Development Of Cultural Landscape Research Articles

A maroon legacy? Sketching African contributions to live fencing practices in early Spanish America

Geographers have generally neglected African influences in attempting to understand the historical development of cultural landscapes in the tropical and subtropical Americas. In this paper, I analyze the early post‐Columbian history of live fencing in the Americas, focusing on Spanish‐held areas in the 1500s and 1600s. Live fences characterize many modern landscapes in the tropical and subtropical Americas, but the historical geography of these landscape features is poorly known. I show that live fences bear Native American, European and African inheritances, but argue that the African contribution was particularly significant. Specifically, escaped slaves – or maroons – like many contemporaneous communities in Africa, experienced conditions of endemic warfare and labour shortage. Live fences were an effective and labour‐efficient means of defence, and all descriptions of live fences in the tropical and subtropical Americas before about 1800 were observed in maroon settlements. As African communities integrated into the multicultural societies of tropical and subtropical America other benefits of live fencing came to be more widely valued and integral to land management throughout the region – though its African inheritance has been forgotten. To understand more completely the historical cultural ecology of the Americas, geographers must challenge the deeply rooted belief that Africans contributed only labour in the development of New World landscapes.

Cultural landscape dynamics of transboundary areas: A case study of the Karelian isthmus

Transboundary landscapes are the territories most prone to change. Their dominant cultural landscape is determined not only by natural processes, ethnic features, internal state politics, and foreign politics but also by the human memory and existing mental space. The goal of the research presented in this article was to demonstrate how the change in political borders influenced the Karelian landscape. Ethnic changes, and the corresponding changes in how the landscape was viewed, led to an altered pattern of land use, which sometimes resulted in the creation of an almost new type of cultural landscape. The ways in which the landscape existed in the minds of the people and in the attitudes of local authorities could also bring about a change in the landscape. The Karelian Isthmus (the territory of Russia adjoining the state border with Finland), which has belonged to different states and has repeatedly changed its ethnic structure, was studied as a transboundary cultural landscape. The study focused most specifically on the local cultural landscape at the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty‐first centuries, when the Karelian Isthmus became a sort of bridge connecting Russia and the countries of the European Community. Dominant and subdominant cultural landscapes were examined, based on the author's field research and interviews. During the last one hundred years, there have been three main stages in the development of cultural landscapes in the Karelian Isthmus—Finnish, Soviet, and Russian (post‐Soviet)—as well as two transition periods when restructuring of the settlement system and land use took place. The three dominant landscape types (agricultural; rural‐agricultural; and collective‐garden and recreational) that correspond to the three main stages are considered in this article, as are the three subdominant cultural landscape types (military, estate, and countryside). These transboundary territories are unstable, most of them belonging to relict landscapes, the traditional features of which would need to be maintained. The preservation and development of transboundary landscapes are a concern of all neighboring countries.

Conservation, Renewability and Development of Pabung Patham "Flood Plains"In the Chi River Basin by Community Participation

Problem statement: At present Pabang Patham Flood Plains have been fading away from new generations' memories because they have known only community forest or Pa Chum Chon many kinds of plants, herbs, aquatic animals, wild animals and insects are reduced. Furthermore, some kinds of them are become extinct in the future if no conservation. Approach: A qualitative research was used for the study of conservation, renewability and development of cultural landscapes of Pabung Patham Flood Plains in the Chi river basin by community participation. The sample was three groups consisted of 30 key informants, 159 casual informants and 42 general informants. Three research areas were Khon Kaen, Mahasarakham and Yasothon. Results: The result of the study were as follows: (1) at present Pabung Patham have been fading away from new generation memories because they have known only community forest or Pa Chum Chon many kinds of plants, herbs, aquatic animals, wild animals and Insects are reduced. Furthermore some kinds of them are become extent in the future if no conservation. (2) Conservation by community participation according to AIC process was operated as follows: A: Appreciation, it was a process of constructing an appreciation. I: Influence, it was a process of constructing an influence on the ways to develop. C: Control, it was a process of constructing the ways to control the project. For this research the controlled factor was planting three kinds of tree and gaining four uses according to the feature of cultural landscapes of flood plains that consisted of planting trees for construction, trees for fruit and trees for fuel. Forest enhanced ecological balance in these ways: (1) enhancing oxygen for human beings (2) enhancing water for human beings (3) enhancing the fertility of soil land (4) enhancing the diversities of culture in case of the forest that Located in different ecology. Four cultural uses that we gained from forest classified into: (1) food was gained from plants, insects, wild animals, aquatic animals. (2) Herbal medicine (3) fuel was gained from trees (4) construction parts were gained from trees. Conclusion/Recommendations: Planting three kinds of tree and gaining four uses enhanced a lot of usefulness for community and reduced effectively the awful situation of global warming, drought storm and flood.

Land Use Changes (Recorded in Old Maps) and Delimitation of the Most Stable Areas from the Perspective of Land Use in the Kašperské Hory Region

Land Use Changes (Recorded in Old Maps) and Delimitation of the Most Stable Areas from the Perspective of Land Use in the Kašperské Hory RegionThe paper deals with the development of cultural landscape in the area of study in the Kašperské Hory region, Czech Republic, from the 1730s to the present and documents changes in spatial structure of land use in this period. The aim of the paper is to briefly characterize main phases in land use development and to identify land use changes and their trajectories. The research tries not only to identify spatial changes of land use but also to compare these changes with natural conditions and socio-economic factors. The results show a clear tendency in natural succession, typical for marginal landscapes in the whole of Europe, and to some extent homogenisation of the landscape in the second half of the 20th century. The major trajectories of change concern changes between arable land and permanent grassland. About 20% of the area remains stable from the perspective of land use which is different in comparison to other similar areas in the Czech Republic. Main socio-economic driving factors that influence land use development are population dynamics, changes in agricultural practises

New 18th Century Venetian Border in Croatia and its Spatial and Demographic Implications

After the peace treaties of Srijemski Karlovci (1699) and Pozarevac (1718) Venice extended and consolidated its possessions in Dalmatian interior the most in the history. That was the occasion of new policy of land repartition that was regulated by new agrarian laws and followed by cadastral surveys. Apart from jurisdiction change, after its establishment the border has not undergone any significant changes until today. Consequently, The interior Dalmatian territory consolidated in the 18 th century as the Venetian New Acquisition, presents the base for distinctive development of cultural landscape. The topic of the research is to point to the main spatial as well as demographic implications of the new border establishment in Dalmatia.

Using quantitative pollen-based land-cover estimations and a spatial CA_Markov model to reconstruct the development of cultural landscape at Rõuge, South Estonia

Quantitative pollen-based land-cover reconstruction covering the last 4,000 years was performed using transformation coefficients derived from a modern pollen land-cover database and a palynological record from an annually laminated sequence in Lake Rouge Tougjarv. Proportions of four land-cover classes characteristic of cultural landscape were reconstructed: habitation area, arable land, grassland and woodland. A land-use change model using CA_Markov analysis was applied for spatial reconstructions for seven periods: 600 b.c., a.d. 300, 800, 1200, 1700, 1870 and 1940. Historical maps from a.d. 1684, 1870–1899 and 1935 were used for calibration of quantitative estimates and to validate spatial reconstructions. The accuracy of the estimates depends on the availability of modern analogues and differs among land-cover classes, being highest for classes with directly connectable pollen indicator types (arable land, forest) and lowest for settlement areas. Spatial reconstructions produced by the CA_Markov land-cover change model show moderate accordance with historical data. However, the large uncertainties in land-cover input data must be considered in the evaluation of the KIA results of the spatial model. Permanent low intensity, rural land-use in the Rouge area started at the beginning of the Bronze Age (c. 1800 b.c.). The major increase in the extent of rural land-use took place at the beginning of the 13th century and culminated during the 19th century when c. 90% of the RSAP of Rouge Tougjarv was open. During the last century, rural land-use decreased constantly.

Implementing sustainable forest management in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains: The role of traditional village systems

Maintenance of socio-cultural values and biodiversity at local and regional levels are new important additional criteria for the implementation of sustainable forest management. Ukraine's forest sector is in transition from planned socialist to market economy. We evaluated the role of the traditional village system, which was successful for centuries for achieving both common economic as well as these new dimensions of sustainable forest management in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains. We used the Skole district as a case study that represents one of the most forested areas in Ukraine, and an integral part of Boiko people's ethnographic area. The village is a traditional social–ecological system defined by the traditional land use of pre-industrial cultural landscapes, and a spatial structure with land use zones satisfying different needs. Using documents on regional environmental history, analysis of socio-economic statistics, and interviews with local land users, we evaluated the extent to which the traditional village system supports socio-cultural dimensions of sustainable forest management. Our review of environmental history indicates that after different phases of cultural landscape development during several 100 years, the traditional village system is still a basic unit of the Skole district's forest landscapes. However, data and interviews show that the traditional village system is endangered. Making use of the total economic value of forest landscape resources, including wood and non-wood products and services based on cultural values and biodiversity, is an urgent task. Support of traditional village socio-cultural functions and land use systems including fields, wooded grasslands and forests should be milestones in a regional program of sustainable forest management. Traditional village system zoning and land use systems would be good indicators of sustainable forest landscapes.

Neue Leitbilder der Raumentwicklung in Deutschland

Spatial development concepts represent a desirable state of the spatial structure in the future. They are based on the analysis and evaluation of the state achieved so far and are once in a while adapted to the changing social and economic framework conditions. They are an important coordinating instrument in spatial planning. On the Federal spatial planning level, the Federation and the Länder are to jointly develop “concepts for the regional development of the national territory” in line with § 18 of the Federal Regional Planning Act. Following a large discussion process, the German Standing Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial Planning (Ministerkonferenz für Raumordnung MKRO) decided on 30 June 2006 to launch new concepts and action strategies for spatial development in Germany. They cover current topics of spatial planning policy, i.e. growth and innovation, services for the public, protection of resources and development of cultural landscapes.

Traditional land-use and nature conservation in European rural landscapes

Europe's countryside is characterised by a rich diversity of cultural landscapes and has been shaped by traditional land-uses. These landscapes provide numerous ecological services, e.g. the support of high levels of biodiversity. However, many traditional land-use systems have been lost or diminished in past decades, as land-uses have polarised either toward extensification and land abandonment or intensification. Remaining traditional land-use systems continue to be at risk. This paper introduces a special issue of six contributions that address land-use and landscape changes across Europe. The paper advocates a double-track strategy in cultural landscape development: first, some remaining traditional land-use systems should be preserved, and new tools for their economic viability be designed. Second, the key elements of traditional land-use that provide ecological services should be identified and integrated into future, more productive land-use systems.

Landscape planning facing the challenge of the development of cultural landscapes

Today’s landscape planning and design cannot favour one of the alternatives either to reproduce only historical images of landscapes and treat landscape a patient or to transform land use by following the organisational principles of human natural systems. Landscape planning must focus on the multi-functionality of the landscape using the premise of sustainable land use. Three examples, in Germany, that illustrate possibilities of future landscape transformation are presented. Though landscape planning is an important instrument to regulate the relationship between man and environment in such landscapes, in general practice landscape planning faces a lot of concrete problems. Requirements, methods and potentials of landscape planning that enable it to tackle these problems are proposed.

Endogenous Development in Austria's Mountain Regions

Regional development in mountain areas and the impact of development on landscapes have been focuses of economic and regional policies in Austria for many decades due to the country's very mountainous topography. A special Support Program for Mountain Farmers was established in the early 1970s. Since the late 1970s, support for regional economies has been defined from a bottom-up perspective. Meanwhile, measures designed in accordance with agricultural and regional policies have become an important component of Austria's mountain policy, with significant implications for sustainable regional development. Assessment of mountain agriculture in Austria has been carried out with particular attention to ways and means of supporting the agricultural sector and to measures aiming to preserve and manage land resources sustainably under the difficult production conditions in mountains. At the core of mountain policy is the valuation of nonmarketable goods, which are increasingly referred to as “rural amenities” in international discourse (Figure 1). Such valuation must be included in comprehensive policy assessments of sustainable development. Emphasis on the character of mountain areas with respect to potential local and regional amenities has made it possible to enhance small-scale development initiatives at the local level. Sustainable resource use in peripheral mountain regions largely depends on the possible development potential of amenities in regional concepts, on nurturing the endogenous potential of the local population, and on inducing appropriate initiatives for balanced development of cultural landscapes and rural society.

Value Assessment of Cultural Landscape in Alckas Settlement, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract Over the years, cultural, economic and social factors have led to the development of distinct cultural landscapes in and around the villages of the highlands of southwestern Saudi Arabia. Through centuries, the local inhabitants perpetuated this cultural landscape through subsistence agriculture and managed local natural resources through consensus-driven institutions. This paper describes the changes that have taken place with regard to the cultural landscape in a village of Asir province of Saudi Arabia. This community has recently experienced profound changes in its social, cultural, administrative and technical conditions. The situation of this and similar villages in this province is a particularly clear and interesting case of a general phenomenon of structural change in society interacting with the physical environment producing attitudinal and consequently physical changes in the field of environmental identity particularly at the macro-level. Recent economic growth in Saudi Arabia and an...

Trends in European cultural landscape development: perspectives for a sustainable future

Europe has a long history of landscape use, ranging from prehistoric to present times. Many old cultural landscapes have high qualities, but the management regime they developed under is no more feasible economically. Modern society increasingly utilizes landscape in a great variety of ways and for many purposes. This poses a complex pressure on cultural landscapes, threatening landscape qualities. Therefore planners and managers are facing the question: how can a sustainable future for old cultural landscapes, based on sound economics and the commitment of all actors be achieved? After a comprehensive overview of landscape use in the past, the various ways in which people have regarded their landscape and the ever changing attitude towards landscape use are reviewed. Modern agricultural practices, urbanization and recreation all threaten the existence of valuable cultural landscapes, but simple solutions to conserve many of these landscapes are not at hand. Perspectives for a sustainable future for historic European cultural landscapes are based on the following observations: society’s demand for multifunctionality; the inclination of farmers to meet this demand if it is economically profitable; support from national and local authorities (and the public) for ecologically sound management and finally, decentralization of landscape ruling and legislation, which favours regional solutions. Landscape ecology, as a study of relations on the earth’s surface can tackle planning and management issues from numerous view points, each with its own focal points. Scientists from all over Europe, convening in the Netherlands, set out new directions for landscape science. Priorities for the next century include: integration between disciplines; matching of scales in time and place with users, researchers and decision makers to enhance interaction and understanding.

Landscape‐relevant indicators for pressures on the Environment

The operationalization of ‘sustainable development ‘ requires indicators which can serve as information tools for the appraisal of the environmental consequences of socio‐economic development. These indicators of sustainable development should cover three main areas: (1) pressures which the socio‐economic system exerts on the environment; (2) the state of the environment; and (3) socio‐economic responses, i.e. activities to alleviate environmental problems. In this article we discuss indicators for sustainable development based on two approaches for the description of the interaction between socio‐economic systems and their natural environment: (1) socio‐economic metabolism, i.e. the mode in which societies organize their exchange of matter and energy with their natural environment; and (2) the colonization of nature, defined as the conundrum of strategies employed to transform parts of the environment in order to render them more useful for societal needs. We focus on pressure‐indicators which should be relevant for the development of cultural landscapes. Such indicators have to focus on the sectors agriculture, forestry, construction, and tourism. Four empirical examples for indicators of sustainable development are presented for the case of Austria: nutrient balances, manure management, energy consumption of crop farming, and appropriation of net primary production. These and similar indicators can be the basis for the development of spatially disaggregated sectoral ecobalances which are necessary for an integrated economic and ecological assessment of the economic branches with the highest relevance for the sustainable development of cultural landscapes.

The dynamics of regional identity in a frontier region: The case of Alsace

Strong feelings of regional identity are an integral part of the psyche among the inhabitants of Alsace, a region of France bordering on Switzerland and Germany. Alsatians also have an intense loyalty to France whose citizens probably have a stronger feeling of national identity than those in most other European countries. La dualité Alsacienne can be explained only through an understanding of Alsace's turbulent history and of its geographical position as a frontier region or province situated at the core of Europe. The peripheral location of the province with respect to the rest of France has forged, through its history and geography, the development of a set of distinctive “particularisms” that distinguishes Alsace as a separate culture area. The physical milieu of Alsace has enabled the development of high quality viticulture which of all agricultural activities lends itself most to the development and preservation of distinct cultural landscapes. Alsace's quality viticulture has led to the development of mass tourism that is being used to project the strong feelings of Alsatian regional identity beyond the boundaries of the region. Finally, the preservation of regional identity in Alsace is considered in the context of changing circumstances involving significant transboundary cooperation in the new peaceful Europe of the Regions. Within this, Alsace is now located at the very core of Europe's golden triangle.

Resource use, conflicts and cultural landscape development in the coastal zone

An interactional view of cultural landscape development forms the basis for this analysis of resource use and landscape change in a typical coastal community of West Norway. The article describes the transition from a traditional landscape of fishing-farming to new landscapes of leisure and aquaculture in terms of structural change. It examines conflicts and environmental impacts arising from interaction between functional systems operating at different geographical levels. Current problems in the coastal zone are related to institutional forces and modes of planning.

Cultural Landscape Development through 5500 Years at Lake Skånsø, Northwestern Jutland as Reflected in a Regional Pollen Diagram

(1989). Cultural Landscape Development through 5500 Years at Lake Skanso, Northwestern Jutland as Reflected in a Regional Pollen Diagram. Journal of Danish Archaeology: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 200-210.

A Speculative Cultural Geography: A Free-For-All Approach to Introductory Cultural Geography

Abstract A Speculative Cultural Geography is a format for an introductory course in Cultural Geography in which the student is given maximum opportunity to determine and comprehend the decision-making processes which have been instrumental in the development of historical and contemporary cultural landscapes. The rationale behind the creation of this combination of role-playing and in-class argumentation in conjunction with sequential themes in Cultural Geography is the belief that media-conscious students in college today justly demand more involvement in the learning process than merely being the passive recipients of traditional lectures. This paper outlines the theory behind the creation of the Speculative Cultural Geography and elaborates three hypothetical Speculations and class reactions to them.

Takaido-Yodobasi Groundwater Fall Line at the Western Part of Tokyo City with Reference to its Relation to the Development of Cultural Landscape

Takaido-Yodobasi Groundwater Fall Line at the Western Part of Tokyo City with Reference to its Relation to the Development of Cultural Landscape

Ground-water Fall Line at Ooizumi-mati, Western Suburb of Tôkyô City, with Special References to its Influence on the Development of Cultural Landscape

The writer found a ground-water fall line 6km long on the upland of Ooizumi-mati, western suburb of Tokyo. City. The ground-water table drops abruptly northward 6m on the line. The trend of the line is east to west. Therefore the depth of the ground-water below the surface in the northern part of the upland is greater than that in the southern part. The water table on the southern side of the fall line is subject to marked seasonal variation. The water in water table wells is deep. during the wet season. The pH of the ground water across the line also undergoes marked changes. There were wide woodlands and a few rural settlements in the upland north of the line until quite recently. The deep ground-wat-er may contribute to the latest reclamation of the northern part of the upland. Many dwellings, schools, and factories are being built within the woodland in connexion with the city planning. There are narrow, perched water areas in the upland, where the shallowness of the ground water helps the developement of small ru-ral settlements.