events, philosophical perceptions, and so on'' (Catsadorakis 2007). Both natural heritage and cultural heritage are diffuse concepts that are so complexly intertwined and compound, that there can be no precise prescriptions as to how to synthesize elements as disperse as aesthetic concerns, the economy, food production, other needs of both rural and urban populations, and unclear environmental goals, in the right mixes and accommodated within unique local contexts in order to ensure a (also undefined) satisfactory degree of conservation of natural heritage, including biodiversity (Catsadorakis 2007).…”

“…And even if this were possible, this would not depend on the will of communities alone, but on a much wider combination of factors ''at various spatio-temporal scales, such as values, economy, markets, technology, science, necessities, global balances, politics, customs and tradition, religion, stochastic events, philosophical perceptions, and so on'' (Catsadorakis 2007). Both natural heritage and cultural heritage are diffuse concepts that are so complexly intertwined and compound, that there can be no precise prescriptions as to how to synthesize elements as disperse as aesthetic concerns, the economy, food production, other needs of both rural and urban populations, and unclear environmental goals, in the right mixes and accommodated within unique local contexts in order to ensure a (also undefined) satisfactory degree of conservation of natural heritage, including biodiversity (Catsadorakis 2007). The articulation of local practices with often incoherent European, national, and regional regulations, which target biodiversity conservation or have an impact on it, such as agriculture, transport, and housing policies, brings to the fore some of the main challenges of what is seen as the multi-level aspect of governance.…”