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Forskningsartikel2021Vetenskapligt granskadÖppen tillgång

Maintaining natural and traditional cultural green infrastructures across Europe: learning from historic and current landscape transformations

Angelstam, Per; Manton, Michael; Yamelynets, Taras; Fedoriak, Mariia; Albulescu, Andra-Cosmina; Bravo, Felipe; Cruz, Fatima; Jaroszewicz, Bogdan; Kavtarishvili, Marika; Munoz-Rojas, Jose; Sijtsma, Frans; Washbourne, Carla-Leanne; Agnoletti, Mauro; Dobrynin, Denis; Izakovicova, Zita; Jansson, Nicklas; Kanka, Robert; Kopperoinen, Leena; Lazdinis, Marius; Metzger, Marc;
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Sammanfattning

Context Maintaining functional green infrastructures (GIs) require evidence-based knowledge about historic and current states and trends of representative land cover types. Objectives We address: (1) the long-term loss and transformation of potential natural forest vegetation; (2) the effects of site productivity on permanent forest loss and emergence of traditional cultural landscapes; (3) the current management intensity; and (4) the social-ecological contexts conducive to GI maintenance . Methods We selected 16 case study regions, each with a local hotspot landscape, ranging from intact forest landscapes, via contiguous and fragmented forest covers, to severe forest loss. Quantitative open access data were used to estimate (i) the historic change and (ii) transformation of land covers, and (iii) compare the forest canopy loss from 2000 to 2018. Qualitative narratives about each hotspot landscape were analysed for similarities (iv). Results While the potential natural forest vegetation cover in the 16 case study regions had a mean of 86%, historically it has been reduced to 34%. Higher site productivity coincided with transformation to non-forest land covers. The mean annual forest canopy loss for 2000-2018 ranged from 0.01 to 1.08%. The 16 case studies represented five distinct social-ecological contexts (1) radical transformation of landscapes, (2) abuse of protected area concepts, (3) ancient cultural landscapes (4) multi-functional forests, and (5) intensive even-aged forest management, of which 1 and 4 was most common. Conclusions GIs encompass both forest naturalness and traditional cultural landscapes. Our review of Pan-European regions and landscapes revealed similarities in seemingly different contexts, which can support knowledge production and learning about how to sustain GIs.

Nyckelord

Cultural landscape; Forest naturalness; Green infrastructure; Landscape history; Land-sharing and land-sparing; Social-ecological system; Reference landscape

Publicerad i

Landscape Ecology
2021, Volym: 36, nummer: 2, sidor: 637-663 Utgivare: SPRINGER

    Globala målen

    SDG12 Hållbar konsumtion och produktion
    SDG15 Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

    UKÄ forskningsämne

    Kulturgeografi
    Skogsvetenskap

    Publikationens identifierare

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01161-y

    Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/110045