The Importance of Engaging Local People in Landscape Management – Experiences from an EU Project

Kaisa Raatikainen

doi:10.3097/lo.201857

Abstract

“Bull by the Horns” -project initiated landscape management and promoted biodiversity associated with diminishing High Nature Value farmland habitats in Finland. A specific focus was on grazed semi-natural grasslands and wood-pastures which are collectively referred to as traditional rural biotopes (TRBs). Collaboration among project workers, non-farming landowners, and cattle owners reintroduced grazing to abandoned pastures, and management was financed through agri-environmental payments. Using adaptive co-management principles, the project enabled collective definition of integrated site-specific management objectives. A better understanding of contemporary challenges and opportunities to advance TRB management cumulated through incorporation of local actors into collaborative management planning. Authority-driven measures failed to engage locals, but supporting existing networks among landowners and cattle farmers was successful. The project gave insight into good practices on collaborative landscape management, and it proved to be efficient in directing management actions to biologically valuable sites. Due to a short operative period and lack of follow-up procedures, the actual environmental outcomes of established management could not be verified. Concernedly, environmental administration is becoming heavily reliant on projects, which creates further risks because of their short time frames and narrow focus. Functional governance practices that are tested in projects should be consolidated through more permanent resources.

Highlights

1.1 MotivationAgricultural land-use intensification and land abandonment alike impact rural landscapes, communities, biodiversity, and ecosystem services (Beilin et al 2014; Allan et al 2015)
traditional rural biotopes (TRBs) are one type of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland habitats characterized by a high level of structural heterogeneity and species richness, and they host a variety of cultural values related to land-use history (Fig. 1)
The management planning resulted in 137 site-specific plans, which were used in 117 agrienvironment scheme (AES) payment applications from farmers and 14 from civic associations

Summary

Introduction

1.1 MotivationAgricultural land-use intensification and land abandonment alike impact rural landscapes, communities, biodiversity, and ecosystem services (Beilin et al 2014; Allan et al 2015). Especially low-intensity grazing and mowing, are currently supported through agri-environmental incentives in order to conserve biodiversity and maintain traditional rural landscapes (Beaufoy & Cooper 2013; Linnell et al 2015). These High Nature Value (HNV) farming practices support or are associated with either a high species and habitat diversity or the presence of species of conservation concern, or both (Andersen et al 2004; Beaufoy & Cooper, 2013). TRBs are classified as the most threatened of all Finnish ecosystems (Raunio et al 2008), and they are an important habitat for 1,807 nationally red-listed species, many of which are insects living on dry meadows (Rassi et al 2010)

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