Systematic targeting of management actions as a tool to enhance conservation of traditional rural biotopes

Raatikainen, Kaisa J.; Mussaari, Maija; Raatikainen, Katja M.; Halme, Panu

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.01.019

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…As agricultural issues are central for national politics, politicians play an important role in development and implementation of agri-environmental policies. Tasks of targeting and channeling management funding to TRB managers is decentralized to several officers working in Finnish authorities, which include two ministries, three national agencies, and 15 regional administrative organizations (Raatikainen et al, 2017). A number of NGO employees and volunteers provide assistance for managers in AES-related issues, e.g.…”

Section: Conceptualizing Management Of Traditional Rural Biotopes As a Social-ecological Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their decisions on whether to continue TRB management or to abandon it have a direct connection to TRB conservation. Given the urgent need to increase the number of managed TRBs in order to safeguard the biodiversity dependent on them (Heikkinen, 2007;Raatikainen et al, 2017), knowledge on the resilience of TRB systems within contemporary agricultural context needs to be gathered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Current agri-environmental policies dismiss varied perceptions and discourses on management of traditional rural biotopes

Raatikainen

Barron

2017

Land Use Policy

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Traditional rural biotopes (TRBs) are threatened habitats that host significant biodiversity and several ecosystem services, and depend on active management such as low-intensity grazing. The current study explores private landowners' decision-making on TRB management and abandonment within a social-ecological system framework. We provide insight into supporting resilience of TRB systems in the face of agricultural modernization. Using a mixed methods approach with content analysis and Q analysis, we demonstrate that TRB management fosters cultural, biological, aesthetic, and utilitarian values. These are reflected in different ways through conservationist's, profit-oriented farmer's, landscape manager's, and landscape admirer's discourses on TRB management. Overall, management reinforces landowners' place attachment, and reflects an approach to landscapes as spatial representations of cultural heritage and identity over multiple generations. Landowners consider TRB pasturage and its social-ecological outcomes motivating and rewarding. Giving up grazing cattle and perceived bureaucracy of national agri-environment scheme contribute to TRB abandonment. Landowners point out that current policies detach TRB management from what is seen as "regular agriculture", and the focus on monetary compensation bypasses the multiple values tied to TRB management. Based on our results, we suggest that promoting TRBs requires reconfiguring the current arrangement of remedial management payments and adopting a more participatory governance approach. Locally, resilience of TRB systems relies on the connections between landowners and landscapes that foster sense of place and landscape identity, which can be supported by knowledge sharing and collaborative grazing efforts among landowners.

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Section: Conceptualizing Management Of Traditional Rural Biotopes As a Social-ecological Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current agri-environmental policies dismiss varied perceptions and discourses on management of traditional rural biotopes

Raatikainen

Barron

2017

Land Use Policy

Self Cite

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“…To date, the main targets of coastal meadow restoration have been endangered bird and amphibian species (Hellström & Berg 2001; Rannap et al 2007; Durant et al 2008; Zmihorski et al 2016). However, many papers note that neither restoration nor conservational management has achieved the desired results in terms of the restored area, quality, or recolonization of coastal meadow specialist bird and amphibian species (Raatikainen et al 2017; Rannap et al 2017). Other studies have indicated the need for more measurable goals related to vegetation recovery (Bakker et al 2000; Gustavsson et al 2011; Walden & Lindborg 2016; Török & Helm 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty years of Baltic Boreal coastal meadow restoration: has it been long enough?

Kose

Heinsoo

Kaljund

et al. 2020

Restoration Ecology

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The restoration of a threatened type of seminatural grassland-the Baltic Boreal coastal meadows-began in Estonia in 1997. The main causes of degradation of these communities were land abandonment and overgrowth by reed. In 2015, we resurveyed 14 sites and classified as (1) permanently managed or (2) restored before 2005, or (3) after 2005. In 2015, all sites were managed under the EU agri-environmental scheme and classified as permanently managed or restored before or after 2005. The resurvey focused on assessment of the long-term success of restoration, comparing the vegetation parameters of restored meadows with permanently managed meadows (which were considered as reference). Our study revealed that historical management patterns have an impact on the species richness of these habitats, as more species were found in historically mown meadows, even if the sites were restored by grazing. However, species richness was not an important indicator of coastal meadow recovery. The best indicators of restoration success are evenness and coverage of low-lying, light-demanding, salt-tolerant, wintergreen, cryptophyte, and hemicryptophyte plant species. Phragmites australis is a good indicator species for the habitat, as its abundance indicates poor habitat quality. The study indicated that the recovery of coastal meadow habitat from abandonment requires more than 15 years of restoration activities, and suggested the 3-year restoration period covered by conservation measures and funds is not enough. Therefore, we recommend that agri-environmental schemes should support additional restoration activities for recently restored meadows which are entering the management scheme.

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“…The management of considerable areas of semi-natural habitats is currently irrelevant for production across the region; the shares of permanent grassland managed for subsidies and not for production range from 11% (Lithuania) to 58% (Norway) (EUROSTAT 2013 ). In Finland, where the use of semi-natural habitats in production is marginal, continuously managing as little as 20 000 hectares proved challenging even with subsidies and restoration targets (Raatikainen et al 2017 ). This phenomenon is also reported from Norway (Wehn et al 2018 ).…”

Section: Evidence For the Socio-ecological Extinction Vortexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semi-natural habitats in the European boreal region: Caught in the socio-ecological extinction vortex?

Herzon

Raatikainen

Helm

et al. 2022

Ambio

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We propose to consider semi-natural habitats—hotspots for biodiversity—being caught in a socio-ecological extinction vortex, similar to the phenomenon described for species threatened with extinction. These habitats are essentially socioecological systems, in which socioeconomic drivers are interlinked with ecological processes. We identify four highly interlinked and mutually reinforcing socio-economic processes, pertaining to the importance of semi-natural habitats for (i) agricultural production, (ii) policy, research and development; (iii) vocational education in the fields of agricultural sciences and (iv) public’s experiences with semi-natural habitats. Evidence from six countries in the boreal region demonstrates that recent slowing down or even reversal of two processes are insufficient to stop the extinction vortex phenomenon. We suggest research directions to ascertain the phenomenon, monitor its development and develop proactive actions to weaken the vortex. It is highly plausible that interventions directed at most, if not all, of the key vortex processes are needed to reverse the overall deteriorating trends of a socio-ecological system.

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Systematic targeting of management actions as a tool to enhance conservation of traditional rural biotopes

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

Current agri-environmental policies dismiss varied perceptions and discourses on management of traditional rural biotopes

Current agri-environmental policies dismiss varied perceptions and discourses on management of traditional rural biotopes

Twenty years of Baltic Boreal coastal meadow restoration: has it been long enough?

Semi-natural habitats in the European boreal region: Caught in the socio-ecological extinction vortex?

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