Landscape and biocultural diversity

Abstract

With the convention on biological diversity (CBD) office in UNEP acting as global focal point for biodiversity, and UNESCO acting as global focal point for cultural diversity, the two institutions launched in 2010 the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (JP-BiCuD) to strengthen the linkages between biological and cultural diversity initiatives, and to enhance the synergies between interlinked provisions of conventions and programmes dealing with biological and cultural diversity at relevant scales. The first meeting for the implementation of the Joint Programme was held in Florence (Italy) in April 2014 and produced a declaration to promote the Joint Program in the European Continent. The scientific committee received 165 paper proposals. The selection operated by the Steering Committee accepted 63 papers considered highly relevant for the topic of the conference and also 11 posters, from 25 countries. The expert meeting for the drafting of the final declaration was attended by 42 experts from 14 countries and about 33 organizations, including FAO, ICOMOS, IUCN, and IUFRO among others. The Florence Declaration (UNESCO and SCBD 2014) was drafted taking into account the results of the conference works, and has not only produced political indications for the implementation on the Joint Programme, but also indicated some of the most important issues concerning research activities for the promotion of the concept of biocultural diversity:Communicated by

What is biological cultural heritage and why should we care about it? An example from Swedish rural landscapes and forests

“…Rössler 2006, Harrop 2007, UNESCO 2008, Agnoletti and Rotherham 2015. Cultural landscapes represent relationships amongst people, events and places through time (Taylor and Lennon 2011).…”

“…Maffi 2005, Agnoletti and Rotherham 2015. Although there are other related concepts, for example "ecodiversity" (Naveh 1998) and "ethnobiology" (Wolverton et al 2014), biocultural diversity has become dominating in the discourse linking different aspects of cultural diversity with use of natural resources and for identifying how these links promote and maintain both cultural and biological diversity .…”

New Interest in Wild Forest Products in Europe as an Expression of Biocultural Dynamics

“…In this context several studies have identified the loss of such historic biodiversity due to modernisation (Pilgrim et al 2008; Pilgrim and Pretty 2010; Rapport and Maffi 2010). Initial studies applying the concept in Europe similarly stressed the heritage value of traditional biocultural diversity and the importance of conserving traditional European landscapes that testify how people have interacted with nature (Agnoletti and Rotherham 2015). This heritage and conservation focus has been criticized for failing to recognize that culture is dynamic (Cocks 2006).…”

Palm Forest Landscape in Castillos (Rocha, Uruguay): Contributions to the Design of a Conservation Area

“…Rodr.) Noblick) are without a doubt a plant genetic resource with multiple uses that have shaped a biocultural and multifunctional landscape since pre-historical times (López Mazz & Pintos, 2001;Dabezies, 2011;Rivas & Barbieri, 2015), in the sense proposed by Agnoletti & Rotherham (2015). Butia odorata (butia) palm forests form a landscape characterized by the presence of butia palms with density levels of between 50 and 600 palms per hectare over natural herbaceous grasslands.…”